fic for vinyaromeniel (part 2)
> go to part 1
---
The days where getting stranger, as time went on Shige was forgetting about his project and only taking pictures while he worked things out with Ryo on what they should do about the two people they called their best friends. It seemed as if their lives were revolving around each other and Yamapi/Koyama. It was a strange feeling, Shige thought. Since when did his life stop being his and belonged to the small times when he was talking with Ryo. Or the times he was worrying over Koyama and restraining himself from plotting against Yamapi.
He didn’t like it, not at first anyway. He didn’t have time for trivial matters like this, he had to worry about his job, but Koyama was his best friend, and he had to admit (though never out loud because he might just die if he ever say the words) that Ryo was starting to take a big role in his life and he wasn’t really hating it. Sure they started off oddly, but it seemed the matter of helping friends changes people. Hell, he would even call Ryo a friend. Though he wasn’t sure if Ryo felt the same way with how he would spout insults right and left. Shige had grown to ignore that and just keep the conversation flowing.
Sometimes, when it was convenient for Ryo, he would drop by and they would try to figure out what to do, only to have the topic change a half hour later to something simpler and less headache inducing. He even spent the night, to Shige’s surprise, the first time. It was times like this that he saw a kinder side to Ryo, the same Ryo he saw in the park that one day. The Ryo that he wouldn’t mind getting to know more of.
“Nishikido-kun?” Shige said glasses sliding off his nose, when he opened the door to be met with none other than with Ryo and guitar strapped to his back.
Ryo let himself in brushing past Shige to take off his shoes. “I told you, call me Ryo. We’ve known each other for a while now. Chill with the formalities.”
Shige stared, flabbergasted at Ryo’s back as he let the door fall shut not even bothering to lock it. “Right, Ryo. What are you doing here?” He rubbed his forehead trying to piece things together only to fail all together.
Ryo made his way to the kitchen and helped himself to a beer in Shige’s fridge. He smiled and opened the bottle, dropping the cap on the counter, “Obviously, I’m here to relax.”
“What?” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scowled. “That’s wonderful and all Ryo, but you do know what time it is...right?”
“I don’t have work tomorrow, and I was bored.” He sat down on the couch glancing at the coffee table that Shige had photo upon photo upon photo spread out on.
“Why come here?”
Ryo shrugged, “Pi’s been annoying the past few days, one track mind that guy, really...” He sipped his beer then looked over at Shige, “And, Jin, well like I said, no one has seen him for a while now.”
“I don’t mean to sound rude, Ryo, but don’t you have other friends?” Shige pushed his glasses up his nose and made his way to grab a beer of his own knowing that Ryo wasn’t going anywhere for a while.
“Well, yeah.” He brought his legs up and folded them as he looked at the beer bottle, turning it in his hands, “But most of them have schedules where they work a lot more than I do, or have gotten married by now or something like that.”
“So you come to me?” He sat at the other end of the couch looking at Ryo intently, who had a look on his face that almost cried out for attention.
It slipped away, though, once Ryo looked back at Shige, “I can leave. If you really want me to.”
Shige opened his beer and dropped the cap on the coffee table letting out a sigh before taking a big sip. “Don’t bother. I wasn’t getting anything done anyway.” He rested his head in his hands and looked at the pictures scattered across the table as he took another sip. “I don’t understand it. I don’t usually have this type of problem. Photography has been the only thing I can put my entire heart and soul into and it would come out so wonderfully...”
Ryo kept silent for a while, just staring at Shige, watching the lines in his face smooth out until he let out another sigh and sipped at his beer again. “I probably need a break...” Shige mused knowing that it wouldn’t change a thing. He was putting too much thought into it, instead of letting this work itself out, he was trying to form it into something even he didn’t know of.
“Maybe,” Ryo responded turning away and taking another sip as well. “Happens to the best of us, so just relax.”
Shige chuckled and looked back at Ryo. “Keii-chan said the same thing.”
Ryo groaned and let his head fall back hitting the couch, “Oh, lord...now I’m on the same wave link as that guy? I must be losing my touch.” This only made Shige laugh more.
“Maybe.” He smiled and let both of his hands fall into his lap, leaving a gaze on Ryo that on one hand questioned everything up till now, and then on the other dared for something new to happen. “Or maybe you’re just a caring person.”
Ryo turned to look at Shige with a smile just hanging off his lips stuck in that limbo of wanting to come out or to turn into a frown. “And maybe you should stop being a total chick and showing feelings that make me sick.”
