[Oneshot] Inches and Falling

[lifeinthebox]

Title: Inches and Falling
Genre: Drama Crossover
Rating: PG
Pairings: Yano Kenta (Uta no Oniisan)/Suzuki Taiyo (Yoiko no Mikata)
Disclaimer: Done purely for entertainment purposes. I only own my warped imagination.
Summary: Yano Kenta hates his life, his job, and children. Suzuki Taiyou is overly enthusiastic, painfully optimistic and, worst of all, loves children-- and still Kenta can't seem to shake him.

Author's Note: Written for this prompt on the Spring Anon Meme (thanks to the poster for the awesome prompt!). Inspirational credit also goes to inseiko for drawing an adorable piece of Taiyou/Kenta fan art that got the wheels turning to help inspire this beast. Special thanks to catacombkid, mitsuchan, and bakemonokun for all their encouragement, comments, feedback and help when I got stuck! You guys are all amazing! ♥

Also, why I seem to be drawn to writing such bizarre drama crossover pairings I HAVE NO IDEA. *facepalms*


Yano Kenta hated his life.

It wasn't that losing your band, your job offer, your girlfriend, and the people you'd thought were your best friends all in one week was that bad.

No, he was over that now.

It wasn't even that bad working on a children's show and having to put up with overzealous co-workers and cute animal costumes (which, he was pretty sure, were meant more to humiliate the poor schmucks who had to wear them than to entertain children) was that bad.

Hell, he didn't even mind the random children that seemed to find him everywhere he went and followed him, staring up at him with an almost godlike admiration written all over their round, dirty faces.

No, he was over all that.

At this moment, however, he hated his life and all the circumstances that had lead up to this particular moment, standing out on a dusty playground while a horde of screaming 5 year olds and their idiot teacher ran around playing an impromptu game of tag behind him.

"Uh... Taiyou-sensei, we need the children to sing the song with Kenta and Mamoru. I don't think running around in the background will translate well into film," the director called out, trying to bring attention back to the filming and away from the current game of tag. Around him, the staff watched the children and their teacher play while wearing looks that ranged from amusement, to a tired sort of resignation, to straight out annoyance.

Kenta sighed, his own expression on the latter end of the spectrum as he watched the man in question fall to the ground, calling out apologies even as the children took this as their cue to pile themselves on top of him. He looked thrilled, more thrilled than any man covered in sticky-faced preschoolers, lying in the dirt should, really.

Kenta grimaced and looked away, his fingers twitching at his side, already itching for his afternoon nicotine fix. Even he was aware of the fact that smoking outside of a preschool really wasn't in any way acceptable, though, so he bit back the urge and shoved his hands into his pockets before glancing back at the idiot teacher again.

"Taiyou-sensei really loves his job," Mamoru murmured beside him, voice full of admiration.

"Hn," Kenta grunted softly in agreement, his eyes fixed on Taiyou as he started to slowly calm the children and himself, that same stupid, toothy grin still plastered on his face.

"Please, we need to get the filming done today," the director called out, turning to give his assistant a tired look. "Next time they ask me to film on location, I'm saying 'no'."

Kenta snorted softly to himself and turned away again, still wishing for a cigarette.

--

"Moshi moshi kame yo kame-san yo,
sekai no uchi ni omae hodo--"

Kenta went through the motions of the dance, a half-hearted smile on his face as he silently cursed his lot in life. The head on the turtle costume they'd given him was itchy, and the foam rubber shell made the sweltering summer heat even worse, but he was determined to make it through this scene so he could get out of here and finally have his long awaited smoke.

Beside him, Mamoru was singing along, grinning from ear to ear as he hopped around Kenta, the ears on his bunny costume flopping about wildly. Kenta still wasn't sure where the other man got his cheerfulness from, but he was beginning to suspect he might be a bit touched in the head.

Touched in the head in the same way that crazy teacher-- Taiyou-- seemed to be. They'd finally had to banish him to the sidelines, well away from the children, in order to get them to calm down so that they could actually film something more than mass chaos. It was beginning to make sense why the teachers at the preschool had so readily volunteered him for the job now. Kenta couldn't imagine what it was like putting up with this everyday, day-in, day-out. At least Mamoru was simply cheerful and not... well, he didn't really have a word for it, but insane was the closest thing to come to his mind.

"Taiyou-sensei, you're in the shot again...."

Kenta winced, wondering if thinking about Taiyou somehow managed to magically summon him to the last place he needed to be. He stopped his dance and turned, huffing slightly as he spotted the other's frizzy head peeking out from behind one of the fake trees they'd placed around the small play area for "atmosphere", completely ignoring the real trees lining the place in true TV fashion. It was irritating, but he doubted he'd have a job if not for this kind of inefficiency, so he wasn't going to complain. Not aloud, anyway.

"Ah, sorry, sorry! Azusa-chan's shoe is untied, and I was afraid she'd trip." Taiyou stepped out from behind the cardboard cutout, a sheepish grin on his face as he pointed down at the little girl in question. She turned and looked up at her teacher, wearing the same expression on her face that Kenta had seen children wear when they followed him around, staring up at him with wide, admiring eyes and hoping for who-knew-what.

Kenta furrowed his brows slightly as he watched the teacher kneel in front of the little girl, grinning and murmuring one of those silly little children's rhymes about a bunny that were meant to teach children how to tie their shoes. He found his eyes drawn to the other man then, even while the staff sighed and shifted impatiently along the sidelines. It felt a bit like watching a busy freeway, knowing that all it would take was one reckless driver to come along, one slight lapse in judgment before chaos ensued. He found himself almost anticipating Taiyou to slip up again and say something that sent the children into another frenzy and spiraled things out of control.

He wasn't quite disappointed when, instead, Taiyou finished with the little girl's shoe and stood, patted her on the head and smiled down at all of the children. "Okay, everyone, do your best!"

"Yes,Taiyou-sensei!" the children chimed back, and Kenta could swear he heard Mamoru sniffle beside him. Kenta's eyes met Taiyou's as the teacher stood there, his eyes suspiciously bright as he offered his smile to all the students and staff. Kenta blinked, and looked quickly down at his feet, a little confused by the intensity of the look Taiyou was giving him. It was almost... admiring. He had to be misreading things, really, because what was there to admire about him? Especially when Taiyou apparently loved children so much and he-- well, he didn't hate kids, but he didn't really want to dedicate his life to them, either.

