Willow
Author: evil_queen369
Genre: Crack, Angst, Fluff, Smut
Fandom: the GazettE, alicenine, Kagrra, Screw, Dir en Grey,
Pairings: Aoi/Uruha, Reita/Ruki, Kai/Shin, Shou/Hiroto, Kazuki/Manabu, Toshiya/Manabu, Kazuki/Shin (one-sided), Byou/Jin
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Warnings: Overall - sex, language
Chapter: 28/?
Synopsis: Neither one, Kouyou or Yuu really remembered them, but Shinji and Naoyuki still kept an eye on them when they had nothing else to do. Kouyou had lost his fairies when he turned ten because he no longer needed his magical fairies to help him. In other words, he had gotten too old and they had to be assigned to another child. The most they could do for Kouyou was watch him from afar and use limited magic to help him, but only in situations when he was in danger. He wasn’t in danger too often --at least not since Takashi’s memory was erased so he didn’t remember how he managed to break his arm, and Kouyou had no idea either'.
Comment: At the end.
“It’s about damn time.” Manabu smirked at the words. Byou was always so impatient. It was rare for him to wait for his friends to show up. The blonde man grinned up at the two newcomers and winked. “And you brought Zuki. I thought you two broke up.” His eyes roamed over Kazuki with interest as he shifted in his seat.
“We did.” Manabu shrugged taking a seat on the worn-out couch in Byou’s basement where they always hung out, played videogames, and talked. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, stretching his arms up in the air with a contented sigh. He glanced over at the doorway where Kazuki still stood and smirked. Even though they were all friends, Kazuki hated to be near Byou. The blonde had a crush on him; it was actually more of an obsession. While Manabu and Kazuki were still together, Byou was always trying to molest Kazuki while Manabu had his back turned. Manabu wasn’t as oblivious as everyone thought.
“So Zuki’s on the market, huh?” Byou bent back in his chair and ran a hand up Kazuki’s thigh with a purr. He grinned in the perverted way he was known for and reached over, grasping the standing man’s wrist and yanked him down over the chair and onto his lap. Kazuki scrunched his face up in discomfort and stared at the hands on his hips. He didn’t even want to know where those disgusting things have been.
“Don’t be stupid, Byou.” Manabu chuckled, fishing around in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and stuck one of the white sticks between his lips. A hand reached over from beside him holding a lighter, lighting the end of the cigarette. Manabu smirked and inhaled, holding the smoke in his mouth for a few seconds before exhaling with a sigh. “He doesn’t need you to cause more problems.”
Byou looked surprised, his eyebrows shooting up. “Problems?” He wrapped his arms around the man on his lap with an innocent smile. His hand traced circles on Kazuki’s thigh as he eyed Manabu almost tauntingly. “What could I possibly do?” The blonde rested his chin on Kazuki’s shoulder.
Manabu snorted and held his cigarette between his fingers as his eyes roamed over Byou when he slipped his hand under Kazuki’s shirt. It wasn’t surprising to see Byou trying to feel up the other man. Byou did that to everyone regardless if they were taken. Kazuki was a whole different story because he was the most popular boy in school, and Byou had had his eyes on him for awhile, but Kazuki was only interested in Manabu. Kazuki would usually shove him away whenever he got to close.
“Kazuki’s done being a manwhore, and he doesn’t need you to screw shit up. Are you forgetting he has no interest in you?”
“He’s right.” Kazuki leaned back against Byou’s chest with a knowing smirk. “I promised Manabu I would stop, and this time I’m not going to mess up. I may have lost him as a lover, but I won’t lose him as a friend.” He placed his hands on either side of Byou and pushed himself up so he was able to move away from the perverted man.
Byou rolled his eyes, “That’s fine,” he sighed and motioned for the man next to Manabu to go to him. The man stood and sashayed across the room, settling himself on the blonde’s lap. “I have Jin anyways.” The mentioned man played with a stray string on his shirt in an attempt to ignore the eyes on him.
“Then why in the hell did you care if he’s on the market?” Manabu tilted his head as Kazuki sat down beside him in Jin’s previous seat.
“I could only imagine what he had in mind for me.” Kazuki muttered and rested his head on Manabu’s shoulder like he always did when they were stuck in Byou’s basement. He crossed his arms over his chest and crossed one leg over the other. He didn’t even want to know what Byou had in mind, but Manabu had already asked.
Byou shrugged and pulled Jin flush against his chest. “Threesome.” He laughed openly at the blush spreading across Jin’s face and the look of shock on Kazuki’s face, but the most amusing part was the anger radiating off Manabu. “Don’t give me that look. It would have been fun.” The blonde chuckled when Jin covered his face with his hands. Dating Byou had its flaws: Byou could be extremely embarrassing. He was nothing but a sex fiend, and Jin was just a quiet lover who did whatever Byou said, in most cases.
Kazuki rolled his eyes and sat up straight. “I may have tried juggling two men before, but that doesn’t mean I’d involve myself in one of your strange threesomes.” He glanced over at Manabu and shook his head with a look of pure disgust. Byou was appalling in multiple ways, and Kazuki didn’t care much for him; he only liked him enough to be his friend.
“I wouldn’t let you get involved anyways. Byou’s a sick bastard.” Manabu stuck his tongue out and pretended to shiver. “Who knows where that thing has been. He’s such a whore that I doubt he’s only sleeping with Jin.” Byou had been known to sleep with multiple people, and Jin was such a pushover that he allowed it. He knew better than to go against what Byou wanted.
Jin squeaked when Byou tightened his grip around his waist with a laugh. “I don’t get it, Manabu; you still have feelings for Kazuki, yet you’re not with him? Sounds like you don’t want him to be with anyone else. You don’t own him, y’know.” The blonde man grinned as Manabu pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He rubbed Jin’s thighs and trained his eyes on Kazuki.
“Of course I still have feelings for him. You never stop loving your first love even if you swear you don’t love them anymore.” Manabu droned out as he held his cigarette up to his lips and inhaled again. Speaking to Byou always stressed him out when it came to the topic of his former lover. His feet moved off the coffee table as he shifted in his seat so he was slumped down in the couch. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to move on. I moved on, so he should too. I just don’t want to see him with someone like you.” He sneered as Byou glared at him.
“You-”
“Shut up, Byou.” Kazuki held his hand up. “You just like to get him riled up.”
“Of course I do.” Byou smirked. Manabu was interesting when he was angry. When the topic of Kazuki came up, Manabu was unpredictable when it came to his anger. If people weren’t careful, Manabu would beat the shit out of them. Manabu never let someone fuck with Kazuki, and Kazuki never let someone fuck with Manabu... well except for Toshimasa and the people who beat him up.
“How about you stop before I make you?” Kazuki rested his arm over Manabu’s shoulder with a raised eyebrow, challenging the blonde to keep it up. Byou may have been strong, but Kazuki was a lot stronger. Add Manabu’s rage into the mixture, and there would be hell to pay. Kazuki let his fingers play with Manabu’s hair as the smaller man leaned against him. Even before they were together they acted affectionate toward each other. Their friendship was just like that for some reason, and Kazuki wouldn’t let a breakup mess up their unique friendship.
“I don’t see why you guys broke up if you still love each other.” Jin spoke softly, his hands resting on the ones on his stomach. He looked at his two friends through the hair that had fallen in his face and adverted his gaze down to his hands.
Kazuki smiled sadly and rested his chin on top of Manabu’s head, breathing in his scent and tightening his grip on the smaller man. “I’m an idiot who didn’t treat him right. It was bound to happen eventually. Maybe if I wasn’t such an asshole, we never would have broken up. There’s no chance of us getting back together now. He‘s dating Toshimasa.” He bit his lip and looked over at Jin.
“Toshimasa?” Jin sat up as the name caught his interest. Little did everyone know, but Jin had actually been close to being friends with Toshimasa not too long ago. Close, but not friends. That was years before he met his friends and decided to go against the other playboy. If Byou knew he used to hang out with people who were close to Toshimasa, he’d be in big trouble.
“Look,” Manabu closed his eyes and made himself more comfortable, “I know we’re not supposed to like him or his people, but I can’t help it. Byou, even you thought I was crazy for dating Kazuki. Remember? You said ‘he’s a playboy, do I need to elaborate?’, and you saw how well our relationship went-” Byou laughed into his hand as he shook his head. It was true that he said that, but it was also because he had wanted Kazuki.
“And you saw how it crashed and burned.” The blonde haired man smiled behind his hand as Manabu glared at him.
Jin shifted on Byou’s lap as he smiled. It was nice that Manabu had finally found someone other than Kazuki, who, in Jin’s opinion, wasn’t really the right person for him to begin with. But Toshimasa? Well, that wasn’t exactly the perfect match either. “Just be careful with him, alright? I may know a little about him, so just stay on his good side.” Manabu raised his eyebrow but didn’t say a word. As far as he knew, Toshimasa wasn’t a dangerous person. How could someone so bubbly possibly do harm to someone?
He pulled himself away from Kazuki when his phone began vibrating, signaling he had a new text message. It was obvious who it was because all the other people who usually texted him were in the room with him. “Speaking of Toshi…” He muttered as he fished out his phone from his jacket pocket.
From: Toshimasa
I thought you were going to call me. It’s been a whole hour~
Manabu rolled his eyes as his thumbs moved over the keyboard of his phone. He could almost hear Toshimasa’s whining voice in the back of his head and see those batting eyelashes. Perhaps he had spent too much time with the older boy.
To: Toshimasa
Would you like it if I stopped by the café?
Because, seriously, his friends were boring the hell out of him. Byou was too busy molesting Jin, Jin was trying to make him stop, and Kazuki was just sitting there with his feet propped up on the coffee table. None of them were talking now, they weren’t listening to music, and the television wasn’t even on. It was completely silent now, and it was driving Manabu up a wall.
From: Toshimasa
Yes~! Right meow! :3
Closing his phone, Manabu stood up and stretched his limbs while his friends stared at him. “Well, I’m going now. Toshi wants me at the café, so I guess I’ll go see him for awhile.” Kazuki huffed on the couch while Byou rolled his eyes.
“You’re ditching us for him?” Byou sneered, going back to his normal pain-in-the-ass self. It was a bit rude of Manabu to just leave for someone like Toshimasa, especially since they hadn’t hung out in awhile.
And even though Kazuki swore he would be good, he still couldn’t help the hatred boiling in his blood for the other man. All the pretending to be nice was going to fail in the end because the thought of Manabu with Toshimasa still made him angry. Manabu was supposed to be his. As long as he kept up his act, he could keep Manabu close. It shouldn’t be too hard to steal him back after a little scheming on his end.
Manabu smiled sheepishly and bow apologetically to his friends. It did sound mean when put in those terms, but he had to devote his time to both his friends and his boyfriend. Truthfully, he was sort of neglecting his friends, but with all that’s happened, it wasn’t strange. How was he supposed to spend time with his friends before if he didn’t want to be anywhere near Kazuki? And it was pointless when they were still together because Kazuki was too busy running around with Shin; Manabu didn’t like to spend so much time with Byou alone because the blonde would say and do whatever he wanted if Kazuki wasn’t there to put his foot down.
“I can’t spend my whole day with my boyfriend like you can, Byou.” He bit his bottom lip as the older man glared at him. “Excuse me for wanting to spend more time with him.”
“You do spend your whole day with him.” Kazuki pointed out. Regardless if he actually spent most of his day with Manabu, the younger man was with Toshimasa a lot more. Toshimasa drove Manabu to school, he walked him to his first class, they met up for lunch, they hung out in the courtyard during their study hall period, they went home together, Toshimasa usually stayed with Manabu until he had to go home and change for work, then after work he would drop by Manabu’s house just to see him before he went to sleep. Kazuki knew all that because he, as bad as it sounded, always kept his eye on his enemy.