Shige couldn’t help but laugh before he took another sip at his beer. “Forgive me.”
They stayed like that for a while. Just talking about trivial matters that Shige really couldn’t worry about, but at the same time, when spending his time with Ryo he couldn’t help but just push away all the worries of other things and laugh at the frivolousness.
He woke up the next morning stiff and just as tired as he was when he somehow fell asleep at a time he couldn’t even remember. Shige didn’t bother to open his eyes at first, but when the faint smell of coffee approached him, he smiled. It wasn’t every day that he got to wake up to this smell; coffee in his own home that he didn’t have to make. He almost forgot the fact that Ryo had spent the night. Had slept on his couch. Just across from Shige’s current position.
He opened his eyes with a start and looked at the now empty space across from him. Ryo wasn’t there...which meant...
Shige stretched his arms above his head to get out the kinks, then proceeded to move to the now vacant end of the couch and peered into the kitchen to see none other than Ryo standing in his kitchen back to him while he waited for the coffee to finish. Panic started to run through Shige for reasons he didn’t know. Ryo had slept there. In his apartment.
He hid his face in the arm of the couch for a moment to mull over why this idea bothered him so much before looking back into the kitchen.
He looked so at home, Ryo did. Like it was totally natural for him to be there in Shige’s kitchen in the morning making coffee. Like it wasn’t the first time he’d done it. The thought made Shige’s heart beat faster and he suddenly had the urge to capture this moment, Ryo in his kitchen.
He turned to look around the living room for his camera and then bolted off the couch when he saw it on the book shelf by the TV.
When it was in his hand, he moved back to the end of the couch. He snapped a picture of Ryo picking up two cups of coffee mid-turn. When he lowered the camera, Ryo was looking at him. Just looking, no questioning stares, no shock, just there. Shige could feel his face heating up and he slinked back to the other end of the couch while Ryo made his way back into the living room, putting a cup on the table for Shige then sitting back down across from him on the couch.
Shige folded his legs up, Indian-style, and fiddled with his camera in his lap, feeling Ryo’s amused gaze on him.
“What was that about?” Ryo asked before taking a sip of his coffee.
Shige shrugged. “I...don’t know. It was a tempting shot.”
“Can I see it?”
He furrowed his brow, but held out the camera to Ryo nonetheless.
“That’s a really good shot,” Ryo mused looking through others that Shige had taken until he came upon the one from the day in the park. “Is this from...?”
Shige took the camera and nodded upon seeing the picture, “Yeah, I almost forgot about it.”
Ryo took the camera back and looked again for a little bit then blurted out, “How does this camera work?” Confused, Shige showed him how to take pictures then sat back while still confused as to why Ryo wanted to know. He got his answer when he was handed back the camera with a picture of a confused him staring back and Ryo laughing. “Smile next time.”
---
Ryo was long gone now, saying that he should probably go home because of something or other. Shige didn’t catch it all for he was too wrapped up in his sudden noticing of Ryo and trying to make sense of it. Now he was currently sitting in the dark room developing pictures. He looked up at them and tried to see if anything could be used for the project when something sparked in his head.
He looked at Ryo in the park with his guitar only to stare off into space trying to remember something.
It was raining and he was running late. With his pictures held close to his frame to keep from getting wet and his umbrella clutched tightly, he sprinted as fast as he could down the street before knocking into someone. “Sorry!” he said quickly before picking up his umbrella again. He’d vaguely caught a glimpse of the man’s face.
He looked at some pictures taken before that day, all rainy scenes from around town and in the park. He thought about that day more, it was Ryo he ran into. And then the second time they met... The park.
Shige was getting it. What he could do for this project. It was all coming together. Development. He could base it off that. But closer to the things around them than themselves. Like the rain, or Ryo’s guitar, or even the coffee maker in Shige’s kitchen.
He smiled to himself. This was getting interesting, and he was having fun coming up with this idea. He couldn’t wait until the next time he saw Ryo, but for now, he had pictures to develop.
---
Ryo rolled over in his bed away from the sound blaring on his night stand that was currently disrupting his sleep. Didn’t whoever it was know that Ryo liked to sleep on his weekends? It just wouldn’t stop no matter how much he tried to shut it out. He groaned before finally reaching over and picking up the annoying cell phone.
“What...” he mumbled, not trying to hide his annoyance and lack of care about whatever it was this person wanted.
“It’s Jin.”
“Okay…” Ryo rolled over onto his stomach glancing at his clock. “It’s great to know you’re alive, but what do you want?”