"Taiyou-sensei, we need to start filming again," the director called out, and Kenta looked up in time to see Taiyou offer an apologetic bow to the staff and a quick thumbs up to the children.

"Such a good teacher," Mamoru mumbled, his voice soft and admiring. Kenta looked down at his feet again, wondering idly if you could die of nicotine withdrawl.

--

"Thank you for your hard work today!" the row of children in front of them chimed, following their teacher's lead and bowing slightly to the staff standing opposite them, all of whom looked at least a little (if not a lot, like Mamoru) moved by the 20 bright smiles turned their way when the children straightened.

Kenta felt himself smiling back in spite of himself, for once not creeped out by being on the receiving end of so much adoration.

Well, okay, Taiyou's look of adoration was a bit creepy, but he chose to focus on the children instead. The staff and actors bowed and voiced their thanks in return, and Kenta even found himself giving more than his usual half-hearted, obligatory bow this time.

Kenta straightened, the sense of relief that he always got after they'd finished a particularly hard shoot washing over him. He glanced back at Taiyou, who was currently kneeling in the dirt, having what looked like a serious discussion with a five-year-old, and smiled to himself without even realizing it.

He thrust his hands into his pockets and turned on his heels, his smile widening at the thought of a change of clothes, a bowl of fresh ramen, and a cigarette.

No, make that two cigarettes.

--

"Ah, Yano-san!"

Kenta frowned to himself and turned away from the counter and his freshly made bowl of ramen to find Taiyou beaming at him from the middle of the restaurant. He stared at the other, his surprise showing clearly on his face. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if Taiyou was stalking him for some reason. "Ah... hey."

"Taiyou," the other reminded him as he slipped off his backpack and set it on the floor next to the bar, taking a seat on the empty stool beside Kenta. "Suzuki Taiyou."

"I know," Kenta answered, nodding slightly as he picked up his chopsticks and murmured a quick "thanks for the food" before digging in. He stole glances at Taiyou out of the corner of his eye between bites, not quite sure what to say to the other. They hadn't really spoken that much at filming and, well, Kenta doubted they really had that much in common. "The teacher."

Taiyou nodded and smiled, looking genuinely impressed that Kenta remembered him, despite the fact that they'd seen each other less than two hours beforehand. "You did a wonderful job today, Yano-san! Thank you for coming to our preschool. The children were all so happy."

"They were good kids. I had fun today," Kenta answered, a little surprised to realize that it wasn't totally a lie. Today had been long and hot and a bit trying with Taiyou getting the children (and staff, even if they'd never admit it) off track so often, but he honestly had enjoyed it.

Taiyou grinned one of his infectious grins, the expression so sincere that Kenta couldn't help but find himself smiling back. "Ah, I'm so glad to hear it! The children really love you. The show is so much more fun now that you and Mamoru-kun are there."

"Hm," Kenta made a non-committal sound, frowning a little as he mulled the other's words over. "... why are you here?"

"Oh-- I live upstairs," Taiyou answered with a grin.

It figured. The one restaurant that he'd happened to wander into would be this guy's home. Kenta sighed and signalled the man behind the counter for another beer.

"Ah," Taiyou reached out to stop the movement of Kenta's arm and gave him another one of his creepy, altogether too admiring looks. "I'll get it for you, Yano-san. My treat."

"Thanks," Kenta muttered.

"I'll take care of Yano-san tonight," Taiyou continued as he stood, clenching a fist in front of his chest as his eyes shone with determination. "Just like Yano-san takes care of the children."

Kenta cocked his head to the side and frowned. It was a bit weird but, well... he was getting free beer out of it, so who was he to argue?

--

"Come back soon, Yano-san!" Taiyou called out from the doorway of the restaurant, smiling a bit stupidly as he waved out at the dark street.

Kenta smiled back, swaying a little on his feet as he raised his hand and waved back. He wasn't sure if it was just the beer talking or not, but Taiyou really wasn't that bad, once you got past the loudness and the fact that he was always talking about children, and the slight creepiness of his smile. He cried easily for a guy, too, but after working with Mamoru that didn't really seem like much of a big deal.

He'd bought him beer, anyway, and sung songs with him and he wasn't completely annoying. He also liked a lot of the same shows that Kenta liked, surprisingly (he'd half expected him to only watch shows like Minna Uta and Doraemon), and they even followed the same teams in the J-league.

He wouldn't go so far as to say they had a lot in common, but they had some things in common, and Taiyou was actually pretty interesting to talk to. That, or Kenta was just getting far too used to being surrounded by weirdos and was slowly becoming one himself.

Not that it really mattered, though. It wasn't like he was out to impress people. As long as he kept getting a paycheck, he was fine with whatever weirdos were thrown his way.

And, besides, tonight had actually been sort of fun.

Still smiling, Kenta gave one last wave and turned away, humming softly to himself as he headed towards the train station and home.

--

Kenta slid down the wall to sit on the hard, cold rooftop, his hand already digging his cigarettes and lighter out of his pocket. One of the kids on the show had commented the week before that he stunk, and he'd been trying not to smoke in costume ever since-- but some things just couldn't be helped. Today had been too long and too stressful to bother with politeness or trying to please other people. It wasn't like he really fit in that this job as it was, anyway.

He was just taking his first, blissful inhale when he heard the approach of hesitant footsteps. He sighed and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, savoring the slight burn in his throat as he prepared for yet another tongue lashing from Manabe. That woman had some sort of sixth sense that let her catch him every time he was doing anything remotely bad for his image. It wasn't natural.

"Ah... Yano-san. I didn't know you smoked."

Kenta blinked his eyes open, surprise written on his face as he stared up at one Suzuki Taiyou, still dressed in his school apron and wearing a slightly sheepish smile. "Eh... what are you doing here?"

"Oh... sorry for bothering you at work!" Taiyou rattled off, his smile fading as he started to dig frantically through his pocket. Kenta watched him, his cigarette dangling forgotten on the edge of his lip. He'd always thought Mamoru was one of the most nervous people he'd met, but he was beginning to reconsider. "It's just, I didn't have your number, and I wanted to return this to you. You left it at the restaurant last night."

Kenta blinked, his expression a bit dumb as he stared at Taiyou's hand, now outstretched towards him, a familiar band of silver metal clutched between his fingers. The look of sincerity on the other man's face was almost painful. He'd never seen anyone look so apologetic for having to return something someone else had forgotten to them.

"You must have taken it off when you washed your hands. I found it this morning when I was washing up after breakfast, and I didn't have your phone number, so I thought it would be easiest to just bring it to you...."