“And I spent my whole day with you when we were together.” Manabu shot back. There was nothing wrong with spending time with Toshimasa, and he wasn’t going to stand around and listen to his friends complain.
---
Yuu stretched his stiff limbs as he sat up. Somewhere between talking about their wedding and Kouyou wanting to watch television, he had fallen asleep. Luckily he didn’t actually have to work otherwise he would have been late. He just had to get his pay check before the arcade closed, or he could just call Eiji and have him drop it off at his house. This was the last check Yuu would need before he could go out and buy Kouyou’s ring. No one knew it, or at least he didn't think so, but Yuu had hidden all of his money in the very back of his closet. Originally he had saved it up to buy something else, but he decided Kouyou was more important than his needs. If Kouyou wanted to get married, the least Yuu could do was save up for a nice ring; he didn’t have to pay for the wedding itself since Kouyou could just make wishes.
“It’s about time you woke up.” Kouyou shifted on the bed so he was lying on his side instead of his chest. Yuu had fallen asleep on him, not that he minded; Yuu was just a bit heavy after awhile and he moved too much while he slept. One more kick to his leg, and Kouyou would have thrown Yuu across the room.
“I need to get my pay check.” Yuu said simply as he leaned down to kiss Kouyou quickly. He jumped off the bed and made his way to his closet to get a jacket since it was getting slightly chilly out. He reached pass his jackets to the set of drawers sitting in the back of his closet and grabbed the money he had hidden in there and shoved it in the pocket of his jacket. Once he was out of the room he would put it in his wallet so he didn’t lose it, but right now he didn’t want Kouyou to know he was intending to buy the ring while he was out. There was no surprise in that.
The blonde rolled over, burying his face in Yuu’s pillow and mumbled, “Don’t be gone too long.” Watching television for so long had made him tired as well, and it was all he could do to not fall asleep while he was still talking to Yuu.
Lips were pressed against the back of his head as Yuu chuckled. “Get some sleep, and I’ll be back before you know it.” He made his way toward the door as Kouyou’s tired voice floated through the room.
“When you go down there, make it look like I really kicked your ass good for being a bad boy.” The blonde yawned and covered his mouth as he winked at his lover with a dorky grin.
Once he was out of the room, he pulled his money out of his pocket. There was already enough money for a ring, but he just wanted to make sure he would have enough if he saw a ring that Kouyou would really like. It didn’t matter how expensive it was as long as he had enough money. He decided he would buy two of whatever ring he bought; it only made sense for them to have matching rings. He put all his money in his wallet and made his way down the stairs.
His mother was sitting on the couch talking on the phone. Her index finger shot up as soon as she saw him and shook her head. “Just a second. No, Yuu’s trying to leave. I know, kids just don’t understand the meaning of the word ‘grounded’.” She sighed and stared at her son. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Yuu looked around; he wasn’t used to his mother actually punishing him, so this was a bit awkward. “To get my pay check before Eiji decides he’s going to keep it for himself.” He put his shoes on while his mother continued to stare. “After that, I’m going to stop and buy something for Kouyou, but it’s a secret so don’t say anything. He’s asleep upstairs, so don’t wake him up, and if he does wake up, don’t say anything about me buying something! It’ll ruin the whole surprise.”
“What do you plan to get him?” Mrs. Shiroyama leaned over the arm of the couch to get a better look at her son. Yuu often bought things for Kouyou, but it was almost amusing that he would buy something after he had thoroughly pissed off his lover.
“I’ll show you when I get back, after I give it to him.” He smirked as he left the house without letting his mother say another word. There was no way she was going to get anything out of him.
The walk to the arcade didn’t take long, and it took even less time to get his check, cash it, and go to the jewelry store. His mind was off in the clouds, so he really wasn’t paying attention to anything other than trying to think of the perfect way to give Kouyou the ring. Of course he couldn’t just give it to him and say “well, here you go.” because Kouyou would have hit him over the head with the hardest object he could find.
The ring he had picked out seemed as if it would fit Kouyou perfectly. It wasn’t too flashy, nor was it considered big and gaudy. It was definitely something Kouyou would love. In the end he spent ¥56,200 on the rings and quickly made his way home. He hoped Kouyou was still asleep because he really didn’t want Kouyou to get suspicious of him again like the blonde was prone to doing. It was just his luck though that his phone started vibrating in his pocket, and he knew without looking who it was.
From: Kouyou
Yuu, your mom is staring at me with this crazy motherly grin on her face. It’s kind of creeping me out and not what I wanted to wake up to. Could you hurry up and get back?
Yuu groaned shoved the two boxes in his pocket while he sent a text back. He should have known better than to let his mother in on anything. It was a good thing Kouyou could be a bit clueless sometimes because she was making it more than just obvious even though she didn’t know exactly what her son was buying.
To: Kouyou
I’ll be home in a few minutes.
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and quickened his pace while his hand unconsciously touched the two boxes in his pocket.
---
Steam floated up from the white cup held between feminine hands. The waiter walked carefully toward the table where a man sat reading a book by himself. “Here’s your coffee, sir.” He smiled sweetly as he turned to walk back to the counter. There were only four customers, and they were all talking quietly among themselves or reading. The work day was pretty boring, yet he found himself somewhat exhausted.
Toshimasa sighed and sat down on one of the stools at the counter. “Die~” He put his head down on his arms and sighed heavily. The cashier raised an eyebrow, patting his friend on the head. Ever since Toshimasa came in to work, he had been sluggish and distracted. It was odd, so something must have been wrong. Die wasn’t one to pry, so he kept his thoughts to himself; if Toshimasa wanted him to know, he’d tell him.
“Hmm?”
Toshimasa stretched his arms out in front of him while his head stayed on the counter. “Die~” The mentioned man shook his head and leaned against the counter.
“Do you actually want something, or do you just want to say my name?” Die spoke amusedly.
Toshimasa sat up with his chin resting on his palms as he looked at his friend with a pout. “How do you and Shinya keep your relationship so… perfect?” Die and Shinya rarely fought, and they trusted each other more than any couple Toshimasa had ever met. They were the perfect couple. Die was charming and smart. He always made sure Shinya had what he needed before he left for work, and he even called his lover when he was on his breaks just see if he needed anything. Shinya was shy and quiet, but because of those attributes, he was able to read Die like a book. He always knew if something was bothering his lover, and he always knew if he had something on his mind that shouldn‘t be kept behind closed doors. Die wasn’t able to keep secrets from Shinya because the younger man always found out.
“Chemistry and trust, Totchi.” Die smiled brightly at the thought of his lover. “Without that, you’re not going to have a nice relationship. Why? Are you already having problems with Manabu?”
“I don’t know~ He seemed mad earlier at school. Kazuki got beaten up, so I told Manabu to go to the nurses office to see him, and after that he was snappy toward me. I suppose I deserved it because I was talking about their relationship, but I didn't mean to make him mad.” Toshimasa whined. Sending Manabu into the nurses office with Kazuki was a stupid idea. Ever since, Manabu had been acting strange. It was almost as if he had feelings for Kazuki. If he went back to Kazuki, Toshimasa would have a fit and he would retaliate to steal back his lover. There was no reason for Manabu to have any interest in the other man. Kazuki was a terrible lover. He didn’t treat Manabu the way he should have been treated.
“Talk to him. You have to be straightforward otherwise you guys aren’t going to have a healthy relationship.” The cashier nudged the waiter as a man walked by the window and into the café. Manabu didn’t look at either man as he walked to the back of the café to his usual seat. He could wait until Toshimasa noticed him.
“He just walked in, didn’t he?” Toshimasa leaned forward and whispered, trying to sneak a peek without being obvious even though he was expecting the other man.
“Just go talk to him.” Die turned around to make Manabu’s favorite cappuccino. After awhile, it had become routine for Die to turn around and make the cappuccino every time Manabu walked into the café. The drink was always put on Toshimasa’s tab even if the waiter didn’t realize it.
Toshimasa sighed as he grabbed the drink and walked slowly to the back of the café where Manabu sat with one arm crossed over his chest while the other was occupied by his cell phone. Whoever was texting him was obviously bothering him because he looked irritated as he uncrossed his arm and placed it on the table. The waiter didn’t know why he was so nervous about approaching his lover even.
He put the drink down on the table softly, making sure he didn’t spill a drop, and leaned over to kiss his lover on the cheek. “You look mad, sweetie.” He sat down across from Manabu and grabbed one of his hands. “Is something bothering you?” Manabu shook his head and put his cell phone back in his pocket after losing interest in the object.
“You cut your hair.” Manabu tilted his head. Toshimasa’s hair was short; the front was longer than the back, and he had also dyed his hair. It didn’t look bad, but Manabu liked his long hair more. He smiled softly, reaching over the table to run his fingers through Toshimasa’s hair. “It looks good.”
“Thanks. I had some time before work, and I’ve been wanting a change.” Toshimasa blushed heavily as Manabu’s fingers continued to rake through his hair. He sighed calmly and kept his focus on the other man, trying his best to read his lover like Shinya could do with Die. Maybe he didn’t know Manabu enough to be able to read him completely, but he could tell something was bothering him even if he were keeping a straight face.
“I like it, but I’m going to miss your long hair.” The younger man smirked and retracted his hand, letting it cup Toshimasa’s face affectionately. “I’m sure you know why.” A dorky laugh escaped Toshimasa causing Manabu to giggle. Toshimasa had a laugh that was impossible to grow tired of.
The hand around Manabu’s tightened as Toshimasa looked down at the table nervously. “Since we don’t have school tomorrow, do you want to spend the night with me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He looked up and smiled hopefully.
“Did you think I’d turn you down?” The younger man chuckled and bit his lip. He couldn’t see himself turning down Toshimasa for anything. He’d never turned down his invitation before, so why change that?
Toshimasa looked up briefly, “Well, you seemed kind of pissed earlier, and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be near me.” Which was true because Manabu had left in a hurry. Usually Toshimasa would drive his lover home and hang out with him before he had to go home to change for work.
“I’m near you now, aren’t I? I’m just a bit touchy about my relationship with Kazuki. We were together for awhile not only romantically but also as just friends. As dumb as it sounds, I don’t want to lose him as a friend. I thought I did before, but…” The talk with Kazuki earlier made him realize how much he didn’t want to lose him. They didn’t need to be linked romantically again; Manabu just didn’t want to completely end things with him. They were, and still are, best friends. They had known each other since they were kids. Life without Kazuki would just be weird.
“It’s hard to let go of someone you’re so close to.” Toshimasa finished for him with a sympathetic smile. It was understandable, and he really didn’t mind if they remained friends as long as they didn’t get involved with each other romantically again. As much as he hated Kazuki, he would allow the friendship if it meant Manabu was happy.
Manabu nodded, “Exactly. We have too much history, and I don‘t want to throw it all away. When he‘s not being the person everyone at school knows, he‘s actually pretty tolerable. I think the two of you would even get along if you tried. You‘d have to put aside your differences though.” He picked up his cup and took a drink of the scorching hot cappuccino as he smirked against the rim. Pfft, Toshimasa and Kazuki would never get over their feud.
“I wouldn’t want to get along with him after what he did to you. Besides, it would be weird. I mean, wouldn’t you think so? Seriously, your current boyfriend and former boyfriend… friends? There would still be a rivalry between us regardless because neither one of us is willing to give it up. Except the rivalry would change a bit, and it would be more about who can keep your attention longer than it is about who is obviously the better of the two. I’d win in both categories by default, but I don’t like competition.” Toshimasa seemed almost disgusted at the thought of ever being on good terms with Kazuki. It would never happen. The only reason he would befriend him would be to double cross him in the worst of ways. The waiter didn’t exactly play fair when it came to his biggest enemy, and he had no intentions of ever doing so.
