Color - PG-13 [Massu/Tegoshi]

[tinyangl]

Color
tinyangl, 3902 words
Masuda Takahisa/Tegoshi Yuya, hint of Kato Shigeaki/Nishikido Ryo. Tegoshi notices Massu's smile more than he does other people, so when he notices how lackluster it's been, Tegoshi becomes slightly focused on changing it.
A/N: Written for jadedfrenzy for my holiday meme! Completely AU. Tegoshi's a businessman (along with Ryo and Shige) while Massu works as a doorman at Tegoshi's building (along with Koyama) and lives with Yamapi who is a struggling actor. XDDD Strange, I know. (Originally posted here.)


i. Say Hello

"Good afternoon, Tegoshi-san."

Tegoshi always gives Masuda a nod, maybe a warm smile if he can manage it--more often than not, he's too busy talking about something or another on the phone that he only manages a nod--but he always notices the bright smile that Masuda has on his face as he holds the door for Tegoshi on his way out.

Not that that's hard to miss. Masuda has this smile that people would have to be blind not to nice--warm, bubbly, kind--qualities that people around Tegoshi need more of.

So when Masuda's sporting a weak smile that doesn't reach his eyes--heck, doesn't even reach half his face--Tegoshi stops himself for a second and blinks.

Masuda blinks back at him. "Te---Tegoshi-san?" he asks, head tilted.

Tegoshi's eyes narrow. "Are you okay?"

"I-" Masuda starts before frowning. "Um, yes, sir. Thanks for asking though." His eyes shine a little bit more and Tegoshi nods, satisfied.

"Okay, well, have a good day," Tegoshi tells him before heading out the door, his cell phone back to his ear.

It's when Tegoshi's already halfway to his car that Masuda says urgently, "And a good day to you too, sir!" Tegoshi turns, gives Masuda a bright smile and then disappears into his limo.

Tegoshi chuckles. "Just a little conversation with a normal person, Ryo-tan. Now what were you saying?"

"Are you implying I'm not normal?" Ryo says gruffly.

"Never. Now what's this about a merger?" Tegoshi asks sweetly. Ryo pauses and Tegoshi can just see his eye roll. He would know Ryo pretty well; they were business partners after all.

ii. GanGanGanbatte.

"Massu. Massu." The voice pulls him out of his thoughts. "Ne, Massu."

Massu blinks, shaking his head slightly to get his focus back. "Huh?"

Koyama stares at him, frowning. "Are you okay? You've been distracted lately."

"Ah," Massu says softly, gathering his stuff up and standing from the seat he sits in day after day. Koyama takes his place, still frowning up at Massu. "It's nothing," he chimes, trying to sound cheerful. "Just a little of family problems."

"Did your dad lose his job again?" Koyama asks, frowning.

"Yeah," Massu says, leaning against the table on the other side of the counter. He sighs. "They didn't want to tell me at first since I've moved out, but I think it's getting bad." He frowns again.

Koyama sighs. "What do you think you're going to do?"

Massu shrugs nonchalantly, even though he feels nowhere near it. He smiles brightly--fake, he knows it's fake and he hates that it's fake--and tells Koyama, "Play it as it plays. Maybe work extra." He claps a hand on the counter before turning on his heel. "Have a good shift, Kei-chan."

"Have a good night, Massu!"

Massu gives Koyama a wave as he heads to the locker room to change and head home to his roommate, and hope that maybe he'll figure something out on the way there.

iii. Devil or Angel.

Tegoshi rolls his eyes as Ryo and Shige bicker over the dinner table like they always do. He takes a small sip of his wine before sighing again. "Really, do you guys always have to argue every second?"

Ryo and Shige say simultaneously, "We're not arguing."