"Oh, thanks." Kenta stood and reached out to take the ring from the other, smiling weakly at him. He decided not to mention to the other that the ring had been a gift from his now ex-girlfriend and something he'd been considering getting rid of anyway. It was still nice of him to go through so much trouble to return it. And, well, it wouldn't be so bad to hang on to it for a bit longer. "Thanks a lot, Taiyou."

"It's nothing." Taiyou waved him off, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he made a point of looking everywhere but Kenta's face. "I'm just sorry I didn't realize last night and had to bother you at work."

Kenta made a non-committal noise and slid the ring onto his finger, his eyes lingering on the now faded engraving on the band briefly. He lifted his head to look at Taiyou, who looked ready to launch into another awkward apology for things that were in no way his fault, and sighed. "I owe you one. We can go for a beer after I finish up if you want to stick around." He jerked his head to the side, motioning to the doorway leading off the roof. "You can come watch if you want."

"Really? Thank you so much, Yano-san! I promise I'll stay out of the way!"

"You'd better," Kenta mumbled and started for the door, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards slightly as he heard Taiyou's hurried footsteps behind him.

--

"Hmmm... the acorn was definitely my favorite!"

"Eh, the acorn? But the dance was so stupid." Kenta wrinkled his nose and gave Taiyou a look that clearly said the other was crazy. Granted, two grown men having a serious debate over the merits and flaws of costumes worn on a children's show wasn't exactly sane, either, but he'd had just enough beer to not really care. Since Taiyou had waved off drinking, claiming he couldn't risk a hangover when he had to be up early in the morning to greet the children, he felt it was his duty to drink the other man's share as well as his own.

Taiyou laughed and shook his head, one hand reaching for his half-empty glass of cola. "But the children loved it. And besides, even if you didn't like the performance, the costume was good."

"But it made me look like... like...," Kenta trailed off, frowning into his beer as he searched for the right word.

"An acorn?"

Kenta stopped and nodded, his hand rising to rub at his forehead as he groaned. "Yeah, an acorn. I guess it can't be helped, can it? It was better than the bunny, at least."

"But the bunny costume's a classic. You can't have a children's show without a bunny costume," Taiyou argued.

"Yeah, but they wanted me to be a female bunny," Kenta huffed as Taiyou burst into laughter across the table from him. Kenta scowled and took another sip of his beer. "It's not funny. There was a bow and a pink necklace and a tutu and everything."

"Sorry," Taiyou murmured, covering his mouth with one hand to smother his laughter.

"It's not like you have room to laugh, you know. You wear an apron all day. With your job you're practically like a woman," Kenta mumbled without thinking. It was only after a half minute or so of awkward silence that his brain had time to catch up with his mouth. He looked across the table at Taiyou, kicking himself for the hurt look the other was giving him.

"You're right." Taiyou forced a laugh and reached out for his glass of cola, his eyes carefully fixed on the table. "I guess I am like a woman in that way."

Kenta sighed and reached out to snatch the other's phone up from the table, unsure what else to do.

"Uh, Yano-san, that's my phone," Taiyou murmured, confusion overtaking hurt in his expression as he watched Kenta flip open the phone and start pushing buttons. "I don't mind if you call anyone with it, but yours is in your jacket over there...."

"I'm not that drunk," Kenta muttered, pursing his lips as he continued to press a seemingly random pattern of keys before finally closing the phone and sliding it back across the tabletop to Taiyou. Taiyou would be the type to be this generous to someone, even when they were clearly being an ass. "Now you have my number. Just in case."

Taiyou glanced down at the phone and then back up at Kenta, a smile slowly lighting up his face. "Thank you! I promise not to give it out to anyone else. I'll guard it with my life," he mumbled, his voice a bit too serious as he picked up the phone and clutched it tightly in his hand.

"Uh... sure," Kenta mumbled, taking another drink from his beer to cover his embarrassment. Taiyou had that sort of creepy smile on his face again, but Kenta supposed it couldn't be helped, really. It was either that or sit here and watch him mope all night, and Kenta kind of hated seeing the other look sad. It was depressing.

--

Good luck with the show! I'm rooting for you! ^0^b ♥♥!!

Kenta smiled as he stared down at the message blinking up at him from his phone screen, a funny warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd half regretted giving Taiyou his number after the first week of receiving a daily message (or two... or six) of emoji-filled encouragement from the other, but he found himself starting to get the tiniest bit used to it.

It was still a bit creepy when Taiyou texted him after dinner every night with a list of all the high points of the show for the day, but there was something kind of nice about knowing someone who wasn't a child was watching him on the show and not just laughing. He couldn't even really say that about his father or Sakura.

Thanks. Doing my best.

Kenta stared down at his phone screen, glancing around him quickly to make sure he was alone before adding a little smiley face to the end of the message and hitting send.

--

"Ah, Kenta, Taiyou-san is here!"

Kenta closed his notebook and set it aside as he stood, flexing his hand to stop it from cramping up as he walked. Some days he felt more like a student than he had when he was an actual student, with Manabe's stupid "punishments".

"Yo, Taiyou." Kenta stopped in the entryway and nodded at the other man as he struggled to untie his shoes.

"Is that anyway to greet your friend? He came all this way for dinner," Sakura scolded him, adding a sound smack to the back of his head for good measure.

Kenta shot his sister a dirty look and rubbed the back of his head, muttering a quick, albeit grudging, proper welcome to Taiyou, even as he glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "Glad you could make it. This is the old maid sister I was telling you about."

"Old maid? You brat--"

"Ah, Sakura-san, right? You're even prettier than I imagined," Taiyou answered as he finally managed to slip out of his shoes and step up onto the landing. He smiled and bowed to both of them in turn.

"You need more friends like him." Sakura gave her brother an impressed look before turning back to beam at Taiyou. "Let me get your coat for you, Taiyou-san. Dinner's not finished yet, but there's beer in the kitchen. Make my lazy brother show you where it is."

"Hey," Kenta protested half-heartedly, shaking his head as he waited for Taiyou to hand off his coat.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-san. It was very nice of you to invite me over." Taiyou bowed again, looking a little flustered as he watched Sakura hang his coat on one of the pegs near the door. "If you need any help with anything, please ask me. I'm not a very good cook, but I live above a restaurant, and I help with the preparation there sometimes."

