Fiction - Collab - JE - Cherish
Title: Cherish
Authors:
suboshiyui and
shy_hinata
Rating: PG for mature themes
Disclaimer: We don't own them
Summary: Happy birthday, Tomo!
Checking his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour, Ikuta Toma blew out a breath between his teeth and glared at his phone, as if it was all its fault. He'd called Yamapi yet again, and the other still wasn't answering his phone. It was a few days after the Korean incident, and Yamapi had yet to make an appearance. Anywhere. It was common knowledge to Yamapi's friends that he'd been freaked by the whole thing. Who wouldn't be, after all? Things like that just didn't happen very often in Japan, so they'd never had to worry about being mobbed by fans. They'd all agreed to give him a few days alone, let him calm down.
Well, it had been three days and no sign of Yamapi anywhere. Word had it that he hadn't even set foot out of his apartment to get food; it was being delivered. That was when they decided a surprise party would do him good. Only how to get him there? That was where Maki came in. Toma knew that she was friends with Yamapi, ever since their days filming Nobuta wo Produce. So, he pulled her to the side and explained the situation. "He won't answer my calls so we need someone to go over there and drag his ass out of that apartment of his."
"Me?! Why me?" Horikita Maki didn't quite understand how she was expected to do something that Yamapi's close friends weren't able to do. She looked at her friend incredulously. Toma simply smiled and pat her shoulder. "Have confidence, Horikitty. It'll work because you're a girl. You go over to his place, knock on his door, and being the gentleman that he is, he'll at least open the door to talk to you. And that's when you grab him and drag him with you." The look on Toma's face made it obvious that he thought this was an excellent plan. Maki on the other hand, was not so impressed. "You want me to physically drag Yamapi here. Toma...are you blind?! Look at me! I'm not exactly a match for him here."
Despite her protests, Maki found herself on her way towards Yamapi's place after much persuasion from Toma. "Don't worry, Horikitty! Use the fact that you're a girl to your advantage. He won't be as rough on you, and I know that you're stronger than you look." Toma even had the bruises to prove it. In the end, Maki conceded; after all, it's true that it wasn't healthy to hole oneself up in their apartment forever. Maki wasn't sure that a party would be the best thing for him, but she figured she'd take things one step at a time.
Arriving at his door, she took out her phone and dialed Yamapi's number to see if she could reach him. Sure enough, the phone was off, just like Toma had said. Carefully, she raised her hand and rapped on the door a few times. "Yamashita-kun? Yamashita-kun? Are you there? It's me, Horikita Maki."
For a long moment there was nothing, until the door suddenly flew open, a hand reached out and grabbed Maki's arm before dragging her inside. The door closed immediately afterwards, closed and locked securely. "Are you okay? Nothing came after you did it?" Strange words, but not so strange if you'd just been through a mob.
She let out a quiet yelp when a hand reached out and pulled her inside. "Yamashita-kun!" Maki looked at him with surprised eyes, but knew in an instant that the events in Korea really had shaken him to the core. She felt her face soften and she gave him a small smile, wishing there could've been some way she could have saved him from all that. "I'm fine, Yamashita-kun. Nothing happened on my way here." She reached out for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I think the more important question is, are you okay?"
Was he okay? "No." Yamapi sighed, letting go of her hand. He sat down on the couch in the living room, pulling his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees. There were a couple of bottles of alcohol on the living room table, both half full. He wasn't drunk, but he also wasn't completely sober either. He didn't see any reason to lie to her, he'd never done so before and he didn't intend to start now. "I'm not okay. I'm terrified."
Biting her lower lip, Maki took a seat next to him on the couch. This was a side of him that she wasn't used to seeing. He'd always been so sure of himself, confident. He seemed unbeatable. But seeing this side of him seemed to make him more human in her eyes, instead of some unapproachable perfect being up on a pedestal. "We were all very scared for you, Yamashita-kun..." Maki put what she hoped was a slightly reassuring hand on his shoulder. "And I can understand completely how that experience can make you feel that way." How Toma expected him to be able to go to a party in this condition was a mystery to her. Was it that the guys just thought that Yamapi should 'be a man', and work through his fear on his own? Maki thought that idea was complete garbage. Not really knowing what to do or say, Maki gently put her arms around his shoulder and hugged him. "But you're going to be okay, Yamashita-kun....I promise..." Not that she really had any authority to be making claims like that, but somehow she knew in her bones that he would be. "Just...just don't shut us all out. Your friends are all here for you...it's okay to be scared..."
"Is it? I'm not so sure." Yamapi sighed, looking over at her. He couldn't help himself as he reached out, brushing a lock of her hair from her face. "That's why they sent you to get me, isn't it? I should be all better and it shouldn't affect me like it is. I should be fine and just go on with life. Well...I'm not sure I want to." There, he'd said it out loud. Even he was a bit surprised at his own words. He'd never been one to be quitter in anything, especially life. But there had been times during those few minutes he'd been surrounded by the mob that he thought he was going to die. He didn't really blame the girls; he was sure once they stepped back and thought about what happened, they'd be upset that they'd hurt him. It was something he'd never imagined happening to him. Truth was, he never believed he was that popular. How many interviews had he had, where they asked him what he thought of his popularity? He never thought he was that popular. This had been a sort of wakeup call for him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.