Tegoshi holds his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay." He goes back to his meal as the two continue to go over the pluses and minuses of their company's newest merger. Tegoshi finds that while he enjoys dinner at Ryo and Shige's (they're roommates--even though Tegoshi constantly wonders if they're more than that), all their debating--debating, not arguing--tends to leave a sour taste in Tegoshi's mouth. Suddenly, Masuda's frown pops into his head and Tegoshi frowns slightly as well, wondering why the image would appears randomly.

He takes another sip of his wine.

"What are you distracted by?" Shige asks out of the blue--or maybe not out of the blue, Tegoshi hadn't been paying attention for the past ten minutes.

"Huh?" Tegoshi blinks, looking up at Shige. "Um, nothing really." He smiles brightly. "I'm glad you guys stopped though. Maybe now we can actually talk business."

Ryo chuckles, leaning forward on his elbows. "Are you always just business, Tegoshi?"

Tegoshi grins. "Only when I can be."

"Isn't that just 24/7?" Shige snorts.

Tegoshi sends him a wicked grin. "Like I said, when I can."

iv. Boom! Boom! Power!

Massu enters his apartment to find Yamapi on the couch watching television, yawning, scratching places that probably shouldn't be scratched so publicly (even if it was their apartment) and holding a bottle of beer. "Hey, Massu!" he greets with a smile that reaches up all the way to his eyes even though his bags are heavy and he's obviously exhausted.

"Hey!" Massu greets, throwing his bag into the nearest open chair and then falling into it with a sigh.

"Anything interesting happen at work?" Yamapi asks, leaning forward to grab an unopened bottle of beer off the table and handing it to Massu.

Massu chuckles. "What could happen when I'm opening doors for multi-millionaires?"

"You could get a hundred dollars randomly. Just for smiling at someone."

"That was Kato-kun on the 3rd floor and I just helped him pick up some papers before they flew away," Massu explains, taking a sip of his beer.

Yamapi laughs. "Only one of those rich snobs would give you a hundred bucks just for that."

"We're only saying that because we're not rich."

"Isn't that a shame," Yamapi bemoans before taking another sip. He clunks his empty bottle of beer on the table before getting up and stretching. "Well, I'm going to turn in. Shooting's early in the morning and the extras have to get there an hour earlier than the stars."

Massu gives Yamapi a nod before blurting out, "Hypothetically, what would you say if I said I wanted to move back home?"

Yamapi spins on his heel, giving Massu a firm stare. "Are you for real?"

"No. That's why I said hypothetically."

"You're one of the best roommates I've ever had. You're neat, you can cook. Well. You pay all your bills on time and you don't seem to mind when I'm being particularly annoying. It'd be a shame, but." Yamapi pauses. "If you need to, I understand."

Massu gives Yamapi a bright smile. "I'm one of your best roommates? Awww, Pi."

Yamapi flushes. "That's what you take away? Thanks," he grumbles, heading into his room.

"If it helps, you're one of my best roommates too!" Massu laughs lightly as Yamapi shuts the door loudly behind him. The smile on Massu's face brightens as he takes a sip of beer and stares mindlessly into the television with its dramatized scene with Rescue Rangers. His decision wasn't being made easier in the least.

v. Alibi.

Tegoshi frowns when he enters the lobby to find Masuda staring intently at what has to be his checkbook. Masuda frowns. Then deepens.

"Masuda-kun," Tegoshi greets cordially, leaning against the counter. Masuda fumbles with his book, stuffing it underneath his bag, and then greets Tegoshi with a bright smile.

"Tegoshi-san!" Masuda greets cheerfully. "What can I help you with today?"

Tegoshi pauses, a little uncertain with why he stopped in the first place. But he's always been really good at thinking on his feet. "It's nothing much, Masuda-kun, but I heard you're a good cook, right?"

Masuda blinks. "Um. I guess a little? I don't know enough to really say I'm good."

"Listen, my main cook is out on vacation. Something about a family thing, I don't know. But I'm having some company over tonight and I need someone to properly prepare dinner," Tegoshi explains. "I'll pay you, of course. A set price even if the food's not exactly up to par."

