Retail Therapy, JE, PG-13
Title: Retail Therapy, (or, 5 times TegoMassu took Shige shopping + 1 time in which he didn't want to kill himself)
Author: anamuan
Word Count: 1,262
Pairing: hints of TegoMassu, hints of TegoShigeMassu
Rating: PG-13
A/N: self-beta. prompt 46 for the Shigethon.
"Hey, if you have time later, do you want to go shopping?" Tegoshi asked Shige.
"Well, I have a few free hours," Shige replied.
"It shouldn't take more than a couple," Massu assured him.
Shige grunted as he hauled the last of Massu's bags home for him. Tegoshi was carrying less, but he had eggs and Massu was afraid they might break.
Finally depositing his burdens just inside the front door, Shige confronted Tegoshi. "Don't just say, 'Let's go shopping!' like that. If it's groceries, you have to specify."
*
Massu waved a hand in front of Shige's eyes and, regretfully, Shige snapped back to attention.
"You keep spacing out today, huh. Are you sure you're feeling ok, Shige?" Tegoshi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Shige answered, and realized two seconds too late that he'd missed a perfect out.
"Ok, then, tell me which you like. I really want your opinion." Massu started through his endless queue of hats again. The first had a black-and-white Mickey Mouse pattern. The second was a kind of maroon, with a crown emblazoned across the front and bill with some kind of shiny silkscreen. The next was green and had rhinestones.
Shige could feel his eyes starting to glaze over again.
*
"Try it on! It'll look good on you!" Massu was insistent, and Tegoshi nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Shige didn't agree. He didn't agree because he had eyes. And what his eyes told him led him to believe that it would not look good on him because it would, in fact, not look good on anyone. Ever.
Massu held the, well, he supposed it was probably a shirt up a little higher, as though Shige weren't excited about it simply because it wasn't high enough yet, and Tegoshi waggled the sleeves at him invitingly.
He eyed the shirt again, looking for some kind of appeal. It was mostly a pukey green-brown. The parts that weren't consisted of a badly-done orange and an eye-smarting neon green tie-dye. It had a pouch-pocket on the front, and a hood, both of which were light purple. There were little pink teddy-bear ears attached to the hood. They were kind of cute, at least. Even if it meant a bear somewhere was missing its ears.
"What are you waiting for? Try it on! Try it on!" Tegoshi prompted (with Massu joining in for the second 'try it on!'). "Aren't the ears cute? Look how cute they are!" This time he waggled the ears at Shige.
"Well, the ears are kind of cute," Shige admitted reluctantly. "But I really don't think it's quite my style. Maybe we could try something else."
Their faces fell. In desperation, Shige quickly began sorting through racks of clothes so he wouldn't have to see the combined efforts of TegoMassu puppy eyes. He shouldn't have answered that phone-mail this morning. He should have read it, deleted it, and then pretended he'd never gotten it.
"Ahh! How about this?" Shige grabbed a shirt from the rack in hurried damage control. It was a yellow color that made him look like he had jaundice and cost 2000 yen more than he would have normally paid for a simple T-shirt, but Massu and Tegoshi seemed excited about it and less hurt about his rejection of their choice, so Shige ended up buying it anyway. As they left the store, Shige carrying his new purchase in a plastic bag that rivaled the shop's shirt design in terms of 'colors that should not be,' he wondered if he couldn't find any juniors with upcoming birthdays.
*
Sometimes he wondered if his life was really worth it. Fame had its perks, and employment was preferable to unemployment; and he'd never yet found a high as good as performing in front of thousands, but. But sometimes, times like these, he really wondered.
Tegoshi finally left the dressing room, giant pile of accessories whisked away by some unfortunate sales-clerk, just as Massu, carrying an armload of clothes nearly higher than his head, walked in.
"I'll just be a minute. Thanks for waiting, ne." Massu called over his shoulder.
"Well...if you're trying stuff on, I guess it's ok if I looked around a little more too." Tegoshi mused to himself. "Shige, aren't you getting anything?"
Shige kept his eyes from drifting to his watch or down to the bag at his feet--he'd finished making his purchases at least two hours ago. "No, Tegoshi, I think I'm good." Maybe in a few more hours they'd be done, Shige hoped futilely. Just a few more hours.
*
Shige blinked. Blinked again. Everything was still there. It didn't make sense. He tried shaking his head, but that didn't help either.
"Um. Guys. Are you sure you had the address right?" Shige finally got his voice to work.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Tegoshi chided.
