Well, it was bound to happen eventually, so... here it is. I'm actually quite pleased with it, to be honest, despite the cheesy title and all that. I don't really have much else to say for myself so... please enjoy.
Title: The Little Things
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jun/Aiba
Warnings: RPS, BL
Author's Note: Cheesy title is cheesy, but the original title I had intended was worse, so. XD;
x
Though he may be an idol with obligations and an incredibly busy work schedule, Jun likes to blow off steam just as much as the next person. Whenever he has enough energy and free time (which isn't necessarily often, but it's enough), he goes out dancing with friends. Most of the time these friends are other idols, more often than not, they're other Johnny's members, but only a very small percentage of the time does this group contain other Arashi members. After all, they see one another at work, and the chance of any of them having enough overlapping free time when they're not collapsed in bed is so small that it's often negligible, but sometimes, a very rare sometimes, their schedules do line up in a big enough way for a night out, and it's these times that are Jun's favourites.
Sho and Nino and Leader are all fun in their own way, of course-- Sho is a good responsible shoulder to lean on when Jun's had a bit too much to drink, Nino's fun to watch when he's had a bit too much to drink, and Ohno always makes almost stupidly honest commentary about everyone around them, if he's in the right mood. But, predictably, in the back of his mind, Jun is always hoping to go out with Masaki.
After all, Masaki may not be the best dancer or the most popular person in any given club, but he knows how to let go, and when Masaki lets go, in Jun's eyes, he's beautiful. Jun could watch him forever, dimly lit in the dark of the club, bangs sticking to his forehead with sweat, lips parted slightly with heavy breathing, arms slung over his head as he swings his hips to the music without restraint. He's electric, he's untouchable, and he's something else entirely, unaware of his surroundings, unaware of everything besides the heavy thrum of the bass and the high electric tune of the music. His eyes shut as he throws himself to the sound without hesitation, and his mind, Jun thinks, could be anywhere right now, anywhere...
But then those lashes flutter open and he stares at Jun for a long moment, smile on his beautiful face as he reaches out and says, Matsujun. And that's all it takes, because Jun is there in an instant, pressed against Masaki's form, hands in Masaki's hair as Masaki slides his arms around Jun's waist and they move together, just the two of them. Matsujun, Masaki says again, his voice a thick whisper, hot against the skin of Jun's neck, Jun, and though they probably shouldn't be doing this lest the tabloids get a photograph of it, Jun wouldn't give it up for the world.
xx
They're filming a regular episode of VS when one of the guests makes some crack about Jun being lazy. It's not necessarily unmerited; he usurped Sho's usual spot as the button-pusher during Giant Crash, and has been slouched in his seat for most of the rest of the show, but when it comes to his event, which just happens to be Pinball Runner, one of the older guys on the other team, from some drama or another, asks, Will Matsumoto-kun be able to keep up when he's been so lazy this whole time?
It's a joke, of course, and Jun is ready to laugh it off with perhaps a whine or two about how he always works hard to support Arashi, so doesn't he deserve a break once in a while, but before he can even open his mouth, Nino, little brat that he is, decides to jump in first and comment that with all the dancing with Aiba-chan that Jun's been doing lately, he should be plenty in shape. Jun shoots him a glare, but Nino only smirks in a way that clearly says that's what you get for using my lotion last week, and there's nothing that Jun can do.
Really, he reflects, it's his own fault for letting Nino see him dancing with Masaki in the first place, and really, it's not like Nino is exactly discrete at pretty much any given point in time, but Jun scowls anyway as he's called out on it by practically everyone. Sho, in the end, is the one who voices the question on everyone's mind, You've been dancing with Aiba-chan, MatsuJun? and Jun has a feeling Sho asks because he's the one who will ask the most slowly and carefully, wording the whole thing in the least compromising way and giving Jun the most time to think of some excuse, any excuse. Sometimes, Jun thinks Sho tries a little too hard, but right now, he's grateful.
And so, he purses his lips for a moment before responding, with the utmost seriousness, The truth is... Aiba-chan and I have been swing dancing recently.
This is met by the expected collective Ehhhhh? and Jun only smiles in response, as collected as he can be in the situation. Out of the corner of his eye, he meets Masaki's gaze, and he can tell Masaki knows what's coming next too by the way he braces as, inevitably, the get asked to show off exactly what this swing dancing they do together it.
Naturally, Jun has no idea how to swing dance, and he's pretty sure Masaki doesn't either, and so, tentatively, he takes Masaki's hand before deciding, what the fuck, it's not like they don't pull this sort of shit when it's scripted anyway, and besides, Nino will get what's coming to him when he's upstaged in fanservice by the likes of Jun and Masaki. And so, with that thought in mind and with the utmost grace and definitiveness, Jun twirls Masaki in before dipping him extravagantly.
Masaki's eyes widen as he stares up at Jun from the awkward position they're in, because, really, neither of them have any idea what they're doing, but for a moment, it's as if time slows down, because here they are, in one another's arms on national TV, and Jun can't help but grin like an idiot for a second before twirling Masaki back out again and taking a bow in the direction of the studio audience and asking, Aren't we great?
He gets chewed out by his manager later, but Nino's pout, and moreso, Masaki's grin when they're out of the audience's sight makes the whole thing worth it.
xxx
It's their fifteenth anniversay concert (god they're old), and the thing is long. Jun supposes it's only to be expected, because fifteen years really is a fucking long time, but the concert has to start long before it's even dark to finish before the last trains go and they're performing two solos each, on top of all the regular business. Such is the life of an idol, of course, but three-quarters of the way through the show, Jun is drenched in sweat and exhausted as he waits backstage for Ohno and Nino's solos to be over before they're all on again.