Manabu sat his cup down and rested his chin in his hands. “I wouldn’t make you be friends with him. It would be weird, I admit, but you’d also be fighting over me the whole time. I know Kazuki said he was done being the way he is, but I’m not stupid.” He quirked his lips and Toshimasa raised an eyebrow at the words
“I assume he has something to do with the reason you seem so bothered.” The waiter played with the rim of Manabu’s cup, his eyes trained on the other man’s face for any trace that proved he was right. Manabu’s eyes shot down to the table, and Toshimasa knew he had just read his lover. Maybe he would be able to read him like Shinya with Die.
The younger man sighed and nodded. It was better to just get everything off his chest now so they didn’t have to spend the evening talking about Kazuki. They always talked about Kazuki, and for once he just wanted to spend an evening with Toshimasa with the focus solely on them. Wasn’t that how their relationship should be anyways?
“It’s just that,” He moved his hands so they were covering his face, “I know he’s trying to make me love him again like I used to. We were hanging out with Byou and Jin like we usually to, and he was by me the whole time. Even before we were dating we were always together and we were always affectionate, but we shouldn’t be like that anymore. I know you wouldn’t like it, and I don’t want to do anything you don’t like. But Kazuki doesn’t seem like he’s willing to give that up.” It was difficult to maintain a friendship with his ex-boyfriend. Sometimes he wondered if it would just be better if he stopped associating himself with the playboy. It was true that he didn’t want to lose their friendship, but he also thought it might be for the best. It all depended on how things went and what he had to do to make Toshimasa happy.
The waiter reached over, prying Manabu’s hands away from his face. He smiled softly and held them in his own, rubbing his thumbs over the man’s knuckles soothingly. It irritated him that Kazuki was touching his lover, but he also wasn’t surprised. “He’s going to give it up. I’m your boyfriend now, not him. He needs to respect that you’ve moved on, and as much as he doesn’t like me, he needs to respect our relationship. Maybe it’s just going to take him awhile to get used to us. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he came up with some scheme, and don’t get mad at me for saying that.”
“He needs to find someone else, someone who is more like him. I can’t think of anyone.” Toshimasa suddenly began giggling, his hands moving to entwine with Manabu’s. The younger man raised an eyebrow at the giggling man.
“I think I may know just the person.” Toshimasa smiled dorkily and made his legs bounce under the table. He knew just the person to keep Kazuki in his place and completely busy. “There’s only one person who is wicked and scheming enough to date Kazuki, but he’s one of my people. I’d be risking a lot, and possibly losing him as one of my top three guys, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take if it gets him off your back.”
“Who-”
“Kyo.” The waiter smiled simply.
---
Although he was pissed and utterly confused, he ran as fast as he could through the vacant streets. Even if he told Yutaka to move on, he was going to do what Kazuki had told him to: he was going to talk to his former lover. It seemed weird that Kazuki was just letting him go, but he didn’t care. He had been away from Yutaka for so long that he knew he would go crawling back eventually. Shin didn’t care if he would have had to sneak away from Kazuki and suffer the consequences, but now that didn’t matter if he was off the hook.
When he reached Yutaka’s house, he knocked on the door nervously. What was he even going to say? Surely the Uke family knew what had happened between them. Would they look down on him for being weak? But he wasn’t going to be weak anymore. If there was anything he learned from this whole experience, it was the he had to be strong if he wanted to be with Yutaka because even in the real world he would have to face complications that could be worse than what Kazuki put him through. If Yutaka didn’t want him anymore, he would have to man up even more.
Ami answered the door with a lollipop in her mouth and her head tilted to the side. She wasn’t expecting to see Shin again because she had overheard her brother talking about how they weren’t together anymore. “Shin~” She squealed and clung to his leg because she loved Shin. When Yutaka was being, as she called him, a big dummy dumb nut (the influence from Akira is clearly palpable), she always stayed close to Shin because he was more fun than her brother ever was. Her eye blinked rapidly as she giggled happily because whenever Shin was around, Yutaka was more calm and didn’t boss her around as much if he were in charge, which he currently was. “What are you doing here? Yutaka-nii said you went bye-bye, and he was all~ sad, and then I was sad too because you’re Shin~ and you’re so quiet and cute, and you know how to play tea part the right way!” She smiled brightly, holding the lollipop in her hand as Shin bent down to lift her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck making sure her lollipop didn’t go anywhere near his dark hair.
“I need to talk to your brother, if that’s okay. It’s kind of important.” Shin smiled at the girl and held her on his hip much like he had seen Mrs. Uke do when the little girl was crying about something.
“Yutaka-nii is in the kitchen listen to music and baking a cake. He said he’s just practicing, but he’s been baking a lot since you went away. I think it’s because he’s trying to make a cake that looks like you so he won’t be all lonely. Are you going to stay again?” Ami shoved her lollipop back in her mouth and moved her head from side to side childishly.
“I’m not sure, but I promise if I do, I’ll have another tea party with you and all your stuffed animals. We can even invite some of my action figures so your Barbies can all have dates, y’know, so they don’t have to sit in the dollhouse and wish they were at the tea party.” The little girl snickered into her hand as Shin placed her on the ground again before patting her on the head again. She ran off in the opposite direction and toward the stairs, probably to tell her Barbie dolls that they could come to the next tea party.
Shin sighed heavily and looked in the direction of the kitchen. The last time he had been in there was when Yutaka was making dinner. This time he wouldn’t be taunting the taller man just to get him into bed. No, this time he had to be serious and show he meant every word he said otherwise his visit was completely pointless.
Yutaka was standing with his back toward the doorway as he set the timer on the microwave. His apron was covered in flour, which was odd because Yutaka was usually very clean when he baked. He wasn’t the type of person to make a mess with the flour like a little kid. He seemed tired as Shin observed him without his knowledge. It wasn’t until he turned around to sit at the table that he noticed Shin standing in the doorway with a lopsided grin across his face.
The taller man looked down at himself and tore off the apron as if it were embarrassing to be seen in it. “I didn’t know you were there.” He smiled softly and draped the apron over one of the chairs before taking long strides toward the door. He really wasn’t ready to see Shin just yet; Yutaka had no idea what he was going to say to him.
“Mhm.” The smaller man shrugged, pushing himself away from the doorframe. “Well, I thought since Kazuki let me off the hook, I’d come and patch up our friendship.” Yutaka burst out laughing.
“He let you off the hook?! Did Yuu scare him that much?” He shook his head and motioned for Shin to sit down at the table while he got them some drinks. Well, that was definitely amusing.
“I wasn’t really paying attention; I was too pissed when he said he was done torturing me for his amusement, and that I could go back to my normal life with you.” The smaller man took a seat at the table as Yutaka moved around the kitchen to grab a glass out of the cabinet. “It’s not going to be easy since my parents are completely warped.”
“What’d you do?” Yutaka looked over his shoulder as he reached up into the cabinet.
“Punched him square in the face.” Shin shrugged as if it was nothing. Yutaka gasped over-dramatically and closed the cabinet door. Turning around, he looked at Shin as if he were crazy.
“You stood up for yourself against Kazuki?” That was shocking considering Shin always seemed so afraid to do something like that to Kazuki. Maybe things would be different if they decided to be together again. It’s be strange since Shin wouldn’t be the same shy kid who blushed and hid his face in Yutaka’s neck whenever they were hanging out with all their friends. Takanori probably wouldn’t get off so easily when he picked on Shin now. That could be interesting, actually, Yutaka decided.
“Why do you sound so shocked? Eventually I was going to lose my temper.” Shin stood up from the table and stood in front of Yutaka with his hands on his hips. He knew the taller man would be shocked, but he was overdoing it just a bit. It wasn’t that shocking. Even Shin had a bad temper when pushed too far.
“You’re just so…” Yutaka trailed off as he backed up away from the smaller man. He had that look in his eye that meant Shin was up to no good; it was the look that sent excitement down the younger man’s spine.
Shin smirked, placing his hand on either side of Yutaka, his hands stretched out flat against the counter top. “So… what?” He tilted his head when Yutaka visibly gulped.
“Innocent.” Yutaka’s hand cupped Shin’s cheek lovingly as he returned the smirk. Maybe this new confident and straightforward Shin wasn’t so bad. It was definitely interesting, to say the least. Yutaka could feel the excitement coursing through him as he leaned down to capture the other man’s lips. It was only an innocent kiss, but it was still enough to say everything on their minds that neither one wanted to voice out in the open.
Yutaka rested his forehead against Shin’s as the smaller man ran one of his hands up the front of Yutaka’s shirt. “But I’m not so sure it’s a good idea we get back together. Things have to change.” The taller man muttered. Yes he still had feelings for the shorter man and he did want to give Shin another chance, but what were the chances that Shin would continue to stand up for himself? Would he eventually go back to the way he used to be? It wasn’t that Yutaka didn’t like protecting him, but it was to a point that it was pathetic. Shin couldn’t do anything, and it wasn’t Yutaka’s job to do everything.
“I know, and I’ll give you time to think things through. I’m not here to ask you to take me back; I’m here because I want to fix our friendship.” Shin muttered softly as his hand rested on the nape of the other man’s neck.
“I'll think about it.” Yutaka smiled, wrapping his arms around Shin comfortably like he used to. “But if I decide to take you back, I’m not going to let someone take you away that easily. Next time-”
“There won’t be a next time.” Shin leaned into the other man’s embrace and smiled softly to himself. “From now on, I’ll stand up for myself so you don’t have to feel like you need to protect me. That’s half the reason we got into this mess. If you want to get back together, I need to be more assertive.”
The arms around him tightened as Yutaka kissed his nose. “So when do we confront your parents and tell them the whole story?”
“Lets fix one thing at a time, shall we?”
---
“MOM!” Yuu kicked his shoes off and ran up the stairs. She wasn’t in the kitchen, so that must mean she was still in his room bothering Kouyou. It was just as he suspected: his mother was sitting on the end of his bed talking a mile a minute about lord knows what, and Kouyou looked like he was contemplating jumping out the window.
“I thought I said to not wake him up.” He grumbled angrily as he pointed to the doorway, silently telling his mother to get out.
Mrs. Shiroyama crossed her arms over her chest and stood up stubbornly. “Fine, but one of these days your old mom isn’t going to be around.” Yuu shook his head as his mother walked by him and out the door.
“That had nothing to do with what I said!” He yelled after her before shutting his door. Kouyou was lying on the bed again with his face in the pillows again. He was clearly still tired, and Yuu was more than willing to let him sleep longer if he wanted to.
Yuu made his way to the closet and took off his jacket, but not before placing the two boxes in the pocket of his jacket so Kouyou wouldn’t feel them when he laid down. Now wasn’t the right time to give him the ring. The mood wasn’t even right, so he would just have to make sure he did something romantic.
He laid on the bed, pulling Kouyou into his arms and closed his eyes. “I forgot how weird your mom can be.” He heard Kouyou mumble tiredly, shifting so he was facing his lover. “Sometimes I think she’s weird enough to be my mom. Want to trade?” The blonde giggled and wrapped his arms around Yuu’s neck.
“That’s okay, I don’t think I could handle your mother. She’s too strict.” the older man stuck his tongue out. With Kouyou’s mother as his own, he would never be able to do a thing. He always wondered how Kouyou was able to do whatever he wanted without his mother knowing. It seemed like she had a sixth sense about her son and what he was doing, and he didn’t need that. “Besides, I like my mom too much to give her away.”
“I forgot you’re a momma’s boy.” Kouyou laughed softly, pulling his lover closer and burying his face in his neck. “But that’s okay. A real man loves their mother and takes care of her.” Wasn’t that how it worked in the movies? All the really big tough guys loved their moms. They always had a soft spot for them, and if someone talked bad about their mom, they’d get their ass kicked. Kouyou was pretty sure Yuu would do the same if someone was talking bad about his mother.
