Requested drabbles batch #7-14
I was running out of room, so here's the second post with drabbles in answer to prompts from this post. I appreciate that drabbles are, in theory, 100 words and none of these are that length, some of them overstepping the mark by a great deal, but okay, whatever, I fail at drabbles. Follows on from Post 1.
Bulk disclaimer: Not mine, damnit.
Rating: Anywhere up to PG-13 unless explicitly stated otherwise.
#7 - Prompt from lineelu2001: KAT-TUN + Pi, around the time when Jin was with high fever during Hokkaido con! and then falling sick again and diagnosed with gastroenteritis during the week of three recordings of CTKT. Word: Care.
#7: You're Never Too Sick to Care
Jin's life is a rollercoaster of highs and lows, a stomach-churning ride of sharp corners and long, straight stretches where he's moving so fast, all he can do is hang on and keep going forward. It's hard to keep track of everything that happens, especially when KAT-TUN are on tour and the schedule's tight this year, so many shows crammed so close together with little breathing space in between. The one thing that does always stick with him is the care he receives from the people who love him.
Yamapi phones when KAT-TUN are in Hokkaido, on the final stop of the tour. It's a short conversation. Pi's got places of his own to be, got work that needs doing and he, at least, doesn't have a high fever getting in his way.
"It's only another couple of days," he says gently. "Then you can come home."
Jin curls around his pillow, trying to get comfortable on the latest in a long line of hotel beds, and wishes the phone didn't echo so much in his ears. Home feels like it's on another continent, not just another island. "Tell my family I don't want to be buried at sea."
"You say that every year when you get sick, and every year you survive no matter how many needles they stick in you. You'll live. Trust Dr. Aizawa."
"Maybe when you've actually been to med school," Jin groans. His mouth's uncomfortably dry, makes talking like taking bites out of a cake of sand. He can't remember whether or not he's still got a bottle of water in the fridge, but if he gets up to find out, he's not sure he'll make it all the way across the room. "How did you know I was sick, anyway?"
"Kame called to say you could do with hearing a voice from home. You've always got something to come back to, Jin. Come back knowing you tried your hardest and you'll have nothing to regret, okay?"
Jin's cracked lips twist into a smile. His best friend excels at comforting phrases like that, always seems to know the right thing to say. Jin can only say what he feels, but it doesn't always come out the way he wants it to and sometimes he wishes he hadn't said anything at all. Yamapi's words are heartfelt and that helps, warming Jin's heart in a way that has nothing to do with his fever. He's not at his best right now and everyone knows it, but he has the strength of his friends to compensate for his weakness and if he has that he's not afraid to try.
Things are worse when the concerts start. Jin stays behind for most of the afternoon encore and there's no encore at all for the first evening show. Making dirty jokes to titillate the fans isn't much compensation for his obvious lack of energy and he has to keep sitting down. Even backstage he's spending half his time in the bathroom, returning after each trip to worried faces and enquiries into his health. He tries not to be a burden - everyone is tired but they're all working hard, from the other members to the Juniors and all the support staff, each of them determined to make the shows a success. He doesn't want them to have to fuss over him, no matter how good it feels to sink onto soft cushions and let someone bring him ice water.
The suggestion that they skip the evening encore doesn't come from Jin. He's not sure whose it is, actually, because he was throwing up at the time, and when he returns he's feeling so wretched he'll agree to anything that involves him not going out under hot stage lights and pretending to be perky. He feels bad for the audience, who've paid good money to see them, and he hates that he's let the side down, but Kame hugs him when they leave the stage that night and lets him lean on his shoulder till they reach the dressing room and Jin can collapse, recover his strength before returning to the hotel.
"There's still time," Jin says feebly once he sits down. "The audience won't have left yet. You could go out and start 'She Said' and I'll join you in a couple of minutes."
"Forget it." Koki passes him a bottle of water, which Jin accepts gratefully. It feels like he's sweated out half his body weight in one day. "You'll be better tomorrow if you don't push yourself tonight."
"And we're all exhausted," Nakamaru points out. "I don't think I can move again now I've stopped."
Even Ueda's not his usual energetic self, dropping gracelessly to the couch to mop sweat from his brow. Junno's eyes are closed already.
Kame's holding an ice-cold bottle of his own against his forehead, body feverishly warm next to Jin's. He's been sick too, travelling around for Gokusen movie promotions, and while he's able to hide it better his health has also been a source of concern for them all during the tour. Crazy schedules might be Kame's bread and butter but he's not invulnerable and Jin certainly isn't.
"We've already decided no encore tonight," Kame says. "You're going straight back to the hotel and staying there to rest till it's time for work."
"You'll scare anyone if you go out without sunglasses, anyway," Koki adds. "Your eyes look like Ueda's been using you as a punchbag."
Ueda holds up a hand, not really paying attention. "I didn't do it."
"But...you guys have been covering for me all day," Jin protests, "and if we don't go out they'll be cross with all of us, and-"
"Then they'll just have to be cross with all of us," Kame says. "It's okay to lean on us when you're struggling. The six of us go together, right? We're not going to go anywhere you can't follow."
Jin knows Kame's not trying to make him feel guilty for LA; rather, it's reassurance that regardless of their solo activities and time spent apart from the group, the six of them are one when it counts and when one member is in trouble the others are always there to support him. It's part of what makes them a family, having grown up together for all these years. They don't have the kind of friendships where they need to see each other constantly, spend every second in each other's pockets, and with the way their schedules work out sometimes they only get together as a group every couple of weeks. But that's the great thing about family - you can go without seeing each other, or fight, and it doesn't matter because the bonds that keep you together are strong enough to withstand it.
Months after the tour has finished, Jin has occasion to call on those bonds again. When everyone else he knows is going down with flu, he gets floored by gastroenteritis and finds himself spending more time in the bathroom than anywhere else. Abdominal cramps keep him bedridden otherwise, too weak to move more than absolutely necessary and only sitting up straight so he doesn't spill drinks all over himself. Work is out of the question unless there's a director out there looking to cast a celebrity zombie in an entirely bed-based horror movie. (This being Japan, he doesn't rule it out.)
He knows he'll recover within the week but that doesn't make it any less excruciating when he has to call his manager and explain that he's sick - again - and won't be able to make it for Cartoon KAT-TUN filming because he can't even leave his apartment right now, never mind drag himself to the studio. It's bad; they're supposed to be filming three episodes today and if he doesn't go, that's effectively three weeks he'll be absent for.
It's not that he does a tremendous amount in the studio, he has to admit, but it's important that he's there. Except right now the most he can do is make this one phone call, because he's hot and dizzy and aching and there's no way he can go in front of a camera like this. He'd like to phone the other members and apologise for letting them down, but that would take more concentration than he can spare at the moment and if he lets himself think about it he'll only feel worse.
His mother, when he eventually manages to contact her, tells him to drink lots of fluids and drops off enough bottles to last him through a siege. She's got an appointment and can't stay, though. Everyone's either busy or sick themselves, and Jin falls asleep alone, tired and empty.
He wakes up hours later to find Kame disposing of the empty bottles and opening windows to clear the stale, sickroom smell from the apartment. Kame has his spare key, gets a new one every time Jin moves to a new place because if no one can get hold of him on his ever-present phone it means he's either still asleep or he's too ill to answer. In either case, intervention is required.
Jin starts to sit up, to greet Kame, but his stomach lurches and he has to run to the bathroom before he can even say hello. It's embarrassing and he feels horrible when he emerges, but Kame doesn't care, just keeps on straightening up Jin's home like he lives there himself. Jin crawls back into bed, flattens himself against the pillows, and hopes he can open his mouth without anything other than words flowing out of it.
"Hey," he croaks.
Kame stops tidying, perches on the very edge of the bed with a taut wariness that says he's prepared to move any second if Jin shows signs of being about to vomit all over him. "Hi. I was going to ask if you were feeling better but I think I get the picture..."
"Better than I did this morning." Jin scratches his neck, feeling strands of hair that have come loose from the short ponytail. "If only because I don't think I've got anything left in my stomach. I wanted to call and say sorry, but..." He shrugs. "I fell asleep."
"You look like you could do with the rest." Kame gives him a comforting pat on the closest body part within reach, which happens to be his knee. "We didn't send mails because we thought the phone would disturb you, but everyone sends their best wishes for a quick recovery."
"Is that why you're here?"
Kame grins. "I'm here to stop you feeling guilty about not being able to work today. We said you were in LA, but your fedora was there to represent you."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. But they'll probably run some text on the screen to say you're ill. It'll be fine."
"It's not fine at all." Jin tips his head back and sighs. "You all had to cover for me again. I couldn't even show up and smile mutely for a couple of hours."
"Don't. It couldn't be helped. If you're sick, you're sick, and we've all known you long enough to know when you're faking and when you're really ill. We told you, didn't we? You're not doing this by yourself, Jin. None of us are."
Jin knows that's true when the mails start to flood in. Offers of assistance, queries about whether he's up for visitors, 'get well soon' messages. Kame reads them to him since his vision swims when he tries to look at the tiny text on his phone. Each one is like a tiny ray of sunshine piercing the cloud of gloom that's surrounded Jin all day.
"See?" Kame says later, when they've worked their way through all the mails and Jin's managed to go a full hour without running to the bathroom. "Everyone's lending you their support. We'll welcome you back with a smile when you're ready." He rises, looking around for his car keys.
"You're going?"
"It's late," Kame points out, tapping his watch. "I should let you get some rest. You look exhausted."
"I've looked exhausted since I woke up this morning." Jin doesn't want Kame to leave. It's nice to have someone fluffing his pillows, and helping him change into a fresh T-shirt, and soothing him through painful spasms with colourful chatter and careful hands. If Kame goes the apartment will be dark again, and Jin will be alone.
But then he remembers that Kame was working today before he came over to Jin's apartment, and he probably hasn't had a chance to eat or do anything for himself all day. Kame will be working tomorrow, too, which is by no means guaranteed for Jin. It would be selfish to ask him to stay.
Kame evidently picks up on Jin's indecision because he offers to stay until Jin falls asleep. "But go to sleep quickly," he orders with a tired smile.
