fic for crystallekil
Gift fic for: crystallekil
From: myxstorie
Title: Movin' Out
Rating: PG
Pairing: Yamapi-centric, gen
Summary: 4 ways NEWS try to fix Yamapi's smile, and the thing that really does it.
Notes: I'm sorry it's not exactly what you asked for, crystallekil, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!
...As the smile ran way from his face.
Koyama likes to think that he was the first one to notice Yamapi's sombre mood, when really Shige was the one to point out the mess strewn across the break-room table, and even that was only after Tegoshi had muttered something about it really being very, very cluttered in here, and Massu had rubbed disinfecting hand-gel into his palms three times and frowned across the table at Yamapi's now-empty bag. Ryo just hunched further down in his chair and let them all get on with it, keeping his mouth shut and saying nothing about the way he hadn't seen Yamapi smile properly for the past week.
Koyama is, however, the first one to come up with a plan the next day. Ryo scoffs and rolls his eyes at the idea, but claims Friday night for his own and surreptitiously listens in on the plans the rest of them are making whilst pretending to read the latest Guitarist Monthly publication.
"Leader!" Tegoshi exclaims the moment Yamapi walks through the door, and the group quickly hushes and looks away from each other.
"He....y..." Yamapi nervously glances between them all very carefully looking anywhere but at him, and Ryo laments - again - the terrible luck he must have had to be put into a group with these idiots.
He sighs. As always, it's up to him to fix things.
"Yo," he says, lifting his chin in Yamapi's direction as he shoves his magazine into his bag, "You're late."
Yamapi lifts a hand to scratch at the back of his head, clearly assuming his tardiness was the reason for his group-mates' awkwardness. Ryo congratulates himself on a job well done.
"Sorry, I... had to take a phone call." Their leader flashes them a guilty look, and thankfully, by this time, the other four have composed themselves.
"That's okay!" Koyama assures him, "It must have been important. Leader gets lots of important phone calls, right?" The rest of them - sans-Ryo - nod eagerly, and Koyama goes on, "We were just worried, that's all! But now you're here, well, that's, um, good. We're not worried any more."
Ryo sighs. Idiots.
...If you search for tenderness, it isn't hard to find.
Yamapi's curled up on the couch tapping away on his cellphone when Tegoshi corners him, flopping down next to him and holding out a strawberry between his thumb and forefinger. He shifts a little closer when Yamapi doesn't appear to see him, and eventually presses the plump fruit to the other man's lips with a "Say 'ahh'~".
Yamapi blinks, and his eyes drift up from his phone as he shakes his head, "I'm not hungry, thanks."
Tegoshi turns on the charm, looking up at Yamapi from underneath his eyelashes sadly. "They were a gift from Yuuto-kun," he says quietly, holding the punnet in his lap as tenderly as he can manage, "And nobody else wants them. It would be such a shame for such a kind gesture to go to waste, don't you think?"
Yamapi lasts all of seven seconds before he snaps his phone shut and opens his mouth for Tegoshi to pop the berry inside, and bites it off at the stalk, chewing slowly and swallowing.
Tegoshi waits a moment.
"Umai?" He prompts.
Yamapi's mouth twitches gently and he screws up his eyes as he exclaims, "Oishii!"
Tegoshi grins happily and produces another from the small punnet in his lap, scooting closer as he feeds Yamapi another one. Once, between them, they've worked their way through half the punnet - Yamapi had voiced his unease about eating the entire thing alone, and Tegoshi really likes strawberries - Yamapi's phone beeps quietly from the arm of the couch, and Tegoshi catches him looking at it longingly, barely noticing the next strawberry that gets pushed into his mouth.
Tegoshi sighs and leaves the fruit on the table, wondering if Yamapi would even notice he'd gone.
...A bottle of red, a bottle of white, whatever kind of mood you're in tonight.
The restaurant isn't one Yamapi's been to before, he says - which is something in itself - but it already looks like somewhere he'd like to visit again. It's relatively small and quiet, the kind of place that looks like it has more regular customers than passing trade, just perfect for them to keep their heads down and be allowed to enjoy their food in peace. Massu comes here often, and the owners are always grateful for the extra custom he brings when his dinner guests more often than not turn into regular visitors.
Yamapi slides into the seat opposite and Massu passes him a menu with a smile. "Choose whatever you like," he says, "My treat."
Yamapi inclines his head gratefully, as Massu had known he would - neither of them are the type to argue over free food - and started scanning the list of dishes, but all too soon it became apparent that Yamapi wasn't as eager as Massu had hoped he'd be.