Maki swallowed as he moved the strand of hair off her face, but kept her intense gaze on him. What happened had affected him profoundly, and she knew that something as simple as a night out with the guys wasn't going to make everything better. "Yamashita-kun....I don't know why they sent me. I don't really know what those guys were thinking. But why shouldn't something like this affect you? You've suddenly, and rather violently, seen just how popular you are out there. I can't say I know exactly what that's like, but I know that sometimes this business can make you feel less than human. But you still are just a human being, Yamashita-kun, and human beings are allowed to feel things. And like every other human being, you're going to continue to live on and survive...but only you can decide what that means..." She reached out to take his hand. "Whatever you decide to do, your friends will still stand by you...but...but you never struck me as the type to let fear dictate your life. It's okay to feel scared, to be careful...but is walking away really what you want? And why did you get into the business in the first place? Have those things changed?"
"No." Surprisingly, there was no hesitation in his voice as he answered her. Despite everything, there was no hesitation whatsoever. he still wanted to do this, he still wanted to follow this life that he'd led since he was a kid. In a way, it was nice to know that he was doing so well. That people liked him. Then again, he could do without the attacking mobs. He looked over at her, a soft smile playing across his lips. He reached out again, this time his hand caressing her cheek. "When are you going to stop calling me Yamashita-kun and start calling me Tomohisa?"
Maki smiled when she heard his answer. That was the Yamashita Tomohisa she was used to, and she knew that as long as he wanted to follow his dream, there would be no stopping him. This incident would just be a bit of a speed bump, but he'd learn from it and move forward. When he smiled back at her, Maki wondered if she'd stopped breathing. That smile wasn't the usual one he let the public see, and it was beautiful. Her skin tingled as he touched her cheek, but she tried to fight that feeling away. While she might have developed some feelings for him over the years, there was no indication that he felt anything for her. On top of that, they always had to be so careful about what they said about each other in public. There could be no way that he'd have any idea about what she was thinking. "W-when? I suppose....when it's appropriate for me to do so..." It seemed like such a formal answer, but in reality it held many other meanings for Maki. Whether he'd see them would be another question.
"Hmmm..." Yamapi tilted his head slightly before leaning in, his breath tickling her lips as he leaned in for a kiss. His lips brushed against hers slowly, softly, before increasing in passion. She was everything he'd ever wanted and more. Now all he had to wish for was that she wouldn't slap him in the face, like his character from Proposal Daisakusen.
It seemed that his simple wish would come true, as Maki made no move to strike him. In fact, she didn't make any moves at all - the kiss had made sure of that. At first, it seemed like it was all happening in slow motion: she felt him leaning closer, his warm breath, slightly laced with alcohol, on her face, and finally the feather light touch of his lips against hers as she let her eyes slip closed, and she was powerless to do anything about it. This kiss was nothing like the on-screen one she shared with Oguri Shun. For that, she'd been embarrassed and shy about it; she didn't feel happy about it, and didn't really have any emotional attachment to the gesture. But this was completely different. How many times had she stared at Tomohisa during their scenes in Kurosagi, and wondered to herself just what those lips would feel like? How many times had she sighed in her dressing room about what she considered her unrequited crush? Did he have any idea how fast her heart was beating right now? How she was feeling just a bit dizzy from having him so close? But what did this all mean? She knew he'd been drinking; was this just an alcohol induced, spur of the moment thing that he'd forget about once he slept off the vodka's effects? But, oh the kiss...it seemed to tear away all those little questions from her mind, leaving her with only the capacity to return his kiss.
They broke apart gently to catch their breath, and Maki slowly opened her eyes to look at him. She didn't say anything out loud, but her eyes seemed to speak volumes on their own. There was surprise, hope, fear; but most of all, it was plainly obvious just what she felt for the young man beside her. I like you, Tomohisa...and if you're just playing around with me, I don't think I'd be able to handle it...
Cupping her face in his hands, Tomohisa looked into her eyes, and for once, he could see clearly. He didn't know whether it was because of the bit of alcohol he'd had or not, but he could see the truth before him. She cared about him. More than cared, actually. He pulled back before closing his eyes. "There's only one thing I want for my birthday. Do you know what it is?"
Maki didn't know what was happening anymore. She didn't know what time it was, how long she'd been there, or why she was even there in the first place. The way he looked at her - that intense, searching look he always had - it made her wonder if maybe there was something there for him too. "How should I know what you want for your birthday...Tomohisa..." Maki's words were quiet, and floated through the space between them. "Care to enlighten me?"
He trailed a finger down the side of her face and down her neck before leaning in to whisper into her ear. It was only one word, one word that he was certain would make her understand everything. It would make her believe that the kiss was real, and it wasn't just the result of the alcohol. He pulled back and gave her a dazzling smile before leaning in once more and whisper into her ear. "You."
And he was right. That one word made everything clear, and she could feel her own lips curling into a bright smile. The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like an endless moment, and she couldn't believe how a few seconds could seem to change her entire perspective on life. "Well...I'm right here...so...Happy birthday, Tomohisa..." And with that, she started to lean in closer, their faces just millimeters apart when...
RING!!!
Maki groaned as she heard her familiar ring tone going off. Now the dilemma...to answer the phone or not.