Massu nodded happily, adding, "This is our regular store, you know. We're here once every couple of weeks. We wouldn't go to the wrong store."
"But. Um. This, this is a sex store" Shige whispered the last part, like he was afraid of the implications of this information and actually saying it out loud would make them worse.
"Yes, Shige. It is." Tegoshi spoke slowly, and a little louder than usual, as though trying to convey a difficult topic to someone he was beginning to have his doubts had the ability to understand. Massu sent Tegoshi a meaningful look, but Shige wasn't paying attention, so he missed his chance to escape.
Shige started to stutter "every week?," but Tegoshi grabbed one arm and started dragging him inside, while Massu pushed from behind. This sent Shige tumbling through the shop entrance and nearly face-first into a store-clerk who was wearing Not Nearly Enough Clothing. Her breasts jiggled when she laughed at Shige's shell-shocked expression. She twirled a riding crop carelessly in one hand, and then flicked it out to ghost along Shige's torso from crotch to chin. Shige's eyes rolled up into his head and he rolled bonelessly to the floor. Massu managed to catch Shige before he hit his head. Tegoshi just shook his head, dismayed by Shige's behaviour. Really! He was embarrassing them in public.
*
Shige wished Massu had worn something a little less conspicuous since he'd known they were going to such a crowded place. Massu had planned the trip to Takeshitadoori after all; there was no way he could have forgotten where they were going. But Massu was Massu: all sunny smiles, bright, cheery clothes, and loud pants--his grasp of 'inconspicuous' was tenuous at best. Still, Shige supposed, it could be worse. They could be in costume.
They wandered through stores and racks of clothing, browsing without the intent to really buy anything. They laughed at how dorky Yamapi looked in the photo of him posing outside a store where a clerk must have recognized him. They picked up crepes from the stand halfway down the street and ate them as they walked.
Takeshitadoori was crowded on normal days. Today, a sunny Sunday afternoon, it was packed. Shige liked the atmosphere, though. Something about the feeling of hundreds of people all out having a good time in a narrow space; it was electric. Groups of twos, threes, and fours busily wandering around on their own business sent out a hum of energy; it was contagious, and with Tegoshi and Massu laughing beside him, Shige found himself having a good time. Watching the bright sun catch on Tegosh's hair, and Massu's smile, Shige couldn't help but think that there wasn't anywhere else he'd rather be.
Author: anamuan
Word Count: 1,262
Pairing: hints of TegoMassu, hints of TegoShigeMassu
Rating: PG-13
A/N: self-beta. prompt 46 for the Shigethon.
"Hey, if you have time later, do you want to go shopping?" Tegoshi asked Shige.
"Well, I have a few free hours," Shige replied.
"It shouldn't take more than a couple," Massu assured him.
Shige grunted as he hauled the last of Massu's bags home for him. Tegoshi was carrying less, but he had eggs and Massu was afraid they might break.
Finally depositing his burdens just inside the front door, Shige confronted Tegoshi. "Don't just say, 'Let's go shopping!' like that. If it's groceries, you have to specify."
*
Massu waved a hand in front of Shige's eyes and, regretfully, Shige snapped back to attention.
"You keep spacing out today, huh. Are you sure you're feeling ok, Shige?" Tegoshi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," Shige answered, and realized two seconds too late that he'd missed a perfect out.
"Ok, then, tell me which you like. I really want your opinion." Massu started through his endless queue of hats again. The first had a black-and-white Mickey Mouse pattern. The second was a kind of maroon, with a crown emblazoned across the front and bill with some kind of shiny silkscreen. The next was green and had rhinestones.
Shige could feel his eyes starting to glaze over again.
*
"Try it on! It'll look good on you!" Massu was insistent, and Tegoshi nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Shige didn't agree. He didn't agree because he had eyes. And what his eyes told him led him to believe that it would not look good on him because it would, in fact, not look good on anyone. Ever.
Massu held the, well, he supposed it was probably a shirt up a little higher, as though Shige weren't excited about it simply because it wasn't high enough yet, and Tegoshi waggled the sleeves at him invitingly.
He eyed the shirt again, looking for some kind of appeal. It was mostly a pukey green-brown. The parts that weren't consisted of a badly-done orange and an eye-smarting neon green tie-dye. It had a pouch-pocket on the front, and a hood, both of which were light purple. There were little pink teddy-bear ears attached to the hood. They were kind of cute, at least. Even if it meant a bear somewhere was missing its ears.