“It’s what good son does.” Yuu pointed out and closed his eyes, intending to go to sleep since there was nothing else to do and the sun was already going down. Before he could even begin dozing off, he felt a presence and knew he wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon. Of course, it would have been better if he wasn’t jumped on and squealed at as if he were some celebrity.
“Yuu~ I love you!”
Kouyou glared and squeezed Yuu tighter. “Listen here, Yuu is mine. No amount of your fairy power is going to be able to take him away from me, so just fly on back to Fairy Land and make out with Shinji in your strange pink house.” The fairy giggled and shook his head, floating above the bed now.
Naoyuki had this strange smile on his face, and Kouyou was sure if it got any bigger Naoyuki’s face would be split in half. Whatever Yuu had done must have been amazing because he never saw such a smile on Naoyuki’s face before.
“I don’t want Yuu, silly.” Naoyuki rolled his eyes and waved his wand to produce a cup of coffee.
Kouyou held out a hand, “Give that to me, mister. You’re already hyper enough!”
“But I need this.” Naoyuki shook his head as the boy stood up on the bed with his hands on his hips.
“Naoyuki.”
“Kouyou.”
“Yuu, make him give me that damn coffee!” Kouyou screeched, causing Yuu to cover his ears and frown. Kouyou didn’t need the coffee either.
Yuu pulled Kouyou down by his belt loop, forcing the blonde to settle comfortably on his crossed legs. His arms wrapped around the blonde’s waist as he rested his chin on his shoulder. “I’m assuming your anniversary is going well since you’re here telling me you love me.” He glanced up at the fairy who was now lying on his back in the air with his wand pointed up.
“Mhm. Shinji thinks I’m in the bathroom right now, so I can’t stay too long.” Naoyuki giggled. “I did everything just like you said, and I even made sure I followed your directions while I cooked. You know how to make a man swoon; no wonder Kouyou is so obsessed with you. What was it he used to call you? That delectable and tasty Shiroyama kid? Honey-bunny-Yuu-pie?”
“I never called him that!” Kouyou protested as Yuu laughed at him, which really wasn’t that nice if Kouyou were to be honest.
“You did when you were in kindergarten. After you met Yuu, you kept thinking up nicknames for him because you thought he would love you if you gave him a really cute name.” The fairy spoke nonchalantly. “Anyways, thank you, Yuu. Kouyou, you should be nicer to him.”
“I am nice to him.” The blonde pouted. To save himself the trouble, Yuu placed a hand over Kouyou’s mouth and smiled at the fairy. It really didn’t take him too much thought to help Naoyuki plan out a nice evening for Shinji. It was just the typical thing to do, which wasn’t typical for fairies, apparently.
“You’re welcome. Just remember our agreement.” Naoyuki was supposed to help him plan the perfect setting for him to actually give the ring to Kouyou. At first the fairy told him to surprise Kouyou when he woke up, but that was ruined by his mother. They would have to go to Plan B that consisted of a distracted Kouyou and a lot of work to set up the tree house. Yes, the tree house was going to be redone so when Kouyou stepped in it would look huge and extra fancy. A regular tree house wouldn’t have been romantic at all, but a little magic could change that.
“Oh, I remember.” The fairy winked and disappeared quickly. Kouyou leaned back against Yuu’s chest and rolled his eyes.
“I don’t want to know.” He mumbled. “But he really needs to give us a heads up before he comes popping in like that. Who knows what we could have been doing, and if he ever shows up while we’re in the middle of having sex, I know a little fairy who isn’t going to have a head.”
“I think he knows better than to show up during those times.” Yuu chuckled against Kouyou’s neck as he held him tighter, almost as if he didn’t want to let him go. Somehow their position was comfortable, and he didn’t feel like moving.
---
Akira was sitting against his pillows on his bed while his small lover sat between his legs with a videogame controller in his hands. Tonight Akira had the house to himself because his mother was away once more for work. Instead of spending the night alone, he decided to call Takanori. The day had been rough for anyone who was friends with Yuu, or anyone who had to listen to Kouyou’s rants and Yutaka’s drama. It wasn’t that they didn’t care about what their friends were going through, it was just that they didn’t want to hear about it all day.
“Are you sure you don’t want to play with me?” Takanori tilted his head back and kissed Akira’s chin. It was no fun playing by himself, but Akira kept saying he didn’t want to play because he just wanted to relax, which was understandable. Their idea of relaxation differed greatly: Akira just wanted to sit back and do nothing, and Takanori liked to focus his attention on mindless videogames.
“Positive.” Akira ran his fingers through Takanori’s black and red hair, massaging his scalp and pulling lightly on the strands to make him growl. He smirked to himself and wrapped his free arm around the other man’s waist loosely. “I’d much rather take a bath and relax for awhile.” The idea was much better than just sitting there watching Takanori play.
“But that’s no fun. If you’re in there, who’s going to keep me company out here?” Takanori stuck his tongue out in concentration as he fought against some giant monster.
“You could always come with me.”
Takanori tossed the controller to the side as he jumped up with a grin. “That’s a much better idea than playing videogames.” He wiggled his eyebrows and ran off to the bathroom where he stood waiting by the sink for his lover.
Akira rose from the bed with a roll of his eyes; he knew that would get Takanori away from his damn game, although he didn‘t expect him to jump up like an excited puppy. He walked out of his room and opened the closet door to retrieve his bath soaps. If he was going to take a bath, he was going to make sure he smelled good when he was done.
He could hear Takanori huffing and puffing impatiently in the bathroom, more than likely leaning against the sink with his arms crossed over his chest. “What is taking so long?”
“You could start running the water.” Akira yelled to his lover as he grabbed some towels from the closet. ‘I really hope he isn’t expecting to have sex.‘ He rolled his eyes. Of course that’s what the midget was expecting. By the time he had gotten into the bathroom, Takanori was leaning over the side of the bathtub testing the temperature of the water and humming to himself.
“You’re still wearing your clothes?” Takanori turned around with a blank face as he stared at the taller man.
“Did you expect me to take them off in the hall?” Akira set everything on the counter. He looked over everything and realized he forgot the most important thing: the hairdryer. “I’ll be right back. I forgot the hairdryer.” He waved his hand at his lover.
“Oh no you don’t! You’re not going to blow dry your body with me around!”*
---
A groan fell from Yuu’s mouth. It was getting late out, yet Kouyou didn’t feel like sleeping because he had already slept. The blonde was too busy lying at the end of the bed with a notebook and a sketchbook and colored pens. He was deep in thought and only spoke to Yuu if he needed his opinion, which wasn’t too often because he knew what he was doing.
He spent his time drawing ideas for their wedding, what he wanted everyone to wear, who he wanted to invite (which was pointless because he couldn’t really invite anyone), what cake he wanted, and last but not least, where he and Yuu would go for their honeymoon. It was a lot of work, and he wasn’t even getting started yet. It was probably going to be a lot easier than he was thinking because all he had to do was make a wish and let Naoyuki wave around his wand. It was practically effortless.
“What do you think of white cake?” Yuu glanced up from the book in his hands that he wasn’t even reading.
“I told you to do whatever you want. Quit asking for my opinion. Anything you want is fine with me.” Letting Kouyou do all the work was perfect; Yuu didn’t have to lift a finger. Everything would be in Kouyou’s hands, so if it didn’t turn out nice as planned, then Yuu couldn’t possibly be to blame.
“But I don’t want to get anything you don’t like! This is our wedding.” Kouyou turned over onto his back and whined. Yes he wanted to take care of things himself, but he also wanted to make sure Yuu was comfortable with everything. Even if Yuu said anything was fine, he knew the older boy was lying out of his ass. “I’m doing all this work, and I still don’t have a ring on my finger, young man. I know you bought it. I’m not stupid. I know you took your so-called secret stash of money with you. Just give it to me.” He wiggled his fingers in the air to add emphasis.
Yuu laughed and shook his head, “That wouldn’t be very romantic of me, now would it?” Kouyou pouted and let his hand drop lifelessly. As soon as he could think up a great distraction for Kouyou, he and Naoyuki would set up the tree house.
“You don’t have to be romantic all the time, Yuu.” The blonde yawned and covered his mouth.
“No, but I want to be. Remember, I’m the romantic one and you’re the cute one.” He snickered when Kouyou glared at him.
“I can be romantic too!” Kouyou shot up and moved to sit next to his lover. He grabbed Yuu’s book and tossed it aside and planted himself on Yuu’s lap just to make sure he had Yuu’s complete attention. He could be romantic too. How hard could it be anyways? ‘It’s easy to light candles and fuck like little bunnies.‘ Kouyou thought to himself. That wasn’t hard at all. He could do that time and time again if he wanted to.
“I know you can, but-”
Kouyou sighed and tilted his head back, “Is this another one of your ‘I’m a man’ rants?” Not that he really cared or anything. It was nice that Yuu kept trying to be manly, actually it was more cute than it was nice because it did get a little annoying after awhile.
“I am a man. When people look at us, if they know about us, they always expect me to be the man. You’re so feminine and bouncy that everyone just assumes you’re practically a girl.” Yuu shrugged as Kouyou glared at him. It wasn’t his fault people thought Kouyou acted like a girl all the time. He kind of did.
“And you don’t defend me? I‘m nothing like a girl!” Yuu winced as Kouyou screeched with his hands on his hips.
Yuu shrugged, “Don’t have to. You usually prove them right, if you think about it. If I tried to defend you, I would be a liar. Think about it: you’re always stressing about how your hair looks, your uniform at school can’t have a single wrinkle, you wear a lot of makeup and you’ve stopped class before so you could fix your eyeliner, you wear short shorts when we’re out, you called and complained at a takeout restaurant once because you broke a nail while pulling the chopsticks apart, which was your own fault, so you didn't need to call them-”
Kouyou covered the older man’s mouth and glared. Okay, so maybe he did act like a girl sometimes, but it wasn’t like he was acting like a girl now, right? “Okay, so you’ve made your point. Big deal.” He moved off the man’s lap and went back to the end of the bed to continue planning the wedding.
Fifteen minutes later, Yuu felt Kouyou nudge him. “What?” He lifted his head off his pillow and stared tiredly at the other man. Man, he was never going to get to sleep if Kouyou didn’t stop bothering him about stupid stuff.
“What should I wear? Since you think you’re such a man, I guess that means you want me to wear a dress, right?”
Yuu’s head dropped onto the pillow as he mumbled curses to himself. Like he really cared what Kouyou wore at their wedding. The blonde could wear a trash bag and he wouldn’t care. Considering the location of their wedding, he really wasn’t taking it too seriously, but he’d never let Kouyou know that. Knowing the way fairies are, they would probably end up having one of those cute fluffy weddings that only a Barbie doll would love.
“I don’t care what you wear. Dress up like a bunny for all I care.”
Kouyou shrugged and went back to writing in his notebook. “You don’t have to be so grumpy.” He grumbled.
A/N: *Reita actually does blow dry his body, for those who didn't know. xD
This chapter took me forever to write. Originally I had planned to make a huge twist in the story, but after I wrote the chapter, I found a flaw. I decided to just rewrite most of the chapter; if there are any errors, let me know. ^^; I’m extremely tired, so I may pass out after I finish posting them. It feels like I have a million and one things to do today. >.>
Just to make it clear, Kazuki and Manabu are not getting back together. I like Toshimasa/Manabu too much to let Kazuki get Manabu. Besides, that would just make the story longer, ne?
Anyways, please comment and let me know what you think~ I'll get back to comments tomorrow if my internet doesn't mess up again...