"Don't worry about it," Sakura reassured him, smiling brightly as she reached out to pat the younger man's arm while Kenta stood behind his friend, not quite sure what to do. "You're a guest. If I need help I'll just make my lazy brother do it."

"Thank you, Sakura-san! You make me feel so welcome."

"Hey--," Kenta gave another weak protest as he watched his sister take Taiyou's arm and lead him into the main house. He sighed and shook his head before following them inside.

--

"It's getting late. I should go if I'm going to make the last train," Taiyou broke into the conversation, his voice worried as he cast a quick glance at his watch. He stood suddenly and only narrowly missed upsetting the game board between them, which started a steady stream of apologies falling from his mouth. "Ah, sorry... sorry. I don't mean to interrupt the game like this, Yano-san. I just didn't realize how late it was, and I need to make my last train--"

Kenta opened his mouth to tell the other to stop being stupid and just stay over, when his father beat him to the punch. "You're welcome to stay, you know. We have a guest futon and there's plenty of extra room upstairs."

"You're sure? I don't want to cause any trouble. I feel like I've gotten in the way enough--" Taiyou bit his lower lip as he gave them a torn look, his desire to not have to rush for his train and his desire not to be a nuisance clearly warring.

"You won't be in the way. Kenta's friends are always welcome," his father answered, and Kenta looked down at his knees, feeling strangely flattered. His father almost sounded proud when he said his name. Maybe he was finally getting used to the idea of his son starring on a children's variety show. "Besides, my idiot son could use a good influence like you around."

Kenta sighed, deflating a little. It was better than nothing, he guessed.

"Thank you, Yano-san," Taiyou murmured, his voice grateful as he gave them all a low bow. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Kenta's father answered as he rose slowly from the floor and offered an actual smile to Taiyou. "Now, this old man is off to bed. It was nice meeting you."

"You, too," Taiyou answered with another bright smile. He waited until Kenta's father had disappeared before glancing down at Kenta sheepishly. "It's okay with you if I stay, right?"

"Don't be stupid. It's too late to take the train." Kenta shrugged and gave Taiyou his I-guess-it-can't-be-helped look.

"And don't listen to my brother. He's just the mooch that lives upstairs. As far as the rest of us are concerned, you're always welcome here," Sakura chimed in as she stood and motioned for the pair to follow. "Come on, I'll show you where we keep the guest futon before I go to bed. You can make Kenta sleep on it and take his bed."

"Oh, that's alright. I don't want to take his bed...," Taiyou mumbled as he hurried after her.

"Don't worry about it. You're a guest, and you need your rest for work tomorrow. Kenta will be fine on the floor," she answered, him, her voice altogether too cheerful in Kenta's opinion.

"I have to work tomorrow, too," Kenta reminded her as he stood up to follow, Taiyou casting him an apologetic look while Sakura blatantly ignored him.

--

Sorry you had to sleep on the floor last night. ;0; I'll buy you dinner to make up for it! orz

Kenta sighed at the apologetic tone of Taiyou's message and typed a quick reply.

Stop apologizing. See you at 8.

It was nice of Taiyou to want to apologize, and he wasn't going to turn down a free dinner, but the other had already bought him breakfast on the way to the train station that morning as an apology, and he hadn't even really needed to do that. If Kenta had really wanted his bed that badly, he would have just kicked Taiyou out of it and made him sleep on the floor instead, regardless of what his sister said. Taiyou just needed to learn to stop apologizing so much.

Then again, from the stories he'd heard from the other man about his job, it sounded like a big part of his job consisted of apologizing-- apologizing to the other teachers, apologizing to parents, making the students apologize to each other. By this point it was probably just a reflex.

Besides, you had to develop some survival skills to make it around that many females. He'd learned that much just growing up around his sister and her friends.

His phone buzzed in his hand and he flipped it open, unsurprised to see a line of dancing hearts and smiley faces staring back at him. The message itself was short, once he managed to pick it out of the surrounding emoji.

I'll meet you at the train station!!! Thank you, Kenta-kun!

Kenta smirked and typed a quick reply before heading back to set.

About time you stopped calling me by my family name. Aren't you supposed to be taking care of children right now? Stop sending pointless texts.

--

Kenta smiled as he stepped inside the familiar restaurant, the welcoming scent of miso and curry spice rushing up to greet him. It felt a little weird to be here without Taiyou, but the other had sent him a frantic message about having to stay late at work, which involved far too many apologies and some sort of convoluted explanation about an escaped rabbit, so he'd just have to make the best of things until the other got the chance to get away. It wasn't as though it was such a bad place to spend time in, anyway. The food here was decent, and the owner and her husband were friendly people. He could just have a beer while he waited for Taiyou and relax.

"Kenta-kun, over here!" The restaurant's owner and namesake called out to him (rather unnecessarily, in Kenta's opinion, given the size of the place), waving one plump arm in the air to motion him over.

Kenta waved back weakly and made his way over, hunching his shoulders a little as he caught sight of a table full of women staring at him a bit too openly. It reminded him of that look Urara sometimes got in her eyes, the one that meant you clearly didn't want to be anywhere near her if you valued your continued safety.

"Taiyou-sensei asked me to make you feel at home until he gets here." She smiled at Kenta, the expression warm and motherly as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and ushered him towards an empty chair seated right at the end of the table of staring women. The conversation died as soon as he sat down, and the women-- all still staring at him-- smiled at him in unison.

"Uh... I don't think this is the right table--," Kenta mumbled and started to stand, only to be stopped by a plump hand on his shoulder. He froze, the look on his face a mixture of confusion and terror as she urged him back into the chair.

"These are Taiyou-sensei's coworkers at the preschool. They can keep you company until he gets here. Now, sit tight and I'll bring you a beer."

"But I...," Kenta trailed off as he watched her bustle away from him, looking altogether too pleased with herself. He shifted in his seat as he turned back to the table, feeling a bit too much like he was on display.

"Don't look so worried, Kenta-kun. You met us all before when you filmed at our school," the one closest to him reminded him, her smile bordering on predatory as she leaned in close enough for Kenta to see the dark roots showing through her dye job. "And any friend of Taiyou-sensei's is a friend of ours."

Kenta swallowed and leaned back, putting a little more distance between himself and the women. Around the table, they were all nodding their heads at him and smiling widely. He nodded dully back at them and tried not to look any of them directly in the eyes. He'd had an older sister long enough to know not to trust that kind of look. "Oh... good."

"So, Kenta-kun," one of the younger looking women toward the end of the table chimed in a voice that was a bit too cute. "Are you single?"