"Is everything okay, Yamashita-kun?" He asks when Yamapi has done nothing but stare at the menu for a good few minutes.
"Hmm?" Yamapi looks up with raised eyebrows, then turns back to his menu, "Oh, sure. I just... I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought. What are you having?"
Massu tries not to let his smile wilt around the edges, and orders them two portions of curry with a side of tori katsu in the hope of appealing to Yamapi's love of chicken.
The food goes down well, and now that he's not stuck on any crazy diets Yamapi finishes every bite, making appropriate noises of enjoyment every now and then between spoonfuls of food and gulps of water. Although he's quiet, Yamapi's clearly impressed with the food, and a good meal has always cheered Massu up in the past so he's confident Yamapi will feel the same way. But then Yamapi puts his spoon down, drains the last of his water and murmurs his thanks, and when Massu catches his eye, his heart sinks.
Maybe Ryo will have more luck than him.
...I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
Had Massu known exactly what Ryo was planning, he might not have rested so much hope on him.
The girl up on stage gyrates her hips like she knows just what to do with them, and Yamapi looks like he's wondering whether if he curls up small enough, he'll disappear. Uchi had managed to tag along at the last minute, turning up on Ryo's doorstep just as they were about to leave, and if Ryo didn't know better, he'd say Uchi had planned it. As it stands, Uchi's too thick-headed to show that much foresight; Ryo's sure he's spent his entire life relying on dumb luck to get him through, so he doesn't see why tonight should be any different.
His friend is looking around disdainfully, nose turned up at the apparently 'unsavoury' amount of flesh on display, but when Ryo had told him he was more than welcome to leave, Uchi had just huffed and settled back in his seat, folding his legs neatly and tossing his hair.
Not that Ryo's paying any attention to them, of course, not when there's a buxom blonde who might as well be naked up there strutting her stuff for them. She'd started off in a nun's outfit that lacked any kind of regular decency - not that Ryo was complaining, of course - but now she was down to the minimal underwear hidden underneath, and a string of prayer beads. He didn't even want to think about just how many different kinds of blasphemy this must be, and decides it's a good thing he's not Christian.
He tosses her a few more bills - on Yamapi's behalf - and with a flick of the wrist, the bra is gone, joining the rest of the bits of cloth scattered around her. She's there to take her clothes off in exchange for their money, and she doesn't mess around, this one. Ryo decides he likes her. Maybe he'll bring Yoko here for his birthday, he'd know how to appreciate someone like her. Not like these two heathens.
When she does, regrettably, leave the stage, scooping up her discarded clothing with a graceful sweep of one arm, Uchi sighs loud enough to be heard over the pounding bass.
"Can we go now?"
"Hey man, we didn't force you to come," Ryo replies, but pushes himself to his feet anyway and pretends not to see the relief flooding Yamapi's face. "I'm starved. Any idea where the nearest ramen stand is?"
Really, it's not his fault that Yamapi can't appreciate a beautiful woman when he sees one. He does, however, perk up at the mention of food, and Ryo resists the urge to slug him one as they leave.
...It's all about faith and a deeper devotion, it's all about soul.
One might think that for people who have devoted their lives to singing for money, a karaoke bar is the last place they'd want to unwind, but Koyama knows better. While this might be the case for some, he knows the enjoyment that comes with being able to belt out your favourite song without worrying about being in tune, or hitting the right notes, or putting on a show. It's exciting, freeing, and sometimes he thinks it's this that keeps them in their job. No matter how tough things can get, coming out to karaoke can remind them of just how much they love doing what they do.
It's also Koyama's last hope.
For two whole weeks now, they've been rearranging schedules and meetings and shootings so that each of them has some time off that matches with Yamapi's, and for two weeks they've been taking him out and keeping him in and doing everything they can to find out a) why their Leader is so quiet and restrained lately, and b) what they can do to fix it. So far all they've managed to do is make him suspicious.
It's not hard to convince him to join them at karaoke, though, and after a few beers they're all belting out whatever they can find in the songbook. After a while, they're just punching in random numbers and seeing just how badly they can mess up songs they don't know.
Everything is looking great, better than great, Yamapi's relaxed and enjoying himself and when even Shige's drunken, ear-splitting rendition of I Will Survive fails to make him cringe, Koyama is just about to declare the evening a success.
Then a heavy, hip-hop beat starts thudding out of the speakers.
Yamapi's face falls, and Koyama wonders how they'd all been so blind.
...Though you drown in good intentions, you will never quench the fire.