Jin gives it five minutes before faking a soft snore. He hears Kame laugh quietly to himself on his way out, not fooled for a moment. Sometimes, he can take care of Kame too, the way he used to when they were kids. Whatever else he forgets, he remembers every act of kindness, not just between the two of them but all his family, all his friends. That's a lot of memories to carry around with him, but it's okay - even though they have different weights, some light as air and others as heavy as a planet, they never weigh him down.
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#8 - Prompt from sweetpaopuwind: Jin and Kame run lines for and/or get cast as Takenaga Oda and Ranmaru Morii in YamaNade.
#8: Casting Doubt
"There's obviously been some kind of mistake!" Kame stares at his phone like it's just bitten him, but his manager's already hung up. He turns to Jin in dismay. "When did you even audition for Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge?"
Jin shrugs and goes back to wrestling with the film on his karaage box. Combini food sometimes requires an inordinate amount of skill to open. "I didn't. While you were in the bathroom after your audition for Kyouhei, the casting director came out and talked to me for a couple of minutes. That's the closest I got to an audition."
"He talked to you? Why?"
"Some people do, you know. I wish he hadn't, actually - I was trying to finish an English essay."
"An essay? Hmm." Kame approaches the box from the other side, slices the film with a tri-coloured nail, and says, "I think I'm starting to understand. What did you talk about?"
Jin gives him a dirty look and tears the lid off by himself, only to have the first piece stolen by Kame. "He asked me about you...and girls. He wanted to know what kind of girls you liked. I told him you liked older women. Elegant, strong, stylish, that kind of thing. I thought Kyouhei wasn't supposed to be into girls, much?"
"He isn't," Kame groans, "but Ranmaru is. I've just been cast as a serial womaniser who seriously calls people 'kitten'."
It's a struggle, but Jin manages not to laugh at Kame's anguished expression. He can't stop smirking around mouthfuls of chicken, though. "At least you'll get to look hot? Ranmaru gets some decent outfits. And you'll have girls all over you, which is more than whoever's cast as Yuki will get."
"They haven't cast Kyouhei, Yuki or Sunako yet."
"Do you know who's playing the bookworm?"
"Believe it or not," and now it's Kame's turn to be amused, "they've cast you as Takenaga. I guess your English essay must've impressed them."
"But I didn't even get a good grade!" Jin wails. "I have to spend the next couple of months playing a repressed brainbox from an ultra-traditional family?"
"With a gorgeous girlfriend," Kame points out. "Who gets to make you blush a lot. On second thought, this could be kind of fun..."
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#9 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: AKAME. Kame vs Jin's fedoras. This one gets a bit higher rated, okay?
#9: Hatricide
Kame doesn't object to hats on principle. He can't - he's got dozens of his own and he wouldn't say no to more. He doesn't object to other people wearing hats, either, except when they're sitting in front of him at the movies...or happen to be using their hats to hide from the world, the way Jin does.
Sure, it's not all the time. Jin's probably got even more hats than Kame, and in winter he's almost never without one. The bobble hats are cute, the baseball caps are cool.
But the fedoras... Kame likes fedoras too, but he thinks of them as an accessory to complement his outfit, not a shield to keep him at arm's length from the prying eyes of fans. Of course there are some days when it's perfectly reasonable to wear sunglasses and tilt a big hat down over your eyes - usually the morning after a night out - in order not to scare anyone, but that doesn't even begin to cover all the photo shoots, or sessions filming Cartoon KAT-TUN, where Jin's peeking out at the camera from beneath a fedora and broadcasting silent "don't look at me" waves.
Something has to be done, and Kamenashi Kazuya is just the man for the job. He begins his campaign slowly, exercising the utmost care and discretion.
The first victim is a nice, light brown number Jin wears while they're on a shoot at Canal Café in Kagurazaka. He's wearing a brown leather jacket and his hair's tied back in a ponytail; Kame thinks the overall ensemble is hot in an Indiana Jones kind of way but he's got to start somewhere. He beckons Jin over to the railings to watch for koi. When the two of them are leaning across, Kame suddenly shouts that he's spotted the koi and waves his arms excitedly in the air, sending Jin's hat flying into the canal.
Jin spends the rest of the shoot sulking, which means a lot of cute, pouty pictures get taken and everyone - aside from Jin - is happy. Kame kindly offers to pay for a replacement; Jin says he's got other hats but Kame is welcome to make it up to him in other ways after work. Kame thinks it's a fair price.
The second victim, Kame gets in front of the entire studio audience. Jin's wearing one of his trademark black fedoras while they film the studio portion of Cartoon KAT-TUN, and the souvenirs for the first episode include a giant tub of foam. Kame discreetly knocks over the plastic duck, sending it to the floor by Jin, and when Jin leans down to pick it up, Kame's elbow tips his hat into the tub.
Everyone laughs except Jin (and Nakamaru, who objects to Jin's hat spoiling his demonstration). Kame apologises through his giggles, suggests that perhaps Jin doesn't need to be wearing the hat indoors all the time. Jin has to keep his temper in check because they've got witnesses and frostily responds that Kame can repay him in the usual way. Fangirl speculation takes over the Internet for weeks.
For the third victim, Kame enlists the help of Nakamaru, who relishes the opportunity to get a little of his own back on one of his tormentors. When Jin's team is filming in an Italian restaurant, learning the rules of good food service in a high class environment, they take it in turns to sit at the table with their guest and the instructor. Jin is wearing a cream fedora this time to match his dinner jacket, but the instructor tells him to remove it while he's eating. He lays it on the seat beside him. Nakamaru emerges from the kitchens with three large plates carefully balanced in his arms. The guest and the instructor get their plates on the table. Jin gets his all over his hat.
The director laughs so loud he has to be removed from the restaurant. Jin doesn't have any interest in collecting payment other than financial from Nakamaru, so he promises to deliver a bill. Nakamaru accepts this on the grounds that he can then pass it straight to Kame, and possibly charge him a little extra for the humiliation incurred by having to fail as a waiter.
The final victim is completely accidental. Jin's starting to get suspicious, wears fewer hats these days and has taken to hiding behind his hair instead. Nonetheless, he's wearing a black fedora with a skull-print band when they film the PV for their new single. Kame's sure it used to belong to him, but they've traded clothes and accessories so often neither of them would remember.
What he is sure of is that it doesn't go with the rest of the outfit. Jin resists everyone's attempts to tell him this and insists on wearing the hat. Kame's actually in such a good mood, he doesn't care. He doesn't have drama filming till tomorrow afternoon, which means that once they're done with the PV he can go home and not have to go straight to the set.
His tension is so high, in fact, that he bounces all over the place like he's acting in 'One Pound Gospel' again. When they break for lunch it takes him less than five minutes to devour the contents of his bento, persuade Jin to do the same, and talk him into slipping away to join Kame in a props cupboard.
Jin knows what they're there for, doesn't object when Kame pushes him up against the door and then tries to push him through it with his hips. It's been a frustrating morning for both of them, full of teasing hip-rolls and come-hither glances; the instant Jin manages to unbuckle his belt Kame's got a hand on his zip, tugging down his own pants with his free hand, in no mood to wait. Rough, frantic kisses are echoed below, only not so slick, friction making them both burn. The door rattles so much anyone outside would think there was an earthquake going on, but the only earthquake is inside the props cupboard, between the two of them, and there's no escaping it.
Kame drops to his knees, then, because the breathy moans Jin's trying to muffle are driving him crazy and he'd like to hear some more. He takes Jin in his mouth, keeps him in place with hands on his hips, and takes him from agony to ecstasy in short order.
Jin joins Kame on the floor, both of them breathless; it's a few minutes before Jin can return the favour. Kame's impatient but he knows Jin will only ever do things at his own pace and good things come to those who wait. It's his turn to prop himself against the door, now, and let Jin put that multi-talented tongue to excellent use. He's still wearing the fedora and Kame can't even see what's going on beneath it, but he can feel Jin's enthusiasm and he doesn't need to see to know what's going on.
Unfortunately, the rest of KAT-TUN don't need to see to know what's going on, either. Just as Kame's about to come, Koki and the others start banging on the door and telling them they're taking too long for a quickie and they actually need to get something from the cupboard. Kame draws back in alarm, leaving the warmth of Jin's mouth altogether, and like that, another hat is ruined.
After the loss of four hats, Jin finally gets the message. The next time they all get together is for a Music Station performance. Jin's not wearing a fedora.
He's wearing a bandana.
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#10 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: AKAME. After YamaNade starts airing, Kame seems to be going the rl Kyouhei route w/ everyone fawning over him. Jin is none too pleased.
#10: Popular Problems
As a popular idol group, KAT-TUN were used to obsessive fans. For years there had been people following them home, or ambushing them on trains, or snapping secret cell phone pictures of them when they were out and about. It had started out flattering, evolving into annoying, but it was nothing compared to what happened after Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge started airing.
After filming Music Station, they emerged from the studio to find a surprise waiting for them: a sleek black limo with tinted windows and a sign with Kame's name on it.
Jin's spirits lifted immediately. "You called us a limo?"
Kame shook his head. "Not me. Maybe it's a prank - check for cameras?"
They were all too busy checking for hidden cameras to see the limousine door sliding quietly open. Three tall, muscular men wearing dark suits and sunglasses emerged, clamped a hand over Kame's mouth and tried to drag him inside. Since he always kept at least half an eye on Kame, Jin was the first one to notice. He managed to catch hold of Kame's legs just as they were disappearing into the car and yelled for the others to help.
KAT-TUN won the struggle with sheer numbers, though Kame's jeans acquired a few new rents and Koki's nail polish got chipped in the process. The men dived back into the limo and sped away before anyone could note down the registration.
"They didn't look like rabid fangirls to me," Nakamaru said after the group decamped to the nearest coffee shop to recover.
"I didn't even get to see them." Kame rubbed a hand over his bruised mouth. "I wonder what they wanted?"
Jin gave him one of those "I can't believe you're being this naïve" looks. "What do you think they wanted? They sure weren't after charity donations."
"I'm assuming none of you arranged a kidnapping as an early birthday surprise?" Kame asked.
Everyone looked at Ueda. "Not guilty," he said.
"I'll just have to stay by your side night and day," Jin said to Kame. "You need a bodyguard."