"Uh, well... kind of," Kenta stammered, leaning back further in his chair. Taiyou was going to owe him more than just dinner if he didn't get here soon.

--

"Uuuuuugh, how do you stand being around those women all day?" Kenta groaned as he flopped down onto Taiyou's bed, burying his face in a pillow while he took a moment to collect himself. He felt like he'd been put through an hour and a half long inquisition, with six sets of eyes constantly boring into him, sizing him up as he had questions flung at him from all sides. It was like being surrounded by six versions of Urara all at once.

"They're not so bad once you get used to them," Taiyou assured him, the mattress dipping beneath his weight as he took a seat next to Kenta. "Sorry again that I was so late."

"It's okay," Kenta mumbled, lifting his face from the pillow and scooting back to lean against the wall, leaving him to stare at Taiyou's back. "The kids would have been upset if they came to school and one of their rabbits was gone, right?"

Taiyou nodded and flashed the other a toothy smile. "They would. But we found him, and the cage door's fixed now, so everything should be fine. You really understand children, don't you?"

Kenta snorted and gave Taiyou an incredulous look. "Me? Not really. I mean, everyone knows kids get upset over stuff like that."

"Hm, maybe." Taiyou's face was thoughtful as he slid backwards along the mattress, settling in right beside Kenta. The mattress dipped beneath their combined weight and he leaned unconsciously into the other until their shoulders brushed. "But it's not just that. Most people would be upset that I was so late meeting them."

"Don't be stupid. You were doing your job," Kenta pointed out with a slight frown.

"Yeah, but some people don't understand. They think working with children is just like any other job, but it's not. It's about more than just reading to them or making sure they take their nap or eat properly," Taiyou murmured, a half-smile on his face as he turned to meet Kenta's eyes. "It's about doing everything you can to make them happy. You work with children, too, so you understand that."

"I wouldn't go that far. All I do is sing," Kenta mumbled and shrugged, the movement shifting the mattress beneath them.

Taiyou smiled and shook his head. "But your singing makes children happy."

"It's not my singing. They'd be happy if anyone was singing to them," Kenta argued, frowning a little at the look Taiyou was giving him. He hated it when Taiyou gave him that look, like he thought that Kenta was some sort of idol or god, when in reality he was more of a bumbling idiot who'd just happened to be in the wrong (or right, depending on how you looked at it) place at the right time.

Taiyou sighed and knocked his shoulder against Kenta's softly. "Not anyone. It has to be you."

Kenta closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall with a soft laugh. "Whatever."

"You can't fool me, you know. I know you care."

Kenta opened his eyes again and turned his head to find Taiyou still staring him, that half-smile on his face and that same look in his eyes. He fought the urge to sigh and shook his head slowly. He really wouldn't ever understand the almost blind faith that Taiyou seemed to have in him. He really wasn't anything special.

Taiyou smiled then and shook his head, his fingers sliding over to brush against Kenta's where the other's hand rested between them. "I know I can't change your mind, but you really are a good person, Kenta-kun."

Kenta sighed but didn't argue, offering a weak shrug instead, his fingers twitching beneath Taiyou's touch. The other leaned in closer, and Kenta met his eyes, not quite sure what to say. If Taiyou couldn't change his mind, then he couldn't really change the other's, either, but he didn't feel comfortable with anyone having this much faith in him. Not when there was always the risk of someday letting him down.

"You're a good person," Taiyou murmured again, his voice softer this time as he bit his bottom lip and leaned in a little closer. His hand slid over to cover Kenta's, squeezing it lightly, and Kenta found himself inching closer in turn.

Kenta opened his mouth slightly, ready to accuse Taiyou of being a lousy judge of character, but Taiyou leaned forward and pressed their lips together, effectively killing his words before they even had time to fully form.

Kenta exhaled sharply, his lips twitching against Taiyou's as the other closed his eyes and leaned in closer, pressing their lips more firmly together. It was a shy, awkward kiss, the sort of kiss that Kenta remembered sharing with girls behind the gymnasium after school or stealing from his first girlfriend in secluded parts of the train station when no one seemed to be looking. He could practically feel Taiyou's nervousness in the way he sat tensely beside him, the way his hand reached up to awkwardly cup the side of Kenta's face and urge him closer. It was graceless, and Taiyou's lips were a little too dry, his body a little too tense, and the position they were sitting in a bit too awkward.

As kisses went, it wasn't really that memorable or impressive, but Kenta found himself leaning into it anyway, his eyes slipping shut as Taiyou's lips started to move against his, shyly at first, and then with more and more certainty.

No, it wasn't a particularly good kiss by most standards, but something about it was oddly very... well, very Taiyou.

Kenta hummed softly in the back of his throat at the thought and started to return the kiss, his lips moving against the other's for a few, precious moments before the full meaning of his thought hit him. This wasn't just anyone he was kissing, it was Taiyou.

He jerked away from the other at the realization and reached up, shoving Taiyou away from him as he slid off the bed, trying to put as much distance as he could between them. He half-stood, half-crouched on the floor and tried to catch his breath, his eyes wide and stomach fluttering as he stared down at Taiyou sprawled rather gracelessly against the mattress. He could see the different emotions flitting through Taiyou's eyes-- confusion, hurt, desperation and finally, panic.

"Kenta, I--"

"I'm going home," he cut Taiyou off, his voice sharp and breathing still heavy as he shook his head and turned on his heels to flee. He thought he could hear Taiyou calling his name, begging him to wait as he all but ran down the stairs and away from the other's room, but he didn't stop to listen, just slipped his shoes on at the front entrance and hurried out, not even bothering to stop and lace them.

--

Kenta stared up at the ceiling blankly, his eyelids heavy as he followed the paths of the pipes and air ducts that ran in a series of complicated twists and turns above him, making the studio ceiling resemble one of those bizarre abstract art pieces he'd expect to see in a museum or an overpriced, pretentious coffee shop. The hard metal steps dug into his back as he lay there, ignoring the chatter he could hear coming from his co-workers downstairs. He shifted a little in a half-hearted attempt to get comfortable but gave up, his eyes sliding shut as he tried not to focus on just how shitty everything around him seemed to be at the moment. He'd already spent most of the night before lying in bed, worrying about Taiyou and alternately cursing the other and himself for being so stupid, so much so that he hadn't been able to get even a few hours of sleep in before work. Instead, he'd ended up rolling out of bed before even his father was up and heading to work early, not even bothering to change out of his clothes from the night before.

