Fic: The Camera Eye: Friendzoning [Mahiro x Subaru, NC-17]
Title: The Camera Eye: Friendzoning
Chapter: Fifty-fourth overall in The Camera Eye series, and the eighth story in Season 3. Links to previous installments can be found here
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, polyamory, 69
Pairing: Mahiro (Kiryu) x Subaru (Royz), mentions of Hayato (Codomo Dragon) x Subaru, Tomoya (Royz) x Subaru, Junji (Kiryu) x Mahiro and Junji x Tomoya
Disclaimer: Royz, Kiryu and Codomo Dragon belong to BP Records, I own the story only.
Summary: Mahiro knows that Subaru has a tendency to fall in love with guys, and then make them best-friends-with-benefits after he falls in love with the next guy. After Subaru’s rendezvous with Hayato, Mahiro finds himself confronting feelings that are as frightening as they are thrilling.
Notes:Immediate sequel to the last Camera Eye story, Japan’s Got Talent, you should probably read that one before this.
Mahiro was asked after the Aoi Presents show if he minded the fact that the Superstar had publicly identified Subaru as the one who discovered Codomo Dragon's video, who rescued it from certain the-postal-service-screwed-up-and-didn't-get-it-in-on-time obscurity and elevated it to the status of winner.
“You said you BOTH watched that video together, right?” Mitsuki asked him. “You both decided it was the winner. So why'd he say it was just him?”
“Well, he WAS the one who picked it up off the floor,” Mahiro said.
“Bullshit!” said Mitsuki. “That would have been you if you'd seen it two seconds earlier!”
“You said you both sat down and watched all his finalists, right?” said Takemasa. “You both did his job for him. So why did only he get the public credit?
“Aoi-sama said we both helped before he introduced the winner,” Mahiro said.
“But afterward, it was all about Subaru!” said Hiyori. “Don't you think that isn't fair?”
Mahiro shrugged. “It doesn't bother me. Subaru said on Twitter afterwards that it was as much me as him. Aoi retweeted what he said and added 'I agree.' It's no big deal, really. It doesn't bother me at all.”
But Junji quietly watched his lover talking to his friends. He knew there WAS something that was troubling Mahiro - and it wasn't anything to do with Aoi, though it DID have something to do with Subaru.
* * *
Junji first noticed it at the afterparty for the award presentation. All the Kiryu Video crew were invited, and, of course, all of Codomo Dragon were there. Their group found themselves talking to the newbies, and discoverd that they got along with them splendidly. And so, they all ended up sprawled across one of the parlors, drinks in hand, chatting and laughing. Tomoya was there along with them - at one point, he was on a couch, very much draped across Junji, which Junji didn't mind at all.
After they'd been there a couple of hours, though, Mahiro said, “Where's Subaru?”
Junji and Tomoya looked at each other. “He's at this party,” Junji said. “He would have told us if he were leaving.”
“Tomoya, you don't know where he is?” Mahiro said.
Tomoya shook his head. “He was talking to Yo-ka when I came in here with you guys. He's probably still with Yo-ka and Yuuki.”
“Hey - we haven't seen Hayato all night, either,” Kana said.
“Probably got picked up by some porn stud,” Chamu said, jiggling his beer bottle to see how much was left in the bottom and contemplating a refill.
“Are you kidding me?” said meN-meN. “If he got anywhere near a real star, he'd nosebleed all over him.”
“You don't think they're together, do you?” said Hiyori, peeking out into the main room of the party. “I don't see either of them out there.”
Mahiro was quiet. He remembered all too well what he'd been told about Subaru before - that he had a tendency to fall in love easily. He had a history of making friends by having passionate affairs with men, then adopting them into his life as friends.
First, he'd done that with Yuuki, then Yo-ka, then MiA . . . and then, Mahiro himself. In the few months since the JAVAS, they'd developed a relationship that was, well . . .
Friends-with-benefits, to be sure, just compounded by the fact that Junji and Tomoya were friends-with-benefits, too. But there was something about the way they were when they were together that seemed, well, warmer than just your usual friendship-plus-sex.