"I-" Masuda starts, the surprise obviously on his face. "I don't think--Don't you have someone you can call? That might be better, Tegoshi-san."

Tegoshi shakes his head. "No. I have good instincts. When does your shift end?"

"Um, at 4, Tegoshi-san."

"I know you have the key so just let yourself in." Tegoshi starts fumbling in his bag before pulling out his check book. "Now, what sounds like a good price?"

"Aa, Tegoshi-san! Maybe you should pay me after? I mean, what if what I make isn't good?" Masuda fumbles, biting at his lower lip--Tegoshi thinks it's kinda cute in that "he's looking a big teddy bear" kind of way.

Tegoshi chuckles, putting the book away. "Well, I trust you to do well, but if you insist." He starts towards the door and Masuda rounds the counter quickly, appearing beside Tegoshi and holding the door in a second. "Thanks, Masuda-kun. And I'll see you tonight."

"Um, sure." Masuda nods shakily, although the smile has never really left his face. "Tonight."

As he walks towards his limo, Tegoshi thinks that he might get to see Masuda's real smile again instead of the one he's been forcing on the past few days.

vi. Nandex2 Dame.

"Massu!" Koyama calls out, flying towards the counter. "What's this rumor that you're going to Tegoshi-san's place?"

Massu pales, wondering how it could've spread so fast. "I'm not really sure myself. He just said something. I kinda said yes." Massu pauses. "Wait, did I say yes? I don't know. I must've. I have to go there and cook. How did he even know that I could cook?"

Koyama shrugs. "Grapevine. You know how loud some people are."

Pause. Massu raises an eyebrow. "Kei-chan. Have you been saying things?"

"What?!" Koyama starts, flushing. "Why would you think I had something to do with it?"

"Because you can be a babblemouth when you want to be. Did you tell Kato-kun things again?"

Koyama pouts. "Shige-chan doesn't gossip."

"Shige-chan? Since when were you close to Kato-kun?"

"We're buddies. Nothing big. Besides, he has it in for his roommate." Koyama's eyes go wide and he claps a hand over his mouth. "I wasn't supposed to say that."

Massu snickers. "And you wonder my suspicious."

"Whatever. Are you going to do it?"

"Yeah, might as well. I mean, if I'm getting paid. I could use the money."

>"Good. Now get out of my chair and go upstairs." Massu blinks before looking abruptly at his watch.

"Crap!" Massu hisses as he moves to pack up his things. "Didn't realize it was over my time already."

Koyama chuckles. "Go go. Maybe if you can get extras, save some for me. I haven't had anything but ramen for days."

"That's what happens when your family owns a ramen-ya. I'll let you know how it goes," Massu calls out before he enters the elevator. Koyama waves at him from the desk, grinning and calling out to give him luck. Massu thinks he needs all the luck he can get.

vii. Smile Maker.

When Tegoshi gets home, he can smell good--and he means good food--wafting from his kitchen to the front door. Tegoshi thinks he was right to believe in Masuda as he takes every step deeper into his apartment, a bottle of wine nestled underneath his arm as he struggles to pull out his checkbook.

The first thing Tegoshi sees when he enters the kitchen is Masuda in a pink frilly apron that Tegoshi doesn't ever remember owning, holding a tiny dish to his mouth and then beaming brightly as he pulls away. Somehow, Tegoshi thinks Massu's exactly where he should be right now. Massu's eyes catch Tegoshi's at the doorway and he grins wider.

"Tegoshi-san! Welcome back!" Masuda greets as he shuts off the stove.

Tegoshi blinks again. "Um, hey! The food smells good," he comments, walking up to the kitchen counter and putting his things down. Masuda rounds the table, helping Tegoshi as he grabs the wine and places it down carefully.