He's already been practically attacked by hair and makeup once, adding more spray and wax to the mix to try to keep his curls anything near presentable, but Jun is far beyond caring at this point, and brushes them off to pull off his suit and slip into an only slightly more comfortable collared shirt and pair of slacks. He's just taking a moment to relax in the dressing room, slouched low in a worn, overly plush couch in the corner, when suddenly, Masaki is in the doorway, grinning down at him.
Jun is too tired to do much more than look over him; it's easy to be energized by the crowds on the stage, but now that he has a break, his body feels just about ready to give out, and he's not looking forward to dragging himself back to his feet. Over the speakers, he can hear the applause from the stage mics as Nino leaves the stage, soon to be replaced by their leader-- one song down, one to go. Jun wants to close his eyes, wants to draw out this break as long as possible, but he knows that that wouldn't be a good idea in any way, and so instead, he gazes at Masaki evenly, vacantly. Masaki is dressed for the same number as Jun, a similar outfit, but in green; where Jun is wearing tight slacks and his shirt is to be left undone to the third button, Masaki is done up, as always, in cutoff pants and a fitting t-shirt with a faint green floral pattern that matches the purple one on Jun's own shirt. He looks good, Jun thinks absently, just as tired as Jun is but with that stupidly beautiful grin still on his face as the familiar opening to Take Me Faraway comes over the speakers.
Masaki looks over him for a moment before offering a hand that Jun takes out of instinct more than thought. Dance with me, Masaki bids as he yanks Jun to his feet with surprising strength for the fact that they've been running around a stage for the past almost three hours now, and he giggles when Jun stumbles, wrapping his arms around Jun's shoulders perhaps to steady him and perhaps in an active fulfillment of his request. You're a piece of work, Jun replies, but there's no bite in his tone and a grin on his face as he slides his palms over Masaki's hips awkwardly.
Slow dancing has never really been Jun's thing, and to an outsider, he thinks, they must look laughable, sweaty and disgusting and dressed up for the stage, arms around one another, swaying back and forth to the dulcet tones of their leader's voice as he, no doubt, mangles the English language. But then Masaki rests his head in the crook of Jun's neck despite the fact that he's a little too tall, and Jun can feel him smiling against his skin, and even more than when he was collapsed on the sofa, Jun wants this song to go on forever, doesn't want to go back onstage.
A few moments later, Sho coughing awkwardly in the doorway alerts them to the fact that their time is up, but no one calls them on it when, even as they run back out onto the stage, they remain hand in hand.
x
Despite the fact that it's definitely not what Jun expected when he was younger, not what the public believes to be true and not something of which their managers really approve, sharing an apartment with Masaki is one of the private pleasures of Jun's life. After all, things are a little less busy these days, and Arashi does less as a whole-- they put out a new single every once in a while which eventually amount to a new album-- and to get to spend his down time the way he does makes Jun happier than he ever thought getting older and less popular could possibly make him.
It's stupidly quiet, stupidly regular and average and normal, but Jun really does like the way they spend their evenings now. After years of living alone, Jun looks forward to calling I'm home and Welcome back probably more than he should, looks forward to Masaki's laughter as the stupid dog licks his face and the cat circling around his ankles, practically tripping him as he tries to make his way into the kitchen. But it's their little routine; Jun makes dinner for the both of them, purple apron-- a gift from Masaki-- tied haphazardly around his waist in an mortifying gesture of domesticity. Masaki sprawls on the couch, and when they're busy, he runs lines with Jun, but today, since they're both between dramas, he flips through a magazine, Hey! Say! BEST's smiling faces catching Jun's eyes as Masaki flips through the pages, too impatient to read any given article to its conclusion.
They rarely ever do covers anymore; they can't even pretend to be young at this point, and they're haven't been Johnny's and Associate's biggest moneymakers for a few years now, but somehow, while Jun misses it, he finds getting old and losing fame so much easier to take with Masaki at his side. And it's not just him, of course-- they go out as a group more than they used to while they were big, now that they have more time, now that they have more need to actually seek one another out.
And Jun doesn't fret. He makes dinner while Masaki reads, and Jun's about to call him to the table when the radio that's been playing idly in the background changes songs and something catches Jun's ear. He can't help but laugh slightly as Masaki's face lights up in a grin, even now, the radio plays their music with some regularity, but to hear a song from 2007 is fairly ridiculous and more than a little nostalgic.
Happiness! Masaki exclaims, and it's as if he's a child again, in the early days when they first started hearing themselves on the radio. Jun's smile grows more because of him than the song, but he nods and opens his mouth again to beckon Masaki to the table when he's sidetracked once again as he's physically dragged into their small living space. Masaki, he grouses, knowing exactly what Masaki wants, but Masaki only grins and says Come on! The food is going to get cold, Jun wants to say, but instead he only lets out a little sigh and can't quite fight back the grin stretching on his lips as they dance awkwardly to the sound of their own voices.
Jun ought to feel stupid, he knows, and some small part of him does, but Masaki's hands are warm in his and his smile is brilliant, even when he pokes fun at Jun, even when he begs to be twirled. Near the end of the song, Jun moves too suddenly and Masaki steps on his foot, but when Jun calls him empty names, Masaki only laughs and laughs and laughs, dropping his head to Jun's collarbone and letting his fingers trace the lines of Jun's sides. And Jun can't help but put his arms around him and laugh too, pulling him tight as they laugh together until they can't laugh anymore. Dinner is getting cold on the table, and Jun's foot is aching slightly, and the song has changed now to something by some girl band, but they stay, wrapped up in one another's arms, swaying slightly to the rhythm of the bass from Masaki's cheap little radio, and Jun thinks that even if they don't go out much anymore, even if they aren't on TV and don't have regular concerts, maybe he and Masaki should dance together just a little more often.