In Between
Title: In Between
Pairing: Akame
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: Not mine
Summary: Kamenashi believes that he has a coveted title that has no compensation. Until Akanishi disproves him.
Note: First posted on June 1, 2009
Yamashita sat up all too suddenly, one foot awkwardly stuck under him. Huh? He blinked twice, thrice; memories of his dream - clowns as gas station employees - slowly fading away. His eyes twitched as he tried to focus his eyes around the darkened room. It took him three seconds to realize whose foot was that dangling out of the bed, toes inches away from him, and whose mother was that screaming for them to wake up and eat her wonderful breakfast of love for her boys.
He scrunched his nose as he scratched his neck and was about to lie down again on the futon when the dangling foot stretched out all too suddenly and kicked him in the face.
“SHIT. JIN!”
“ARG. My toe - the hell Pi?” Yamashita threw a pillow, with much brute as his muscles can give, at Akanishi, who in turn grabbed it and threw it back at the other, only for the former to dodged it.
“My jaw. You bastard.” Yamashita doubled over his futon clutching his bruised jaw.
Akanishi stood up,“Tsk. You're such a drama queen.” He flexed his sore toe then stretched his arms, flailing it a little.
“I have a photoshoot tomorrow! If I get a bruise I swear I'll bleach that Dodgers jacket.” Yamapi murmured, massaging his jaw as he remained on his futon.
Akanishi glanced at the wall clock, 9:23 am, then stepped over his friend. “Whatever. I still have your Junya Watanabe jacket as a hostage.”
He tugged his boxers down, as it had ridden up during his sleep, snatched the shirt that was hanging over the chair, which he suspected that have been there since Saturn Day, then he staggered his way to the door.
His mother's morning wake up call roared as he opened the door. “Mom! We're up!”
“Okay, honey. Come down here then!” She chirped back.
Akanishi turn back and saw his friend rolling over his futon. “You're being stupid. Your face is still the same.” Yamashita peeked over his bangs, eyes glistened with hope.
Akanishi paused. “Yeah. Still the same. Bruised or not. C'mon, let's eat.” And he went out of his room.
He can hear Yamashita strings of curses with random phrases such as best bleach ever, vintage auction and you're dead when Kame sees his jacket.
Akanishi winced at the last statement, paused on his steps for about two seconds then he shrugged it off; he'll deal with Kamenashi's wrath later, and he continued skipping his way downstairs, whistling a Kinki Kids' song in the process.
Akanishi hopped off the last step off the stairs and slowly made his way to the kitchen. He spotted his mother by the counter, garnishing the tamagoyaki with some radish, and automatically gave her sloppy kiss on her left cheek.
“Where's Tomo-kun?”
“On his way downstairs already probably.” Akanishi pulled out a chair, brought his leg up and sat Indian style.
His mother placed the tamagoyaki on the table then ruffled his hair, only for him to halfheartedly flinched away from his mother's morning smoldering affection just to spite her.
She glared at him before yelling again, “Tomo-kun, Jin will finish off all the food. Come downstairs now.”
He heard running foot steps, a screeched then a squeaky “Morning, Auntie.” was heard.
“Good morning, Tomo-kun Eat up - Oh my. What happened to your face, darling?”
A streak of worry flashed on Yamashita's face, he might actually have a bruise.
Tsk. He bit his inner cheek and pouted. “Jin kicked me.”
Akanishi's mom gasped. “Jin!” She whipped out a hand towel from her the front pocket of her apron and smacked his son on the head, “Why did you do that?”
“It was an accident!”
“But did you apologize?”
Akanishi pouted and started stirring his natto.
“Jin, say sorry.”
“Sorry.” He murmured, gulping down a mouthful of natto and rice. Yamashita beamed.
Akanishi then moved to his next course and was carefully removing the radish from his tamagoyaki when Yamashita sat in front of him and made a face. Akanishi mouthed suck up and glared back.
Akanishi's mother seemed satisfied. “See. That wasn't so bad. Do you have any work today, Tomo-kun?”
Yamashita reached out for the rice. “Just a line reading this afternoon, Auntie”
“And you, Jin?”