"What are you waiting for? Try it on! Try it on!" Tegoshi prompted (with Massu joining in for the second 'try it on!'). "Aren't the ears cute? Look how cute they are!" This time he waggled the ears at Shige.
"Well, the ears are kind of cute," Shige admitted reluctantly. "But I really don't think it's quite my style. Maybe we could try something else."
Their faces fell. In desperation, Shige quickly began sorting through racks of clothes so he wouldn't have to see the combined efforts of TegoMassu puppy eyes. He shouldn't have answered that phone-mail this morning. He should have read it, deleted it, and then pretended he'd never gotten it.
"Ahh! How about this?" Shige grabbed a shirt from the rack in hurried damage control. It was a yellow color that made him look like he had jaundice and cost 2000 yen more than he would have normally paid for a simple T-shirt, but Massu and Tegoshi seemed excited about it and less hurt about his rejection of their choice, so Shige ended up buying it anyway. As they left the store, Shige carrying his new purchase in a plastic bag that rivaled the shop's shirt design in terms of 'colors that should not be,' he wondered if he couldn't find any juniors with upcoming birthdays.
*
Sometimes he wondered if his life was really worth it. Fame had its perks, and employment was preferable to unemployment; and he'd never yet found a high as good as performing in front of thousands, but. But sometimes, times like these, he really wondered.
Tegoshi finally left the dressing room, giant pile of accessories whisked away by some unfortunate sales-clerk, just as Massu, carrying an armload of clothes nearly higher than his head, walked in.
"I'll just be a minute. Thanks for waiting, ne." Massu called over his shoulder.
"Well...if you're trying stuff on, I guess it's ok if I looked around a little more too." Tegoshi mused to himself. "Shige, aren't you getting anything?"
Shige kept his eyes from drifting to his watch or down to the bag at his feet--he'd finished making his purchases at least two hours ago. "No, Tegoshi, I think I'm good." Maybe in a few more hours they'd be done, Shige hoped futilely. Just a few more hours.
*
Shige blinked. Blinked again. Everything was still there. It didn't make sense. He tried shaking his head, but that didn't help either.
"Um. Guys. Are you sure you had the address right?" Shige finally got his voice to work.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Tegoshi chided.
Massu nodded happily, adding, "This is our regular store, you know. We're here once every couple of weeks. We wouldn't go to the wrong store."
"But. Um. This, this is a sex store" Shige whispered the last part, like he was afraid of the implications of this information and actually saying it out loud would make them worse.
"Yes, Shige. It is." Tegoshi spoke slowly, and a little louder than usual, as though trying to convey a difficult topic to someone he was beginning to have his doubts had the ability to understand. Massu sent Tegoshi a meaningful look, but Shige wasn't paying attention, so he missed his chance to escape.
Shige started to stutter "every week?," but Tegoshi grabbed one arm and started dragging him inside, while Massu pushed from behind. This sent Shige tumbling through the shop entrance and nearly face-first into a store-clerk who was wearing Not Nearly Enough Clothing. Her breasts jiggled when she laughed at Shige's shell-shocked expression. She twirled a riding crop carelessly in one hand, and then flicked it out to ghost along Shige's torso from crotch to chin. Shige's eyes rolled up into his head and he rolled bonelessly to the floor. Massu managed to catch Shige before he hit his head. Tegoshi just shook his head, dismayed by Shige's behaviour. Really! He was embarrassing them in public.
*
Shige wished Massu had worn something a little less conspicuous since he'd known they were going to such a crowded place. Massu had planned the trip to Takeshitadoori after all; there was no way he could have forgotten where they were going. But Massu was Massu: all sunny smiles, bright, cheery clothes, and loud pants--his grasp of 'inconspicuous' was tenuous at best. Still, Shige supposed, it could be worse. They could be in costume.
They wandered through stores and racks of clothing, browsing without the intent to really buy anything. They laughed at how dorky Yamapi looked in the photo of him posing outside a store where a clerk must have recognized him. They picked up crepes from the stand halfway down the street and ate them as they walked.
Takeshitadoori was crowded on normal days. Today, a sunny Sunday afternoon, it was packed. Shige liked the atmosphere, though. Something about the feeling of hundreds of people all out having a good time in a narrow space; it was electric. Groups of twos, threes, and fours busily wandering around on their own business sent out a hum of energy; it was contagious, and with Tegoshi and Massu laughing beside him, Shige found himself having a good time. Watching the bright sun catch on Tegosh's hair, and Massu's smile, Shige couldn't help but think that there wasn't anywhere else he'd rather be.