“Pi told me to call you. He wants to meet at a café.”
Ryo sat up in defeat. “What café...and when?”
“The one by your place, and now.”
Ryo didn’t bother to respond and hung up. He quickly changed and washed his face before heading out hoping that if he got there sooner, then he could be back in his bed faster. At least...he’d hoped.
When entering the café Ryo saw Koyama and Shige along with Yamapi and Jin. Oh, boy... he thought knowing full well that this could take all day.
Koyama was sitting across from Yamapi who was sitting next to Jin while Shige stood back a bit. Ryo decided to stand with Shige.
Nudging the taller man he asked, “What’s going on?”
Shige jumped slightly but answered, “Yamashita-kun asked Keii-chan to come and he didn’t want to be alone.”
Ryo nodding, looking at the three sitting at the table before sighing. “Pi, why do I need to be here?”
“Witness?” Yamapi asked, not really sure what answer to give.
Ryo crossed his arms, what a lovely answer but it wasn’t like he could give a much better one if the situation were switched, though he probably wouldn’t go out with any of them let alone flirt with one behind the others back.
It wasn’t long after that Yamapi had gotten to the reason why he had asked them all out there, Ryo could probably take a good guess since both Koyama and Jin where there. Jin who they hadn’t seen for about two weeks now and looked as if he’d been lacking sleep and drinking up a storm.
First, he broke up with Jin, who was surprisingly taken aback by this. Sure, he knew it would happen, but it was more Yamapi’s reasons that had shocked him. Next, he looked at Koyama and told him honestly how he felt.
Ryo could feel Shige’s mood shift next to him, but the younger kept quiet. This was a bit of a development, not something he was really expecting. Sure, he knew it would come eventually, but, still.
Less and a week later, Jin had moved out of his apartment. He thought it would be a little odd to stay there, even though he wouldn’t see the man often, Koyama’s best friend lived in the same building and on the same floor, no less. Besides, he was aiming to be famous anyway and people knew he lived there; it was going to happen eventually anyway.
Ryo stood in his friend’s doorway as he gathered the last of his boxes and made sure the windows were locked. “This is stupid,” he sighed. “I mean, so you guys broke up, it’s not like you can’t be friends.”
Jin slipped his shoes on and picked up the boxes, causing Ryo to back out into the hall. “It’s not like that. Actually, it all works out for the best.” They started off towards the elevator. “I’m going to be busy soon probably and famous and stuff so moving works out better, and I’d only cause Pi problems, you know me. So it all works out.”
Ryo stared at his friends back until the doors opened and they were met with Shige coming out in slight shock camera bag over his shoulder and keys in hand. Jin nodded as the two passed each other and then the doors closed before Ryo could follow.
Standing in the hall now there was a heavy air. Ryo stuffed his hands in his pockets as Shige played with his keys. “He’s moving out?” Shige broke the silence causing Ryo to glance up and nod. “Hmm...”
Silence filled the hall once more, neither really knowing what to say. It wasn’t really uncomfortable, just bordering weird and normal until Ryo’s phone rang with Jin wanting to know if he was coming down to drive or was he going to have to take a train. They soon bid their farewells and went on their way.
Ryo had a feeling he wasn’t going to be back anytime soon, after all he and Shige were only acquaintances due to circumstances, nothing more. Not really friends, but not complete strangers.
---
The month was nearing an end and Shige has been pretty busy the past week that he didn’t even have time to notice Ryo’s absence. It wasn’t that he was expecting to see the man, not really, but it was just a shock, not seeing him regularly anymore, or even talking to him for that matter.
Shige decided not worry about it; after all, it wasn’t like anything important between him and Ryo had happened the past couple of weeks. He had work to do anyway. In fact, he needed to go see Koyama and ask his opinion on his latest photos. Gathering up his stuff he left the apartment and headed over to see Koyama right away.
“Kato-kun?” Yamapi said when Shige knocked on the door.
The younger blinked and looked around the hall then at the number on the door and finally letting his eyes rest on Yamapi. “Am I in the wrong building?”
Yamapi shook his head, “You came to see Koyama, right?” Shige nodded. “Then you have it right.”
Shige blinked again as Koyama came up behind Yamapi with a smiled. “Shige,” he said brightly. “What’s up?”
He shook his head, this was ridiculous. He decided to forget the idea, and vowed to call before visiting from this day on. He smiled weakly. “I needed help with something, but I’ll call later.” He started down the hall having the two look after him in slight worry.