♥
Genre: Crack, Angst, Fluff, Smut
Fandom: the GazettE, alicenine, Kagrra, Screw, Dir en Grey,
Pairings: Aoi/Uruha, Reita/Ruki, Kai/Shin, Shou/Hiroto, Kazuki/Manabu, Toshiya/Manabu, Kazuki/Shin (one-sided), Byou/Jin
Rating: NC-17 (overall)
Warnings: Overall - sex, language
Chapter: 28/?
Synopsis: Neither one, Kouyou or Yuu really remembered them, but Shinji and Naoyuki still kept an eye on them when they had nothing else to do. Kouyou had lost his fairies when he turned ten because he no longer needed his magical fairies to help him. In other words, he had gotten too old and they had to be assigned to another child. The most they could do for Kouyou was watch him from afar and use limited magic to help him, but only in situations when he was in danger. He wasn’t in danger too often --at least not since Takashi’s memory was erased so he didn’t remember how he managed to break his arm, and Kouyou had no idea either'.
Comment: At the end.
“It’s about damn time.” Manabu smirked at the words. Byou was always so impatient. It was rare for him to wait for his friends to show up. The blonde man grinned up at the two newcomers and winked. “And you brought Zuki. I thought you two broke up.” His eyes roamed over Kazuki with interest as he shifted in his seat.
“We did.” Manabu shrugged taking a seat on the worn-out couch in Byou’s basement where they always hung out, played videogames, and talked. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, stretching his arms up in the air with a contented sigh. He glanced over at the doorway where Kazuki still stood and smirked. Even though they were all friends, Kazuki hated to be near Byou. The blonde had a crush on him; it was actually more of an obsession. While Manabu and Kazuki were still together, Byou was always trying to molest Kazuki while Manabu had his back turned. Manabu wasn’t as oblivious as everyone thought.
“So Zuki’s on the market, huh?” Byou bent back in his chair and ran a hand up Kazuki’s thigh with a purr. He grinned in the perverted way he was known for and reached over, grasping the standing man’s wrist and yanked him down over the chair and onto his lap. Kazuki scrunched his face up in discomfort and stared at the hands on his hips. He didn’t even want to know where those disgusting things have been.
“Don’t be stupid, Byou.” Manabu chuckled, fishing around in his pocket for his pack of cigarettes and stuck one of the white sticks between his lips. A hand reached over from beside him holding a lighter, lighting the end of the cigarette. Manabu smirked and inhaled, holding the smoke in his mouth for a few seconds before exhaling with a sigh. “He doesn’t need you to cause more problems.”
Byou looked surprised, his eyebrows shooting up. “Problems?” He wrapped his arms around the man on his lap with an innocent smile. His hand traced circles on Kazuki’s thigh as he eyed Manabu almost tauntingly. “What could I possibly do?” The blonde rested his chin on Kazuki’s shoulder.
Manabu snorted and held his cigarette between his fingers as his eyes roamed over Byou when he slipped his hand under Kazuki’s shirt. It wasn’t surprising to see Byou trying to feel up the other man. Byou did that to everyone regardless if they were taken. Kazuki was a whole different story because he was the most popular boy in school, and Byou had had his eyes on him for awhile, but Kazuki was only interested in Manabu. Kazuki would usually shove him away whenever he got to close.
“Kazuki’s done being a manwhore, and he doesn’t need you to screw shit up. Are you forgetting he has no interest in you?”
“He’s right.” Kazuki leaned back against Byou’s chest with a knowing smirk. “I promised Manabu I would stop, and this time I’m not going to mess up. I may have lost him as a lover, but I won’t lose him as a friend.” He placed his hands on either side of Byou and pushed himself up so he was able to move away from the perverted man.
Byou rolled his eyes, “That’s fine,” he sighed and motioned for the man next to Manabu to go to him. The man stood and sashayed across the room, settling himself on the blonde’s lap. “I have Jin anyways.” The mentioned man played with a stray string on his shirt in an attempt to ignore the eyes on him.
“Then why in the hell did you care if he’s on the market?” Manabu tilted his head as Kazuki sat down beside him in Jin’s previous seat.
“I could only imagine what he had in mind for me.” Kazuki muttered and rested his head on Manabu’s shoulder like he always did when they were stuck in Byou’s basement. He crossed his arms over his chest and crossed one leg over the other. He didn’t even want to know what Byou had in mind, but Manabu had already asked.
Byou shrugged and pulled Jin flush against his chest. “Threesome.” He laughed openly at the blush spreading across Jin’s face and the look of shock on Kazuki’s face, but the most amusing part was the anger radiating off Manabu. “Don’t give me that look. It would have been fun.” The blonde chuckled when Jin covered his face with his hands. Dating Byou had its flaws: Byou could be extremely embarrassing. He was nothing but a sex fiend, and Jin was just a quiet lover who did whatever Byou said, in most cases.
Kazuki rolled his eyes and sat up straight. “I may have tried juggling two men before, but that doesn’t mean I’d involve myself in one of your strange threesomes.” He glanced over at Manabu and shook his head with a look of pure disgust. Byou was appalling in multiple ways, and Kazuki didn’t care much for him; he only liked him enough to be his friend.
“I wouldn’t let you get involved anyways. Byou’s a sick bastard.” Manabu stuck his tongue out and pretended to shiver. “Who knows where that thing has been. He’s such a whore that I doubt he’s only sleeping with Jin.” Byou had been known to sleep with multiple people, and Jin was such a pushover that he allowed it. He knew better than to go against what Byou wanted.
Jin squeaked when Byou tightened his grip around his waist with a laugh. “I don’t get it, Manabu; you still have feelings for Kazuki, yet you’re not with him? Sounds like you don’t want him to be with anyone else. You don’t own him, y’know.” The blonde man grinned as Manabu pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He rubbed Jin’s thighs and trained his eyes on Kazuki.
“Of course I still have feelings for him. You never stop loving your first love even if you swear you don’t love them anymore.” Manabu droned out as he held his cigarette up to his lips and inhaled again. Speaking to Byou always stressed him out when it came to the topic of his former lover. His feet moved off the coffee table as he shifted in his seat so he was slumped down in the couch. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want him to move on. I moved on, so he should too. I just don’t want to see him with someone like you.” He sneered as Byou glared at him.
“You-”
“Shut up, Byou.” Kazuki held his hand up. “You just like to get him riled up.”
“Of course I do.” Byou smirked. Manabu was interesting when he was angry. When the topic of Kazuki came up, Manabu was unpredictable when it came to his anger. If people weren’t careful, Manabu would beat the shit out of them. Manabu never let someone fuck with Kazuki, and Kazuki never let someone fuck with Manabu... well except for Toshimasa and the people who beat him up.
“How about you stop before I make you?” Kazuki rested his arm over Manabu’s shoulder with a raised eyebrow, challenging the blonde to keep it up. Byou may have been strong, but Kazuki was a lot stronger. Add Manabu’s rage into the mixture, and there would be hell to pay. Kazuki let his fingers play with Manabu’s hair as the smaller man leaned against him. Even before they were together they acted affectionate toward each other. Their friendship was just like that for some reason, and Kazuki wouldn’t let a breakup mess up their unique friendship.
“I don’t see why you guys broke up if you still love each other.” Jin spoke softly, his hands resting on the ones on his stomach. He looked at his two friends through the hair that had fallen in his face and adverted his gaze down to his hands.
Kazuki smiled sadly and rested his chin on top of Manabu’s head, breathing in his scent and tightening his grip on the smaller man. “I’m an idiot who didn’t treat him right. It was bound to happen eventually. Maybe if I wasn’t such an asshole, we never would have broken up. There’s no chance of us getting back together now. He‘s dating Toshimasa.” He bit his lip and looked over at Jin.
“Toshimasa?” Jin sat up as the name caught his interest. Little did everyone know, but Jin had actually been close to being friends with Toshimasa not too long ago. Close, but not friends. That was years before he met his friends and decided to go against the other playboy. If Byou knew he used to hang out with people who were close to Toshimasa, he’d be in big trouble.
“Look,” Manabu closed his eyes and made himself more comfortable, “I know we’re not supposed to like him or his people, but I can’t help it. Byou, even you thought I was crazy for dating Kazuki. Remember? You said ‘he’s a playboy, do I need to elaborate?’, and you saw how well our relationship went-” Byou laughed into his hand as he shook his head. It was true that he said that, but it was also because he had wanted Kazuki.
“And you saw how it crashed and burned.” The blonde haired man smiled behind his hand as Manabu glared at him.
Jin shifted on Byou’s lap as he smiled. It was nice that Manabu had finally found someone other than Kazuki, who, in Jin’s opinion, wasn’t really the right person for him to begin with. But Toshimasa? Well, that wasn’t exactly the perfect match either. “Just be careful with him, alright? I may know a little about him, so just stay on his good side.” Manabu raised his eyebrow but didn’t say a word. As far as he knew, Toshimasa wasn’t a dangerous person. How could someone so bubbly possibly do harm to someone?
He pulled himself away from Kazuki when his phone began vibrating, signaling he had a new text message. It was obvious who it was because all the other people who usually texted him were in the room with him. “Speaking of Toshi…” He muttered as he fished out his phone from his jacket pocket.
From: Toshimasa
I thought you were going to call me. It’s been a whole hour~
Manabu rolled his eyes as his thumbs moved over the keyboard of his phone. He could almost hear Toshimasa’s whining voice in the back of his head and see those batting eyelashes. Perhaps he had spent too much time with the older boy.
To: Toshimasa
Would you like it if I stopped by the café?
Because, seriously, his friends were boring the hell out of him. Byou was too busy molesting Jin, Jin was trying to make him stop, and Kazuki was just sitting there with his feet propped up on the coffee table. None of them were talking now, they weren’t listening to music, and the television wasn’t even on. It was completely silent now, and it was driving Manabu up a wall.
From: Toshimasa
Yes~! Right meow! :3
Closing his phone, Manabu stood up and stretched his limbs while his friends stared at him. “Well, I’m going now. Toshi wants me at the café, so I guess I’ll go see him for awhile.” Kazuki huffed on the couch while Byou rolled his eyes.
“You’re ditching us for him?” Byou sneered, going back to his normal pain-in-the-ass self. It was a bit rude of Manabu to just leave for someone like Toshimasa, especially since they hadn’t hung out in awhile.
And even though Kazuki swore he would be good, he still couldn’t help the hatred boiling in his blood for the other man. All the pretending to be nice was going to fail in the end because the thought of Manabu with Toshimasa still made him angry. Manabu was supposed to be his. As long as he kept up his act, he could keep Manabu close. It shouldn’t be too hard to steal him back after a little scheming on his end.
Manabu smiled sheepishly and bow apologetically to his friends. It did sound mean when put in those terms, but he had to devote his time to both his friends and his boyfriend. Truthfully, he was sort of neglecting his friends, but with all that’s happened, it wasn’t strange. How was he supposed to spend time with his friends before if he didn’t want to be anywhere near Kazuki? And it was pointless when they were still together because Kazuki was too busy running around with Shin; Manabu didn’t like to spend so much time with Byou alone because the blonde would say and do whatever he wanted if Kazuki wasn’t there to put his foot down.
“I can’t spend my whole day with my boyfriend like you can, Byou.” He bit his bottom lip as the older man glared at him. “Excuse me for wanting to spend more time with him.”
“You do spend your whole day with him.” Kazuki pointed out. Regardless if he actually spent most of his day with Manabu, the younger man was with Toshimasa a lot more. Toshimasa drove Manabu to school, he walked him to his first class, they met up for lunch, they hung out in the courtyard during their study hall period, they went home together, Toshimasa usually stayed with Manabu until he had to go home and change for work, then after work he would drop by Manabu’s house just to see him before he went to sleep. Kazuki knew all that because he, as bad as it sounded, always kept his eye on his enemy.