“Nothing. Rest day.” Akanishi yawned as he struggled with the radish.
Yamashita was about to say something when the door bell rang. Akanishi's mother wiped her hands on her apron before scampering off to answer the door. “Coming.”
She opened the door and saw a smiling, albeit flustered, Kamenashi before her. “Good morning, Auntie. I'm sorry, but I can't reach Jin. Did he go to work already?” Kamenashi tugged his canvass bag over his shoulder.
“Oh, no darling. He's eating breakfast inside with Tomo-kun.”
Kamenashi blinked. “He's what?”
“Well, you talk to him. Come in, come in.” She pulled Kamenashi inside and the latter tried not to fidget that much as he left his shoes in the genkan and wore the first slipper he saw.
Akanishi almost choked on his soup when he heard a familiar terse footstops across the hall, but before if he can even start to wonder on why was Kamenashi inside his house that early in the morning, the guy appeared before him already.
Kamanashi stared at his bandmate, with only a boxers and dirty shirt on, sitting Indian style on the chair and hands, gripping a bowl of miso, frozen mid air.
Akanishi's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Kamenashi's canvass bag. “We have work? Hiromi didn't say anything to me.”
Kamenashi breathed, a bit heavy and shaky, his eyes narrowed. “Where's your phone?” He said slowly.
Akanishi froze. “Oh. Dead batt since yesterday morning.”
“I knew it.” Kamenashi lowered his head as he murmured and sat down beside Yamashita.
Yamashita snickered. “I'm sorry for my imbecile friend, Shuji. Breakfast?”
Kamanashi spared Yamashita quick smile then his attention was back to his bandmate. “Hiromi emailed us yesterday. There's a problem with the Osaka con.” He sighed, “I told him to call you instead. That brat.” He massaged his forehead.
Akanishi just popped another mouthful of omelet. Kamenashi stared at him, “Well? What are you still doing sitting there with you boxers? Go take a shower already. Meeting starts at 10.” He tried to glare, but he was just too tired.
“But I'm not finished eating yet.”
“Just go. We'll buy food on the way.” Kamenashi flicked his hand as tore his eyes away from Akanishi's puppy dog eyes.
“Yes, darling. Go take a shower. I'll make you a bento instead.” Akanishi's mother finally made her presence felt as she made way to the counter to get some bento boxes.
Kamenashi then looked back at Akanishi. “You heard your mom, Go, now. Hurry up. I'll pick your clothes.”
Akanishi mumbled something as he stood up. “Shut up, Pi.”
Yamashita blinked and tried to stop his giggling. “What?”
“What my ass.” Akanishi made a face and stomped his way to the bathroom.
The remaining people inside the kitchen stared at him until he disappear around the corner. Kamenashi let out an audible sigh.
“I'm sorry about my son, Kazuya.”
“It's alright, Auntie. He can get away with anything with his adorable face. Thank you for bearing such a charming son.” Kamenashi reached for Akanishi's left over miso soup and finished it up. Yamashita laughed. Akanishi's mother smiled and started making the bento.
“Anyway.” Kamenashi stood up. “Auntie, I'll just go upstairs and pick Jin's clothes.” Akanishi's mother just nodded in response.
Yamashita ate two mouthfuls of natto, rice and tamagoyaki and finished his miso before following Kamenashi out of the kitchen. “Thank you for the food, Auntie.”
Yamashita brought out his phone from his pocket and checked his mails as he went upstairs. He always learns a thing or two at Akanishi's expense.
Upon stepping inside the room, he spotted Kamenashi in front of the closet, pulling out several button-up shirts and some jeans. A black tank top and a clean boxer by the edge of the bed caught his eye.
“You're spoiling him too much.” Yamashita flopped down the bed and grabbed a 1984 edition of Playboy under the covers and started flipping through it.
Kamenashi turned around and glared. “Why do I have to do this every other day? You're the best friend.”
“Exactly. I'm the best friend who play video games with him every Satruday night, get drunk with him every Friday and save his ass whenever he fucks up. While you,” He paused and waited till Kamenashi dropped on the bed, inches away from the boxer and the blank tank top, the clothes he picked and looked at him. Kamenashi did and quirked his eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.