The sun was setting leaving the sky various shades of pinks and blues that were just oh, so beautiful and breath taking and probably the most picture worthy-moment ever, but Shige wasn’t looking at the sky as he sat out on his balcony with a towel draped over his shoulders and his hair dripping wet after just getting out of the shower. He fiddled with the camera in his hands as he looked off at something that wasn’t even there.
He failed to notice the ringing of the phone inside his apartment. Even when his cell phone started vibrating next to him it took a while before the sound registered in his mind. Finally he glanced at the small device that wouldn’t leave him alone. Koyama, the screen flashed.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Is something wrong, you looked kind of...out of it when you left earlier.”
Shige sighed, this wasn’t what he had stopped by to talk about but wasn’t exactly against the idea of it either. “Not particularly.” He lied anyway, just because he wasn’t against the topic didn’t mean he would talk about it.
“Shige, there is something, isn’t there?”
He shrugged even though he knew full well Koyama couldn’t see him, “Not really...” It was so like the other to see through his lies, even when he was trying his best. “It’s just...” Did he honestly want to talk about it out loud? No, no, he did not. He hung up abruptly and turned off his phone for a few minutes, deciding that he would just chicken out and text Koyama the reason.
Sure, it was cowardly, but he wasn’t really sure if he wanted to face the truth out in the open yet. Having it out in words is one thing, he could always lie about it later, but saying it out in the open, he just couldn’t.
He turned it back on ten minutes later, already knowing what was going to pop up right away. He stared at his background for a minute. It was a picture that Ryo took and complained about his phone having terrible photo taking skills, to which Shige replied, “It’s a phone, Ryo, not my camera. Of course, it’s going to look like crap in comparison.” Even Shige had to agree that it looked like crap, but Ryo wasn’t bad at taking pictures. His skills were not worthy of photographing for a magazine like Shige himself (not that he wanted to sound full of himself because he so wasn’t trying to), yet he couldn’t help but save the picture that the elder had snuck of him trying to play a simple song on Ryo’s guitar, though it had been years since he’d even touched one and was positive that he’d make a fool of himself.
He smiled at the memory because that was a really good day.
Shige decided to read his text from Koyama as he stood up from his perch on the balcony beer bottle in hand and walked back into his apartment closing the screen but keeping the door open to let the cool summer breeze in that reminded him summer was coming to an end soon.
6:45 pm
From: Keii-chan
What happened to you?
I was talking.
-----
7:14 pm
From: Shige
Sorry
My phone died and my charger was in my room
It wasn’t worth missing the sunset to go get it
-----
So that wasn’t a total lie, right? After all he did watch the sunset, and his charger was in his room...he just didn’t need it. Koyama wasn’t skilled enough to see through what he said in his text message...right?
7:18 pm
From: Keii-chan
Well it was still rude
But that aside, what’s wrong
And don’t lie to me
-----
Shige paused, then decided to ignore his insecurity and denial and tell his best friend.
-----
7:21 pm
From: Shige
...Nishikido-kun
-----
7:24 pm
From: Keii-chan
I don’t understand
Did he do something he shouldn’t have?
-----
Shige read the message a few times trying to form an answer, because honestly what kind of question was that? Firstly, Shige was bigger than Ryo and he was pretty sure that if the elder of the two tried something he could take care of himself. Secondly, what would give Koyama the idea that Ryo would do something? On second thought, he didn’t want to know, sometimes Koyama’s stories of events that could happen were a little too far-fetched to even seem possible.
7:27 pm
From: Shige
No, it’s nothing like that
It’s just...
My apartment feels empty
-----
7:29 pm
From: Keii-chan
Empty how?
-----
7:31 pm
From: Shige
Well, for the past almost month I’ve spent 80% of my free time with him
And now...
-----
7:34 pm
From: Keii-chan
Now?
-----
7:37 pm
From: Shige
Don’t be stupid Keiichan
-----
7:40 pm
From: Keii-chan
I don’t know what youre getting at really
But if you ask me
It sounds like you like him
-----
7:45 pm
From: Shige
That is the most ridiculous thing you have ever said to me
-----
Shige turned off his phone again and laid down on the couch to stare out the open window, watching the curtains flutter from the breeze. The words from Koyama’s message were pressed into Shige’s eyelids and he didn’t want to close them, only wanted watch the light of the city.
He eventually fell asleep like that. Arm dangling off the couch with his phone in hand, towel still around his neck and his legs half off the couch, and the only light in the whole apartment was that from the small light above the stove in the kitchen set on a timer.