Frowning, Tomohisa glanced at Maki's phone. Recognizing the number as Toma's, he grinned at Maki and winked. Picking up the phone, he cleared his throat before flipping it open. "Yo! You've reached the Yamashita-Horikita residence. We're sorry we can't come to the phone right now, we're rather busy. Please leave a message at the beep and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Maybe. If you're lucky. BEEP!"
In the end, he was faster than her at grabbing the phone. She was about to protest when he answered it. "Oh!" What he said next had her cheeks going red, covering her mouth in both shock and amusement. When he hung up, she couldn't help laughing. "Yamashita Tomohisa!" But anything else she was going to say was drowned out in her laughter.
On the other end of the line Toma stood there wondering just what had happened. Did he really hear what he thought he heard? "Yamashita-Horikita residence? What's the baka talking about? Is he mad at us for sending Maki-chan over there?" Toma turned to the other guys and looked at them in puzzlement. Then it hit him. "Oh no! Yamapi's so mad at us he's kidnapped Horikitty and his holding her hostage! Who knows what horrible things he might be doing to her right now!!"
Rolling his eyes, Ryo gave them a leer. "I'll bet I can think of some "horrible" things that he's doing to her and she probably likes it too."
Kame choked at that, giving Toma a glare. "If anything happens to her, I'm holding you PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE."
Back at his place, Tomohisa smirked at Maki, closing her phone and dropping it onto the floor. "There. Now that that's settled, why don't we get back to what we were doing? I appreciate the guys going to all this trouble for me, but I'd rather be alone with you right now."
Nodding her head, Maki gave him a shy smile before reaching out to squeeze his hand. "You know...I bet they'll all have a lot to say to us tomorrow..." But the grin that spread across her face made it clear that in the end, she really didn't care what the others had to say. "Now where were we..." Maki tapped her lower lip pensively. "Oh right! I was just wishing you a happy birthday..."
"Hmm...you were." Tomohisa smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer. He was glad that she was here, even more glad that things had happened the way they had. He felt a bit bad, since his friends had gone to so much trouble for his birthday. But it didn't mean they couldn't go later. Much later.
And with that, Maki allowed their faces to draw closer and closer, sighing as soft lips pressed against each other. When this evening began, she had no idea that things would turn out like this. While she knew that Tomohisa still needed time to recover from the mobbing, at least she knew now that she could be part of that healing process. As she kissed him, her lips told him things that she felt inside. Thank you, Yamashita Tomohisa for having been born...and for letting me be part of your life...and for you...
Back at the party, Toma continued to sit with a worried look on his face. Finally, Jin couldn't take it anymore and smacked him upside the head. "Hey, quit your pouting, Toma. Yamapi'll come when he feels like it. In the meantime, let's just have fun." Toma looked at Jin and nodded slowly. "Hey Jin? You don't actually think that Yamapi as a thing for Maki-chan, do you?"
The look Jin gave Toma was priceless.
~~~~~~~
A few hours later, Toma could be seen pacing back and forth. He ignored the jeers of his fellow idols to come have a drink with them. How could he think of drinking or having fun when neither Maki or Yamapi were there? This was Yamapi's birthday party, for crying out loud! Wasn't anyone else worried about them? "Screw it, I'm calling him again!" Taking out his cellphone, he dialed Maki's number, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He didn't care if it was Tomo or Maki, just one of them had to answer dammit!
This time, Maki managed to be the closest one to the phone, and snatched it up before Tomohisa could. Seeing who was calling, she groaned a little. Toma was probably wondering just what the heck was going on, and why had his friend said such weird things the last time around. She flipped it open with ease, and put the small electronic device to her ear. "Hi Toma-kun."
"Horikitty! Thank goodness you answered! Are you okay? Is Yamapi okay? Why aren't you here at the party?" Toma was firing questions off a mile a minute, and Maki couldn't even get a word in edgewise.
"Toma-kun...calm down!" Maki couldn't help giggling at the sound of her friend. She could picture quite well just how strung out he must have looked.
Looking up from where he laid out beside her, Tomohisa arched an eyebrow. Toma was calling again?! Didn't he get the hint? A playful smirk fell across his lips and he looked at Maki while she talked with his friend. He slid down a bit in the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Maybe he could have a little fun while she talked with Toma, and maybe Toma would finally get the hint and stop calling. Pressing his nose against the crook of her neck, he nuzzled against her, his lips brushing softly against soft skin. He tickled her neck and collarbone with soft lips that teased and caressed all at the same time.
"So Toma-kun, there's no need to worry. Yamashita-kun and I are..." And Maki wondered if she could think coherently as Tomohisa started to tease and tickle her. First, she managed to keep it at a quiet giggle, giving him a look. "What I was meaning to say was that we're fine. But I don't know if..." And then she let out a gasp as Tomohisa's lips played against her neck. "....ahh...." She was finding it very, very hard to concentrate at the moment. "Um...right...I don't know if...oohh..." Dammit. Tomohisa was playing dirty now.
Of course he was playing dirty! That was the fun part of it all! Tomohisa wondered what Toma made of all this as he went lower, moving from her collarbone and neck to her chest. He gave her a wicked smile before moving lower, his lips trailing slowly down her body. He was enjoying hearing her soft moans and how she tried to hold it in while talking to Toma. If his friend didn't get the hint about what they were doing, he seriously needed help.
