FIC: Countdown
Countdown
Takki/Tsubasa, a sort of weird Tsuyoshi/Koichi/Nagase thing, random appearances by Okada and a few other senpai
Summary: Another year gone by.
Notes: Koichi's the crazy boy born on 1/1. Set during the 2005-2006 Countdown.
(1021 words)
1PM: food for the family
The strangest thing about the end of the year countdown is lunch. They have it.
Tsuyoshi is used to eating packed bentos while reading scripts propped up against his knee. Koichi is used to having lunch at eight in the morning before the first SHOCK rehearsal begins. Okada's used to not having lunch at all as he gets ferried from one drama location to the next. Inocchi's only recalled lunches are the ones on rare days off with friends whom he sees once, twice a year.
At one in the afternoon, Nagase walks into the catering area; tentative until he pops open the catering dishes and finds curry piping hot and waiting. He closes it again, leaves, and re-enters a minute later pulling Koichi by the arm. They sit in a corner and uncap a litre bottle of coke.
Tsuyoshi sits with Okada, who laughs at the mayonnaise he pours onto his rice. Okada asks about Tsuyoshi's fish; Tsuyoshi answers more easily than he would've if it'd been Koichi across the table from him.
Inohara eats in the dressing room, because that way only the V6 members will laugh at him (again) for not eating his onions.
The juniors think it's both terrifying and amazing that so many great seniors can just sit and act human; they just don't realise it'll be them doing the same in four or five years, sitting at the same tables and talking in the same code, avoiding the same cameras.
3PM; rehearsal I
Takki thinks, sometimes, that they're unusual for not always being around each other; but then he looks at the 12 year olds moving in packs of 6 and realises it's not strange being so far from Tsubasa; it's just age catching up with them. The best way to ruin a good thing is to tell the world; so Takki stands on the other end of the stage and checks his mike while Tsubasa paces ten metres away, talking to somebody else.
Just because no one else knows doesn't mean it's not there. Tsubasa spends too much time thinking about it, what is and what is not; Takki finds it easier to just act it out. He sits farther from Tsubasa during photo shoots, because he doesn't want or need to fanservice anymore.
Takkitsuba may not sell, but when he catches Tsubasa's eyes their moments are private and profound and as easy as the lies he's told to television cameras about how he knows nothing about his partner of so-damn-many years.
430PM: rehearsal II
'NAGASE.'
The second rehearsal is cut short because Koichi has to take a shower to get the bits of cream and cake out of his hair. Inocchi spends the time passing out slices of the man's birthday cake out to everyone while Tsuyoshi ties Nagase (grinning) to a chair.
'Is this your idea of a birthday present?' asks Tsuyoshi.
Nagase pauses to think. 'If you put a bow around my neck, maybe.'
Kokubun finds an old costume that looks like it must've belonged to Hikaru Genji. They rip it up. When Koichi comes out, towelling his hair dry, Nagase is in his dressing room with a sequined red thing roped around him.
'Happy birthday,' Nagase beams. 'I'm from Tsuyoshi to you.'
6PM: whence into Tsuyoshi's dressing room
Okada talks to Tsuyoshi because Koichi doesn't. He doesn't say much, but he thinks Tsuyoshi needs the company. Tsuyoshi's easily prone to bouts of introspection, and it's hard to watch him watch Koichi watch Tomoya. Tsuyoshi tells him it's all right; Okada isn't so sure he's telling the truth.
'I went with Tsubasa,' Okada says, strumming his guitar chords in harmony with Tsuyoshi's. 'It was another Matsujun event.'
Tsuyoshi makes a half-snort of laughter and tunes his D to a high, clear note. 'Did everybody get drunk?'
'What do you think?' The conversation is easy and flows. Okada is another one of the thinkers who mull and mull; that's why they get along. He keeps quiet on screen not because he doesn't have anything to say: he just doesn't know how to say it best. For one, he's never been able to ask Tsuyoshi about how it must feel to be so close to Koichi, and yet share him so readily. It's either Tsuyoshi's generous, or Tsuyoshi's a martyr, and Okada is afraid of the second. So he says: 'Tsubasa got drunk enough that he kissed me. I put it into my Myojo article.'
Tsuyoshi laughs. 'He's so spoilt when he's drunk. Takizawa will thank you for saying it.' It's good deflection, he doesn't add. Tsuyoshi stops mid-song and looks up. 'Did you like it?'
Okada rolls his eyes, and plays on.
12AM: another year gone by
Koichi turns another year older to the sound of Nagase proclaiming his age to the entirety of Tokyo Dome and a few hundred thousand viewers at home. He flings himself at the other man anyway, legs wrapping around Nagase's waist as they topple to the ground cackling like six year old children and blatantly showing the world what they'll never see.
3AM: home
Somebody says otsukaresama in the background, but Tsuyoshi couldn't care less when all he wants to do is go home and sleep. The juniors leave first, packing into minivans and nodding off on each other's shoulders. Takizawa heads out to drink with the rest, and Tsubasa is conspicuous only because of his absence.
'Are you coming?' Takizawa asks Tsuyoshi, offering.
'Nope.' Tsuyoshi hefts his bag onto his shoulder and waves Takizawa off. 'Have fun.'
'I'll have to drag a drunk brat home,' the younger man laughs.
Tsuyoshi pats him on the back. He knows how it feels to make excuses and duck in and out through loopholes. Takizawa and Tsubasa have it only slightly less complicated. 'It's as good an excuse as any.'
They part in the hallway. Takizawa takes the front door, but Tsuyoshi goes out the back way, and climbs into an expensive car and shuts the door. He sleeps all the way back to Koichi's apartment, the steady, purring engine lulling him to sleep.