J!Actress Anon(2): Once More With Feeling
Lightly edited but unbeta’d.
Once More With Feeling
pg. 1071. Ninomiya Kazunari/Horikita Maki, (Arashi)
Prompt: Nino’s a bartender; Maki’s the talent. The talent’s supposed to be untouchable, but Nino’s never followed the rules. Originally here.
“You’re staring again, Nino,” Aiba warns, taking the wet glass from Nino’s hands and drying it quickly with a hand towel.
“Can you blame me?” he replies without looking, pressing himself against the counter to get a closer look at the stage. The spotlight appears over the lone microphone and there is lull in the normally unruly crowd, a breathless silence that only ever precedes her set-Horikita Maki. She is decked out in a slinky red dress and silk white gloves today, with hair undone and curling against her collarbone, bangs windswept and lovely. Her heels are a shimmering gold and the only thing that sparkles more is the large glimmering diamond necklace around her neck. She leans low into the microphone and asks, breathily, “Is everyone drinking tonight?”
The crowd roars with delight and Maki smiles, lips pink and perfect, as she sweeps her eyes across the room, landing a brief second longer at the bar, long enough to wink. “I’ll have what they’re having.”
Nino salutes her with his hand towel and she laughs with the crowd, turns to the pianist and says, “From the top, Sho-chan.”
As the music begins to play and she begins to sing, Nino finally tears his attention away from her to glance at Aiba. His expression is less than pleased.
“Jun-chan isn’t going to like that-you know how he gets with his talents.”
“J doesn’t like anything-especially you calling him Jun-chan,” Nino replies, turning his attention away to fill a glass of beer for a customer.
“You know Maki-chan is special. He even got her a bodyguard-”
“If she was that special J wouldn’t have made Ohno her bodyguard. He’s asleep for most of the day.” Aiba makes a face and Nino sighs and shakes his head. “Besides, it’s not like anything will happen. Didn’t you hear? There might be something going on between her and Sakurai.”
“The sloping shouldered pianist?!”
Several bar patrons raise their eyebrows and Nino clamps a hand over Aiba’s mouth. Luckily, they seem too inebriated to care-one falls straight off his barstool as he crows along with Maki.
“Thank you, thank you everyone.” Maki looks radiant as she blows kisses to the crowd, sends a thousand-watt smile at Sho and claps her hands at him along with the crowd in admiration. “This next song is one that is very important to me-it’s called Niji.”
“I’m sorry, Nino, but it’s better for your crush to end this way now than for Jun-chan to get involved,” Aiba says, patting Nino on the back, although with Nino’s hand still over his mouth it comes out a garbled mess.
Nino shrugs and takes back his hand. “Well, what can I do about it?”
*
Backstage, Nino waves at Ohno, who nods sleepily in return, before heading into Maki’s dressing room.
Maki is half-out of her red dress when he opens the door and she squeaks, holds the top of the gown protectively over her chest. “Shut the door!” she commands, so he kicks the door closed with the back of his heel.
“Hi,” he says, unable to take his eyes off of her.
“Hi, yourself,” she replies, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“You sang a new song today.”
“I found the lyrics under my pillow this morning,” she replies, batting her eyelashes at him and taking a step closer. “Now I wonder how it got there.”
“I wonder.” He matches her with another step closer.
“Sakurai was a little sloppy on the keys though. He said no more singing songs on the fly-he needs to practice first.” She glances at him thoughtfully. “You would never say that.”
“Never,” he agrees.
“You’re a better pianist, why stay at the bar?”
“I don’t want to take his job away from him.” And with that last step they are face to face.
“Hi,” she says again, suddenly shy, embarrassed. Lovely.
“Hi.”
“Unzip the rest?” She turns her open back at him and he complies, tugging the zipper down lower and lower until it catches at the end and the dress tumbles into a heap on the floor. Her skin is milky white, soft, smooth. He pulls her back against him, fingers skating across her stomach, chin resting on top of her head.
“Jun-chan says you’re not supposed to touch the talents,” she murmurs, resting her hands on top of his.
“He can tell it to Sho-kun-apparently there’s a rumor something is going on between you two.”
“I thought you didn’t want to take his job from him.”
He shrugs, suddenly distracted by the skin of her shoulder, sweeps her hair away from her back, humming.
“What are you do-ing?” her question turns into a gasp and Nino grins against the nape of her neck.
“Getting inspired for my next song.”
***
“So guess what Maki-chan has taken to wearing around her neck.” Jun never asks questions, so Nino keeps his mouth shut as he sets something down onto the table in-between them. It’s a small silver ring on a chain.
Nino takes it up on his hands and it’s so small it would barely fit his pinky. The ring has a tiny gem inlaid in the band, so tiny it’s barely noticeable at all. “It’s a ring on a chain, J,” Nino replies, laying it back onto the table.
“Don’t call me J,” he huffs, raking a hand through unruly, curly black hair. Nino has never liked Jun’s perm, but now doesn’t seem like the best time to bring it up. “But yes, Maki-chan has started to wear this dinky little ring on a chain. Maki-chan who is like a sister to me-who deserves nothing but the best.” Jun gives him a pointed stare.
“I’m not sure where you’re-”
“Don’t you get tired of the act, Nino?” When Nino doesn’t reply, Jun sighs and places something else on the table. It is a large stack of bills-and though it is only a fraction of what Jun must make in a day at Club Storm, it is more money than Nino has ever seen together in his entire lifetime.
“What-”
“Buy her something that sparkles, Nino. Buy her that home she’s always dreamed of.”
“But-”
“Oh don’t worry it’s not a gift-it’s a salary advance for the next five years.” He smiles. “I heard you’re a decent magician.”