“You are the lover who buy late Mother's day gifts, clean his room and,” he let out a tooth smile, “buy him a vintage porn magazine for Christmas.”
Kamenashi snorted.
“What? Seriously, Kame. I'm might be talking about this lightly now but you choose this. You had your chance.”
Kamenashi tried to ignore the other. He started picking up the clothes lying around the floor and then dumping it all to the laundry bag. He then rolled up the futon and placed it behind the bed. He clicked his tongue upon seeing a half-eaten bread under the bed.
“Such a coveted title.” Kamenashi stood up and eyed warily the overflowing ashtray by the window still.
“I don't have any compensation at all.” He threw the bread in the garbage bag then wiped his hands on his jeans. Yamashita stared at him, fingers idly tracing the curves of the woman on the cover of the magazine.
“We skipped all the good things.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and snatched the magazine from the other. Yamashita decided not to say a thing as Kamenashi started flipping the pages, the latter's tongue clicking every now and then.
“We skipped all the good things, you know - the shy glances, the gentle touches, the confession, the courtship, heck even the honeymoon. We jumped straight to the married couple for 25 years.”
“Ah yes. The bummer husband and the nagging wife.” Yamashita poked him in the ribs then stood up and made his way to the dresser and grimaced upon seeing the red mark on his jaw. He ignored it started fixing his hair.
“Why thank you for stereotyping gender roles.”
“Wasn't me. Blame the media. I aced my Gender Politics elective.” A pillow made its way to Yamashita's head. “HEY! I was fixing my hair.”
“You arrogant bastard preening you college degree. You're not that amazing, you know.”
Yamashita turned around “You know, if you just went to college then maybe you aren't slaving over my imbecile friend all these years. College might have given you some functioning brain cells than hormones.”
“What hormones?” Yamashita and Kamenashi snapped their heads to the direction of the door where a dripping wet, bathrobe-clad Akanishi was standing.
“Nothing. Just discussing Pi's hormones, that's all. That was quick a shower.” Kamenashi stood up.
Akanishi shrugged, “Bath gel works well in the morning.”
Kamenashi pointed the clothes by the edge of the bed. “Your clothes. Choose want you want to wear. I'll wait for you in the car.”
“You brought your car?” Akanishi asked as dry his hair, sitting by the other end of the bed.
“There were some gas left when Koji used it last weekend. It's Sunday anyway. Pi, are you coming with us?”
Yamashita grinned at the reflection of Kamenashi on the mirror, “Yup. Can you drop me by the train station?”
“Hn. I'll wait for the both of you in the car.” Kamenashi grabbed his canvass bag by the table and went out of the door.
“Wait for me Shuji.” Yamashita sprayed himself with some random cologne on the dresser before waving to Akanishi and stepping out of the room, closing the door at the same time.
Yamashita sniffed his own shirt as he made his was downstairs. He concluded that Akanishi liked fruity scents. He smelled like a walking fruit salad. If doesn't know any better, he'd assume that it was Kamenashi's.
“Sorry about the sudden visit, Auntie.”
Yamashita walked into Akanishi's mother and Kamenashi hugging by the genkan.
“Nonsense. Tomo-kun sleeps here sometimes even if Jin wasn't home.” The older woman laughed as he released the other.
Kamenashi then looked at the Yamashita, who stood by the last step of the stairs.
“11 in the evening, raining, and was three blocks away from here.” Yamashita answered nonchalantly.
“Yes. Yes. He was drenched - OH. Reio, darling welcome home.“
“Hi, Mom. Kame.” He bowed briefly then paused. “Don't say anything, Pi. It's too early.” Reio yawned, as stepped out of his shoes.
“It is not. It's 10 am already.” Yamashita observed him from head to toe.”I told you, Jun was up to no good. You should have come with us last weekend instead.” Yamashita stuck out his tongue. “Was it strong?”
“Shut up.” The younger Akanishi gave his mom a quick hug, a polite smile to Kamenashi and swift punch on Yamashita's shoulders before going upstairs.