"I mean, just enjoy the party Toma-kun, and don't worry." Maki managed to get a coherent sentence out, but it was getting much too difficult to concentrate with Tomohisa kissing her like that. "Okay so...oh god..." She gasped, her breaths coming more rapidly than before, and all thanks to Tomohisa's ministrations. She felt her hand go slack, and her phone fell onto the sheets.
"Horikitty? You there? What happened? You okay?" Toma was obviously yelling, his panicked voice audible in the room, just above the rustle of the sheets.
Stopping momentarily, Tomohisa picked up the dropped phone and brought it to his ear. "Yo, Toma. In case you couldn't tell, we're busy. As in don't call unless we call you. Have a nice night." Disconnecting the call, he turned the cellphone off and set it on the nearby nightstand before smirking at Maki. "There, all better."
The time it took for him to hang up on Toma was just long enough for Maki to regain some composure, and bring her breathing rate back to normal. She gave Tomohisa a shocked look and smacked his arm half-heartedly. "I can't believe you!" But any further indignation was lost as she started laughing, and she mused that it felt good to share this sort of moment with him."But at least we won't be getting any more unsolicited calls." A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "Because I owe you a little revenge..."
Back at the party, Toma was staring at his phone in confusion before finally closing it. He turned to the people nearest to him, who happened to be Jin and Kame, and unloaded what was on his mind. "Do you think they're really okay? Yamapi said for me not to call anymore; that they were busy. And Maki-chan told me not to worry and that they were fine, but she was making all these funny gasping noises...I mean, that's worrisome, isn't it?"
That was just too much for Jin. He face-palmed and shook his head. "Toma, that was just too much information. Look, I really don't want to know any details of Pi's sex life." He put the emphasis on those last two words, hoping that Toma would finally take the hint.
Toma stared at Jin for a few moments, wide eyed and slack jawed. "What?!" He shook his head is if to clear it. "What the heck does Yamapi's sex life have to do with any of this?!"
"........" Kame stared from Jin, to Toma and back to Jin. "His...sex life. I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL THE BASTARD!" Kame growled, his hand clenching at his side.
Uh oh. Jin realized a bit too late just what sort of reaction Kame, who thought of Horikita much like a younger sister, might have had. "Woah, easy there, Kame. I wasn't being serious." Jin lied through his teeth. "I was just trying to come up with a reason for him to stop bothering Pi. I mean, if Pi felt up to it, he'd be here, right? So we should stop bugging him, and just enjoy this party in his honour." Jin smiled brightly before shoving a drink into Kame's hand. A drink that he was sure had a generous double shot in it. This was Jin's solution to many problems - to throw alcohol at it.
Kame blinked, staring at the drink in his hand. He absently sipped at it, his brows still furrowed in anger. "I suppose, but if he even lays a hand on her, I'm gonna kill him." The more he sipped, the more his voice became slurred. "Jin's so nice to me! Get me another one!" He shoved the glass at Jin's chest imperiously.
Glad that he'd saved his best friend from certain death, Jin smiled and nodded. "You bet. C'mon." Jin waved for Kame to follow him to the makeshift bar. Jin decided he was going to get Kame so drunk that the hangover was going to make Yamapi and Maki's exploits the last thing on his mind.
For his part, Toma just stood there soaking it all in. Jin was right: Pi didn't sound terribly depressed on the phone, but maybe he wasn't ready for a big party just yet. Toma could respect that. The bastard probably just wanted to be 'fashionably late' to his party anyway. Reasoning that he wasn't going to let Jin and Kame finish all the booze before he could have some, he shoved his phone into his back pocket, and head over to the bar.
~~~~~
Rubbing the back of his neck, Tomohisa gave a rueful glance at Maki as they arrived at the venue for his "surprise party." It wasn't really much of a surprise, seeing as he knew about it already, but oh well. Winking at Maki, he opened the door, then stared at the piles of sleeping bodies all over the room. Well. Wasn't this nice.
Maki checked her watch, and sure enough it had been hours since Toma had originally sent her on her mission to retrieve Tomohisa. Looking around, she couldn't help giggling quietly at the sight of Jin and Kame passed out while leaning against each other in such a way that they were propping each other up. Not far from them was Toma, sprawled out on the floor using Ryo's leg as a pillow. Looking over at Tomohisa, she smiled before whispering softly. "Looks like it was quite the party." As she continued to look around the room, Maki realized that all these people held a treasured place in Tomo's heart, and through some stroke of luck, and in part thanks to their meddling, she knew that she had a place there too. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a small note card. "How about we leave them a little note?"
"Hai." Tomohisa took the note from her and set it on the table in front of Jin and Kame. He smiled fondly at his best friend before returning to her side. Ryo was going to growl when he woke up with Toma using his leg as a pillow. Smiling at Maki, he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Shall we go and let them sleep?"
With her hand securely in his, Maki nodded, a serene smile on her face. "I think that's a great idea." And just as quietly as they'd entered, the newly minted couple made their exit. As they closed the door behind them, they didn't notice their little note card floating off the table to land, open, on Jin's chest.
Dear guys,
Thanks.