"All five of you were standing right by me when it happened," Kame pointed out, "and it's not going to happen again. I'll stay away from dark cars and people who wear sunglasses at night."
Junno earned himself a sharp kick under the table from Jin when he commented, "That rules out Akanishi."
There were no more kidnapping attempts but things didn't stop there. Jin opened his front door one morning to find a mountain of envelopes and parcels waiting for him. It took him twenty minutes to dig himself out, by which time he'd established that almost the entire lot was for Kame. The sole item of post for Jin was a phone bill - the first he'd had in months, as his stalkers tended to make off with them.
Since Kame was much better than Jin at keeping his address a secret, his many devoted fans had nowhere to send tokens of their love. Johnnys Family Club didn't allow presents, only letters, and that simply wasn't good enough for them. Too impersonal. Then some bright spark decided to use Jin as a delivery boy.
"We shouldn't be eating all this," Yamapi said, finishing yet another box of chocolate. "Isn't it supposed to be for Kame?"
Jin swallowed the last bite of the tiny sponge cake and looked around for something else to open. "He's filming a drama, he can't eat it. I was trapped under all of this for nearly half an hour, Pi. I deserve it."
"And me?"
"Best friends share. Too bad Ryo-chan's in Osaka right now and all the Shirotas are in Spain."
Yamapi dug around in the pile till he came up with a heart-shaped bento box. "More for us. You think we should tell Kame?"
"No," Jin said firmly. "He doesn't need to know about this."
It was fun for the first couple of days but when Jin's neighbours started complaining that his mail was blocking the halls, he had to speak to the post office. It had the desired effect but did lead to some awkward questions from various relatives who tried to send him things, only to be told he was deceased.
By the time he got around to telling Kame, they had bigger things to worry about than an excess of chocolate.
"They're surrounding the building!" Koki complained, peering out the window at the sea of starry-eyed fangirls.
Kame didn't even look up from his manga. KAT-TUN's dressing room was always so noisy. "Of course they're surrounding the building. The doors aren't open yet so they can't come in and take their seats."
"That's true," Nakamaru said, "but they're all chanting your name, and the ones closest to your poster have all passed out."
Ueda joined them at the window. "I haven't seen a nosebleed like that since I was at the gym yesterday."
"Do you think we should go out and say something?" Junno wondered. "Someone might get hurt out there."
"Yeah - us!" Jin blocked the door, unwilling to let any of them leave. "They'll tear us to pieces just to get to Kame."
Nakamaru considered this a moment. "We don't even have to film Cartoon KAT-TUN at all - we could send Kame out by himself, and within five minutes the audience would've passed out."
Sighing, Kame closed his book. "This is getting out of hand. There's got to be a way to stop people from wanting me."
"Don't look at me for suggestions," Jin said. "You're already tactless, blunt, bossy, competitive, annoyingly perfectionist - oh, and you've got a weird sense of humour and tiny nipples."
"But none of that stops anyone from wanting him," Koki rushed to defend Kame. "Especially you."
Jin was in no position to deny the charge. "Fine. Let's try a YamaNade tactic. Anyone got any eyedrops?"
"No, but if we talk about 'Shuuji to Akira' for about five minutes we should be able to generate enough tears between us to be convincing," Ueda suggested.
Kame threw a hairband at him. "The crying wasn't the point; it was supposed to help convince the girls that the guys all had someone else they loved."
"You do have someone else." Jin poked himself in the chest. "Me."
"And if I tell them that, we'll all be suspended. I need a girl."
Junno pulled out his cell phone. "Give me five minutes."
"I can get my own, thanks." Kame looked thoughtfully at the rack of costumes in the corner of the room. "What's your dress size, Jin?"
Quarter of an hour later, Jin was unrecognisable in a denim minidress and leggings (Ueda objected to these but was outvoted), plus a dark red wig and oversized sunglasses. Heavy makeup helped but the real key to the look was Jin's suede boots, which were kind of girly anyway.
"I can't believe I'm crossdressing to save you from rabid fangirls," Jin muttered.
"Careful; you'll smudge your lipstick." Kame settled a cute black beret atop the wig and they were ready to go. "Think of it as crossdressing to save hundreds of innocent young girls from fatal nosebleeds."
Before the studio audience was allowed inside, Kame slipped out to address them. He had every intention of thanking them politely for their affections but lamenting that he could not accept, because his heart belonged to another. Then he'd bring Jin out as proof, maybe hold his hand for a bit just to be convincing. The girls would all be upset, of course, but they'd settle down, word would spread and things would get back to normal.
At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately the director ruined it by sticking his head out the door and bellowing at Jin, by name, to get out of "that ridiculous costume". The situation reached boiling point, with the crowd so overjoyed by the sudden AkaKame revival (with crossdressing, no less) that their fangirl brains just couldn't take it. They passed out in waves.
Kame slunk back in, feeling that someone should call the paramedics to take care of the hordes of unconscious girls, but not quite sure how to explain why they'd fainted. Jin slipped off the wig with the hand that wasn't holding Kame's and broke the news to the others that there would be no studio audience today.
Or possibly ever again, unless they hired a small army for protection.
"The agency will never agree to pay for that," Nakamaru said glumly. "Maybe we can get some of the older Juniors to do it. Crook a finger at Fujigaya and he's yours, Kame."
"I thought we were supposed to be the tough group." Koki sounded confused.
"We are, but I can't hit a girl," Kame explained. "I know who can, though - even if it's just to tsukkomi her."
Jin picked up on his idea immediately. "You mean..."
"Yes. Get enough food together as payment and we should be able to bribe Kanjani8."
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#11 - Prompt from lineelu2001: Wakui Masakazu/Miroku-Miroku an ill teen that Wakui is treating. For those who don't know, Wakui is Kame's character from episode 3 of 'MR. BRAIN'.
#11: Impatient
Normally, when Miroku had occasion to visit a hospital, he was seen by one of Seishiro's relatives. He found it comforting, knowing the Kikumasamune family had sufficient medical knowledge and experience to cure him of anything short of death, and that his friend would not be best pleased if Miroku should chance to suffer in their care.
Not this time, however. Miroku had come by his current status while running an errand for the Shirafuji-gumi, and the old man had insisted on having him seen on the quiet by one of his own pet doctors, so as not to let word get back to Miroku's father. There was no good way to explain to the police commissioner why his son had been rendered unconscious in a fight between two rival yakuza clans, much less why he'd been on the winning side at the time.
The doctor in question was a surprisingly young man named Wakui Masakazu; quiet and serious, unlike almost everyone else who worked for the boss. He was supposed to be brilliant, so all the nurses said when they weren't too busy discussing his looks. He was also extremely diligent, which proved to be a problem for Miroku.
"It's not a good idea to move so much yet," Wakui said when he found Miroku clinging unsteadily to the windowsill of his private room. "If you're going to continue these escape attempts, I think you should forget about climbing down the tree. In your current condition you'll never make it."
Miroku cursed under his breath and allowed his doctor to help him back into bed. It was the third time in two days he'd been foiled by Wakui paying him an unexpected visit. His previous attempts had involved bribing an orderly to switch clothes with him (Wakui had walked in when he was mid-change, given him an appraising look, and ordered him back to bed), and sneaking out the door under cover of darkness (Wakui had stopped by to check on him before leaving for the night).
Still, it did feel good to sprawl against the pillows again. Miroku's head hadn't stopped aching since that guy from the Midori-gumi had cracked a baseball bat over it, and he had numerous minor wounds from the brawl. He'd only gone to the bar to deliver a message, for heaven's sake - how was he to know all hell would break loose? Good thing it was school holidays and he didn't have to be anywhere. Word had been spread that he'd gone to visit his mother in France for a few days, which meant no one would be expecting to see him, including his father.
But there was one person who would definitely be missing him by now. "I have to go home," Miroku said. "My dog needs me." It just felt wrong, waking up in the morning without Otokoyama licking his face.
"I'm sure the boss has taken care of it." Wakui settled himself down on the chair next to the bed. "He thinks of you very highly."
"Guess he feels the same about you or you wouldn't be stuck with me," Miroku muttered. "How'd a guy like you wind up as a mob doctor, anyway? You look too straitlaced."
Everything about Wakui was neat and orderly, from his sparkling white coat to his small, silver-rimmed glasses. Even his trainers were dazzling. He couldn't have been a more picture-perfect doctor.
"I'm not." Wakui smiled wryly. "I happen to owe them a few favours, one of which involves ensuring you don't leave this hospital until you're well enough to walk more than ten paces without falling over."
"Favours in return for what?"
"A rich boy like you might not realise it but medical school is expensive."
Miroku squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable. His family had money, true, but he never really thought of himself as having much to do with it - not like, say, Bidou, for whom the finest things in life were everyday essentials. As long as Miroku had enough to keep himself in lollipops, his bike in fuel and Otokoyama in food, he was happy. He had the smarts and the skills to do practically anything he wanted after graduation, whether that involved attending university or entering the world of work, and he doubted he'd have a problem financing either. Even if he found himself unexpectedly destitute, he had friends all over Tokyo (and on both sides of the law) who'd be more than happy to help him out.
But Wakui didn't seem resentful - more wistful, than anything else. "I decided I was prepared to do whatever it took. Because I made that choice, I've been able to save lives, working here. I believe it was worth it." Considering the level of care Wakui had provided since his admission, Miroku had to agree with him. "But you're not what I expected, either. I thought a highschooler working for yakuza would be...no longer in high school, probably."
"I have a wide circle of friends." Miroku didn't want to explain further. "I help them out when they need me."
"Ah, you're a good kid, aren't you?"
Wakui changed the dressing on Miroku's left forearm, where a thug with a particularly sharp set of rings had cut a deep swathe across the skin, and left him to his own devices. (The devices, in this case, were literal: Miroku's cell phone and the laptop he'd offered to repair for the nervous-looking intern who kept blushing around him.) He wasn't a bad guy, Miroku thought. A little too serious, maybe, but undoubtedly conscientious, and that was a good trait for a doctor.
And he had a lovely smile. Wakui didn't look the twenty-eight years he claimed to have; when he smiled he appeared even younger, closer to Miroku's own age. It made Miroku's enforced hospital stay that much more interesting.