---
Sounds. That’s what it was all based on. That’s the first thing he said to his editor one morning only a week later. He noted the confused look that he gained and only gave a small smile saying that it should be looked over before questioned. Because, who knows, maybe after one reads it and looks at Shige’s picture choices, one will get it.
With a quick bow before any questions could be asked he excused himself saying that he had something else to do that day, which was actually a lie. It only occurred to Shige after he got out of the building and was walking at a fairly slow pace, even for him, that he’d been doing that a lot lately. Lying. Not intentional, really. Just...it’s easier than facing the truth when you have other more important things that you put off for an entire month, which could probably cost you your job if you don’t take them seriously. At least...that’s what he was going to tell Koyama, because Shige was positive that the next time they talked the other was going to interrogate him like there was no tomorrow.
He wasn’t paying attention to where he was going and before he knew it, Shige had ended up at the café that Yamapi had asked Koyama out in. He stared at the doors for a while, debating on going in and almost walked away but then something told him that he had to go in.
A table in the back, he requested in a small voice. But he wasn’t seated in the back; he was seated by the window, left to stare at the overcast sky (that actually didn’t bother him one bit because it made him think of Ryo). For a while he stared at the coffee he ordered and didn’t bother to touch it or pay any attention to the world around him.
“I’m pretty sure it’s cold now,” an amused voice said across from him.
Shige looked up, only half expecting to see no one there, finally losing his mind like Koyama said he would from all those late night of staying up and developing pictures. Or the weeks that he wouldn’t leave his apartment when he was trying to assemble them just the right way for the magazine. But it was real. Ryo was sitting right there and he wasn’t losing his mind.
He looked down at his coffee and picked it up and sipped it. “It’s cold,” he said flatly, looking at the dark liquid in his cup hearing Ryo’s laugh. “But good, just like you said.”
“You doubted me?” Ryo asked trying to look hurt with his chin in his polm and an amused look in his eyes. But, in Shige’s opinion, you can only be so convincingly “hurt” when you’re wearing an off-pink shirt that could either have been originally red and fell into the white wash or white and fell into the red wash.
He shrugged anyway and took another sip. “You don’t like fish.”
“What a ridiculous reason to doubt me. And we’ve never even eaten fish together.”
Shige looked up at Ryo’s eyes that his bangs where threatening to cover any day now. “No, but you came over one day complaining about how my apartment smelled like fish and saying how you thought you were going to die because it was so terrible.”
Ryo snorted and looked out at the street just as it started to rain, “Fish is disgusting, though.”
“One person’s opinion.” Shige couldn’t help but laugh at the glare that Ryo shot at him and thought that maybe it was time to talk about something else. “What brings you here?”
“I live down the street.” He smirked and pointed behind Shige. “And Pi’s busy again...I’ve stopped trying to keep up with him.”
Shige nodded and finished his cold coffee and thought about ordering another cup so he could try it while it’s warm. “What about Akanishi-kun?”
Ryo raised an eyebrow. “Bakanishi?” He sucked his teeth and went back to looking out the window. “He left for America two days ago. Won’t be back till next spring.”
“That’s a long time...” Shige mused. But hell, a month seemed like a long time too and look how fast it had gone.
They left the café together and headed to Ryo’s place because Shige didn’t exactly have the money to grab a taxi...or a bus. He wasn’t getting paid till the end of the week.
It was weird, he thought, being in Ryo’s apartment. He had never been there before even after talking for almost a month with him. They always met at Shige’s or outside some place, like a café. Shige was under the impression that he wouldn’t have much there, but what he did have would look classy, because that’s the vibe he gave off. Classy. But it was simple and there was a bit more to it than expected.
The apartment layout was pretty much the same as his own place, but the kitchen was smaller.
He smiled at the sight of Ryo’s guitar and sheet music scattered around with scribbles that he could no longer understand, nor had much of a desire to try and learn again, but still he liked looking at them.
When Ryo walked into the room and handed him a bottle of water mumbling something about needing to buy tea later Shige only shrugged and put the papers into a neat pile, because he could only look at them scattered around for so long and not get annoyed by it.
They sat on the couch for a while just waiting out the rain so Shige could go home, not that he was in a rush or anything. It was nice just sitting there with Ryo, it wasn’t like he had anything to do (or anything that couldn’t wait). He noted how Ryo’s apartment was so much quieter than his own, slightly colder in temperature even though the air wasn’t on. He watched as the condensation slowly slid down his water bottle on the table with his head resting on his knees and his toes brushing against Ryo’s. It was nice, this feeling. He always felt relaxed with Ryo. Soon he was asleep.