Koyama's all geared up to share his newfound knowledge with the rest of the group the next time they're all gathered together before work, but for once Yamapi is already there when he arrives, and he finds his plan to get a few words in before they start - and maybe even form another plan - utterly foiled.
Before he can even start working out a new plan to get the five of them alone without Yamapi, their Leader's phone chirps and he has it out of his pocket and flipped open with all the speed of a sixteen-year-old girl.
A broad, unrestrained grin breaks out across his face, and Koyama doesn't need to ask to know who the mail is from. He feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders already, and barely bats an eyelid when Yamapi jumps to his feet and heads for the door.
"Sorry guys," Yamapi says, clearly only half paying attention to them as his thumbs fly across his phone keypad, "I have somewhere to be. Tell Yukinaga-san that I..." He pauses, presses send, then adds almost as an afterthought, "I'm somewhere else."
...We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud, we might be laughing a bit too loud, but that never hurt no-one.
"I can't believe you're having more fun with these losers than you did at that club!" Ryo grouses that evening, tipping his head back to pour more alcohol down his throat. He swallows it down, grimaces at the potency, then shakes his head, "Those girls were the best."
Jin squawks, "You took him to a strip club?! You've never taken me to a strip club!"
"Like you need any more encouragement," Kusano grins, flicking Jin in the forehead, and Ryo ignores them both. Jin's resulting pout only lasts as it takes for Kusano to set up the Wii and Shirota to return with an armful of different spirits and mixers, a mischievous grin plastered across his face before it turns into tipsy excitement.
Yamapi knows his hangover is going to be hell tomorrow morning - or possibly tomorrow afternoon, depending on how long they can make the night last for - and he's going to be in trouble for ditching their choreography practice, but right now, surrounded by his friends, some of the people he treasures above everything else in the entire world, he can't bring himself to care about anything at all.
He slumps across the beanbag Kusano continually refuses to throw out and scrolls idly through his phone, pausing over the mail he'd received that morning.
Miss me enough 2 make it 2 Narita in 1 hr?
Yamapi glances up to where Jin is gripping the tiny Wii wheel tightly enough to crack the plastic, tongue peeking out from between his teeth as he leans heavily to the left as if it will make Yoshi in his little car take the corner more smoothly, beer bottle clutched precariously between his arm and his chest.
He smiles, and clicks 'save message'.
I'll take the good times, I'll take the bad times, I love you just the way you are.
From: myxstorie
Title: Movin' Out
Rating: PG
Pairing: Yamapi-centric, gen
Summary: 4 ways NEWS try to fix Yamapi's smile, and the thing that really does it.
Notes: I'm sorry it's not exactly what you asked for, crystallekil, but I hope you enjoy it all the same!
...As the smile ran way from his face.
Koyama likes to think that he was the first one to notice Yamapi's sombre mood, when really Shige was the one to point out the mess strewn across the break-room table, and even that was only after Tegoshi had muttered something about it really being very, very cluttered in here, and Massu had rubbed disinfecting hand-gel into his palms three times and frowned across the table at Yamapi's now-empty bag. Ryo just hunched further down in his chair and let them all get on with it, keeping his mouth shut and saying nothing about the way he hadn't seen Yamapi smile properly for the past week.
Koyama is, however, the first one to come up with a plan the next day. Ryo scoffs and rolls his eyes at the idea, but claims Friday night for his own and surreptitiously listens in on the plans the rest of them are making whilst pretending to read the latest Guitarist Monthly publication.
"Leader!" Tegoshi exclaims the moment Yamapi walks through the door, and the group quickly hushes and looks away from each other.
"He....y..." Yamapi nervously glances between them all very carefully looking anywhere but at him, and Ryo laments - again - the terrible luck he must have had to be put into a group with these idiots.
He sighs. As always, it's up to him to fix things.
"Yo," he says, lifting his chin in Yamapi's direction as he shoves his magazine into his bag, "You're late."
Yamapi lifts a hand to scratch at the back of his head, clearly assuming his tardiness was the reason for his group-mates' awkwardness. Ryo congratulates himself on a job well done.
"Sorry, I... had to take a phone call." Their leader flashes them a guilty look, and thankfully, by this time, the other four have composed themselves.
"That's okay!" Koyama assures him, "It must have been important. Leader gets lots of important phone calls, right?" The rest of them - sans-Ryo - nod eagerly, and Koyama goes on, "We were just worried, that's all! But now you're here, well, that's, um, good. We're not worried any more."
Ryo sighs. Idiots.
...If you search for tenderness, it isn't hard to find.