But that didn't mean he was planning on sticking around much longer. It took him all of five minutes to fix the laptop, connect his cell phone as a modem and break into the hospital's systems in search of blueprints.
There had to be an escape route somewhere.
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#12 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: YES AKAME HAI. I WANT AN OUTTAKE FROM THE CYBERPUNK AU, Ueda and Koki forces Jin to bring Kame to Ueda's club so they can meet him. (This takes place about a week after the end of Netting a Turtle is a Virtual Affair.)
#12: Addition to 'Netting a Turtle...
Sometimes, Jin really didn't know why he visited Dictator's House of Fun. Ueda said it was because he was completely M, but Jin wasn't there to sample that side of the House's pleasures, only to see his friends. Of course, sometimes he'd rather not see them, either.
"I'm not doing it. No way." Jin folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the bar. "You can't make me."
"We always make you," Ueda said. "Don't think you're getting out of it this time."
"It's traditional," Koki said. "I thought you secretly liked tradition?"
"I like tradition when I get something out of it. Making me bring anyone I'm seeing here for you guys to vet doesn't do me any favours."
Ueda flashed a sadistic smile. "No, but it's incredibly entertaining."
Koki clinked his bottle against Ueda's. "And we're only doing it because we have your best interests at heart. We can't let just anyone have you, can we? Look what happened with your last girlfriend."
"We knew it was a mistake," Ueda shook his head, "but did you listen? No."
That Jin's relationship with Maki had gone sour after a couple of very nice months probably wasn't down to Koki and Ueda's opinion of her, but Jin was still reluctant to bring Kame to the club. It had only been a week since they'd met in person for the first time and things were at that awkward stage where neither of them was quite sure how to close the physical gap that hadn't existed on-line. Not counting the night they'd met, they'd been on a grand total of one off-line date so far - and even that was a hastily-planned lunch date, and Jin had had to get back to the office afterwards.
It would be risky, bringing Kame to meet his friends. Not in the security sense - all of them were far enough in the shadows to know better than to jeopardise their positions - but what if they didn't get along? What if the meeting went so badly Kame never wanted to have anything to do with Jin again?
"You've finally found your mysterious turtle," Ueda said. "Don't you want to show him off?"
"Or are you two so lovey-dovey you don't want to let anyone else near him?" Koki teased.
"N-no, but-"
"Then you'll do it. Good." Ueda clapped him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow night. I'll even let him have his drinks on the house, too."
The free drinks might help, Jin thought. Enough of them and Kame might not even remember if he enjoyed himself or not. "You're going to pester me until I agree, aren't you?"
"You've already agreed," Koki said. "See you tomorrow."
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#13 - Prompt from kriszeth: akame - "I'll treat you like a QueenKing" (This takes place before the epilogue of 'Silver Cinders...'.)
#13: Getting the Royal Treatment
The first couple of days after Jin moved into the palace were chaotic but enjoyable, mostly spent chasing after his black Labrador, Junno, who was thrilled to have free run of the enormous grounds. Prince Kame made a nuisance of himself by ordering all the servants around to prepare the bedroom next to his for Jin. King Tackey and Queen Tsubasa (it was a non-gendered job title) tried to get to know their future son-in-law, assuming Kame managed to talk him into marriage. They deliberately set the wedding date a year in the future, just in case.
Jin proved difficult to keep track of, though Yamapi tried his best, following the prince's intended as he explored his new home from the highest attic (now used to hold Kame's excess clothing) to the lowest wine cellar (formerly a dungeon, but there wasn't much call for that sort of thing anymore). When Jin lingered the longest in the palace kitchens, Yamapi knew he'd found a friend for life.
When all the dust settled and Jin's new quarters were ready, he and his few possessions moved out of the guest suite and took up residence next door to the prince. Jin had never had so much space to himself, much less his own bathroom. It was a lot to get used to, very different from his life with his stepfamily. But at least he wasn't responsible for cleaning it.
"Is the room okay?" Kame asked, hovering anxiously at the end of the bed while Jin tested the bounce potential of the mattress. "I asked them to put in a basket for Junno."
"He turned backflips when he saw it," Jin said, being completely serious. His pet was capable of extraordinary gymnastic feats. "I can tell he likes it, and so do I. It's great."
"See, there's a bell here if you need to ring for a servant," Kame touched a hand to the panel by the headboard, "or you press here to reach the internal switchboard, and here's a map of the grounds in case you feel like going for a midnight stroll, and-"
Jin bounced off the bed and smiled. "It'll be fine, don't worry. It sounds like you've thought of everything."
"Just about." Kame crossed the room, patted a small door on the side wall. "This leads to my room. Doesn't matter what the time is: if you need me for anything, come straight through. There's a bolt on both sides; it's permanently unlocked on my side." Slowly, deliberately, he locked Jin's side of the door.
Jin stared at him for a moment, puzzled, then nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly.
What neither of them mentioned, but both of them knew Jin had overheard, was a conversation between Kame and his parents when the bedroom was being made up. The King had pointed out that Jin had led quite a sheltered life with his stepfamily, never allowed to have a social life of his own, and likely had next to no experience of physical love. The Queen had added that the young couple hadn't known each other for very long and had plenty of time for their relationship to develop naturally. This had led to yet another trip down memory lane for Kame's parents, requiring him to flee the room before he got an eyeful of the Royal Love Life. Jin hadn't yet had the experience to know to do the same, but he learned quickly.
Being a prince, Kame didn't generally have trouble persuading anyone to sleep with him, but what he wanted to have with Jin was something permanent and for that to develop meant there was no sense rushing. He was happy to wait until Jin unlocked his side of the door of his own accord, whenever that might be.
What neither Kame nor his parents had factored in was that now Jin wasn't working himself to the bone every day as a household drudge, his stepfamily-suppressed hormones were free to drive him crazy. After one week of gentle kisses and frustratingly light, teasing touches, Jin shot back the bolt in the middle of the night, knowing full well the prince would still be awake and would welcome a visitor.
It was lunchtime before either of them had the energy to even try moving.
"You know that hot tub in my bathroom?" Kame mumbled, half into Jin's hair. "Maybe we can drag ourselves into it."
"Get some servants to carry us in." Jin wasn't sure he was capable of motion right now, though with Kame spooned up warm and comfortable behind him under the covers, he wasn't in any hurry to move. "Isn't that supposed to be one of the benefits of being royalty?"
Kame giggled, turning slightly so he didn't end up with a mouthful of hair. "You're catching on quick. By the end of the month you'll be a perfect princess."
"Princess." Jin scowled, not amused by the reminder of the title he'd be taking if he married Kame. That it was a non-gendered job title didn't help much; he still had to endure the teasing from his stepbrothers. Queen Tsubasa had been through the same thing, so Yamapi had said, but had ably defended his masculinity by showing the entire kingdom how studly he looked with facial hair. It also helped that he had the power to exile, execute, or otherwise make life miserable for anyone who made fun of him.
"I know you're not thrilled about it but the court insisted on it to keep things simple." Kame pressed a kiss to the side of Jin's neck, careful not to brush his collarbone. He'd learned that the hard way last night. "It's just a title; it doesn't mean anything. We'd be a partnership no matter what."
Jin was too exhausted to move much - it felt like he'd spent the night cleaning the entire palace, only much more enjoyable - but he did manage to find Kame's hand and grasp it. "You promise that?"
"Mmm, I promise. I've been waiting my entire life to find you; I'm not about to drive you away."
"Entire life? You're only sixteen."
"I didn't say it was a very long life," Kame admitted. "I don't have much power of my own yet and neither will you when we're married. We're both too young right now. But eventually, my parents will step down and we'll be King and Queen in their place. You'll be one of the two most powerful people in the entire kingdom. No one will ever be able to order you around again."
"Depends on how the wedding vows go," Jin cracked, but there wasn't much humour in his voice.
"You're under no obligation to pledge obedience," Kame assured him. "We've got almost a year to work on the vows; I'm sure we can come up with something that'll make us both happy."
Jin snuggled back against him, sighing in contentment. "Do you know how long it's been since anyone besides my dog - oh, and my Fairy Godmother - cared about my happiness?"
"You've got such a beautiful smile, everyone should want to make you happy so they get to see it all the time."
Jin turned just enough that Kame could see his face, complete with the aforementioned smile. "You really want to make me happy?"
Kame returned the expression with one of his own, promising everything Jin had ever dreamed of. "Of course. You might be a princess, but I'll treat you like a king."
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#14 - Prompt from valmora: Yuukan Club: Miroku/Seishiro/Miroku, martial arts or some other fighting theme.
#14: Something to Fight About
Miroku doesn't enjoy feuding with his friends, but he does enjoy fighting them - at least, he enjoys fighting against Seishiro. Not that he'd ever tell him that. Seishiro would be appalled if he found out how much Miroku relishes their sparring sessions.
It's all good practice, of course. Seishiro's all logic and discipline, fights with a cool head, can out-manoeuvre his opponent in the arena as easily as on the goban. Miroku's smart too but he fights on instinct, adapting to his situation on the fly, letting his reasons for fighting dictate his actions. More often than not that reason is to protect someone, and then he's at his strongest.
But it would be an insult to Seishiro to fight when he's at any less than his best, so when they spar, Miroku ensures he has something to protect - a secret. He protects the feeling he gets when Seishiro first touches him, whether it's a punch he's landed or one Miroku's blocked. Either way, it's contact.
Then there's the feeling when Seishiro doesn't touch him, because his hand slices the air just next to Miroku's face and Miroku shivers at the near miss, except it's not a miss because Seishiro's control is absolute and it's as good as saying Miroku's life is in his hands. Miroku wants to tilt, then, to move that inch that will allow him to lean into Seishiro's touch, but he can't.
Occasionally they'll have an audience - sometimes family members, but more often than not friends - and it's hard for Miroku to remember, in the heat of the moment, that they're not alone. There are times when Seishiro sweeps his legs out from under him, pins him to the floor with his body weight and Miroku wants to arch up against him, or perhaps pull him down further, get the pressure where he needs it most. Though if he does that, Seishiro won't be able to help noticing how much Miroku's enjoying himself.