Maki and Tomo
FIN
Authors:
suboshiyui and
shy_hinata
Rating: PG for mature themes
Disclaimer: We don't own them
Summary: Happy birthday, Tomo!
Checking his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour, Ikuta Toma blew out a breath between his teeth and glared at his phone, as if it was all its fault. He'd called Yamapi yet again, and the other still wasn't answering his phone. It was a few days after the Korean incident, and Yamapi had yet to make an appearance. Anywhere. It was common knowledge to Yamapi's friends that he'd been freaked by the whole thing. Who wouldn't be, after all? Things like that just didn't happen very often in Japan, so they'd never had to worry about being mobbed by fans. They'd all agreed to give him a few days alone, let him calm down.
Well, it had been three days and no sign of Yamapi anywhere. Word had it that he hadn't even set foot out of his apartment to get food; it was being delivered. That was when they decided a surprise party would do him good. Only how to get him there? That was where Maki came in. Toma knew that she was friends with Yamapi, ever since their days filming Nobuta wo Produce. So, he pulled her to the side and explained the situation. "He won't answer my calls so we need someone to go over there and drag his ass out of that apartment of his."
"Me?! Why me?" Horikita Maki didn't quite understand how she was expected to do something that Yamapi's close friends weren't able to do. She looked at her friend incredulously. Toma simply smiled and pat her shoulder. "Have confidence, Horikitty. It'll work because you're a girl. You go over to his place, knock on his door, and being the gentleman that he is, he'll at least open the door to talk to you. And that's when you grab him and drag him with you." The look on Toma's face made it obvious that he thought this was an excellent plan. Maki on the other hand, was not so impressed. "You want me to physically drag Yamapi here. Toma...are you blind?! Look at me! I'm not exactly a match for him here."
Despite her protests, Maki found herself on her way towards Yamapi's place after much persuasion from Toma. "Don't worry, Horikitty! Use the fact that you're a girl to your advantage. He won't be as rough on you, and I know that you're stronger than you look." Toma even had the bruises to prove it. In the end, Maki conceded; after all, it's true that it wasn't healthy to hole oneself up in their apartment forever. Maki wasn't sure that a party would be the best thing for him, but she figured she'd take things one step at a time.
Arriving at his door, she took out her phone and dialed Yamapi's number to see if she could reach him. Sure enough, the phone was off, just like Toma had said. Carefully, she raised her hand and rapped on the door a few times. "Yamashita-kun? Yamashita-kun? Are you there? It's me, Horikita Maki."
For a long moment there was nothing, until the door suddenly flew open, a hand reached out and grabbed Maki's arm before dragging her inside. The door closed immediately afterwards, closed and locked securely. "Are you okay? Nothing came after you did it?" Strange words, but not so strange if you'd just been through a mob.
She let out a quiet yelp when a hand reached out and pulled her inside. "Yamashita-kun!" Maki looked at him with surprised eyes, but knew in an instant that the events in Korea really had shaken him to the core. She felt her face soften and she gave him a small smile, wishing there could've been some way she could have saved him from all that. "I'm fine, Yamashita-kun. Nothing happened on my way here." She reached out for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I think the more important question is, are you okay?"
Was he okay? "No." Yamapi sighed, letting go of her hand. He sat down on the couch in the living room, pulling his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees. There were a couple of bottles of alcohol on the living room table, both half full. He wasn't drunk, but he also wasn't completely sober either. He didn't see any reason to lie to her, he'd never done so before and he didn't intend to start now. "I'm not okay. I'm terrified."
Biting her lower lip, Maki took a seat next to him on the couch. This was a side of him that she wasn't used to seeing. He'd always been so sure of himself, confident. He seemed unbeatable. But seeing this side of him seemed to make him more human in her eyes, instead of some unapproachable perfect being up on a pedestal. "We were all very scared for you, Yamashita-kun..." Maki put what she hoped was a slightly reassuring hand on his shoulder. "And I can understand completely how that experience can make you feel that way." How Toma expected him to be able to go to a party in this condition was a mystery to her. Was it that the guys just thought that Yamapi should 'be a man', and work through his fear on his own? Maki thought that idea was complete garbage. Not really knowing what to do or say, Maki gently put her arms around his shoulder and hugged him. "But you're going to be okay, Yamashita-kun....I promise..." Not that she really had any authority to be making claims like that, but somehow she knew in her bones that he would be. "Just...just don't shut us all out. Your friends are all here for you...it's okay to be scared..."
"Is it? I'm not so sure." Yamapi sighed, looking over at her. He couldn't help himself as he reached out, brushing a lock of her hair from her face. "That's why they sent you to get me, isn't it? I should be all better and it shouldn't affect me like it is. I should be fine and just go on with life. Well...I'm not sure I want to." There, he'd said it out loud. Even he was a bit surprised at his own words. He'd never been one to be quitter in anything, especially life. But there had been times during those few minutes he'd been surrounded by the mob that he thought he was going to die. He didn't really blame the girls; he was sure once they stepped back and thought about what happened, they'd be upset that they'd hurt him. It was something he'd never imagined happening to him. Truth was, he never believed he was that popular. How many interviews had he had, where they asked him what he thought of his popularity? He never thought he was that popular. This had been a sort of wakeup call for him, and he wasn't sure what to make of it.