Yamapi's curled up on the couch tapping away on his cellphone when Tegoshi corners him, flopping down next to him and holding out a strawberry between his thumb and forefinger. He shifts a little closer when Yamapi doesn't appear to see him, and eventually presses the plump fruit to the other man's lips with a "Say 'ahh'~".
Yamapi blinks, and his eyes drift up from his phone as he shakes his head, "I'm not hungry, thanks."
Tegoshi turns on the charm, looking up at Yamapi from underneath his eyelashes sadly. "They were a gift from Yuuto-kun," he says quietly, holding the punnet in his lap as tenderly as he can manage, "And nobody else wants them. It would be such a shame for such a kind gesture to go to waste, don't you think?"
Yamapi lasts all of seven seconds before he snaps his phone shut and opens his mouth for Tegoshi to pop the berry inside, and bites it off at the stalk, chewing slowly and swallowing.
Tegoshi waits a moment.
"Umai?" He prompts.
Yamapi's mouth twitches gently and he screws up his eyes as he exclaims, "Oishii!"
Tegoshi grins happily and produces another from the small punnet in his lap, scooting closer as he feeds Yamapi another one. Once, between them, they've worked their way through half the punnet - Yamapi had voiced his unease about eating the entire thing alone, and Tegoshi really likes strawberries - Yamapi's phone beeps quietly from the arm of the couch, and Tegoshi catches him looking at it longingly, barely noticing the next strawberry that gets pushed into his mouth.
Tegoshi sighs and leaves the fruit on the table, wondering if Yamapi would even notice he'd gone.
...A bottle of red, a bottle of white, whatever kind of mood you're in tonight.
The restaurant isn't one Yamapi's been to before, he says - which is something in itself - but it already looks like somewhere he'd like to visit again. It's relatively small and quiet, the kind of place that looks like it has more regular customers than passing trade, just perfect for them to keep their heads down and be allowed to enjoy their food in peace. Massu comes here often, and the owners are always grateful for the extra custom he brings when his dinner guests more often than not turn into regular visitors.
Yamapi slides into the seat opposite and Massu passes him a menu with a smile. "Choose whatever you like," he says, "My treat."
Yamapi inclines his head gratefully, as Massu had known he would - neither of them are the type to argue over free food - and started scanning the list of dishes, but all too soon it became apparent that Yamapi wasn't as eager as Massu had hoped he'd be.
"Is everything okay, Yamashita-kun?" He asks when Yamapi has done nothing but stare at the menu for a good few minutes.
"Hmm?" Yamapi looks up with raised eyebrows, then turns back to his menu, "Oh, sure. I just... I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought. What are you having?"
Massu tries not to let his smile wilt around the edges, and orders them two portions of curry with a side of tori katsu in the hope of appealing to Yamapi's love of chicken.
The food goes down well, and now that he's not stuck on any crazy diets Yamapi finishes every bite, making appropriate noises of enjoyment every now and then between spoonfuls of food and gulps of water. Although he's quiet, Yamapi's clearly impressed with the food, and a good meal has always cheered Massu up in the past so he's confident Yamapi will feel the same way. But then Yamapi puts his spoon down, drains the last of his water and murmurs his thanks, and when Massu catches his eye, his heart sinks.
Maybe Ryo will have more luck than him.
...I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.
Had Massu known exactly what Ryo was planning, he might not have rested so much hope on him.
The girl up on stage gyrates her hips like she knows just what to do with them, and Yamapi looks like he's wondering whether if he curls up small enough, he'll disappear. Uchi had managed to tag along at the last minute, turning up on Ryo's doorstep just as they were about to leave, and if Ryo didn't know better, he'd say Uchi had planned it. As it stands, Uchi's too thick-headed to show that much foresight; Ryo's sure he's spent his entire life relying on dumb luck to get him through, so he doesn't see why tonight should be any different.
His friend is looking around disdainfully, nose turned up at the apparently 'unsavoury' amount of flesh on display, but when Ryo had told him he was more than welcome to leave, Uchi had just huffed and settled back in his seat, folding his legs neatly and tossing his hair.
Not that Ryo's paying any attention to them, of course, not when there's a buxom blonde who might as well be naked up there strutting her stuff for them. She'd started off in a nun's outfit that lacked any kind of regular decency - not that Ryo was complaining, of course - but now she was down to the minimal underwear hidden underneath, and a string of prayer beads. He didn't even want to think about just how many different kinds of blasphemy this must be, and decides it's a good thing he's not Christian.
He tosses her a few more bills - on Yamapi's behalf - and with a flick of the wrist, the bra is gone, joining the rest of the bits of cloth scattered around her. She's there to take her clothes off in exchange for their money, and she doesn't mess around, this one. Ryo decides he likes her. Maybe he'll bring Yoko here for his birthday, he'd know how to appreciate someone like her. Not like these two heathens.