But perhaps he already knows. Seishiro's very observant, after all - and he's the one arranging all their bouts.
Bulk disclaimer: Not mine, damnit.
Rating: Anywhere up to PG-13 unless explicitly stated otherwise.
#7 - Prompt from lineelu2001: KAT-TUN + Pi, around the time when Jin was with high fever during Hokkaido con! and then falling sick again and diagnosed with gastroenteritis during the week of three recordings of CTKT. Word: Care.
#7: You're Never Too Sick to Care
Jin's life is a rollercoaster of highs and lows, a stomach-churning ride of sharp corners and long, straight stretches where he's moving so fast, all he can do is hang on and keep going forward. It's hard to keep track of everything that happens, especially when KAT-TUN are on tour and the schedule's tight this year, so many shows crammed so close together with little breathing space in between. The one thing that does always stick with him is the care he receives from the people who love him.
Yamapi phones when KAT-TUN are in Hokkaido, on the final stop of the tour. It's a short conversation. Pi's got places of his own to be, got work that needs doing and he, at least, doesn't have a high fever getting in his way.
"It's only another couple of days," he says gently. "Then you can come home."
Jin curls around his pillow, trying to get comfortable on the latest in a long line of hotel beds, and wishes the phone didn't echo so much in his ears. Home feels like it's on another continent, not just another island. "Tell my family I don't want to be buried at sea."
"You say that every year when you get sick, and every year you survive no matter how many needles they stick in you. You'll live. Trust Dr. Aizawa."
"Maybe when you've actually been to med school," Jin groans. His mouth's uncomfortably dry, makes talking like taking bites out of a cake of sand. He can't remember whether or not he's still got a bottle of water in the fridge, but if he gets up to find out, he's not sure he'll make it all the way across the room. "How did you know I was sick, anyway?"
"Kame called to say you could do with hearing a voice from home. You've always got something to come back to, Jin. Come back knowing you tried your hardest and you'll have nothing to regret, okay?"
Jin's cracked lips twist into a smile. His best friend excels at comforting phrases like that, always seems to know the right thing to say. Jin can only say what he feels, but it doesn't always come out the way he wants it to and sometimes he wishes he hadn't said anything at all. Yamapi's words are heartfelt and that helps, warming Jin's heart in a way that has nothing to do with his fever. He's not at his best right now and everyone knows it, but he has the strength of his friends to compensate for his weakness and if he has that he's not afraid to try.
Things are worse when the concerts start. Jin stays behind for most of the afternoon encore and there's no encore at all for the first evening show. Making dirty jokes to titillate the fans isn't much compensation for his obvious lack of energy and he has to keep sitting down. Even backstage he's spending half his time in the bathroom, returning after each trip to worried faces and enquiries into his health. He tries not to be a burden - everyone is tired but they're all working hard, from the other members to the Juniors and all the support staff, each of them determined to make the shows a success. He doesn't want them to have to fuss over him, no matter how good it feels to sink onto soft cushions and let someone bring him ice water.
The suggestion that they skip the evening encore doesn't come from Jin. He's not sure whose it is, actually, because he was throwing up at the time, and when he returns he's feeling so wretched he'll agree to anything that involves him not going out under hot stage lights and pretending to be perky. He feels bad for the audience, who've paid good money to see them, and he hates that he's let the side down, but Kame hugs him when they leave the stage that night and lets him lean on his shoulder till they reach the dressing room and Jin can collapse, recover his strength before returning to the hotel.
"There's still time," Jin says feebly once he sits down. "The audience won't have left yet. You could go out and start 'She Said' and I'll join you in a couple of minutes."
"Forget it." Koki passes him a bottle of water, which Jin accepts gratefully. It feels like he's sweated out half his body weight in one day. "You'll be better tomorrow if you don't push yourself tonight."
"And we're all exhausted," Nakamaru points out. "I don't think I can move again now I've stopped."
Even Ueda's not his usual energetic self, dropping gracelessly to the couch to mop sweat from his brow. Junno's eyes are closed already.
Kame's holding an ice-cold bottle of his own against his forehead, body feverishly warm next to Jin's. He's been sick too, travelling around for Gokusen movie promotions, and while he's able to hide it better his health has also been a source of concern for them all during the tour. Crazy schedules might be Kame's bread and butter but he's not invulnerable and Jin certainly isn't.
"We've already decided no encore tonight," Kame says. "You're going straight back to the hotel and staying there to rest till it's time for work."
"You'll scare anyone if you go out without sunglasses, anyway," Koki adds. "Your eyes look like Ueda's been using you as a punchbag."
Ueda holds up a hand, not really paying attention. "I didn't do it."
"But...you guys have been covering for me all day," Jin protests, "and if we don't go out they'll be cross with all of us, and-"
"Then they'll just have to be cross with all of us," Kame says. "It's okay to lean on us when you're struggling. The six of us go together, right? We're not going to go anywhere you can't follow."
Jin knows Kame's not trying to make him feel guilty for LA; rather, it's reassurance that regardless of their solo activities and time spent apart from the group, the six of them are one when it counts and when one member is in trouble the others are always there to support him. It's part of what makes them a family, having grown up together for all these years. They don't have the kind of friendships where they need to see each other constantly, spend every second in each other's pockets, and with the way their schedules work out sometimes they only get together as a group every couple of weeks. But that's the great thing about family - you can go without seeing each other, or fight, and it doesn't matter because the bonds that keep you together are strong enough to withstand it.
Months after the tour has finished, Jin has occasion to call on those bonds again. When everyone else he knows is going down with flu, he gets floored by gastroenteritis and finds himself spending more time in the bathroom than anywhere else. Abdominal cramps keep him bedridden otherwise, too weak to move more than absolutely necessary and only sitting up straight so he doesn't spill drinks all over himself. Work is out of the question unless there's a director out there looking to cast a celebrity zombie in an entirely bed-based horror movie. (This being Japan, he doesn't rule it out.)
He knows he'll recover within the week but that doesn't make it any less excruciating when he has to call his manager and explain that he's sick - again - and won't be able to make it for Cartoon KAT-TUN filming because he can't even leave his apartment right now, never mind drag himself to the studio. It's bad; they're supposed to be filming three episodes today and if he doesn't go, that's effectively three weeks he'll be absent for.
It's not that he does a tremendous amount in the studio, he has to admit, but it's important that he's there. Except right now the most he can do is make this one phone call, because he's hot and dizzy and aching and there's no way he can go in front of a camera like this. He'd like to phone the other members and apologise for letting them down, but that would take more concentration than he can spare at the moment and if he lets himself think about it he'll only feel worse.
His mother, when he eventually manages to contact her, tells him to drink lots of fluids and drops off enough bottles to last him through a siege. She's got an appointment and can't stay, though. Everyone's either busy or sick themselves, and Jin falls asleep alone, tired and empty.
He wakes up hours later to find Kame disposing of the empty bottles and opening windows to clear the stale, sickroom smell from the apartment. Kame has his spare key, gets a new one every time Jin moves to a new place because if no one can get hold of him on his ever-present phone it means he's either still asleep or he's too ill to answer. In either case, intervention is required.
Jin starts to sit up, to greet Kame, but his stomach lurches and he has to run to the bathroom before he can even say hello. It's embarrassing and he feels horrible when he emerges, but Kame doesn't care, just keeps on straightening up Jin's home like he lives there himself. Jin crawls back into bed, flattens himself against the pillows, and hopes he can open his mouth without anything other than words flowing out of it.
"Hey," he croaks.
Kame stops tidying, perches on the very edge of the bed with a taut wariness that says he's prepared to move any second if Jin shows signs of being about to vomit all over him. "Hi. I was going to ask if you were feeling better but I think I get the picture..."
"Better than I did this morning." Jin scratches his neck, feeling strands of hair that have come loose from the short ponytail. "If only because I don't think I've got anything left in my stomach. I wanted to call and say sorry, but..." He shrugs. "I fell asleep."
"You look like you could do with the rest." Kame gives him a comforting pat on the closest body part within reach, which happens to be his knee. "We didn't send mails because we thought the phone would disturb you, but everyone sends their best wishes for a quick recovery."
"Is that why you're here?"
Kame grins. "I'm here to stop you feeling guilty about not being able to work today. We said you were in LA, but your fedora was there to represent you."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. But they'll probably run some text on the screen to say you're ill. It'll be fine."
"It's not fine at all." Jin tips his head back and sighs. "You all had to cover for me again. I couldn't even show up and smile mutely for a couple of hours."
"Don't. It couldn't be helped. If you're sick, you're sick, and we've all known you long enough to know when you're faking and when you're really ill. We told you, didn't we? You're not doing this by yourself, Jin. None of us are."
Jin knows that's true when the mails start to flood in. Offers of assistance, queries about whether he's up for visitors, 'get well soon' messages. Kame reads them to him since his vision swims when he tries to look at the tiny text on his phone. Each one is like a tiny ray of sunshine piercing the cloud of gloom that's surrounded Jin all day.
"See?" Kame says later, when they've worked their way through all the mails and Jin's managed to go a full hour without running to the bathroom. "Everyone's lending you their support. We'll welcome you back with a smile when you're ready." He rises, looking around for his car keys.
"You're going?"
"It's late," Kame points out, tapping his watch. "I should let you get some rest. You look exhausted."
"I've looked exhausted since I woke up this morning." Jin doesn't want Kame to leave. It's nice to have someone fluffing his pillows, and helping him change into a fresh T-shirt, and soothing him through painful spasms with colourful chatter and careful hands. If Kame goes the apartment will be dark again, and Jin will be alone.
But then he remembers that Kame was working today before he came over to Jin's apartment, and he probably hasn't had a chance to eat or do anything for himself all day. Kame will be working tomorrow, too, which is by no means guaranteed for Jin. It would be selfish to ask him to stay.
Kame evidently picks up on Jin's indecision because he offers to stay until Jin falls asleep. "But go to sleep quickly," he orders with a tired smile.
Jin gives it five minutes before faking a soft snore. He hears Kame laugh quietly to himself on his way out, not fooled for a moment. Sometimes, he can take care of Kame too, the way he used to when they were kids. Whatever else he forgets, he remembers every act of kindness, not just between the two of them but all his family, all his friends. That's a lot of memories to carry around with him, but it's okay - even though they have different weights, some light as air and others as heavy as a planet, they never weigh him down.