---
Two weeks later, Shige was woken up early on a Saturday morning that he was pretty sure he had nothing to do on because he didn’t have any photographs to take for the next week, seeing as how this was his so-called vacations for job well done on the big project.
“Hello...” he mumbled into the phone that he wished wasn’t so rude for waking him up.
“Can I come over?”
Shige blinked at the offensive light coming through his curtains that he was really thinking of changing from the white to a set of grey or black ones sometime this week just because it was so damn bright. “Ryo?”
“Can I?”
He glanced at the clock next to his bed before flopping back down into the pillows, “It’s like seven AM...”
“So?”
“I’m tired...” He yawned.
“Please?” He used the softest voice that Shige has probably ever heard come out of the man, and honestly it kind of woke up him and made his heart skip a beat, not that it was any big deal (because it totally wasn’t-it totally was).
“Fine...” he sighed and hung up, hoping that Ryo would take a while to get there and he could get maybe a half hour’s worth of extra sleep. But when there was a knock at his door exactly three minutes later, he got up from the bed like a zombie and walked to the door with his eyes open only enough so that he wouldn’t walk into anything.
Ryo smiled shyly. Something must be wrong, his brain told him, but he was too tired to care, so he yawned and walked over to the couch leaving the door open for Ryo to follow.
“I saw the magazine,” Ryo said as Shige wandered off into the kitchen to put coffee on, because he was sure that he wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon. “I didn’t know you had such a way with words.”
“You didn’t ask...” Shige grumbled, not bothering to turn around. He felt slightly cold even thought it was probably really warm out since it was only September.
“I wonder how many people understood it...” Ryo said mostly to himself. “There wasn’t anything grounded, but at the same time there was. True skill. I especially liked the part that said how-”
Shige was now awake. “Where are you going with this?” he all but snapped, turning to look at Ryo because if he did he’d probably crack and lose all the composure on his face. “I don’t want to hear about my writing skills so early in the morning.” He didn’t want to hear about how he liked Ryo so early in the morning.
Ryo moved closer to Shige and wrapped his arms around his waist. “So maybe I don’t really have a point...I’m entitled to rambling too, you know,” he said, softly pointing out how Shige had a tendency to do that sometimes, more or less when he was embarrassed and wanted to not admit something. “But I have to say...it spoke to me. Though your photography did more of the speaking than your words.”
Shige scowled hard as the smell of coffee got stronger.
“I don’t like beating around the bush, Shige,” Ryo said in a whisper, but it sounded louder than the coffee maker.
“Then don’t.”
Ryo pressed his nose into Shige’s hair, “Alright then. I like you. I like you a lot.”
Shige let out a deep breath that he wasn’t aware he was holding. He stood there for a moment, not sure if he was still asleep and dreaming or if what just happened had actually happened and that Nishikido Ryo had just confessed to him.
He finally decided to believe that there was a god and turned around to face Ryo. Ryo who was just as imperfect as he was, insecure as he was at times, and shorter than him by an inch or two. Ryo’s whose entire presence spoke more than an entire room full of people. Ryo, who he’d pretty much spent the last month of his life with all because his best friend was in love with Ryo’s best friend.
Ryo, who...
Ryo, who he was positive that there were absolutely positively no words in all the languages of the entire world that could be used to fully describe what he was exactly to Shige. But he was fine with that. He was better with photographs than words anyway.
He acted then and pressed his lips to Ryo’s in a soft kiss that told him that he liked Ryo as well. More than the words he had used in the magazine could possible project. More than pictures could take.
And Ryo kissed him back in an equally soft kiss that spoke wonders. It also said blatantly clear that Ryo liked Shige a whole lot more than Shige liked him, and normally, Shige would argue with that, because he was always sure his feelings came off a little stronger than others, especially when he liked something. But Ryo deepened the kiss first to back up its statement. He figured, that he’d let Ryo have this one. What was the point in arguing about it anyway? As long as they liked each other, who cared?
Shige pulled away first and pressed his forehead to Ryo’s, taking in deep breaths and keeping his eyes closed. He was, for the first time, not worried about a single thing. Koyama was happy with Yamapi, Shige had gotten his first big project published in the magazine, Ryo actually liked him back, and he was perfectly happy. If anything bad wanted to happen whether it be that day or not, it could wait till next week because right now all he wanted to do was to spend his vacation with Ryo, on the couch in his apartment with the nice September breeze blowing in from the balcony.