“And I spent my whole day with you when we were together.” Manabu shot back. There was nothing wrong with spending time with Toshimasa, and he wasn’t going to stand around and listen to his friends complain.
---
Yuu stretched his stiff limbs as he sat up. Somewhere between talking about their wedding and Kouyou wanting to watch television, he had fallen asleep. Luckily he didn’t actually have to work otherwise he would have been late. He just had to get his pay check before the arcade closed, or he could just call Eiji and have him drop it off at his house. This was the last check Yuu would need before he could go out and buy Kouyou’s ring. No one knew it, or at least he didn't think so, but Yuu had hidden all of his money in the very back of his closet. Originally he had saved it up to buy something else, but he decided Kouyou was more important than his needs. If Kouyou wanted to get married, the least Yuu could do was save up for a nice ring; he didn’t have to pay for the wedding itself since Kouyou could just make wishes.
“It’s about time you woke up.” Kouyou shifted on the bed so he was lying on his side instead of his chest. Yuu had fallen asleep on him, not that he minded; Yuu was just a bit heavy after awhile and he moved too much while he slept. One more kick to his leg, and Kouyou would have thrown Yuu across the room.
“I need to get my pay check.” Yuu said simply as he leaned down to kiss Kouyou quickly. He jumped off the bed and made his way to his closet to get a jacket since it was getting slightly chilly out. He reached pass his jackets to the set of drawers sitting in the back of his closet and grabbed the money he had hidden in there and shoved it in the pocket of his jacket. Once he was out of the room he would put it in his wallet so he didn’t lose it, but right now he didn’t want Kouyou to know he was intending to buy the ring while he was out. There was no surprise in that.
The blonde rolled over, burying his face in Yuu’s pillow and mumbled, “Don’t be gone too long.” Watching television for so long had made him tired as well, and it was all he could do to not fall asleep while he was still talking to Yuu.
Lips were pressed against the back of his head as Yuu chuckled. “Get some sleep, and I’ll be back before you know it.” He made his way toward the door as Kouyou’s tired voice floated through the room.
“When you go down there, make it look like I really kicked your ass good for being a bad boy.” The blonde yawned and covered his mouth as he winked at his lover with a dorky grin.
Once he was out of the room, he pulled his money out of his pocket. There was already enough money for a ring, but he just wanted to make sure he would have enough if he saw a ring that Kouyou would really like. It didn’t matter how expensive it was as long as he had enough money. He decided he would buy two of whatever ring he bought; it only made sense for them to have matching rings. He put all his money in his wallet and made his way down the stairs.
His mother was sitting on the couch talking on the phone. Her index finger shot up as soon as she saw him and shook her head. “Just a second. No, Yuu’s trying to leave. I know, kids just don’t understand the meaning of the word ‘grounded’.” She sighed and stared at her son. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Yuu looked around; he wasn’t used to his mother actually punishing him, so this was a bit awkward. “To get my pay check before Eiji decides he’s going to keep it for himself.” He put his shoes on while his mother continued to stare. “After that, I’m going to stop and buy something for Kouyou, but it’s a secret so don’t say anything. He’s asleep upstairs, so don’t wake him up, and if he does wake up, don’t say anything about me buying something! It’ll ruin the whole surprise.”
“What do you plan to get him?” Mrs. Shiroyama leaned over the arm of the couch to get a better look at her son. Yuu often bought things for Kouyou, but it was almost amusing that he would buy something after he had thoroughly pissed off his lover.
“I’ll show you when I get back, after I give it to him.” He smirked as he left the house without letting his mother say another word. There was no way she was going to get anything out of him.
The walk to the arcade didn’t take long, and it took even less time to get his check, cash it, and go to the jewelry store. His mind was off in the clouds, so he really wasn’t paying attention to anything other than trying to think of the perfect way to give Kouyou the ring. Of course he couldn’t just give it to him and say “well, here you go.” because Kouyou would have hit him over the head with the hardest object he could find.
The ring he had picked out seemed as if it would fit Kouyou perfectly. It wasn’t too flashy, nor was it considered big and gaudy. It was definitely something Kouyou would love. In the end he spent ¥56,200 on the rings and quickly made his way home. He hoped Kouyou was still asleep because he really didn’t want Kouyou to get suspicious of him again like the blonde was prone to doing. It was just his luck though that his phone started vibrating in his pocket, and he knew without looking who it was.
From: Kouyou
Yuu, your mom is staring at me with this crazy motherly grin on her face. It’s kind of creeping me out and not what I wanted to wake up to. Could you hurry up and get back?
Yuu groaned shoved the two boxes in his pocket while he sent a text back. He should have known better than to let his mother in on anything. It was a good thing Kouyou could be a bit clueless sometimes because she was making it more than just obvious even though she didn’t know exactly what her son was buying.
To: Kouyou
I’ll be home in a few minutes.
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and quickened his pace while his hand unconsciously touched the two boxes in his pocket.
---
Steam floated up from the white cup held between feminine hands. The waiter walked carefully toward the table where a man sat reading a book by himself. “Here’s your coffee, sir.” He smiled sweetly as he turned to walk back to the counter. There were only four customers, and they were all talking quietly among themselves or reading. The work day was pretty boring, yet he found himself somewhat exhausted.
Toshimasa sighed and sat down on one of the stools at the counter. “Die~” He put his head down on his arms and sighed heavily. The cashier raised an eyebrow, patting his friend on the head. Ever since Toshimasa came in to work, he had been sluggish and distracted. It was odd, so something must have been wrong. Die wasn’t one to pry, so he kept his thoughts to himself; if Toshimasa wanted him to know, he’d tell him.
“Hmm?”
Toshimasa stretched his arms out in front of him while his head stayed on the counter. “Die~” The mentioned man shook his head and leaned against the counter.
“Do you actually want something, or do you just want to say my name?” Die spoke amusedly.
Toshimasa sat up with his chin resting on his palms as he looked at his friend with a pout. “How do you and Shinya keep your relationship so… perfect?” Die and Shinya rarely fought, and they trusted each other more than any couple Toshimasa had ever met. They were the perfect couple. Die was charming and smart. He always made sure Shinya had what he needed before he left for work, and he even called his lover when he was on his breaks just see if he needed anything. Shinya was shy and quiet, but because of those attributes, he was able to read Die like a book. He always knew if something was bothering his lover, and he always knew if he had something on his mind that shouldn‘t be kept behind closed doors. Die wasn’t able to keep secrets from Shinya because the younger man always found out.
“Chemistry and trust, Totchi.” Die smiled brightly at the thought of his lover. “Without that, you’re not going to have a nice relationship. Why? Are you already having problems with Manabu?”
“I don’t know~ He seemed mad earlier at school. Kazuki got beaten up, so I told Manabu to go to the nurses office to see him, and after that he was snappy toward me. I suppose I deserved it because I was talking about their relationship, but I didn't mean to make him mad.” Toshimasa whined. Sending Manabu into the nurses office with Kazuki was a stupid idea. Ever since, Manabu had been acting strange. It was almost as if he had feelings for Kazuki. If he went back to Kazuki, Toshimasa would have a fit and he would retaliate to steal back his lover. There was no reason for Manabu to have any interest in the other man. Kazuki was a terrible lover. He didn’t treat Manabu the way he should have been treated.
“Talk to him. You have to be straightforward otherwise you guys aren’t going to have a healthy relationship.” The cashier nudged the waiter as a man walked by the window and into the café. Manabu didn’t look at either man as he walked to the back of the café to his usual seat. He could wait until Toshimasa noticed him.
“He just walked in, didn’t he?” Toshimasa leaned forward and whispered, trying to sneak a peek without being obvious even though he was expecting the other man.
“Just go talk to him.” Die turned around to make Manabu’s favorite cappuccino. After awhile, it had become routine for Die to turn around and make the cappuccino every time Manabu walked into the café. The drink was always put on Toshimasa’s tab even if the waiter didn’t realize it.
Toshimasa sighed as he grabbed the drink and walked slowly to the back of the café where Manabu sat with one arm crossed over his chest while the other was occupied by his cell phone. Whoever was texting him was obviously bothering him because he looked irritated as he uncrossed his arm and placed it on the table. The waiter didn’t know why he was so nervous about approaching his lover even.
He put the drink down on the table softly, making sure he didn’t spill a drop, and leaned over to kiss his lover on the cheek. “You look mad, sweetie.” He sat down across from Manabu and grabbed one of his hands. “Is something bothering you?” Manabu shook his head and put his cell phone back in his pocket after losing interest in the object.
“You cut your hair.” Manabu tilted his head. Toshimasa’s hair was short; the front was longer than the back, and he had also dyed his hair. It didn’t look bad, but Manabu liked his long hair more. He smiled softly, reaching over the table to run his fingers through Toshimasa’s hair. “It looks good.”
“Thanks. I had some time before work, and I’ve been wanting a change.” Toshimasa blushed heavily as Manabu’s fingers continued to rake through his hair. He sighed calmly and kept his focus on the other man, trying his best to read his lover like Shinya could do with Die. Maybe he didn’t know Manabu enough to be able to read him completely, but he could tell something was bothering him even if he were keeping a straight face.
“I like it, but I’m going to miss your long hair.” The younger man smirked and retracted his hand, letting it cup Toshimasa’s face affectionately. “I’m sure you know why.” A dorky laugh escaped Toshimasa causing Manabu to giggle. Toshimasa had a laugh that was impossible to grow tired of.
The hand around Manabu’s tightened as Toshimasa looked down at the table nervously. “Since we don’t have school tomorrow, do you want to spend the night with me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He looked up and smiled hopefully.
“Did you think I’d turn you down?” The younger man chuckled and bit his lip. He couldn’t see himself turning down Toshimasa for anything. He’d never turned down his invitation before, so why change that?
Toshimasa looked up briefly, “Well, you seemed kind of pissed earlier, and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be near me.” Which was true because Manabu had left in a hurry. Usually Toshimasa would drive his lover home and hang out with him before he had to go home to change for work.
“I’m near you now, aren’t I? I’m just a bit touchy about my relationship with Kazuki. We were together for awhile not only romantically but also as just friends. As dumb as it sounds, I don’t want to lose him as a friend. I thought I did before, but…” The talk with Kazuki earlier made him realize how much he didn’t want to lose him. They didn’t need to be linked romantically again; Manabu just didn’t want to completely end things with him. They were, and still are, best friends. They had known each other since they were kids. Life without Kazuki would just be weird.
“It’s hard to let go of someone you’re so close to.” Toshimasa finished for him with a sympathetic smile. It was understandable, and he really didn’t mind if they remained friends as long as they didn’t get involved with each other romantically again. As much as he hated Kazuki, he would allow the friendship if it meant Manabu was happy.
Manabu nodded, “Exactly. We have too much history, and I don‘t want to throw it all away. When he‘s not being the person everyone at school knows, he‘s actually pretty tolerable. I think the two of you would even get along if you tried. You‘d have to put aside your differences though.” He picked up his cup and took a drink of the scorching hot cappuccino as he smirked against the rim. Pfft, Toshimasa and Kazuki would never get over their feud.
“I wouldn’t want to get along with him after what he did to you. Besides, it would be weird. I mean, wouldn’t you think so? Seriously, your current boyfriend and former boyfriend… friends? There would still be a rivalry between us regardless because neither one of us is willing to give it up. Except the rivalry would change a bit, and it would be more about who can keep your attention longer than it is about who is obviously the better of the two. I’d win in both categories by default, but I don’t like competition.” Toshimasa seemed almost disgusted at the thought of ever being on good terms with Kazuki. It would never happen. The only reason he would befriend him would be to double cross him in the worst of ways. The waiter didn’t exactly play fair when it came to his biggest enemy, and he had no intentions of ever doing so.