It wasn't like anyone would notice that he was wearing the same thing as the day before since they were always in costume here, anyway, and he hadn't had the energy to bother. Walking an hour home in unlaced shoes to the constant, incessant beeping of his phone as Taiyou sent him message after message and he'd blatantly ignored them had done enough to sap all his strength. He'd been pissed off and tired and confused then, and he wasn't really feeling much more level-headed today. The fact that he was still doing all he could to ignore his phone and his no doubt slowly filling inbox wasn't doing much to help his mood, either.

Kenta had just managed to fall into a light doze when he felt someone nudge his foot softly, effectively ending any chances he had for a quick cat nap.

"Donuts, bagels, and fresh fruit today-- they're spoiling us!" Kenta cracked open one eye just in time to see Mamoru settle onto the step beside him, a plate full of food balanced carefully in each of his hands. He held one out to Kenta and grinned, nudging his foot again. "I got some for you before it was all gone."

Kenta sighed, half tempted to just ignore him and hope that he'd go away. He'd worked with the other long enough, though, to know that food was one thing that Mamoru took completely seriously, and he didn't think he'd let him off that easily. At the very least, his feelings would get all hurt if he thought that Kenta was ignoring him, so it was best just to give in now and avoid it.

Besides, the food actually did look decent today. "Thanks," he muttered as he sat up and took the plate from Mamoru's outstretched hand.

Mamoru just nodded and muttered something that sounded a bit like "you're welcome" around a mouthful of bagel. Kenta started picking at his own plate a little less enthusiastically, his face thoughtful as he did more shifting of the food around his plate than actual eating of it.

He hadn't checked his phone messages since before he'd gone to visit Taiyou the night before, but everytime he pulled his phone out of his pocket he could see the little red message light flashing, telling him that all his messages were still there, patiently waiting for him. He'd put the damn thing on silent so he didn't have to deal with hearing it, but there still wasn't any way to turn that damn flashing light off, so everytime he happened to slip his phone out of his pocket it was there, reminding him. He'd thought about turning his phone off altogether, but that seemed almost a bit too cowardly.

"Hey, Kenta."

Kenta looked up, the corners of his mouth curved downwards as he met Mamoru's eyes. The other had stopped eating and was just sitting there staring at him, a worried look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing-- it's just, are you okay?" Mamoru frowned, his expression oddly serious.

Kenta shrugged and looked down at his plate, his finger poking at a donut rather viciously as he avoided the other's eyes. "I'm fine."

"Ah," Mamoru murmured, his voice strained and unconvinced. "Okay, then. You just seem a bit off today. It's been awhile since you've had to do so many takes for a song--"

"Did Manabe send you up here to talk to me?" Kenta asked suddenly, his voice harsh as he shot the other a glare. "You can tell her I'm fine. If she doesn't want me messing up takes, then she should get better costumes and choreography. It's not my fault everything about this show sucks."

Mamoru nodded slowly, his expression alternating between nervousness and concern as he gripped his plate awkwardly. "No... she didn't ask me. I just saw you sitting here and thought maybe you needed someone to talk to."

"No. I'm fine," Kenta repeated, his expression still holding a hard edge as he sat his plate on the step behind him and stood. He climbed the steps silently, making a point not to look back at Mamoru, who was no doubt staring up after him. It was nice of him to worry right now, but he didn't want or need it. What he wanted was a cigarette or three, and what he needed was a quiet place to pass out for a few hours.

Right now he was willing to settle on the first and just hope that the rest of the work day went by quickly, and that he didn't cave and check his messages before then.

--

Kenta opened the drawer to his nightstand and shoved his phone inside, slamming it shut with a satisfying thud before he flopped onto his stomach on his bed.

It had been three weeks since he'd seen Taiyou, two weeks and 6 days since he'd given in and actually started reading the worried, apologetic texts that the other kept sending him, and one week since the other had stopped texting him altogether.

He couldn't blame Taiyou for not bothering to message him, considering he hadn't sent so much as a word in answer to any of the messages he'd gotten or given any indication that he'd even been reading them. It still managed to rub him the wrong way if he thought about it, though, so he just did what he could not to think. Lately this had translated into him going into work early, leaving late, and spending as much time as possible at home sleeping. This tactic had worked well for the first week or so, but lately he found himself spending a lot less time sleeping, and a lot more time lying in bed, scrolling back through his inbox looking for Taiyou's name.

Hence, tonight he was keeping his phone locked away in his nightstand for the evening and pretending it didn't exist.

It wasn't like he needed to read any of Taiyou's messages, anyway. He'd read them all enough to know what they said. All apologies, all full of thinly disguised panic and some attempt at writing off what had happened as a mistake. The last one was the one he'd read the most, though--the one he'd snuck glimpses of between takes at work and read over and over, lying in his bed just like this, feeling pissed off at Taiyou and just the tiniest bit sorry for himself.

I'm sorry. Please don't hate me.

Kenta frowned, brows furrowing as he stared at the fading pattern on the wallpaper above his headboard. He wasn't sure what bothered him more-- the fact that Taiyou thought that Kenta would hate him over something so stupid, or the fact that he wasn't brave enough to text Taiyou back and tell him as much.

"Oi, Kenta, dinner's ready." Kenta turned his head to glare at his sister where she stood leaning against his doorway, looking completely unapologetic for entering his room without so much as a knock.

"Not hungry," he grumbled, turning his head away from her and toward the wall. He could hear her huff and cross the room, her footsteps hard enough to make the floorboards creak as she stalked across the room. He had just enough time to realize that that probably hadn't been the right thing to say before she smacked him hard across the back of the head.

"Sakura-- what the hell." He rolled over and sat up, shooting her another glare as he rubbed the back of his head. "I said I wasn't hungry."

She crossed her arms and stared back at him, her face taking on an expression that he'd learned to fear as a child. It was the one she'd always worn when he was being particularly bratty, just before he got a punch in the arm or the stomach or somewhere equally as unpleasant. "Look, I don't care if you want to spend all your time up in your room pouting, but Dad is starting to worry and, quite honestly, it's getting old."

Kenta frowned and looked away as she continued, her voice softening just a little. "I don't know what happened, but it can't be that bad that you can't figure it out. You didn't even mope this much after Akane-chan and the band dumped you and you lost your job offer. Whatever this is can't be as bad as all that."