“He's a nice boy.” Kamenashi said as an after thought.
“I do believe he is.” She replied. “Well, anyway. One problem child at a time.” She handed him a bento lunch box wrapped in a red furoshiki and flask.
Kamenashi smiled. “Thanks, Auntie. Sorry but we have to get going now. I'll try to drop by tonight. We're really running late. Pi, c'mon. JIN, HURRY UP!”
Yamashita straighten up and let himself be embraced by Akanishi's mother. “Go straight home, okay Tomo-kun?”
“Will do, Madame.” Yamashita smiled cheekily at her then jogged after Kamenashi.
Yamashita then slowed down upon seeing Kamenashi inside the car, window rolled down, one hand stretched out, lighted cigarette dangling from his fingers.
“I thought you're anal.” He said upon entering the back seat.
“It's all in the image, Pi.” Kamenashi puffed.
“But you have a very pretty Imprezza though. Ashes may stain the leather seats.” Yamashita looked at Kamenashi through the rear mirror.
Their gazes locked.
“What was that with Reio?
“Nothing.” Yamashita tore his gaze away and let it settled on the pattern of the furoshiki beside him.
“It better be. It took us years to get Jin back to normal.” Kamenashi crushed his cigarette at the ashtray between his seat and the passenger seat.
Yamashita didn't say anything anymore as he saw Akanishi by their doorsteps already, talking to her mother.
After five minutes of pained silence, Akanishi finally rode the shotgun. “Hello.” He greeted. “What's with the serious faces?”
“Nothing. Where's your phone?”
Akanishi handed his cellphone to Kamenashi and the latter took it and hooked it up to the cellphone car charger.
Akanishi then tugged his knitted sweater closer to his body.
“Jin, where's your jacket?” Kamenashi asked as he started the engine and pulled over.
Akanishi gulped. “What jacket?”
“What's so funny, Pi?” Kamenashi shot the giggling man a glare through the rear view mirror.
“No-nothing.” Yamashita covered his mouth with his hand.
Kamanashi narrowed his eyes as he turned the car around the street corner. “Jin, I gave you my Dodgers jacket because you said you'll take care of it. If I see it with a JTRYKQRXYZ or whatever your call your little troop is, embroidered or spray painted on it, I'll rip you apart. Thoroughly.”
“It was safe! Pi stole it!”
“I did not!”
“But don't worry Kame. I have a very cool vintage Junya Watanabe jacket now. Do you want it stitched on with our initials instead? AJKK forever? Or KAT-TUN FTW?”
“YOU WILL NOT! Fine. I'll drop it by your house tonight or tomorrow. Fuck you, Jin. You will not lay your hand on my jacket.”
“Whatever, best friend. Hand me that bento now, will you?”
Yamashita shoved it to him. “Pig.”
Kamenashi chose not to say anything anymore. The ten minute drive to the nearest train station was spent in silence, lest for the Akanishi's grunt of annoyance whenever his orange juice would spill on him and Yamashita's mocking.
“Thanks, Kame. I'll see you later, Jin.” Yamashita crouched to level with Kamenashi's window.
“Be careful, Pi.” Kamenashi smiled. Akanishi just waved.
Kamenashi then drove off, his eyes still fixed on his side mirror, on the reflection of a waving Yamashita.
“Jin, about Reio - ”
“He's fine. He knows his limits.” Akanishi tied the furoshiki back. “He's not like me.”
“Don't start.”
“You started this.” Akanishi grunted and looked at the mirror.
Kamenashi licked his lower lip and tried not to sigh. It was only 10 in the morning.
“Are you getting tired of me, Jin? Am I being a too much of a nagger already?”
Akanishi pouted then reached for Kamenash's hand over the clutch, eyes still fixed onthe blurry scenery outside of the moving car. They just passed by a soccer field.
“I don't think I'm supposed to get tired of my soul mate.”
Kamenashi then made a mental list: tell Akanishi's mother that his son indeed has his way with words and can really get away with everything, tell Yamashita that he wasn't just Akanishi's lover and that there was a compensation after all, if the idiotic grin plastered on his face matters.