Manabu sat his cup down and rested his chin in his hands. “I wouldn’t make you be friends with him. It would be weird, I admit, but you’d also be fighting over me the whole time. I know Kazuki said he was done being the way he is, but I’m not stupid.” He quirked his lips and Toshimasa raised an eyebrow at the words
“I assume he has something to do with the reason you seem so bothered.” The waiter played with the rim of Manabu’s cup, his eyes trained on the other man’s face for any trace that proved he was right. Manabu’s eyes shot down to the table, and Toshimasa knew he had just read his lover. Maybe he would be able to read him like Shinya with Die.
The younger man sighed and nodded. It was better to just get everything off his chest now so they didn’t have to spend the evening talking about Kazuki. They always talked about Kazuki, and for once he just wanted to spend an evening with Toshimasa with the focus solely on them. Wasn’t that how their relationship should be anyways?
“It’s just that,” He moved his hands so they were covering his face, “I know he’s trying to make me love him again like I used to. We were hanging out with Byou and Jin like we usually to, and he was by me the whole time. Even before we were dating we were always together and we were always affectionate, but we shouldn’t be like that anymore. I know you wouldn’t like it, and I don’t want to do anything you don’t like. But Kazuki doesn’t seem like he’s willing to give that up.” It was difficult to maintain a friendship with his ex-boyfriend. Sometimes he wondered if it would just be better if he stopped associating himself with the playboy. It was true that he didn’t want to lose their friendship, but he also thought it might be for the best. It all depended on how things went and what he had to do to make Toshimasa happy.
The waiter reached over, prying Manabu’s hands away from his face. He smiled softly and held them in his own, rubbing his thumbs over the man’s knuckles soothingly. It irritated him that Kazuki was touching his lover, but he also wasn’t surprised. “He’s going to give it up. I’m your boyfriend now, not him. He needs to respect that you’ve moved on, and as much as he doesn’t like me, he needs to respect our relationship. Maybe it’s just going to take him awhile to get used to us. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he came up with some scheme, and don’t get mad at me for saying that.”
“He needs to find someone else, someone who is more like him. I can’t think of anyone.” Toshimasa suddenly began giggling, his hands moving to entwine with Manabu’s. The younger man raised an eyebrow at the giggling man.
“I think I may know just the person.” Toshimasa smiled dorkily and made his legs bounce under the table. He knew just the person to keep Kazuki in his place and completely busy. “There’s only one person who is wicked and scheming enough to date Kazuki, but he’s one of my people. I’d be risking a lot, and possibly losing him as one of my top three guys, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take if it gets him off your back.”
“Who-”
“Kyo.” The waiter smiled simply.
---
Although he was pissed and utterly confused, he ran as fast as he could through the vacant streets. Even if he told Yutaka to move on, he was going to do what Kazuki had told him to: he was going to talk to his former lover. It seemed weird that Kazuki was just letting him go, but he didn’t care. He had been away from Yutaka for so long that he knew he would go crawling back eventually. Shin didn’t care if he would have had to sneak away from Kazuki and suffer the consequences, but now that didn’t matter if he was off the hook.
When he reached Yutaka’s house, he knocked on the door nervously. What was he even going to say? Surely the Uke family knew what had happened between them. Would they look down on him for being weak? But he wasn’t going to be weak anymore. If there was anything he learned from this whole experience, it was the he had to be strong if he wanted to be with Yutaka because even in the real world he would have to face complications that could be worse than what Kazuki put him through. If Yutaka didn’t want him anymore, he would have to man up even more.
Ami answered the door with a lollipop in her mouth and her head tilted to the side. She wasn’t expecting to see Shin again because she had overheard her brother talking about how they weren’t together anymore. “Shin~” She squealed and clung to his leg because she loved Shin. When Yutaka was being, as she called him, a big dummy dumb nut (the influence from Akira is clearly palpable), she always stayed close to Shin because he was more fun than her brother ever was. Her eye blinked rapidly as she giggled happily because whenever Shin was around, Yutaka was more calm and didn’t boss her around as much if he were in charge, which he currently was. “What are you doing here? Yutaka-nii said you went bye-bye, and he was all~ sad, and then I was sad too because you’re Shin~ and you’re so quiet and cute, and you know how to play tea part the right way!” She smiled brightly, holding the lollipop in her hand as Shin bent down to lift her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck making sure her lollipop didn’t go anywhere near his dark hair.
“I need to talk to your brother, if that’s okay. It’s kind of important.” Shin smiled at the girl and held her on his hip much like he had seen Mrs. Uke do when the little girl was crying about something.
“Yutaka-nii is in the kitchen listen to music and baking a cake. He said he’s just practicing, but he’s been baking a lot since you went away. I think it’s because he’s trying to make a cake that looks like you so he won’t be all lonely. Are you going to stay again?” Ami shoved her lollipop back in her mouth and moved her head from side to side childishly.
“I’m not sure, but I promise if I do, I’ll have another tea party with you and all your stuffed animals. We can even invite some of my action figures so your Barbies can all have dates, y’know, so they don’t have to sit in the dollhouse and wish they were at the tea party.” The little girl snickered into her hand as Shin placed her on the ground again before patting her on the head again. She ran off in the opposite direction and toward the stairs, probably to tell her Barbie dolls that they could come to the next tea party.
Shin sighed heavily and looked in the direction of the kitchen. The last time he had been in there was when Yutaka was making dinner. This time he wouldn’t be taunting the taller man just to get him into bed. No, this time he had to be serious and show he meant every word he said otherwise his visit was completely pointless.
Yutaka was standing with his back toward the doorway as he set the timer on the microwave. His apron was covered in flour, which was odd because Yutaka was usually very clean when he baked. He wasn’t the type of person to make a mess with the flour like a little kid. He seemed tired as Shin observed him without his knowledge. It wasn’t until he turned around to sit at the table that he noticed Shin standing in the doorway with a lopsided grin across his face.
The taller man looked down at himself and tore off the apron as if it were embarrassing to be seen in it. “I didn’t know you were there.” He smiled softly and draped the apron over one of the chairs before taking long strides toward the door. He really wasn’t ready to see Shin just yet; Yutaka had no idea what he was going to say to him.
“Mhm.” The smaller man shrugged, pushing himself away from the doorframe. “Well, I thought since Kazuki let me off the hook, I’d come and patch up our friendship.” Yutaka burst out laughing.
“He let you off the hook?! Did Yuu scare him that much?” He shook his head and motioned for Shin to sit down at the table while he got them some drinks. Well, that was definitely amusing.
“I wasn’t really paying attention; I was too pissed when he said he was done torturing me for his amusement, and that I could go back to my normal life with you.” The smaller man took a seat at the table as Yutaka moved around the kitchen to grab a glass out of the cabinet. “It’s not going to be easy since my parents are completely warped.”
“What’d you do?” Yutaka looked over his shoulder as he reached up into the cabinet.
“Punched him square in the face.” Shin shrugged as if it was nothing. Yutaka gasped over-dramatically and closed the cabinet door. Turning around, he looked at Shin as if he were crazy.
“You stood up for yourself against Kazuki?” That was shocking considering Shin always seemed so afraid to do something like that to Kazuki. Maybe things would be different if they decided to be together again. It’s be strange since Shin wouldn’t be the same shy kid who blushed and hid his face in Yutaka’s neck whenever they were hanging out with all their friends. Takanori probably wouldn’t get off so easily when he picked on Shin now. That could be interesting, actually, Yutaka decided.
“Why do you sound so shocked? Eventually I was going to lose my temper.” Shin stood up from the table and stood in front of Yutaka with his hands on his hips. He knew the taller man would be shocked, but he was overdoing it just a bit. It wasn’t that shocking. Even Shin had a bad temper when pushed too far.
“You’re just so…” Yutaka trailed off as he backed up away from the smaller man. He had that look in his eye that meant Shin was up to no good; it was the look that sent excitement down the younger man’s spine.
Shin smirked, placing his hand on either side of Yutaka, his hands stretched out flat against the counter top. “So… what?” He tilted his head when Yutaka visibly gulped.
“Innocent.” Yutaka’s hand cupped Shin’s cheek lovingly as he returned the smirk. Maybe this new confident and straightforward Shin wasn’t so bad. It was definitely interesting, to say the least. Yutaka could feel the excitement coursing through him as he leaned down to capture the other man’s lips. It was only an innocent kiss, but it was still enough to say everything on their minds that neither one wanted to voice out in the open.
Yutaka rested his forehead against Shin’s as the smaller man ran one of his hands up the front of Yutaka’s shirt. “But I’m not so sure it’s a good idea we get back together. Things have to change.” The taller man muttered. Yes he still had feelings for the shorter man and he did want to give Shin another chance, but what were the chances that Shin would continue to stand up for himself? Would he eventually go back to the way he used to be? It wasn’t that Yutaka didn’t like protecting him, but it was to a point that it was pathetic. Shin couldn’t do anything, and it wasn’t Yutaka’s job to do everything.
“I know, and I’ll give you time to think things through. I’m not here to ask you to take me back; I’m here because I want to fix our friendship.” Shin muttered softly as his hand rested on the nape of the other man’s neck.
“I'll think about it.” Yutaka smiled, wrapping his arms around Shin comfortably like he used to. “But if I decide to take you back, I’m not going to let someone take you away that easily. Next time-”
“There won’t be a next time.” Shin leaned into the other man’s embrace and smiled softly to himself. “From now on, I’ll stand up for myself so you don’t have to feel like you need to protect me. That’s half the reason we got into this mess. If you want to get back together, I need to be more assertive.”
The arms around him tightened as Yutaka kissed his nose. “So when do we confront your parents and tell them the whole story?”
“Lets fix one thing at a time, shall we?”
---
“MOM!” Yuu kicked his shoes off and ran up the stairs. She wasn’t in the kitchen, so that must mean she was still in his room bothering Kouyou. It was just as he suspected: his mother was sitting on the end of his bed talking a mile a minute about lord knows what, and Kouyou looked like he was contemplating jumping out the window.
“I thought I said to not wake him up.” He grumbled angrily as he pointed to the doorway, silently telling his mother to get out.
Mrs. Shiroyama crossed her arms over her chest and stood up stubbornly. “Fine, but one of these days your old mom isn’t going to be around.” Yuu shook his head as his mother walked by him and out the door.
“That had nothing to do with what I said!” He yelled after her before shutting his door. Kouyou was lying on the bed again with his face in the pillows again. He was clearly still tired, and Yuu was more than willing to let him sleep longer if he wanted to.
Yuu made his way to the closet and took off his jacket, but not before placing the two boxes in the pocket of his jacket so Kouyou wouldn’t feel them when he laid down. Now wasn’t the right time to give him the ring. The mood wasn’t even right, so he would just have to make sure he did something romantic.
He laid on the bed, pulling Kouyou into his arms and closed his eyes. “I forgot how weird your mom can be.” He heard Kouyou mumble tiredly, shifting so he was facing his lover. “Sometimes I think she’s weird enough to be my mom. Want to trade?” The blonde giggled and wrapped his arms around Yuu’s neck.
“That’s okay, I don’t think I could handle your mother. She’s too strict.” the older man stuck his tongue out. With Kouyou’s mother as his own, he would never be able to do a thing. He always wondered how Kouyou was able to do whatever he wanted without his mother knowing. It seemed like she had a sixth sense about her son and what he was doing, and he didn’t need that. “Besides, I like my mom too much to give her away.”
“I forgot you’re a momma’s boy.” Kouyou laughed softly, pulling his lover closer and burying his face in his neck. “But that’s okay. A real man loves their mother and takes care of her.” Wasn’t that how it worked in the movies? All the really big tough guys loved their moms. They always had a soft spot for them, and if someone talked bad about their mom, they’d get their ass kicked. Kouyou was pretty sure Yuu would do the same if someone was talking bad about his mother.