Maki swallowed as he moved the strand of hair off her face, but kept her intense gaze on him. What happened had affected him profoundly, and she knew that something as simple as a night out with the guys wasn't going to make everything better. "Yamashita-kun....I don't know why they sent me. I don't really know what those guys were thinking. But why shouldn't something like this affect you? You've suddenly, and rather violently, seen just how popular you are out there. I can't say I know exactly what that's like, but I know that sometimes this business can make you feel less than human. But you still are just a human being, Yamashita-kun, and human beings are allowed to feel things. And like every other human being, you're going to continue to live on and survive...but only you can decide what that means..." She reached out to take his hand. "Whatever you decide to do, your friends will still stand by you...but...but you never struck me as the type to let fear dictate your life. It's okay to feel scared, to be careful...but is walking away really what you want? And why did you get into the business in the first place? Have those things changed?"
"No." Surprisingly, there was no hesitation in his voice as he answered her. Despite everything, there was no hesitation whatsoever. he still wanted to do this, he still wanted to follow this life that he'd led since he was a kid. In a way, it was nice to know that he was doing so well. That people liked him. Then again, he could do without the attacking mobs. He looked over at her, a soft smile playing across his lips. He reached out again, this time his hand caressing her cheek. "When are you going to stop calling me Yamashita-kun and start calling me Tomohisa?"
Maki smiled when she heard his answer. That was the Yamashita Tomohisa she was used to, and she knew that as long as he wanted to follow his dream, there would be no stopping him. This incident would just be a bit of a speed bump, but he'd learn from it and move forward. When he smiled back at her, Maki wondered if she'd stopped breathing. That smile wasn't the usual one he let the public see, and it was beautiful. Her skin tingled as he touched her cheek, but she tried to fight that feeling away. While she might have developed some feelings for him over the years, there was no indication that he felt anything for her. On top of that, they always had to be so careful about what they said about each other in public. There could be no way that he'd have any idea about what she was thinking. "W-when? I suppose....when it's appropriate for me to do so..." It seemed like such a formal answer, but in reality it held many other meanings for Maki. Whether he'd see them would be another question.
"Hmmm..." Yamapi tilted his head slightly before leaning in, his breath tickling her lips as he leaned in for a kiss. His lips brushed against hers slowly, softly, before increasing in passion. She was everything he'd ever wanted and more. Now all he had to wish for was that she wouldn't slap him in the face, like his character from Proposal Daisakusen.
It seemed that his simple wish would come true, as Maki made no move to strike him. In fact, she didn't make any moves at all - the kiss had made sure of that. At first, it seemed like it was all happening in slow motion: she felt him leaning closer, his warm breath, slightly laced with alcohol, on her face, and finally the feather light touch of his lips against hers as she let her eyes slip closed, and she was powerless to do anything about it. This kiss was nothing like the on-screen one she shared with Oguri Shun. For that, she'd been embarrassed and shy about it; she didn't feel happy about it, and didn't really have any emotional attachment to the gesture. But this was completely different. How many times had she stared at Tomohisa during their scenes in Kurosagi, and wondered to herself just what those lips would feel like? How many times had she sighed in her dressing room about what she considered her unrequited crush? Did he have any idea how fast her heart was beating right now? How she was feeling just a bit dizzy from having him so close? But what did this all mean? She knew he'd been drinking; was this just an alcohol induced, spur of the moment thing that he'd forget about once he slept off the vodka's effects? But, oh the kiss...it seemed to tear away all those little questions from her mind, leaving her with only the capacity to return his kiss.
They broke apart gently to catch their breath, and Maki slowly opened her eyes to look at him. She didn't say anything out loud, but her eyes seemed to speak volumes on their own. There was surprise, hope, fear; but most of all, it was plainly obvious just what she felt for the young man beside her. I like you, Tomohisa...and if you're just playing around with me, I don't think I'd be able to handle it...
Cupping her face in his hands, Tomohisa looked into her eyes, and for once, he could see clearly. He didn't know whether it was because of the bit of alcohol he'd had or not, but he could see the truth before him. She cared about him. More than cared, actually. He pulled back before closing his eyes. "There's only one thing I want for my birthday. Do you know what it is?"
Maki didn't know what was happening anymore. She didn't know what time it was, how long she'd been there, or why she was even there in the first place. The way he looked at her - that intense, searching look he always had - it made her wonder if maybe there was something there for him too. "How should I know what you want for your birthday...Tomohisa..." Maki's words were quiet, and floated through the space between them. "Care to enlighten me?"
He trailed a finger down the side of her face and down her neck before leaning in to whisper into her ear. It was only one word, one word that he was certain would make her understand everything. It would make her believe that the kiss was real, and it wasn't just the result of the alcohol. He pulled back and gave her a dazzling smile before leaning in once more and whisper into her ear. "You."
And he was right. That one word made everything clear, and she could feel her own lips curling into a bright smile. The two of them stared at each other for what seemed like an endless moment, and she couldn't believe how a few seconds could seem to change her entire perspective on life. "Well...I'm right here...so...Happy birthday, Tomohisa..." And with that, she started to lean in closer, their faces just millimeters apart when...
RING!!!
Maki groaned as she heard her familiar ring tone going off. Now the dilemma...to answer the phone or not.