Pairing: Akame
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: Not mine
Summary: Kamenashi believes that he has a coveted title that has no compensation. Until Akanishi disproves him.
Note: First posted on June 1, 2009
Yamashita sat up all too suddenly, one foot awkwardly stuck under him. Huh? He blinked twice, thrice; memories of his dream - clowns as gas station employees - slowly fading away. His eyes twitched as he tried to focus his eyes around the darkened room. It took him three seconds to realize whose foot was that dangling out of the bed, toes inches away from him, and whose mother was that screaming for them to wake up and eat her wonderful breakfast of love for her boys.
He scrunched his nose as he scratched his neck and was about to lie down again on the futon when the dangling foot stretched out all too suddenly and kicked him in the face.
“SHIT. JIN!”
“ARG. My toe - the hell Pi?” Yamashita threw a pillow, with much brute as his muscles can give, at Akanishi, who in turn grabbed it and threw it back at the other, only for the former to dodged it.
“My jaw. You bastard.” Yamashita doubled over his futon clutching his bruised jaw.
Akanishi stood up,“Tsk. You're such a drama queen.” He flexed his sore toe then stretched his arms, flailing it a little.
“I have a photoshoot tomorrow! If I get a bruise I swear I'll bleach that Dodgers jacket.” Yamapi murmured, massaging his jaw as he remained on his futon.
Akanishi glanced at the wall clock, 9:23 am, then stepped over his friend. “Whatever. I still have your Junya Watanabe jacket as a hostage.”
He tugged his boxers down, as it had ridden up during his sleep, snatched the shirt that was hanging over the chair, which he suspected that have been there since Saturn Day, then he staggered his way to the door.
His mother's morning wake up call roared as he opened the door. “Mom! We're up!”
“Okay, honey. Come down here then!” She chirped back.
Akanishi turn back and saw his friend rolling over his futon. “You're being stupid. Your face is still the same.” Yamashita peeked over his bangs, eyes glistened with hope.
Akanishi paused. “Yeah. Still the same. Bruised or not. C'mon, let's eat.” And he went out of his room.
He can hear Yamashita strings of curses with random phrases such as best bleach ever, vintage auction and you're dead when Kame sees his jacket.
Akanishi winced at the last statement, paused on his steps for about two seconds then he shrugged it off; he'll deal with Kamenashi's wrath later, and he continued skipping his way downstairs, whistling a Kinki Kids' song in the process.
Akanishi hopped off the last step off the stairs and slowly made his way to the kitchen. He spotted his mother by the counter, garnishing the tamagoyaki with some radish, and automatically gave her sloppy kiss on her left cheek.
“Where's Tomo-kun?”
“On his way downstairs already probably.” Akanishi pulled out a chair, brought his leg up and sat Indian style.
His mother placed the tamagoyaki on the table then ruffled his hair, only for him to halfheartedly flinched away from his mother's morning smoldering affection just to spite her.
She glared at him before yelling again, “Tomo-kun, Jin will finish off all the food. Come downstairs now.”
He heard running foot steps, a screeched then a squeaky “Morning, Auntie.” was heard.
“Good morning, Tomo-kun Eat up - Oh my. What happened to your face, darling?”
A streak of worry flashed on Yamashita's face, he might actually have a bruise.
Tsk. He bit his inner cheek and pouted. “Jin kicked me.”
Akanishi's mom gasped. “Jin!” She whipped out a hand towel from her the front pocket of her apron and smacked his son on the head, “Why did you do that?”
“It was an accident!”
“But did you apologize?”
Akanishi pouted and started stirring his natto.
“Jin, say sorry.”
“Sorry.” He murmured, gulping down a mouthful of natto and rice. Yamashita beamed.
Akanishi then moved to his next course and was carefully removing the radish from his tamagoyaki when Yamashita sat in front of him and made a face. Akanishi mouthed suck up and glared back.
Akanishi's mother seemed satisfied. “See. That wasn't so bad. Do you have any work today, Tomo-kun?”
Yamashita reached out for the rice. “Just a line reading this afternoon, Auntie”
“And you, Jin?”