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#8 - Prompt from sweetpaopuwind: Jin and Kame run lines for and/or get cast as Takenaga Oda and Ranmaru Morii in YamaNade.
#8: Casting Doubt
"There's obviously been some kind of mistake!" Kame stares at his phone like it's just bitten him, but his manager's already hung up. He turns to Jin in dismay. "When did you even audition for Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge?"
Jin shrugs and goes back to wrestling with the film on his karaage box. Combini food sometimes requires an inordinate amount of skill to open. "I didn't. While you were in the bathroom after your audition for Kyouhei, the casting director came out and talked to me for a couple of minutes. That's the closest I got to an audition."
"He talked to you? Why?"
"Some people do, you know. I wish he hadn't, actually - I was trying to finish an English essay."
"An essay? Hmm." Kame approaches the box from the other side, slices the film with a tri-coloured nail, and says, "I think I'm starting to understand. What did you talk about?"
Jin gives him a dirty look and tears the lid off by himself, only to have the first piece stolen by Kame. "He asked me about you...and girls. He wanted to know what kind of girls you liked. I told him you liked older women. Elegant, strong, stylish, that kind of thing. I thought Kyouhei wasn't supposed to be into girls, much?"
"He isn't," Kame groans, "but Ranmaru is. I've just been cast as a serial womaniser who seriously calls people 'kitten'."
It's a struggle, but Jin manages not to laugh at Kame's anguished expression. He can't stop smirking around mouthfuls of chicken, though. "At least you'll get to look hot? Ranmaru gets some decent outfits. And you'll have girls all over you, which is more than whoever's cast as Yuki will get."
"They haven't cast Kyouhei, Yuki or Sunako yet."
"Do you know who's playing the bookworm?"
"Believe it or not," and now it's Kame's turn to be amused, "they've cast you as Takenaga. I guess your English essay must've impressed them."
"But I didn't even get a good grade!" Jin wails. "I have to spend the next couple of months playing a repressed brainbox from an ultra-traditional family?"
"With a gorgeous girlfriend," Kame points out. "Who gets to make you blush a lot. On second thought, this could be kind of fun..."
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#9 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: AKAME. Kame vs Jin's fedoras. This one gets a bit higher rated, okay?
#9: Hatricide
Kame doesn't object to hats on principle. He can't - he's got dozens of his own and he wouldn't say no to more. He doesn't object to other people wearing hats, either, except when they're sitting in front of him at the movies...or happen to be using their hats to hide from the world, the way Jin does.
Sure, it's not all the time. Jin's probably got even more hats than Kame, and in winter he's almost never without one. The bobble hats are cute, the baseball caps are cool.
But the fedoras... Kame likes fedoras too, but he thinks of them as an accessory to complement his outfit, not a shield to keep him at arm's length from the prying eyes of fans. Of course there are some days when it's perfectly reasonable to wear sunglasses and tilt a big hat down over your eyes - usually the morning after a night out - in order not to scare anyone, but that doesn't even begin to cover all the photo shoots, or sessions filming Cartoon KAT-TUN, where Jin's peeking out at the camera from beneath a fedora and broadcasting silent "don't look at me" waves.
Something has to be done, and Kamenashi Kazuya is just the man for the job. He begins his campaign slowly, exercising the utmost care and discretion.
The first victim is a nice, light brown number Jin wears while they're on a shoot at Canal Café in Kagurazaka. He's wearing a brown leather jacket and his hair's tied back in a ponytail; Kame thinks the overall ensemble is hot in an Indiana Jones kind of way but he's got to start somewhere. He beckons Jin over to the railings to watch for koi. When the two of them are leaning across, Kame suddenly shouts that he's spotted the koi and waves his arms excitedly in the air, sending Jin's hat flying into the canal.
Jin spends the rest of the shoot sulking, which means a lot of cute, pouty pictures get taken and everyone - aside from Jin - is happy. Kame kindly offers to pay for a replacement; Jin says he's got other hats but Kame is welcome to make it up to him in other ways after work. Kame thinks it's a fair price.
The second victim, Kame gets in front of the entire studio audience. Jin's wearing one of his trademark black fedoras while they film the studio portion of Cartoon KAT-TUN, and the souvenirs for the first episode include a giant tub of foam. Kame discreetly knocks over the plastic duck, sending it to the floor by Jin, and when Jin leans down to pick it up, Kame's elbow tips his hat into the tub.
Everyone laughs except Jin (and Nakamaru, who objects to Jin's hat spoiling his demonstration). Kame apologises through his giggles, suggests that perhaps Jin doesn't need to be wearing the hat indoors all the time. Jin has to keep his temper in check because they've got witnesses and frostily responds that Kame can repay him in the usual way. Fangirl speculation takes over the Internet for weeks.
For the third victim, Kame enlists the help of Nakamaru, who relishes the opportunity to get a little of his own back on one of his tormentors. When Jin's team is filming in an Italian restaurant, learning the rules of good food service in a high class environment, they take it in turns to sit at the table with their guest and the instructor. Jin is wearing a cream fedora this time to match his dinner jacket, but the instructor tells him to remove it while he's eating. He lays it on the seat beside him. Nakamaru emerges from the kitchens with three large plates carefully balanced in his arms. The guest and the instructor get their plates on the table. Jin gets his all over his hat.
The director laughs so loud he has to be removed from the restaurant. Jin doesn't have any interest in collecting payment other than financial from Nakamaru, so he promises to deliver a bill. Nakamaru accepts this on the grounds that he can then pass it straight to Kame, and possibly charge him a little extra for the humiliation incurred by having to fail as a waiter.
The final victim is completely accidental. Jin's starting to get suspicious, wears fewer hats these days and has taken to hiding behind his hair instead. Nonetheless, he's wearing a black fedora with a skull-print band when they film the PV for their new single. Kame's sure it used to belong to him, but they've traded clothes and accessories so often neither of them would remember.
What he is sure of is that it doesn't go with the rest of the outfit. Jin resists everyone's attempts to tell him this and insists on wearing the hat. Kame's actually in such a good mood, he doesn't care. He doesn't have drama filming till tomorrow afternoon, which means that once they're done with the PV he can go home and not have to go straight to the set.
His tension is so high, in fact, that he bounces all over the place like he's acting in 'One Pound Gospel' again. When they break for lunch it takes him less than five minutes to devour the contents of his bento, persuade Jin to do the same, and talk him into slipping away to join Kame in a props cupboard.
Jin knows what they're there for, doesn't object when Kame pushes him up against the door and then tries to push him through it with his hips. It's been a frustrating morning for both of them, full of teasing hip-rolls and come-hither glances; the instant Jin manages to unbuckle his belt Kame's got a hand on his zip, tugging down his own pants with his free hand, in no mood to wait. Rough, frantic kisses are echoed below, only not so slick, friction making them both burn. The door rattles so much anyone outside would think there was an earthquake going on, but the only earthquake is inside the props cupboard, between the two of them, and there's no escaping it.
Kame drops to his knees, then, because the breathy moans Jin's trying to muffle are driving him crazy and he'd like to hear some more. He takes Jin in his mouth, keeps him in place with hands on his hips, and takes him from agony to ecstasy in short order.
Jin joins Kame on the floor, both of them breathless; it's a few minutes before Jin can return the favour. Kame's impatient but he knows Jin will only ever do things at his own pace and good things come to those who wait. It's his turn to prop himself against the door, now, and let Jin put that multi-talented tongue to excellent use. He's still wearing the fedora and Kame can't even see what's going on beneath it, but he can feel Jin's enthusiasm and he doesn't need to see to know what's going on.
Unfortunately, the rest of KAT-TUN don't need to see to know what's going on, either. Just as Kame's about to come, Koki and the others start banging on the door and telling them they're taking too long for a quickie and they actually need to get something from the cupboard. Kame draws back in alarm, leaving the warmth of Jin's mouth altogether, and like that, another hat is ruined.
After the loss of four hats, Jin finally gets the message. The next time they all get together is for a Music Station performance. Jin's not wearing a fedora.
He's wearing a bandana.
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#10 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: AKAME. After YamaNade starts airing, Kame seems to be going the rl Kyouhei route w/ everyone fawning over him. Jin is none too pleased.
#10: Popular Problems
As a popular idol group, KAT-TUN were used to obsessive fans. For years there had been people following them home, or ambushing them on trains, or snapping secret cell phone pictures of them when they were out and about. It had started out flattering, evolving into annoying, but it was nothing compared to what happened after Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge started airing.
After filming Music Station, they emerged from the studio to find a surprise waiting for them: a sleek black limo with tinted windows and a sign with Kame's name on it.
Jin's spirits lifted immediately. "You called us a limo?"
Kame shook his head. "Not me. Maybe it's a prank - check for cameras?"
They were all too busy checking for hidden cameras to see the limousine door sliding quietly open. Three tall, muscular men wearing dark suits and sunglasses emerged, clamped a hand over Kame's mouth and tried to drag him inside. Since he always kept at least half an eye on Kame, Jin was the first one to notice. He managed to catch hold of Kame's legs just as they were disappearing into the car and yelled for the others to help.
KAT-TUN won the struggle with sheer numbers, though Kame's jeans acquired a few new rents and Koki's nail polish got chipped in the process. The men dived back into the limo and sped away before anyone could note down the registration.
"They didn't look like rabid fangirls to me," Nakamaru said after the group decamped to the nearest coffee shop to recover.
"I didn't even get to see them." Kame rubbed a hand over his bruised mouth. "I wonder what they wanted?"
Jin gave him one of those "I can't believe you're being this naïve" looks. "What do you think they wanted? They sure weren't after charity donations."
"I'm assuming none of you arranged a kidnapping as an early birthday surprise?" Kame asked.
Everyone looked at Ueda. "Not guilty," he said.
"I'll just have to stay by your side night and day," Jin said to Kame. "You need a bodyguard."
"All five of you were standing right by me when it happened," Kame pointed out, "and it's not going to happen again. I'll stay away from dark cars and people who wear sunglasses at night."