Frowning, Tomohisa glanced at Maki's phone. Recognizing the number as Toma's, he grinned at Maki and winked. Picking up the phone, he cleared his throat before flipping it open. "Yo! You've reached the Yamashita-Horikita residence. We're sorry we can't come to the phone right now, we're rather busy. Please leave a message at the beep and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Maybe. If you're lucky. BEEP!"
In the end, he was faster than her at grabbing the phone. She was about to protest when he answered it. "Oh!" What he said next had her cheeks going red, covering her mouth in both shock and amusement. When he hung up, she couldn't help laughing. "Yamashita Tomohisa!" But anything else she was going to say was drowned out in her laughter.
On the other end of the line Toma stood there wondering just what had happened. Did he really hear what he thought he heard? "Yamashita-Horikita residence? What's the baka talking about? Is he mad at us for sending Maki-chan over there?" Toma turned to the other guys and looked at them in puzzlement. Then it hit him. "Oh no! Yamapi's so mad at us he's kidnapped Horikitty and his holding her hostage! Who knows what horrible things he might be doing to her right now!!"
Rolling his eyes, Ryo gave them a leer. "I'll bet I can think of some "horrible" things that he's doing to her and she probably likes it too."
Kame choked at that, giving Toma a glare. "If anything happens to her, I'm holding you PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE."
Back at his place, Tomohisa smirked at Maki, closing her phone and dropping it onto the floor. "There. Now that that's settled, why don't we get back to what we were doing? I appreciate the guys going to all this trouble for me, but I'd rather be alone with you right now."
Nodding her head, Maki gave him a shy smile before reaching out to squeeze his hand. "You know...I bet they'll all have a lot to say to us tomorrow..." But the grin that spread across her face made it clear that in the end, she really didn't care what the others had to say. "Now where were we..." Maki tapped her lower lip pensively. "Oh right! I was just wishing you a happy birthday..."
"Hmm...you were." Tomohisa smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her closer. He was glad that she was here, even more glad that things had happened the way they had. He felt a bit bad, since his friends had gone to so much trouble for his birthday. But it didn't mean they couldn't go later. Much later.
And with that, Maki allowed their faces to draw closer and closer, sighing as soft lips pressed against each other. When this evening began, she had no idea that things would turn out like this. While she knew that Tomohisa still needed time to recover from the mobbing, at least she knew now that she could be part of that healing process. As she kissed him, her lips told him things that she felt inside. Thank you, Yamashita Tomohisa for having been born...and for letting me be part of your life...and for you...
Back at the party, Toma continued to sit with a worried look on his face. Finally, Jin couldn't take it anymore and smacked him upside the head. "Hey, quit your pouting, Toma. Yamapi'll come when he feels like it. In the meantime, let's just have fun." Toma looked at Jin and nodded slowly. "Hey Jin? You don't actually think that Yamapi as a thing for Maki-chan, do you?"
The look Jin gave Toma was priceless.
~~~~~~~
A few hours later, Toma could be seen pacing back and forth. He ignored the jeers of his fellow idols to come have a drink with them. How could he think of drinking or having fun when neither Maki or Yamapi were there? This was Yamapi's birthday party, for crying out loud! Wasn't anyone else worried about them? "Screw it, I'm calling him again!" Taking out his cellphone, he dialed Maki's number, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. He didn't care if it was Tomo or Maki, just one of them had to answer dammit!
This time, Maki managed to be the closest one to the phone, and snatched it up before Tomohisa could. Seeing who was calling, she groaned a little. Toma was probably wondering just what the heck was going on, and why had his friend said such weird things the last time around. She flipped it open with ease, and put the small electronic device to her ear. "Hi Toma-kun."
"Horikitty! Thank goodness you answered! Are you okay? Is Yamapi okay? Why aren't you here at the party?" Toma was firing questions off a mile a minute, and Maki couldn't even get a word in edgewise.
"Toma-kun...calm down!" Maki couldn't help giggling at the sound of her friend. She could picture quite well just how strung out he must have looked.
Looking up from where he laid out beside her, Tomohisa arched an eyebrow. Toma was calling again?! Didn't he get the hint? A playful smirk fell across his lips and he looked at Maki while she talked with his friend. He slid down a bit in the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Maybe he could have a little fun while she talked with Toma, and maybe Toma would finally get the hint and stop calling. Pressing his nose against the crook of her neck, he nuzzled against her, his lips brushing softly against soft skin. He tickled her neck and collarbone with soft lips that teased and caressed all at the same time.
"So Toma-kun, there's no need to worry. Yamashita-kun and I are..." And Maki wondered if she could think coherently as Tomohisa started to tease and tickle her. First, she managed to keep it at a quiet giggle, giving him a look. "What I was meaning to say was that we're fine. But I don't know if..." And then she let out a gasp as Tomohisa's lips played against her neck. "....ahh...." She was finding it very, very hard to concentrate at the moment. "Um...right...I don't know if...oohh..." Dammit. Tomohisa was playing dirty now.
Of course he was playing dirty! That was the fun part of it all! Tomohisa wondered what Toma made of all this as he went lower, moving from her collarbone and neck to her chest. He gave her a wicked smile before moving lower, his lips trailing slowly down her body. He was enjoying hearing her soft moans and how she tried to hold it in while talking to Toma. If his friend didn't get the hint about what they were doing, he seriously needed help.