“Nothing. Rest day.” Akanishi yawned as he struggled with the radish.
Yamashita was about to say something when the door bell rang. Akanishi's mother wiped her hands on her apron before scampering off to answer the door. “Coming.”
She opened the door and saw a smiling, albeit flustered, Kamenashi before her. “Good morning, Auntie. I'm sorry, but I can't reach Jin. Did he go to work already?” Kamenashi tugged his canvass bag over his shoulder.
“Oh, no darling. He's eating breakfast inside with Tomo-kun.”
Kamenashi blinked. “He's what?”
“Well, you talk to him. Come in, come in.” She pulled Kamenashi inside and the latter tried not to fidget that much as he left his shoes in the genkan and wore the first slipper he saw.
Akanishi almost choked on his soup when he heard a familiar terse footstops across the hall, but before if he can even start to wonder on why was Kamenashi inside his house that early in the morning, the guy appeared before him already.
Kamanashi stared at his bandmate, with only a boxers and dirty shirt on, sitting Indian style on the chair and hands, gripping a bowl of miso, frozen mid air.
Akanishi's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of Kamenashi's canvass bag. “We have work? Hiromi didn't say anything to me.”
Kamenashi breathed, a bit heavy and shaky, his eyes narrowed. “Where's your phone?” He said slowly.
Akanishi froze. “Oh. Dead batt since yesterday morning.”
“I knew it.” Kamenashi lowered his head as he murmured and sat down beside Yamashita.
Yamashita snickered. “I'm sorry for my imbecile friend, Shuji. Breakfast?”
Kamanashi spared Yamashita quick smile then his attention was back to his bandmate. “Hiromi emailed us yesterday. There's a problem with the Osaka con.” He sighed, “I told him to call you instead. That brat.” He massaged his forehead.
Akanishi just popped another mouthful of omelet. Kamenashi stared at him, “Well? What are you still doing sitting there with you boxers? Go take a shower already. Meeting starts at 10.” He tried to glare, but he was just too tired.
“But I'm not finished eating yet.”
“Just go. We'll buy food on the way.” Kamenashi flicked his hand as tore his eyes away from Akanishi's puppy dog eyes.
“Yes, darling. Go take a shower. I'll make you a bento instead.” Akanishi's mother finally made her presence felt as she made way to the counter to get some bento boxes.
Kamenashi then looked back at Akanishi. “You heard your mom, Go, now. Hurry up. I'll pick your clothes.”
Akanishi mumbled something as he stood up. “Shut up, Pi.”
Yamashita blinked and tried to stop his giggling. “What?”
“What my ass.” Akanishi made a face and stomped his way to the bathroom.
The remaining people inside the kitchen stared at him until he disappear around the corner. Kamenashi let out an audible sigh.
“I'm sorry about my son, Kazuya.”
“It's alright, Auntie. He can get away with anything with his adorable face. Thank you for bearing such a charming son.” Kamenashi reached for Akanishi's left over miso soup and finished it up. Yamashita laughed. Akanishi's mother smiled and started making the bento.
“Anyway.” Kamenashi stood up. “Auntie, I'll just go upstairs and pick Jin's clothes.” Akanishi's mother just nodded in response.
Yamashita ate two mouthfuls of natto, rice and tamagoyaki and finished his miso before following Kamenashi out of the kitchen. “Thank you for the food, Auntie.”
Yamashita brought out his phone from his pocket and checked his mails as he went upstairs. He always learns a thing or two at Akanishi's expense.
Upon stepping inside the room, he spotted Kamenashi in front of the closet, pulling out several button-up shirts and some jeans. A black tank top and a clean boxer by the edge of the bed caught his eye.
“You're spoiling him too much.” Yamashita flopped down the bed and grabbed a 1984 edition of Playboy under the covers and started flipping through it.
Kamenashi turned around and glared. “Why do I have to do this every other day? You're the best friend.”
“Exactly. I'm the best friend who play video games with him every Satruday night, get drunk with him every Friday and save his ass whenever he fucks up. While you,” He paused and waited till Kamenashi dropped on the bed, inches away from the boxer and the blank tank top, the clothes he picked and looked at him. Kamenashi did and quirked his eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.