“It’s what good son does.” Yuu pointed out and closed his eyes, intending to go to sleep since there was nothing else to do and the sun was already going down. Before he could even begin dozing off, he felt a presence and knew he wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon. Of course, it would have been better if he wasn’t jumped on and squealed at as if he were some celebrity.
“Yuu~ I love you!”
Kouyou glared and squeezed Yuu tighter. “Listen here, Yuu is mine. No amount of your fairy power is going to be able to take him away from me, so just fly on back to Fairy Land and make out with Shinji in your strange pink house.” The fairy giggled and shook his head, floating above the bed now.
Naoyuki had this strange smile on his face, and Kouyou was sure if it got any bigger Naoyuki’s face would be split in half. Whatever Yuu had done must have been amazing because he never saw such a smile on Naoyuki’s face before.
“I don’t want Yuu, silly.” Naoyuki rolled his eyes and waved his wand to produce a cup of coffee.
Kouyou held out a hand, “Give that to me, mister. You’re already hyper enough!”
“But I need this.” Naoyuki shook his head as the boy stood up on the bed with his hands on his hips.
“Naoyuki.”
“Kouyou.”
“Yuu, make him give me that damn coffee!” Kouyou screeched, causing Yuu to cover his ears and frown. Kouyou didn’t need the coffee either.
Yuu pulled Kouyou down by his belt loop, forcing the blonde to settle comfortably on his crossed legs. His arms wrapped around the blonde’s waist as he rested his chin on his shoulder. “I’m assuming your anniversary is going well since you’re here telling me you love me.” He glanced up at the fairy who was now lying on his back in the air with his wand pointed up.
“Mhm. Shinji thinks I’m in the bathroom right now, so I can’t stay too long.” Naoyuki giggled. “I did everything just like you said, and I even made sure I followed your directions while I cooked. You know how to make a man swoon; no wonder Kouyou is so obsessed with you. What was it he used to call you? That delectable and tasty Shiroyama kid? Honey-bunny-Yuu-pie?”
“I never called him that!” Kouyou protested as Yuu laughed at him, which really wasn’t that nice if Kouyou were to be honest.
“You did when you were in kindergarten. After you met Yuu, you kept thinking up nicknames for him because you thought he would love you if you gave him a really cute name.” The fairy spoke nonchalantly. “Anyways, thank you, Yuu. Kouyou, you should be nicer to him.”
“I am nice to him.” The blonde pouted. To save himself the trouble, Yuu placed a hand over Kouyou’s mouth and smiled at the fairy. It really didn’t take him too much thought to help Naoyuki plan out a nice evening for Shinji. It was just the typical thing to do, which wasn’t typical for fairies, apparently.
“You’re welcome. Just remember our agreement.” Naoyuki was supposed to help him plan the perfect setting for him to actually give the ring to Kouyou. At first the fairy told him to surprise Kouyou when he woke up, but that was ruined by his mother. They would have to go to Plan B that consisted of a distracted Kouyou and a lot of work to set up the tree house. Yes, the tree house was going to be redone so when Kouyou stepped in it would look huge and extra fancy. A regular tree house wouldn’t have been romantic at all, but a little magic could change that.
“Oh, I remember.” The fairy winked and disappeared quickly. Kouyou leaned back against Yuu’s chest and rolled his eyes.
“I don’t want to know.” He mumbled. “But he really needs to give us a heads up before he comes popping in like that. Who knows what we could have been doing, and if he ever shows up while we’re in the middle of having sex, I know a little fairy who isn’t going to have a head.”
“I think he knows better than to show up during those times.” Yuu chuckled against Kouyou’s neck as he held him tighter, almost as if he didn’t want to let him go. Somehow their position was comfortable, and he didn’t feel like moving.
---
Akira was sitting against his pillows on his bed while his small lover sat between his legs with a videogame controller in his hands. Tonight Akira had the house to himself because his mother was away once more for work. Instead of spending the night alone, he decided to call Takanori. The day had been rough for anyone who was friends with Yuu, or anyone who had to listen to Kouyou’s rants and Yutaka’s drama. It wasn’t that they didn’t care about what their friends were going through, it was just that they didn’t want to hear about it all day.
“Are you sure you don’t want to play with me?” Takanori tilted his head back and kissed Akira’s chin. It was no fun playing by himself, but Akira kept saying he didn’t want to play because he just wanted to relax, which was understandable. Their idea of relaxation differed greatly: Akira just wanted to sit back and do nothing, and Takanori liked to focus his attention on mindless videogames.
“Positive.” Akira ran his fingers through Takanori’s black and red hair, massaging his scalp and pulling lightly on the strands to make him growl. He smirked to himself and wrapped his free arm around the other man’s waist loosely. “I’d much rather take a bath and relax for awhile.” The idea was much better than just sitting there watching Takanori play.
“But that’s no fun. If you’re in there, who’s going to keep me company out here?” Takanori stuck his tongue out in concentration as he fought against some giant monster.
“You could always come with me.”
Takanori tossed the controller to the side as he jumped up with a grin. “That’s a much better idea than playing videogames.” He wiggled his eyebrows and ran off to the bathroom where he stood waiting by the sink for his lover.
Akira rose from the bed with a roll of his eyes; he knew that would get Takanori away from his damn game, although he didn‘t expect him to jump up like an excited puppy. He walked out of his room and opened the closet door to retrieve his bath soaps. If he was going to take a bath, he was going to make sure he smelled good when he was done.
He could hear Takanori huffing and puffing impatiently in the bathroom, more than likely leaning against the sink with his arms crossed over his chest. “What is taking so long?”
“You could start running the water.” Akira yelled to his lover as he grabbed some towels from the closet. ‘I really hope he isn’t expecting to have sex.‘ He rolled his eyes. Of course that’s what the midget was expecting. By the time he had gotten into the bathroom, Takanori was leaning over the side of the bathtub testing the temperature of the water and humming to himself.
“You’re still wearing your clothes?” Takanori turned around with a blank face as he stared at the taller man.
“Did you expect me to take them off in the hall?” Akira set everything on the counter. He looked over everything and realized he forgot the most important thing: the hairdryer. “I’ll be right back. I forgot the hairdryer.” He waved his hand at his lover.
“Oh no you don’t! You’re not going to blow dry your body with me around!”*
---
A groan fell from Yuu’s mouth. It was getting late out, yet Kouyou didn’t feel like sleeping because he had already slept. The blonde was too busy lying at the end of the bed with a notebook and a sketchbook and colored pens. He was deep in thought and only spoke to Yuu if he needed his opinion, which wasn’t too often because he knew what he was doing.
He spent his time drawing ideas for their wedding, what he wanted everyone to wear, who he wanted to invite (which was pointless because he couldn’t really invite anyone), what cake he wanted, and last but not least, where he and Yuu would go for their honeymoon. It was a lot of work, and he wasn’t even getting started yet. It was probably going to be a lot easier than he was thinking because all he had to do was make a wish and let Naoyuki wave around his wand. It was practically effortless.
“What do you think of white cake?” Yuu glanced up from the book in his hands that he wasn’t even reading.
“I told you to do whatever you want. Quit asking for my opinion. Anything you want is fine with me.” Letting Kouyou do all the work was perfect; Yuu didn’t have to lift a finger. Everything would be in Kouyou’s hands, so if it didn’t turn out nice as planned, then Yuu couldn’t possibly be to blame.
“But I don’t want to get anything you don’t like! This is our wedding.” Kouyou turned over onto his back and whined. Yes he wanted to take care of things himself, but he also wanted to make sure Yuu was comfortable with everything. Even if Yuu said anything was fine, he knew the older boy was lying out of his ass. “I’m doing all this work, and I still don’t have a ring on my finger, young man. I know you bought it. I’m not stupid. I know you took your so-called secret stash of money with you. Just give it to me.” He wiggled his fingers in the air to add emphasis.
Yuu laughed and shook his head, “That wouldn’t be very romantic of me, now would it?” Kouyou pouted and let his hand drop lifelessly. As soon as he could think up a great distraction for Kouyou, he and Naoyuki would set up the tree house.
“You don’t have to be romantic all the time, Yuu.” The blonde yawned and covered his mouth.
“No, but I want to be. Remember, I’m the romantic one and you’re the cute one.” He snickered when Kouyou glared at him.
“I can be romantic too!” Kouyou shot up and moved to sit next to his lover. He grabbed Yuu’s book and tossed it aside and planted himself on Yuu’s lap just to make sure he had Yuu’s complete attention. He could be romantic too. How hard could it be anyways? ‘It’s easy to light candles and fuck like little bunnies.‘ Kouyou thought to himself. That wasn’t hard at all. He could do that time and time again if he wanted to.
“I know you can, but-”
Kouyou sighed and tilted his head back, “Is this another one of your ‘I’m a man’ rants?” Not that he really cared or anything. It was nice that Yuu kept trying to be manly, actually it was more cute than it was nice because it did get a little annoying after awhile.
“I am a man. When people look at us, if they know about us, they always expect me to be the man. You’re so feminine and bouncy that everyone just assumes you’re practically a girl.” Yuu shrugged as Kouyou glared at him. It wasn’t his fault people thought Kouyou acted like a girl all the time. He kind of did.
“And you don’t defend me? I‘m nothing like a girl!” Yuu winced as Kouyou screeched with his hands on his hips.
Yuu shrugged, “Don’t have to. You usually prove them right, if you think about it. If I tried to defend you, I would be a liar. Think about it: you’re always stressing about how your hair looks, your uniform at school can’t have a single wrinkle, you wear a lot of makeup and you’ve stopped class before so you could fix your eyeliner, you wear short shorts when we’re out, you called and complained at a takeout restaurant once because you broke a nail while pulling the chopsticks apart, which was your own fault, so you didn't need to call them-”
Kouyou covered the older man’s mouth and glared. Okay, so maybe he did act like a girl sometimes, but it wasn’t like he was acting like a girl now, right? “Okay, so you’ve made your point. Big deal.” He moved off the man’s lap and went back to the end of the bed to continue planning the wedding.
Fifteen minutes later, Yuu felt Kouyou nudge him. “What?” He lifted his head off his pillow and stared tiredly at the other man. Man, he was never going to get to sleep if Kouyou didn’t stop bothering him about stupid stuff.
“What should I wear? Since you think you’re such a man, I guess that means you want me to wear a dress, right?”
Yuu’s head dropped onto the pillow as he mumbled curses to himself. Like he really cared what Kouyou wore at their wedding. The blonde could wear a trash bag and he wouldn’t care. Considering the location of their wedding, he really wasn’t taking it too seriously, but he’d never let Kouyou know that. Knowing the way fairies are, they would probably end up having one of those cute fluffy weddings that only a Barbie doll would love.
“I don’t care what you wear. Dress up like a bunny for all I care.”
Kouyou shrugged and went back to writing in his notebook. “You don’t have to be so grumpy.” He grumbled.
A/N: *Reita actually does blow dry his body, for those who didn't know. xD
This chapter took me forever to write. Originally I had planned to make a huge twist in the story, but after I wrote the chapter, I found a flaw. I decided to just rewrite most of the chapter; if there are any errors, let me know. ^^; I’m extremely tired, so I may pass out after I finish posting them. It feels like I have a million and one things to do today. >.>
Just to make it clear, Kazuki and Manabu are not getting back together. I like Toshimasa/Manabu too much to let Kazuki get Manabu. Besides, that would just make the story longer, ne?
Anyways, please comment and let me know what you think~ I'll get back to comments tomorrow if my internet doesn't mess up again...
♥