Thanks, Tegoshi-san!" Masuda reaches over to grab the dish he'd been holding when Tegoshi entered the room and holds it up to Tegoshi's mouth. "Why don't you taste a little? Let me know what you think."

"Sure." Tegoshi leans over, takes a sip and flavor--rich, strong flavors that just overwhelm him--that he doesn't really know explodes in his mouth. "Wow," Tegoshi mumbles, pulling back. He blinks up at Masuda. "How--Are you always this good?"

Masuda shrugs, putting the dish back down. "It's all self-taught so I don't really know if you could compare me to other people." He wipes his hands on the apron, moving to untie it. "But as long as you think it's good." He smiles brightly at Tegoshi--this time, it reaches his eyes and Tegoshi thinks that the sight makes everything worth it. Tegoshi blinks and then refocuses on his checkbook.

"You did great. How much should I pay you?" Tegoshi asks, smiling as he opens his checkbook to an empty check and then looks up to meet Masuda's eyes.

"Um," Masuda freezes. "I. Whatever you think is best, Tegoshi-san."

Tegoshi stares. "You do know that's not really a safe answer to give people."

Masuda blinks. "What?"

"You could get seriously gypped that way," Tegoshi says seriously. "These are things you have to pay attention for Masuda-kun. Be firm. It'll get you places." He starts filling out the check, signing it in the same huge cursive that he always used. Tegoshi rips it out and hands it to Masuda with a smile. "Here."

Masuda looks down at the check, furrows his eyebrows and then looks back up. "Um, Tegoshi-san. I think that's too many zeros."

"No, it's well deserved," Tegoshi says with a wave of his hand. "Would you like to join us for dinner, Masuda-kun?"

"I-" Masuda stumbles with his words. "I don't think that'd be very polite of me."

Tegoshi shakes his head. "It's nothing formal. Just a meal between my close friends. You should stay. Reap your own rewards. I don't take no for an answers." He grins widely.

"I-Sure," Masuda ends up saying, albeit reluctantly. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Great! Ryo-tan and Shige should be coming any minute now." Tegoshi leads Masuda towards the dining room, nodding at his butler to prepare the table. "I can't keep calling you Masuda-kun, what's your full name?"

"Masuda Takahisa?"

"Hmm."

"Most people call me Massu though," Masuda adds.

"Ooh! Massu! That sounds really nice! Can I call you that too?"

"Sure," Masuda--Massu--says with a half-smile.

"And I just go by Tegoshi, you don't have to keep being formal with me."

"Um, sure, Tegoshi-s--" Massu bites his bottom lip and Tegoshi laughs heartily.

"Don't worry about it." Tegoshi beams brightly, arm around Massu's shoulders. "So tell me about yourself!"

viii. Change The World.

By the time Massu gets home, he still feels a little dazed and confused, and more than a little weirded out. Although Nishikido and Kato both knew Massu as the doorman, they were still more cordial to him than he would ever expected them to be. Hell, if he was honest, they were acting like he was a friend--like a normal friend that always spent dinner with them.

Okay, their bickering (or flirting as Tegoshi had whispered at one point) was a little off-putting to sit through, but after the first two arguments, Massu was starting to believe that they actually liked when they argued.

"Hey! Late night, huh?" Yamapi greets at the couch. There's no beer in his hand this time, but he does have another person sitting beside him.

Massu chuckles as he slumps into his usual chair, energy spent. "A little. You got my message though, right?"

"How was dinner with the millionaires?" Jin asks--Jin being Yamapi's close friend that's trying to make his break in acting just like Yamapi is.

Massu shrugs. "I'm not sure. Good. Weird. I surprisingly didn't feel out of my skin for a third of it."

"Only a third?" Yamapi asks, eyebrow raised.

"Tegoshi likes to talk business at the dinner table. Nishikido and Shige say it's normal for him, but I think it's a little strange for a person to be so focused on work." Massu wrinkles his nose.