Junno earned himself a sharp kick under the table from Jin when he commented, "That rules out Akanishi."
There were no more kidnapping attempts but things didn't stop there. Jin opened his front door one morning to find a mountain of envelopes and parcels waiting for him. It took him twenty minutes to dig himself out, by which time he'd established that almost the entire lot was for Kame. The sole item of post for Jin was a phone bill - the first he'd had in months, as his stalkers tended to make off with them.
Since Kame was much better than Jin at keeping his address a secret, his many devoted fans had nowhere to send tokens of their love. Johnnys Family Club didn't allow presents, only letters, and that simply wasn't good enough for them. Too impersonal. Then some bright spark decided to use Jin as a delivery boy.
"We shouldn't be eating all this," Yamapi said, finishing yet another box of chocolate. "Isn't it supposed to be for Kame?"
Jin swallowed the last bite of the tiny sponge cake and looked around for something else to open. "He's filming a drama, he can't eat it. I was trapped under all of this for nearly half an hour, Pi. I deserve it."
"And me?"
"Best friends share. Too bad Ryo-chan's in Osaka right now and all the Shirotas are in Spain."
Yamapi dug around in the pile till he came up with a heart-shaped bento box. "More for us. You think we should tell Kame?"
"No," Jin said firmly. "He doesn't need to know about this."
It was fun for the first couple of days but when Jin's neighbours started complaining that his mail was blocking the halls, he had to speak to the post office. It had the desired effect but did lead to some awkward questions from various relatives who tried to send him things, only to be told he was deceased.
By the time he got around to telling Kame, they had bigger things to worry about than an excess of chocolate.
"They're surrounding the building!" Koki complained, peering out the window at the sea of starry-eyed fangirls.
Kame didn't even look up from his manga. KAT-TUN's dressing room was always so noisy. "Of course they're surrounding the building. The doors aren't open yet so they can't come in and take their seats."
"That's true," Nakamaru said, "but they're all chanting your name, and the ones closest to your poster have all passed out."
Ueda joined them at the window. "I haven't seen a nosebleed like that since I was at the gym yesterday."
"Do you think we should go out and say something?" Junno wondered. "Someone might get hurt out there."
"Yeah - us!" Jin blocked the door, unwilling to let any of them leave. "They'll tear us to pieces just to get to Kame."
Nakamaru considered this a moment. "We don't even have to film Cartoon KAT-TUN at all - we could send Kame out by himself, and within five minutes the audience would've passed out."
Sighing, Kame closed his book. "This is getting out of hand. There's got to be a way to stop people from wanting me."
"Don't look at me for suggestions," Jin said. "You're already tactless, blunt, bossy, competitive, annoyingly perfectionist - oh, and you've got a weird sense of humour and tiny nipples."
"But none of that stops anyone from wanting him," Koki rushed to defend Kame. "Especially you."
Jin was in no position to deny the charge. "Fine. Let's try a YamaNade tactic. Anyone got any eyedrops?"
"No, but if we talk about 'Shuuji to Akira' for about five minutes we should be able to generate enough tears between us to be convincing," Ueda suggested.
Kame threw a hairband at him. "The crying wasn't the point; it was supposed to help convince the girls that the guys all had someone else they loved."
"You do have someone else." Jin poked himself in the chest. "Me."
"And if I tell them that, we'll all be suspended. I need a girl."
Junno pulled out his cell phone. "Give me five minutes."
"I can get my own, thanks." Kame looked thoughtfully at the rack of costumes in the corner of the room. "What's your dress size, Jin?"
Quarter of an hour later, Jin was unrecognisable in a denim minidress and leggings (Ueda objected to these but was outvoted), plus a dark red wig and oversized sunglasses. Heavy makeup helped but the real key to the look was Jin's suede boots, which were kind of girly anyway.
"I can't believe I'm crossdressing to save you from rabid fangirls," Jin muttered.
"Careful; you'll smudge your lipstick." Kame settled a cute black beret atop the wig and they were ready to go. "Think of it as crossdressing to save hundreds of innocent young girls from fatal nosebleeds."
Before the studio audience was allowed inside, Kame slipped out to address them. He had every intention of thanking them politely for their affections but lamenting that he could not accept, because his heart belonged to another. Then he'd bring Jin out as proof, maybe hold his hand for a bit just to be convincing. The girls would all be upset, of course, but they'd settle down, word would spread and things would get back to normal.
At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately the director ruined it by sticking his head out the door and bellowing at Jin, by name, to get out of "that ridiculous costume". The situation reached boiling point, with the crowd so overjoyed by the sudden AkaKame revival (with crossdressing, no less) that their fangirl brains just couldn't take it. They passed out in waves.
Kame slunk back in, feeling that someone should call the paramedics to take care of the hordes of unconscious girls, but not quite sure how to explain why they'd fainted. Jin slipped off the wig with the hand that wasn't holding Kame's and broke the news to the others that there would be no studio audience today.
Or possibly ever again, unless they hired a small army for protection.
"The agency will never agree to pay for that," Nakamaru said glumly. "Maybe we can get some of the older Juniors to do it. Crook a finger at Fujigaya and he's yours, Kame."
"I thought we were supposed to be the tough group." Koki sounded confused.
"We are, but I can't hit a girl," Kame explained. "I know who can, though - even if it's just to tsukkomi her."
Jin picked up on his idea immediately. "You mean..."
"Yes. Get enough food together as payment and we should be able to bribe Kanjani8."
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#11 - Prompt from lineelu2001: Wakui Masakazu/Miroku-Miroku an ill teen that Wakui is treating. For those who don't know, Wakui is Kame's character from episode 3 of 'MR. BRAIN'.
#11: Impatient
Normally, when Miroku had occasion to visit a hospital, he was seen by one of Seishiro's relatives. He found it comforting, knowing the Kikumasamune family had sufficient medical knowledge and experience to cure him of anything short of death, and that his friend would not be best pleased if Miroku should chance to suffer in their care.
Not this time, however. Miroku had come by his current status while running an errand for the Shirafuji-gumi, and the old man had insisted on having him seen on the quiet by one of his own pet doctors, so as not to let word get back to Miroku's father. There was no good way to explain to the police commissioner why his son had been rendered unconscious in a fight between two rival yakuza clans, much less why he'd been on the winning side at the time.
The doctor in question was a surprisingly young man named Wakui Masakazu; quiet and serious, unlike almost everyone else who worked for the boss. He was supposed to be brilliant, so all the nurses said when they weren't too busy discussing his looks. He was also extremely diligent, which proved to be a problem for Miroku.
"It's not a good idea to move so much yet," Wakui said when he found Miroku clinging unsteadily to the windowsill of his private room. "If you're going to continue these escape attempts, I think you should forget about climbing down the tree. In your current condition you'll never make it."
Miroku cursed under his breath and allowed his doctor to help him back into bed. It was the third time in two days he'd been foiled by Wakui paying him an unexpected visit. His previous attempts had involved bribing an orderly to switch clothes with him (Wakui had walked in when he was mid-change, given him an appraising look, and ordered him back to bed), and sneaking out the door under cover of darkness (Wakui had stopped by to check on him before leaving for the night).
Still, it did feel good to sprawl against the pillows again. Miroku's head hadn't stopped aching since that guy from the Midori-gumi had cracked a baseball bat over it, and he had numerous minor wounds from the brawl. He'd only gone to the bar to deliver a message, for heaven's sake - how was he to know all hell would break loose? Good thing it was school holidays and he didn't have to be anywhere. Word had been spread that he'd gone to visit his mother in France for a few days, which meant no one would be expecting to see him, including his father.
But there was one person who would definitely be missing him by now. "I have to go home," Miroku said. "My dog needs me." It just felt wrong, waking up in the morning without Otokoyama licking his face.
"I'm sure the boss has taken care of it." Wakui settled himself down on the chair next to the bed. "He thinks of you very highly."
"Guess he feels the same about you or you wouldn't be stuck with me," Miroku muttered. "How'd a guy like you wind up as a mob doctor, anyway? You look too straitlaced."
Everything about Wakui was neat and orderly, from his sparkling white coat to his small, silver-rimmed glasses. Even his trainers were dazzling. He couldn't have been a more picture-perfect doctor.
"I'm not." Wakui smiled wryly. "I happen to owe them a few favours, one of which involves ensuring you don't leave this hospital until you're well enough to walk more than ten paces without falling over."
"Favours in return for what?"
"A rich boy like you might not realise it but medical school is expensive."
Miroku squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable. His family had money, true, but he never really thought of himself as having much to do with it - not like, say, Bidou, for whom the finest things in life were everyday essentials. As long as Miroku had enough to keep himself in lollipops, his bike in fuel and Otokoyama in food, he was happy. He had the smarts and the skills to do practically anything he wanted after graduation, whether that involved attending university or entering the world of work, and he doubted he'd have a problem financing either. Even if he found himself unexpectedly destitute, he had friends all over Tokyo (and on both sides of the law) who'd be more than happy to help him out.
But Wakui didn't seem resentful - more wistful, than anything else. "I decided I was prepared to do whatever it took. Because I made that choice, I've been able to save lives, working here. I believe it was worth it." Considering the level of care Wakui had provided since his admission, Miroku had to agree with him. "But you're not what I expected, either. I thought a highschooler working for yakuza would be...no longer in high school, probably."
"I have a wide circle of friends." Miroku didn't want to explain further. "I help them out when they need me."
"Ah, you're a good kid, aren't you?"
Wakui changed the dressing on Miroku's left forearm, where a thug with a particularly sharp set of rings had cut a deep swathe across the skin, and left him to his own devices. (The devices, in this case, were literal: Miroku's cell phone and the laptop he'd offered to repair for the nervous-looking intern who kept blushing around him.) He wasn't a bad guy, Miroku thought. A little too serious, maybe, but undoubtedly conscientious, and that was a good trait for a doctor.
And he had a lovely smile. Wakui didn't look the twenty-eight years he claimed to have; when he smiled he appeared even younger, closer to Miroku's own age. It made Miroku's enforced hospital stay that much more interesting.
But that didn't mean he was planning on sticking around much longer. It took him all of five minutes to fix the laptop, connect his cell phone as a modem and break into the hospital's systems in search of blueprints.