“You are the lover who buy late Mother's day gifts, clean his room and,” he let out a tooth smile, “buy him a vintage porn magazine for Christmas.”
Kamenashi snorted.
“What? Seriously, Kame. I'm might be talking about this lightly now but you choose this. You had your chance.”
Kamenashi tried to ignore the other. He started picking up the clothes lying around the floor and then dumping it all to the laundry bag. He then rolled up the futon and placed it behind the bed. He clicked his tongue upon seeing a half-eaten bread under the bed.
“Such a coveted title.” Kamenashi stood up and eyed warily the overflowing ashtray by the window still.
“I don't have any compensation at all.” He threw the bread in the garbage bag then wiped his hands on his jeans. Yamashita stared at him, fingers idly tracing the curves of the woman on the cover of the magazine.
“We skipped all the good things.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and snatched the magazine from the other. Yamashita decided not to say a thing as Kamenashi started flipping the pages, the latter's tongue clicking every now and then.
“We skipped all the good things, you know - the shy glances, the gentle touches, the confession, the courtship, heck even the honeymoon. We jumped straight to the married couple for 25 years.”
“Ah yes. The bummer husband and the nagging wife.” Yamashita poked him in the ribs then stood up and made his way to the dresser and grimaced upon seeing the red mark on his jaw. He ignored it started fixing his hair.
“Why thank you for stereotyping gender roles.”
“Wasn't me. Blame the media. I aced my Gender Politics elective.” A pillow made its way to Yamashita's head. “HEY! I was fixing my hair.”
“You arrogant bastard preening you college degree. You're not that amazing, you know.”
Yamashita turned around “You know, if you just went to college then maybe you aren't slaving over my imbecile friend all these years. College might have given you some functioning brain cells than hormones.”
“What hormones?” Yamashita and Kamenashi snapped their heads to the direction of the door where a dripping wet, bathrobe-clad Akanishi was standing.
“Nothing. Just discussing Pi's hormones, that's all. That was quick a shower.” Kamenashi stood up.
Akanishi shrugged, “Bath gel works well in the morning.”
Kamenashi pointed the clothes by the edge of the bed. “Your clothes. Choose want you want to wear. I'll wait for you in the car.”
“You brought your car?” Akanishi asked as dry his hair, sitting by the other end of the bed.
“There were some gas left when Koji used it last weekend. It's Sunday anyway. Pi, are you coming with us?”
Yamashita grinned at the reflection of Kamenashi on the mirror, “Yup. Can you drop me by the train station?”
“Hn. I'll wait for the both of you in the car.” Kamenashi grabbed his canvass bag by the table and went out of the door.
“Wait for me Shuji.” Yamashita sprayed himself with some random cologne on the dresser before waving to Akanishi and stepping out of the room, closing the door at the same time.
Yamashita sniffed his own shirt as he made his was downstairs. He concluded that Akanishi liked fruity scents. He smelled like a walking fruit salad. If doesn't know any better, he'd assume that it was Kamenashi's.
“Sorry about the sudden visit, Auntie.”
Yamashita walked into Akanishi's mother and Kamenashi hugging by the genkan.
“Nonsense. Tomo-kun sleeps here sometimes even if Jin wasn't home.” The older woman laughed as he released the other.
Kamenashi then looked at the Yamashita, who stood by the last step of the stairs.
“11 in the evening, raining, and was three blocks away from here.” Yamashita answered nonchalantly.
“Yes. Yes. He was drenched - OH. Reio, darling welcome home.“
“Hi, Mom. Kame.” He bowed briefly then paused. “Don't say anything, Pi. It's too early.” Reio yawned, as stepped out of his shoes.
“It is not. It's 10 am already.” Yamashita observed him from head to toe.”I told you, Jun was up to no good. You should have come with us last weekend instead.” Yamashita stuck out his tongue. “Was it strong?”
“Shut up.” The younger Akanishi gave his mom a quick hug, a polite smile to Kamenashi and swift punch on Yamashita's shoulders before going upstairs.