Once More With Feeling
pg. 1071. Ninomiya Kazunari/Horikita Maki, (Arashi)
Prompt: Nino’s a bartender; Maki’s the talent. The talent’s supposed to be untouchable, but Nino’s never followed the rules. Originally here.
“You’re staring again, Nino,” Aiba warns, taking the wet glass from Nino’s hands and drying it quickly with a hand towel.
“Can you blame me?” he replies without looking, pressing himself against the counter to get a closer look at the stage. The spotlight appears over the lone microphone and there is lull in the normally unruly crowd, a breathless silence that only ever precedes her set-Horikita Maki. She is decked out in a slinky red dress and silk white gloves today, with hair undone and curling against her collarbone, bangs windswept and lovely. Her heels are a shimmering gold and the only thing that sparkles more is the large glimmering diamond necklace around her neck. She leans low into the microphone and asks, breathily, “Is everyone drinking tonight?”
The crowd roars with delight and Maki smiles, lips pink and perfect, as she sweeps her eyes across the room, landing a brief second longer at the bar, long enough to wink. “I’ll have what they’re having.”
Nino salutes her with his hand towel and she laughs with the crowd, turns to the pianist and says, “From the top, Sho-chan.”
As the music begins to play and she begins to sing, Nino finally tears his attention away from her to glance at Aiba. His expression is less than pleased.
“Jun-chan isn’t going to like that-you know how he gets with his talents.”
“J doesn’t like anything-especially you calling him Jun-chan,” Nino replies, turning his attention away to fill a glass of beer for a customer.
“You know Maki-chan is special. He even got her a bodyguard-”
“If she was that special J wouldn’t have made Ohno her bodyguard. He’s asleep for most of the day.” Aiba makes a face and Nino sighs and shakes his head. “Besides, it’s not like anything will happen. Didn’t you hear? There might be something going on between her and Sakurai.”
“The sloping shouldered pianist?!”
Several bar patrons raise their eyebrows and Nino clamps a hand over Aiba’s mouth. Luckily, they seem too inebriated to care-one falls straight off his barstool as he crows along with Maki.
“Thank you, thank you everyone.” Maki looks radiant as she blows kisses to the crowd, sends a thousand-watt smile at Sho and claps her hands at him along with the crowd in admiration. “This next song is one that is very important to me-it’s called Niji.”
“I’m sorry, Nino, but it’s better for your crush to end this way now than for Jun-chan to get involved,” Aiba says, patting Nino on the back, although with Nino’s hand still over his mouth it comes out a garbled mess.
Nino shrugs and takes back his hand. “Well, what can I do about it?”
*
Backstage, Nino waves at Ohno, who nods sleepily in return, before heading into Maki’s dressing room.
Maki is half-out of her red dress when he opens the door and she squeaks, holds the top of the gown protectively over her chest. “Shut the door!” she commands, so he kicks the door closed with the back of his heel.
“Hi,” he says, unable to take his eyes off of her.
“Hi, yourself,” she replies, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
“You sang a new song today.”
“I found the lyrics under my pillow this morning,” she replies, batting her eyelashes at him and taking a step closer. “Now I wonder how it got there.”
“I wonder.” He matches her with another step closer.
“Sakurai was a little sloppy on the keys though. He said no more singing songs on the fly-he needs to practice first.” She glances at him thoughtfully. “You would never say that.”
“Never,” he agrees.
“You’re a better pianist, why stay at the bar?”
“I don’t want to take his job away from him.” And with that last step they are face to face.
“Hi,” she says again, suddenly shy, embarrassed. Lovely.
“Hi.”
“Unzip the rest?” She turns her open back at him and he complies, tugging the zipper down lower and lower until it catches at the end and the dress tumbles into a heap on the floor. Her skin is milky white, soft, smooth. He pulls her back against him, fingers skating across her stomach, chin resting on top of her head.
“Jun-chan says you’re not supposed to touch the talents,” she murmurs, resting her hands on top of his.
“He can tell it to Sho-kun-apparently there’s a rumor something is going on between you two.”
“I thought you didn’t want to take his job from him.”
He shrugs, suddenly distracted by the skin of her shoulder, sweeps her hair away from her back, humming.
“What are you do-ing?” her question turns into a gasp and Nino grins against the nape of her neck.
“Getting inspired for my next song.”
***
“So guess what Maki-chan has taken to wearing around her neck.” Jun never asks questions, so Nino keeps his mouth shut as he sets something down onto the table in-between them. It’s a small silver ring on a chain.
Nino takes it up on his hands and it’s so small it would barely fit his pinky. The ring has a tiny gem inlaid in the band, so tiny it’s barely noticeable at all. “It’s a ring on a chain, J,” Nino replies, laying it back onto the table.
“Don’t call me J,” he huffs, raking a hand through unruly, curly black hair. Nino has never liked Jun’s perm, but now doesn’t seem like the best time to bring it up. “But yes, Maki-chan has started to wear this dinky little ring on a chain. Maki-chan who is like a sister to me-who deserves nothing but the best.” Jun gives him a pointed stare.
“I’m not sure where you’re-”
“Don’t you get tired of the act, Nino?” When Nino doesn’t reply, Jun sighs and places something else on the table. It is a large stack of bills-and though it is only a fraction of what Jun must make in a day at Club Storm, it is more money than Nino has ever seen together in his entire lifetime.
“What-”
“Buy her something that sparkles, Nino. Buy her that home she’s always dreamed of.”
“But-”
“Oh don’t worry it’s not a gift-it’s a salary advance for the next five years.” He smiles. “I heard you’re a decent magician.”