There had to be an escape route somewhere.
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#12 - Prompt from lilmatchgirl007: YES AKAME HAI. I WANT AN OUTTAKE FROM THE CYBERPUNK AU, Ueda and Koki forces Jin to bring Kame to Ueda's club so they can meet him. (This takes place about a week after the end of Netting a Turtle is a Virtual Affair.)
#12: Addition to 'Netting a Turtle...
Sometimes, Jin really didn't know why he visited Dictator's House of Fun. Ueda said it was because he was completely M, but Jin wasn't there to sample that side of the House's pleasures, only to see his friends. Of course, sometimes he'd rather not see them, either.
"I'm not doing it. No way." Jin folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the bar. "You can't make me."
"We always make you," Ueda said. "Don't think you're getting out of it this time."
"It's traditional," Koki said. "I thought you secretly liked tradition?"
"I like tradition when I get something out of it. Making me bring anyone I'm seeing here for you guys to vet doesn't do me any favours."
Ueda flashed a sadistic smile. "No, but it's incredibly entertaining."
Koki clinked his bottle against Ueda's. "And we're only doing it because we have your best interests at heart. We can't let just anyone have you, can we? Look what happened with your last girlfriend."
"We knew it was a mistake," Ueda shook his head, "but did you listen? No."
That Jin's relationship with Maki had gone sour after a couple of very nice months probably wasn't down to Koki and Ueda's opinion of her, but Jin was still reluctant to bring Kame to the club. It had only been a week since they'd met in person for the first time and things were at that awkward stage where neither of them was quite sure how to close the physical gap that hadn't existed on-line. Not counting the night they'd met, they'd been on a grand total of one off-line date so far - and even that was a hastily-planned lunch date, and Jin had had to get back to the office afterwards.
It would be risky, bringing Kame to meet his friends. Not in the security sense - all of them were far enough in the shadows to know better than to jeopardise their positions - but what if they didn't get along? What if the meeting went so badly Kame never wanted to have anything to do with Jin again?
"You've finally found your mysterious turtle," Ueda said. "Don't you want to show him off?"
"Or are you two so lovey-dovey you don't want to let anyone else near him?" Koki teased.
"N-no, but-"
"Then you'll do it. Good." Ueda clapped him on the shoulder. "Tomorrow night. I'll even let him have his drinks on the house, too."
The free drinks might help, Jin thought. Enough of them and Kame might not even remember if he enjoyed himself or not. "You're going to pester me until I agree, aren't you?"
"You've already agreed," Koki said. "See you tomorrow."
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#13 - Prompt from kriszeth: akame - "I'll treat you like a QueenKing" (This takes place before the epilogue of 'Silver Cinders...'.)
#13: Getting the Royal Treatment
The first couple of days after Jin moved into the palace were chaotic but enjoyable, mostly spent chasing after his black Labrador, Junno, who was thrilled to have free run of the enormous grounds. Prince Kame made a nuisance of himself by ordering all the servants around to prepare the bedroom next to his for Jin. King Tackey and Queen Tsubasa (it was a non-gendered job title) tried to get to know their future son-in-law, assuming Kame managed to talk him into marriage. They deliberately set the wedding date a year in the future, just in case.
Jin proved difficult to keep track of, though Yamapi tried his best, following the prince's intended as he explored his new home from the highest attic (now used to hold Kame's excess clothing) to the lowest wine cellar (formerly a dungeon, but there wasn't much call for that sort of thing anymore). When Jin lingered the longest in the palace kitchens, Yamapi knew he'd found a friend for life.
When all the dust settled and Jin's new quarters were ready, he and his few possessions moved out of the guest suite and took up residence next door to the prince. Jin had never had so much space to himself, much less his own bathroom. It was a lot to get used to, very different from his life with his stepfamily. But at least he wasn't responsible for cleaning it.
"Is the room okay?" Kame asked, hovering anxiously at the end of the bed while Jin tested the bounce potential of the mattress. "I asked them to put in a basket for Junno."
"He turned backflips when he saw it," Jin said, being completely serious. His pet was capable of extraordinary gymnastic feats. "I can tell he likes it, and so do I. It's great."
"See, there's a bell here if you need to ring for a servant," Kame touched a hand to the panel by the headboard, "or you press here to reach the internal switchboard, and here's a map of the grounds in case you feel like going for a midnight stroll, and-"
Jin bounced off the bed and smiled. "It'll be fine, don't worry. It sounds like you've thought of everything."
"Just about." Kame crossed the room, patted a small door on the side wall. "This leads to my room. Doesn't matter what the time is: if you need me for anything, come straight through. There's a bolt on both sides; it's permanently unlocked on my side." Slowly, deliberately, he locked Jin's side of the door.
Jin stared at him for a moment, puzzled, then nodded. "Thanks," he said quietly.
What neither of them mentioned, but both of them knew Jin had overheard, was a conversation between Kame and his parents when the bedroom was being made up. The King had pointed out that Jin had led quite a sheltered life with his stepfamily, never allowed to have a social life of his own, and likely had next to no experience of physical love. The Queen had added that the young couple hadn't known each other for very long and had plenty of time for their relationship to develop naturally. This had led to yet another trip down memory lane for Kame's parents, requiring him to flee the room before he got an eyeful of the Royal Love Life. Jin hadn't yet had the experience to know to do the same, but he learned quickly.
Being a prince, Kame didn't generally have trouble persuading anyone to sleep with him, but what he wanted to have with Jin was something permanent and for that to develop meant there was no sense rushing. He was happy to wait until Jin unlocked his side of the door of his own accord, whenever that might be.
What neither Kame nor his parents had factored in was that now Jin wasn't working himself to the bone every day as a household drudge, his stepfamily-suppressed hormones were free to drive him crazy. After one week of gentle kisses and frustratingly light, teasing touches, Jin shot back the bolt in the middle of the night, knowing full well the prince would still be awake and would welcome a visitor.
It was lunchtime before either of them had the energy to even try moving.
"You know that hot tub in my bathroom?" Kame mumbled, half into Jin's hair. "Maybe we can drag ourselves into it."
"Get some servants to carry us in." Jin wasn't sure he was capable of motion right now, though with Kame spooned up warm and comfortable behind him under the covers, he wasn't in any hurry to move. "Isn't that supposed to be one of the benefits of being royalty?"
Kame giggled, turning slightly so he didn't end up with a mouthful of hair. "You're catching on quick. By the end of the month you'll be a perfect princess."
"Princess." Jin scowled, not amused by the reminder of the title he'd be taking if he married Kame. That it was a non-gendered job title didn't help much; he still had to endure the teasing from his stepbrothers. Queen Tsubasa had been through the same thing, so Yamapi had said, but had ably defended his masculinity by showing the entire kingdom how studly he looked with facial hair. It also helped that he had the power to exile, execute, or otherwise make life miserable for anyone who made fun of him.
"I know you're not thrilled about it but the court insisted on it to keep things simple." Kame pressed a kiss to the side of Jin's neck, careful not to brush his collarbone. He'd learned that the hard way last night. "It's just a title; it doesn't mean anything. We'd be a partnership no matter what."
Jin was too exhausted to move much - it felt like he'd spent the night cleaning the entire palace, only much more enjoyable - but he did manage to find Kame's hand and grasp it. "You promise that?"
"Mmm, I promise. I've been waiting my entire life to find you; I'm not about to drive you away."
"Entire life? You're only sixteen."
"I didn't say it was a very long life," Kame admitted. "I don't have much power of my own yet and neither will you when we're married. We're both too young right now. But eventually, my parents will step down and we'll be King and Queen in their place. You'll be one of the two most powerful people in the entire kingdom. No one will ever be able to order you around again."
"Depends on how the wedding vows go," Jin cracked, but there wasn't much humour in his voice.
"You're under no obligation to pledge obedience," Kame assured him. "We've got almost a year to work on the vows; I'm sure we can come up with something that'll make us both happy."
Jin snuggled back against him, sighing in contentment. "Do you know how long it's been since anyone besides my dog - oh, and my Fairy Godmother - cared about my happiness?"
"You've got such a beautiful smile, everyone should want to make you happy so they get to see it all the time."
Jin turned just enough that Kame could see his face, complete with the aforementioned smile. "You really want to make me happy?"
Kame returned the expression with one of his own, promising everything Jin had ever dreamed of. "Of course. You might be a princess, but I'll treat you like a king."
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#14 - Prompt from valmora: Yuukan Club: Miroku/Seishiro/Miroku, martial arts or some other fighting theme.
#14: Something to Fight About
Miroku doesn't enjoy feuding with his friends, but he does enjoy fighting them - at least, he enjoys fighting against Seishiro. Not that he'd ever tell him that. Seishiro would be appalled if he found out how much Miroku relishes their sparring sessions.
It's all good practice, of course. Seishiro's all logic and discipline, fights with a cool head, can out-manoeuvre his opponent in the arena as easily as on the goban. Miroku's smart too but he fights on instinct, adapting to his situation on the fly, letting his reasons for fighting dictate his actions. More often than not that reason is to protect someone, and then he's at his strongest.
But it would be an insult to Seishiro to fight when he's at any less than his best, so when they spar, Miroku ensures he has something to protect - a secret. He protects the feeling he gets when Seishiro first touches him, whether it's a punch he's landed or one Miroku's blocked. Either way, it's contact.
Then there's the feeling when Seishiro doesn't touch him, because his hand slices the air just next to Miroku's face and Miroku shivers at the near miss, except it's not a miss because Seishiro's control is absolute and it's as good as saying Miroku's life is in his hands. Miroku wants to tilt, then, to move that inch that will allow him to lean into Seishiro's touch, but he can't.
Occasionally they'll have an audience - sometimes family members, but more often than not friends - and it's hard for Miroku to remember, in the heat of the moment, that they're not alone. There are times when Seishiro sweeps his legs out from under him, pins him to the floor with his body weight and Miroku wants to arch up against him, or perhaps pull him down further, get the pressure where he needs it most. Though if he does that, Seishiro won't be able to help noticing how much Miroku's enjoying himself.
But perhaps he already knows. Seishiro's very observant, after all - and he's the one arranging all their bouts.