“He's a nice boy.” Kamenashi said as an after thought.
“I do believe he is.” She replied. “Well, anyway. One problem child at a time.” She handed him a bento lunch box wrapped in a red furoshiki and flask.
Kamenashi smiled. “Thanks, Auntie. Sorry but we have to get going now. I'll try to drop by tonight. We're really running late. Pi, c'mon. JIN, HURRY UP!”
Yamashita straighten up and let himself be embraced by Akanishi's mother. “Go straight home, okay Tomo-kun?”
“Will do, Madame.” Yamashita smiled cheekily at her then jogged after Kamenashi.
Yamashita then slowed down upon seeing Kamenashi inside the car, window rolled down, one hand stretched out, lighted cigarette dangling from his fingers.
“I thought you're anal.” He said upon entering the back seat.
“It's all in the image, Pi.” Kamenashi puffed.
“But you have a very pretty Imprezza though. Ashes may stain the leather seats.” Yamashita looked at Kamenashi through the rear mirror.
Their gazes locked.
“What was that with Reio?
“Nothing.” Yamashita tore his gaze away and let it settled on the pattern of the furoshiki beside him.
“It better be. It took us years to get Jin back to normal.” Kamenashi crushed his cigarette at the ashtray between his seat and the passenger seat.
Yamashita didn't say anything anymore as he saw Akanishi by their doorsteps already, talking to her mother.
After five minutes of pained silence, Akanishi finally rode the shotgun. “Hello.” He greeted. “What's with the serious faces?”
“Nothing. Where's your phone?”
Akanishi handed his cellphone to Kamenashi and the latter took it and hooked it up to the cellphone car charger.
Akanishi then tugged his knitted sweater closer to his body.
“Jin, where's your jacket?” Kamenashi asked as he started the engine and pulled over.
Akanishi gulped. “What jacket?”
“What's so funny, Pi?” Kamenashi shot the giggling man a glare through the rear view mirror.
“No-nothing.” Yamashita covered his mouth with his hand.
Kamanashi narrowed his eyes as he turned the car around the street corner. “Jin, I gave you my Dodgers jacket because you said you'll take care of it. If I see it with a JTRYKQRXYZ or whatever your call your little troop is, embroidered or spray painted on it, I'll rip you apart. Thoroughly.”
“It was safe! Pi stole it!”
“I did not!”
“But don't worry Kame. I have a very cool vintage Junya Watanabe jacket now. Do you want it stitched on with our initials instead? AJKK forever? Or KAT-TUN FTW?”
“YOU WILL NOT! Fine. I'll drop it by your house tonight or tomorrow. Fuck you, Jin. You will not lay your hand on my jacket.”
“Whatever, best friend. Hand me that bento now, will you?”
Yamashita shoved it to him. “Pig.”
Kamenashi chose not to say anything anymore. The ten minute drive to the nearest train station was spent in silence, lest for the Akanishi's grunt of annoyance whenever his orange juice would spill on him and Yamashita's mocking.
“Thanks, Kame. I'll see you later, Jin.” Yamashita crouched to level with Kamenashi's window.
“Be careful, Pi.” Kamenashi smiled. Akanishi just waved.
Kamenashi then drove off, his eyes still fixed on his side mirror, on the reflection of a waving Yamashita.
“Jin, about Reio - ”
“He's fine. He knows his limits.” Akanishi tied the furoshiki back. “He's not like me.”
“Don't start.”
“You started this.” Akanishi grunted and looked at the mirror.
Kamenashi licked his lower lip and tried not to sigh. It was only 10 in the morning.
“Are you getting tired of me, Jin? Am I being a too much of a nagger already?”
Akanishi pouted then reached for Kamenash's hand over the clutch, eyes still fixed onthe blurry scenery outside of the moving car. They just passed by a soccer field.
“I don't think I'm supposed to get tired of my soul mate.”
Kamenashi then made a mental list: tell Akanishi's mother that his son indeed has his way with words and can really get away with everything, tell Yamashita that he wasn't just Akanishi's lover and that there was a compensation after all, if the idiotic grin plastered on his face matters.