"But did they like your food?" Jin asks, grinning.

Massu flushes. "Yeah. Actually, Nishikido and Shige insisted that I should become a chef. I'm not sure if that was them or the wine talking though," Massu chuckles faintly.

"See!" Yamapi pumps his fist into the air. "I told you you could totally become a chef with your skills. You should do it!"

"Nobody's going to hire me when I have no training, Pi. I told you that before."

Jin rolls his eyes. "And we have no training too, but we're still getting through."

Shrugging, Massu doesn't elaborate. "Well, doesn't matter. This was a one time thing anyway."

"Maybe. I don't think that Tegoshi guy will leave you alone. This is the second day," Yamapi points out.

"Ooh! You know what they say about the third day!" Jin chimes enthusiastically. Massu blinks and Jin takes that as a sign to continue. "It's a charm!"

"Isn't that--" Massu starts, but Yamapi shakes his head, urging Massu not to continue his thought. "It's not going to happen. Tegoshi's not going to focus on someone like me."

There's this unmistakable twinkle in Yamapi's eye that Massu can't quite understand why it's there. "Who knows. People may surprise you." He pauses. "Oh by the way, you got a message by the phone." Massu looks at Yamapi suspiciously before turning to the notepad right next to him.

"Massu. From Tegoshi: Dinner was amazing tonight! Even Ryo-tan and Shige agreed. You should definitely come by again, and you won't even have to cook! Unless you want to. (laugh) It was fun, ne? Oh! And write hearts in. I like hearts."

Massu gives Yamapi a half laugh-half smile. "Was that last part supposed to be there?" Yamapi leans over to get a good look before rolling his eyes.

"Not my point. Just. He called. Wants you there more. I think you should go for it. 'Snot every day a millionaire would call up and ask to hang out."

"He's not a millionaire," Massu grumbles. "He's just a little well off."

"Does he have a butler?" Jin asks cheekily.

Massu stares before getting up. "I'm turning in. Early morning." Halfway to his room, he can hear Jin asking Yamapi, "That was a yes, right? I was totally right, wasn't I?"

He doesn't even have to turn around to see Yamapi's eye roll.

ix. Hajimete no Asa.

Tegoshi can't figure it out himself--it's not often that he finds himself drawn to people. So when he sees Massu sitting in the usual place as Tegoshi's heading off to work and he's humming, it pulls at his heartstrings just a little, tiny bit. "Tegoshi!" Massu greets cheerfully, already at the door.

Tegoshi gives him a giant smile, a nod and then he's out the door. It's not like he's ignoring him--by far--it's just that he has someone on the other line and they're yelling at him for not paying attention--which okay, he wasn't.

Then he brings it up with Ryo and Shige at dinner that night.

"You mean you didn't noticed?" Shige scoffs.

Ryo gives Shige a dirty look. "Don't make fun of him. It's not like people are always so quick on the uptake about their feelings." Tegoshi watches as Ryo and Shige continue to stare each other down. One minute. Two. Tegoshi coughs. Then coughs again because the first time didn't seem to work.

"Hi. We're talking about me here?" Tegoshi says when the two finally turn back to him. "What do you mean anyway? And I don't care if you say it condescending, just make it understandable and not in Shige speak."

Shige glares at him as Ryo snickers for a second, shaking his head. "Tegoshi, I would think you'd be able to tell when you have a crush on someone."

Tegoshi blinks. "What? I barely know him."

"That doesn't mean you aren't crushing on him," Shige scoffs--again. Tegoshi isn't really appreciating this.

"Yes, but you would think that'd come in handy, wouldn't you? You know, knowledge?" Tegoshi retorts.

"Yes, and you were definitely trying."

Tegoshi blinks. "What?"

"Look, dinner yesterday was definitely fun, but you were drilling him. "What's your family like?" "What do you do for fun?" "What kind of people do you like?" "What's your type?" Tegoshi, you were trying to find out as much as you possibly could." Ryo explains.