When she does, regrettably, leave the stage, scooping up her discarded clothing with a graceful sweep of one arm, Uchi sighs loud enough to be heard over the pounding bass.
"Can we go now?"
"Hey man, we didn't force you to come," Ryo replies, but pushes himself to his feet anyway and pretends not to see the relief flooding Yamapi's face. "I'm starved. Any idea where the nearest ramen stand is?"
Really, it's not his fault that Yamapi can't appreciate a beautiful woman when he sees one. He does, however, perk up at the mention of food, and Ryo resists the urge to slug him one as they leave.
...It's all about faith and a deeper devotion, it's all about soul.
One might think that for people who have devoted their lives to singing for money, a karaoke bar is the last place they'd want to unwind, but Koyama knows better. While this might be the case for some, he knows the enjoyment that comes with being able to belt out your favourite song without worrying about being in tune, or hitting the right notes, or putting on a show. It's exciting, freeing, and sometimes he thinks it's this that keeps them in their job. No matter how tough things can get, coming out to karaoke can remind them of just how much they love doing what they do.
It's also Koyama's last hope.
For two whole weeks now, they've been rearranging schedules and meetings and shootings so that each of them has some time off that matches with Yamapi's, and for two weeks they've been taking him out and keeping him in and doing everything they can to find out a) why their Leader is so quiet and restrained lately, and b) what they can do to fix it. So far all they've managed to do is make him suspicious.
It's not hard to convince him to join them at karaoke, though, and after a few beers they're all belting out whatever they can find in the songbook. After a while, they're just punching in random numbers and seeing just how badly they can mess up songs they don't know.
Everything is looking great, better than great, Yamapi's relaxed and enjoying himself and when even Shige's drunken, ear-splitting rendition of I Will Survive fails to make him cringe, Koyama is just about to declare the evening a success.
Then a heavy, hip-hop beat starts thudding out of the speakers.
Yamapi's face falls, and Koyama wonders how they'd all been so blind.
...Though you drown in good intentions, you will never quench the fire.
Koyama's all geared up to share his newfound knowledge with the rest of the group the next time they're all gathered together before work, but for once Yamapi is already there when he arrives, and he finds his plan to get a few words in before they start - and maybe even form another plan - utterly foiled.
Before he can even start working out a new plan to get the five of them alone without Yamapi, their Leader's phone chirps and he has it out of his pocket and flipped open with all the speed of a sixteen-year-old girl.
A broad, unrestrained grin breaks out across his face, and Koyama doesn't need to ask to know who the mail is from. He feels like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders already, and barely bats an eyelid when Yamapi jumps to his feet and heads for the door.
"Sorry guys," Yamapi says, clearly only half paying attention to them as his thumbs fly across his phone keypad, "I have somewhere to be. Tell Yukinaga-san that I..." He pauses, presses send, then adds almost as an afterthought, "I'm somewhere else."
...We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud, we might be laughing a bit too loud, but that never hurt no-one.
"I can't believe you're having more fun with these losers than you did at that club!" Ryo grouses that evening, tipping his head back to pour more alcohol down his throat. He swallows it down, grimaces at the potency, then shakes his head, "Those girls were the best."
Jin squawks, "You took him to a strip club?! You've never taken me to a strip club!"
"Like you need any more encouragement," Kusano grins, flicking Jin in the forehead, and Ryo ignores them both. Jin's resulting pout only lasts as it takes for Kusano to set up the Wii and Shirota to return with an armful of different spirits and mixers, a mischievous grin plastered across his face before it turns into tipsy excitement.
Yamapi knows his hangover is going to be hell tomorrow morning - or possibly tomorrow afternoon, depending on how long they can make the night last for - and he's going to be in trouble for ditching their choreography practice, but right now, surrounded by his friends, some of the people he treasures above everything else in the entire world, he can't bring himself to care about anything at all.
He slumps across the beanbag Kusano continually refuses to throw out and scrolls idly through his phone, pausing over the mail he'd received that morning.
Miss me enough 2 make it 2 Narita in 1 hr?
Yamapi glances up to where Jin is gripping the tiny Wii wheel tightly enough to crack the plastic, tongue peeking out from between his teeth as he leans heavily to the left as if it will make Yoshi in his little car take the corner more smoothly, beer bottle clutched precariously between his arm and his chest.
He smiles, and clicks 'save message'.
I'll take the good times, I'll take the bad times, I love you just the way you are.