She stood there in silence for a moment, sighing defeatedly and tossing a bright colored envelope into Kenta's lap when it was clear she wasn't going to get any response. "You got this in the mail today. We'll be waiting to start dinner for you."

There was a soft rustle of cloth as she turned and headed out the door, her footstep lighter and less angry this time. Kenta waited to hear the soft click of the door sliding shut behind her before he picked up the envelope lying in his lap and held it up for closer examination. He read his own name in the addressee column, the character following a slight downwards slope that ended with a badly drawn smiley face. He wasn't all that surprised when he glanced up and found Taiyou's name in the sender's column in the same uneven scrawl. He stared at it for a long moment before he leaned over and slid his nightstand drawer open, tucking the envelope in beside his cell phone before he slid off his bed and headed downstairs for dinner.

--

It was well past midnight when Kenta boarded the train home, his clothes rumpled and smelling of stale beer and cigarette smoke and his throat scratchy from too much Karaoke. He'd fully intended to just go home after work and spending the night holed up in his room, doing much the same that he had been doing for the past few weeks, but Mamoru and Sumiyoshi had ambushed him on his way out the door and drug him out for a "night with the guys".

He'd been reluctant at first, sitting in the corner of their karaoke booth, silent and giving both of them none too pleasant looks, but a few beers and a few songs later and he'd actually found himself almost having fun, much to his surprise. He'd spent so much time on his own lately, moping and generally feeling sorry for himself, that he'd forgotten how nice it could be to actually spend time with other people.

But, all good thing had to come to an end, and they had shooting early the next day, so they'd wrapped things up and headed to catch their respective trains home.

It wasn't until after Mamoru and Sumiyoshi had split off and went their separate ways and he'd found himself waiting on the train platform alone, that he'd realized just how lonely he'd been during his self-imposed isolation. The sudden feeling of loneliness he felt at this realization was so intense that he'd pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to thumb through his contacts without thinking, the sudden need to hear a friendly voice that great. His thumb was hovering over the send button when he realized what he was doing and who he was about to call with a start.

He blinked and stared down at Taiyou's name staring back up at him on the screen, almost like an accusation.

It wasn't until the train pulled to a stop in front of him that he managed to look away, snapping his phone shut and shoving it deep into his pocket as he boarded.

Kenta leaned his head against the window of the train, the glass cool against his skin as he watched the lights of the city speed by. It was late enough that the crowd on the train was sparse, consisting of little more than salarymen coming home after a night out drinking, the odd couple sneaking home after a late night tryst, and himself. He caught sight of one couple across from him leaning against each other, the man's fingers running through the woman's hair as they whispered back and forth, lost in their own world.

He turned away from them with a sigh, his hand drifting toward the pocket of his coat.

Mentally berating himself, he forced his hand back, and turned to look out the window again. It would be too easy to call Taiyou now, too easy to use the beer he'd had that night as a good excuse and a fake sense of courage. It would be easy, but it wouldn't be fair.

He shoved his other hand into his other pocket to search for his cigarettes, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't very well light one up when he was still on the train. His fingers brushed against a strange piece of paper in their search and he frowned, pulling it free and staring at it for a long moment. It was the envelope from Taiyou, the one that he'd stuffed in his nightstand a few nights before and had almost managed to forget.

Frowning, he turned it over in his hand, wondering how exactly it had gotten into his jacket pocket. It was most likely his nosy older sister's doing, he decided, recalling the way she'd been bringing up Taiyou casually in dinner conversation since the night she'd given it to him.

He swore underneath his breath, making a mental note to tell her to mind her own damn business, and moved to shove the letter back into his pocket and out of sight. Something stopped him, though, and he found himself holding the letter up to stare at it again, his eyes reading the name in the upper left corner over and over again.

The train was already nearing his station when he found himself opening the envelope, his hand slightly unsteady as he slid the paper inside free and held it up to read it. Surprisingly, it wasn't a handwritten letter from Taiyou, just an invitation to Himawari Preschool's Spring Recital. He'd already started to fold it up, feeling a slight pang of disappointment, when he noticed the note scrawled in the same uneven characters as the envelope in the bottom corner.

The children are singing a song from Minna Uta.
Please come. It would mean a lot to them.

And me.

- Taiyou

Kenta read the short note over and over, the paper crinkling slightly around the edges where he gripped it too tightly. He was so wrapped up in the message that he managed to miss his sopt and only came back to his senses two stops after his normal station. He ended up walking home that night, his hand clutched around the letter in his pocket.

--

The auditorium was full by the time Kenta arrived and quickly found an empty chair near the back, sufficiently hidden from view of the stage. He gave the couple sitting next to him a cursory smile as the woman eyed him a little warily. He supposed he did look a bit out of place wearing his dark jeans and leather jacket, which clearly marked him to not be one of the teachers or parents seated around him, forming a sea of suit jackets and spring dresses.

He slumped in his chair, trying not to stand out too much as the lights in the auditorium dimmed around him and a line of round faced children paraded onto stage followed closely by a brightly smiling Taiyou. Familiar music filled the auditorium, and Kenta could practically feel the pride and excitement of the parents seated around him as the children started to sing. He sat up a little straighter, his eyes drifting unconsciously towards Taiyou, his focus narrowing until he forgot that there was anyone else on stage at all.

Applause erupted around him as the song ended and he joined in, his lips curving upwards into a smile as he watched Taiyou take a bow.

The applause around him died down slowly and another group of children filed onto stage, followed by a woman that he vaguely recognized as Taiyou's co-worker who had been much too interested in whether or not he was single. His smile faded slowly and he slid out of his chair, whispering a soft apology as he slid past the last few chairs on the end of the row and made a b-line for the door. Running off like this was the coward's way out, he knew, but he also knew that if he stayed he'd end up seeking Taiyou out, and he really had no idea what to do or say if that happened.

He was already outside, halfway to the gate when he felt a hand grab his arm and he whirled around, coming face to face with the smiling faces of two of Taiyou's female co-workers.

"Kenta-kun! It's so nice to see you here!" the first one spoke, the almost conspiratorial look she shot the other woman making him flinch.

"Yes, we weren't sure if you got the invitation or not," the second woman replied, nodding her blonde head a bit too enthusiastically as she took hold of his other arm. "What did you think? The students are so talented, aren't they?"

"Uh... yeah. It was cute," Kenta mumbled, leaning back on his heels in a subtle attempt to put some distance between them.