That's what you do to be polite!" Tegoshi cries out, frowning.

"It's not weird to crush on someone, Tego," Shige sighs. "Why are you acting so bent out of shape?"

"Because it's weird," Tegoshi mumbles.

"Because he's our doorman?" Ryo snaps. "I know you feel privileged and all, but--"

"Not that," Tegoshi interrupts. "He's better than I am."

Shige blinks. "Wait, what?"

Tegoshi sighs. "I don't know. He. He seems really nice and his smile has something that's really just. I don't know. Nice and. I don't think he'd like being around someone like me anyway."

Ryo and Shige exchange looks before Shige gives Tegoshi a crooked smile. "Wow, you have it bad."

Tegoshi flushes. "Look who's talking," he retorts. Despite the fact that Tegoshi never brings up whatever's going on between Ryo and Shige, he's more than glad to right now if only for the deep red flush that fills all of Shige's face to the point that he's not sure what isn't red anymore.

"Be quiet." Ryo laughs hard before Tegoshi rounds on him.

"You too, Ryo-tan. Don't think I can't tell."

Ryo turns red, almost matching Shige's. "Whatever. You're still crushing on Masuda. Don't think we're going to forget any time soon."

Tegoshi sticks out his tongue.

"And this is the guy most of our lives are centered around," Shige chimes, laughing. Tegoshi cracks up along with him.

x. Nantoka Naru Sa.

Massu gets the phone call from his mom about three days after his dinner with Tegoshi. "Takahisa, this is too much!" she bubbles over the phone. "I can't take this!"

"Okaa-chan, it's okay," Massu returns, beaming. "You guys need it more than I do anyway. I do well enough for myself."

"Takahisa, how could you even get this money?" she asks

Massu pauses before replying. "It was a job. A job from a really nice guy. I guess he thought I did a good job."

His mom pauses on the other end. "I hope you're taking care of yourself, Takahisa. You should come home sometimes. We miss you around here."

Massu chuckles, shaking his head just as the elevator doors chime and they slide open with a ding. "Ah, I have to get going, mom, but I'll definitely come home some time soon." When he shuts his cell phone, Tegoshi steps out of the elevator, a grin already on his lips.

"Hi, Massu!" he says cheerfully, ambling over to Massu's counter.

Massu chuckles, stuffing his phone in his breast pocket before leaning forward. "Not rushing out the door today?"

"Yes and no. Just stopped by to ask if you wanted to have dinner tonight." Tegoshi smiles brightly at him--to the point that Massu thinks that his happiness would be absolutely infectious.

"Sure, do you want me to cook anything?" Massu asks, tilting his head.

"Ooh! That'd be great, but you don't have to. I mean, my cook's back so you don't have to--" Tegoshi starts.

Massu shakes his head. "I wouldn't mind it at all." He stands up walking with Tegoshi towards the doors before he opens it up. "I liked cooking for you guys last time."

Tegoshi beams. "Great! I'll see you tonight then!" Tegoshi heads into his limo, grinning at Massu before disappearing inside.

Massu blinks. Wonders for a brief second if he imagined his heart skipping a beat before he pauses, shakes his head and walks back to his table, humming

xi. Love Song.

Tegoshi grins when he enters his apartment and all he can smell is food--good, absolutely delicious smelling food that's making him drool without even seeing it--and hear the chimes of Massu singing and humming in the kitchen.

When Tegoshi enters the kitchen, Massu greets him with a giant smile and the sight makes Tegoshi's heart skip a beat.

"Welcome home!" Massu chimes.

"Thanks," Tegoshi returns with as bright a smile he can manage. "It's kinda nice coming home to the smell of food. I think I could get used to it."

Massu laughs, his eyes twinkling. But the words strike true inside of Tegoshi. Maybe, just maybe Ryo and Shige were right--like hell he'd tell them though.