"I mean, just enjoy the party Toma-kun, and don't worry." Maki managed to get a coherent sentence out, but it was getting much too difficult to concentrate with Tomohisa kissing her like that. "Okay so...oh god..." She gasped, her breaths coming more rapidly than before, and all thanks to Tomohisa's ministrations. She felt her hand go slack, and her phone fell onto the sheets.
"Horikitty? You there? What happened? You okay?" Toma was obviously yelling, his panicked voice audible in the room, just above the rustle of the sheets.
Stopping momentarily, Tomohisa picked up the dropped phone and brought it to his ear. "Yo, Toma. In case you couldn't tell, we're busy. As in don't call unless we call you. Have a nice night." Disconnecting the call, he turned the cellphone off and set it on the nearby nightstand before smirking at Maki. "There, all better."
The time it took for him to hang up on Toma was just long enough for Maki to regain some composure, and bring her breathing rate back to normal. She gave Tomohisa a shocked look and smacked his arm half-heartedly. "I can't believe you!" But any further indignation was lost as she started laughing, and she mused that it felt good to share this sort of moment with him."But at least we won't be getting any more unsolicited calls." A mischievous smile spread across her lips. "Because I owe you a little revenge..."
Back at the party, Toma was staring at his phone in confusion before finally closing it. He turned to the people nearest to him, who happened to be Jin and Kame, and unloaded what was on his mind. "Do you think they're really okay? Yamapi said for me not to call anymore; that they were busy. And Maki-chan told me not to worry and that they were fine, but she was making all these funny gasping noises...I mean, that's worrisome, isn't it?"
That was just too much for Jin. He face-palmed and shook his head. "Toma, that was just too much information. Look, I really don't want to know any details of Pi's sex life." He put the emphasis on those last two words, hoping that Toma would finally take the hint.
Toma stared at Jin for a few moments, wide eyed and slack jawed. "What?!" He shook his head is if to clear it. "What the heck does Yamapi's sex life have to do with any of this?!"
"........" Kame stared from Jin, to Toma and back to Jin. "His...sex life. I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL THE BASTARD!" Kame growled, his hand clenching at his side.
Uh oh. Jin realized a bit too late just what sort of reaction Kame, who thought of Horikita much like a younger sister, might have had. "Woah, easy there, Kame. I wasn't being serious." Jin lied through his teeth. "I was just trying to come up with a reason for him to stop bothering Pi. I mean, if Pi felt up to it, he'd be here, right? So we should stop bugging him, and just enjoy this party in his honour." Jin smiled brightly before shoving a drink into Kame's hand. A drink that he was sure had a generous double shot in it. This was Jin's solution to many problems - to throw alcohol at it.
Kame blinked, staring at the drink in his hand. He absently sipped at it, his brows still furrowed in anger. "I suppose, but if he even lays a hand on her, I'm gonna kill him." The more he sipped, the more his voice became slurred. "Jin's so nice to me! Get me another one!" He shoved the glass at Jin's chest imperiously.
Glad that he'd saved his best friend from certain death, Jin smiled and nodded. "You bet. C'mon." Jin waved for Kame to follow him to the makeshift bar. Jin decided he was going to get Kame so drunk that the hangover was going to make Yamapi and Maki's exploits the last thing on his mind.
For his part, Toma just stood there soaking it all in. Jin was right: Pi didn't sound terribly depressed on the phone, but maybe he wasn't ready for a big party just yet. Toma could respect that. The bastard probably just wanted to be 'fashionably late' to his party anyway. Reasoning that he wasn't going to let Jin and Kame finish all the booze before he could have some, he shoved his phone into his back pocket, and head over to the bar.
~~~~~
Rubbing the back of his neck, Tomohisa gave a rueful glance at Maki as they arrived at the venue for his "surprise party." It wasn't really much of a surprise, seeing as he knew about it already, but oh well. Winking at Maki, he opened the door, then stared at the piles of sleeping bodies all over the room. Well. Wasn't this nice.
Maki checked her watch, and sure enough it had been hours since Toma had originally sent her on her mission to retrieve Tomohisa. Looking around, she couldn't help giggling quietly at the sight of Jin and Kame passed out while leaning against each other in such a way that they were propping each other up. Not far from them was Toma, sprawled out on the floor using Ryo's leg as a pillow. Looking over at Tomohisa, she smiled before whispering softly. "Looks like it was quite the party." As she continued to look around the room, Maki realized that all these people held a treasured place in Tomo's heart, and through some stroke of luck, and in part thanks to their meddling, she knew that she had a place there too. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a small note card. "How about we leave them a little note?"
"Hai." Tomohisa took the note from her and set it on the table in front of Jin and Kame. He smiled fondly at his best friend before returning to her side. Ryo was going to growl when he woke up with Toma using his leg as a pillow. Smiling at Maki, he took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. "Shall we go and let them sleep?"
With her hand securely in his, Maki nodded, a serene smile on her face. "I think that's a great idea." And just as quietly as they'd entered, the newly minted couple made their exit. As they closed the door behind them, they didn't notice their little note card floating off the table to land, open, on Jin's chest.
Dear guys,
Thanks.
Maki and Tomo
FIN