The first woman tightened her grip on Kenta's arm, her smile almost knowing as she met his eyes. "Taiyou-sensei did such a good job teaching them, didn't he? We were afraid the song would be too difficult for them, but he insisted it had to be that song."

"He stayed late everyday, working on costumes and teaching students who needed extra practice," the other chimed in, tightening her grip on his other arm to match.

Kenta swallowed, barely resisting the urge to squirm beneath their twin knowing looks. "He's a good teacher."

"Ah, you should go congratulate him!"

"I don't want to interrupt," Kenta protested weakly, even as the pair looped their arms through his and started to tug him along with them towards the main building.

"Don't be silly. His class is already done with their performance. He can take a few minutes out to talk to you."

"Yes, yes. I'm sure he won't mind."

Kenta nodded dumbly as they pulled him through an open doorway into the main building and down a long, empty hallway. There was a light shining out of one of the classrooms, the soft sounds of children's laughter filtering out of the open door into the empty hall. He heard a familiar laugh then, low and childlike in its own way, and he tensed, the hold the two women had on him all that kept him from turning tail and running.

Their grip on his arms tight, they practically forced him through the doorway, holding him there as he came face to face with a laughing Taiyou.

Taiyou's laughter died almost instantly as he caught site of Kenta, his hands frozen where he knelt, gathering up bits of costume scattered around the playroom floor as the children changed. "Kenta...."

"A-ah," Kenta breathed, his heartbeat loud in his ears as he stood there, frozen between the two women but unable to look away.

"Uta no Oniisan!" One of the children called out and then they were all on him, swarming around him and hugging whatever part of him they could reach. He looked down at the sea of dark heads and round, smiling faces and started to squirm, trying to figure out the quickest way to get free. It was tempting to just push them away and run, but even he wasn't quite that much of an asshole, even if the longer they swarmed around him the more trapped and panicked he started to feel.

It took a few minutes of struggling and the work of all three teachers in the room before they finally got him free, his heart still beating a bit too quickly in his chest.

"Okay, everyone, we need to go back to the gym!" The blonde female teacher called out and clapped her hands, while the second teacher flitted around the room, gathering the children up into a group with an efficiency that was nothing less than impressive.

A few of the children groaned, pointing at Kenta and protesting weakly, but the other teacher quickly silenced them. "We need to go and watch our friends in the other classes sing now. We can all come back and visit with Kenta-niisan after the show."

There was a collective groan, but the children all linked hands obediently and followed the taller teacher out of the room while the blonde stood by the door, watching over them as they left. She waited until they were all out before she turned to Taiyou and Kenta, her smile more genuine and a little sad. "We'll take care of them until you can get back to the gym, Taiyou-sensei."

"... thanks, Tanaka-sensei," Taiyou mumbled, his voice sounding a bit numb.

Kenta heard Tanaka slide the door shut behind her as she left, silence falling over the room as he stood there staring at Taiyou, shifting nervously from foot to foot. The moment drew out between them, both of them standing there, completely unsure of what to say.

It was finally, oddly, Kenta who broke the silence. "The song was good. You did a good job teaching them."

"Thanks," Taiyou whispered, the corners of his lips turning down slightly and his arms hanging limply at his sides as he moved his gaze to the floor in front of him.

"Thanks for inviting me," Kenta continued after brief pause, stammering a bit over the words as he stared at Taiyou staring at the floor and struggled to find the right words. "... I'm glad. Glad you wanted me to come."

Taiyou looked up suddenly, his face confused as he shook his head slowly. "Invited you...?"

"The invitation you sent me," Kenta mumbled, reaching automatically into his pocket to pull it free. He held it up and felt his heart sink a little at the lack of recognition he could see on Taiyou's face. "You said the children were singing a song from Minna Uta... you sent it, didn't you?"

"I wasn't in charge of invitations." Taiyou shook his head slowly, his eyes a little sad as they met Kenta's. "I didn't think you'd come. You didn't answer any of my texts, didn't return my calls...."

"Oh." Kenta swallowed, nodding slowly as he slid the invitation back into his pocket. He stared at Taiyou for a long moment before continuing again, weakly. "It really was a good show," he mumbled and turned reluctantly towards the door.

"Kenta," Taiyou murmured weakly behind him, the soft sound of the other's voice stopping him in his tracks. "I'm sorry."

He whirled around to face the other again, his hands clenched into fists at his sides and his expression almost defiant as he crossed the room to stand in front of the other. Taiyou's eyes widened and he flinched as he stood there, watching the other watching him.

"I'm sor--" he started, but Kenta cut him off, his voice low and angry.

"Don't apologize to me."

Taiyou swallowed audibly, his eyes filling with hurt as he opened his mouth, closed it and then opened it again before finally speaking. "But I don't know what else to do. I went too far and it's my fault and I'm sorry--"

Kenta unclenched a fist and lifted his hand to flick Taiyou soundly on the end of the nose, effectively silencing him. Taiyou flinched away from him and reached up to rub his nose as confusion and a tiny bit of anger blossomed in his eyes. "You apologize too much."

Taiyou dropped his hand and just stared at him, wrinkling his nose, obviously not quite sure what to say to follow something like that up. Kenta solved that problem for them both as he leaned in slowly and covered Taiyou's lips with his own. They stayed like that for a brief moment, Kenta's lips pressed against Taiyou's as the other man just stood there, completely still, his soft exhale the only indication he gave of being aware that he was being kissed at all.

"You kissed me," Taiyou mumbled as Kenta pulled back from the kiss, blinking slowly in confusion.

"Now we're even."

"What?" Taiyou blinked, his mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at the other.

"You kissed me, I kissed you-- we're even." Kenta shrugged.

"Yeah but I... I liked it." Taiyou shook his head, still blinking rapidly in confusion. "I kissed you because I like you."

"So did I," Kenta mumbled, embarrassment edging its way into his voice as he met the other's eyes, still struggling to look non-chalant.

Taiyou was silent for a long moment, his expression going from confused to thoughtful to hopeful. "Really?"

"Yeah," Kenta answered, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Sorry about running off and ignoring you. I'm just not good at this... homo stuff."

"Homo stuff," Taiyou repeated, his voice full of disbelief as he broke into soft laughter. "I guess not."

Kenta let out an echoing, embarrassed laugh and shrugged. "So, you wanna go get a beer or something?"

"Sure," Taiyou answered with a smile worthy of his namesake. "But only if you buy."

Kenta sniffed, his grin making his indignant tone an obvious lie. "Fine. But next time's on you."