His relationship with Subaru made him feel like they were two plates in a set that stacked together perfectly. Heck, sometimes he thought that he, Junji, Subaru and Tomoya were a four-plate set - as complex as that was.
But . . . what if Subaru had found, well, his next crush? His next passionate affair? What if he was just going to focus on Hayato for his other-than-Tomoya playtime from now on?
What if Mahiro had been . . . friendzoned?
* * *
His fears were compounded when, sure enough, Subaru appeared about a half-hour later, with Hayato in tow.
“Hi, guys!” he said. “We were . . .”
“Out in the garden, talking,” Hayato said. “Did we miss anything?”
“Just these guys being dorks,” meN-meN said. “Like that's unusual.”
“They're as dorky as we are!” Chamu said, pointing to the Kiryu Video group. “That's how we know we're going to fit in with this company!”
Junji glanced over at Mahiro - who was just kind of sitting there, quietly. He decided his lover needed some talk time before they turned in - no matter how late it was.
Fortunately, Subaru and Tomoya were going back to their own place tonight. Having all four of them there would make this awkward. When they got back in their apartment, Mahiro tossed the keys on the table as usual. “I'll take a shower in the morning,” he said. “Right now, I just want to lie down.”
Junji suddenly wrapped his arms around him from behind. “Baby, I know something's bothering you. Out with it.”
“Nothing's bothering me,” Mahiro said.
“And I know you way better than that,” said Junji. “Now, you're not going to be able to sleep well if something's bugging you. And if you can't sleep well, I can't sleep well, I think we BOTH want to sleep tonight. So . . . tell me.”
“Junji, I . . .”
“It's Aoi not naming you as the discoverer of that video, isn't it?”
“No! That's . . .” He sighed. “All right, sit down. You're not going to let up on me until I say it, are you?”
“You know me very well, my love,” Junji said. The two of them sat on the couch. “If it's not Aoi, then . . .”
“It's Subaru,” Mahiro said. “It's Subaru and Hayato.”
“What . . . because they were outside?”
“Because . . . they were gone for a long time, and they came back in together, and you KNOW what happens at these parties as well as I do.”
Junji blinked. “Um, babe, you do know that Subaru's primarily in a relationship with Tomoya, right? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous.” Pause. “You're not, right?”
Mahiro looked away. Jealous? That was a word that wasn't supposed to exist in this industry. Everyone had open relationships with everyone else. Jealousy wasn't a concept that was supposed to happen with him. And yet . . here he was.
“I . . .” he said. “I know that Subaru has always had affairs with guys, and fallen in love with them, and afterwards, they became his close friends. . . . after he moves on to the next guy. So last night, he was with Hayato, and . . .”
“And you're afraid you two aren't going to be together anymore, right?”
Mahiro just looked away, quietly.
“Okay. I know we've been spending a lot of time with both of them - platonic and otherwise. I know that they've come to mean a lot to you. They've come to mean a lot to me, too.”
“Especially Tomoya?” Mahiro looked at his lover.
“I could say that Tomoya means as much to me as Subaru means to you.”
Mahiro looked at the ground. Junji knew him so well, so very well . . . no wonder they were soul mates. “Sometimes I wonder why we can't just be like other people. Why can't we just love one person at a time? Why do we have to be so . . . open? I mean, I love living the way I do, but at the same time . . . I envy people who have it easier than us.”
“Do they?” Junji said. “Do you really think people who are monogamous are happier than us? When they're in love with one person, and suddenly find themselves attracted to another, they go through a breakup, right? And then they break up with that new person to go with someone else completely different, and they wonder if they made the right choice. And then, if they're just attracted to just another person and want to have a fling with them? They have the guilt of being a cheater.”
He hugged Mahiro tightly. “Face it - we're just more honest than most people. We don't have any feelings that are different than anyone else. We just admit to ourselves and other people that we have them - and we're not ashamed of them. Plus, we're willing to make a relationship like ours work.”
Mahiro nestled into his lover's embrace. Junji had an effect on him like no one else. He made him feel calm, and secure, and just plain loved.
“Talk to Subaru,” Junji said. “Tell him how you feel. You are okay with him being with Hayato as long as you know he still has feelings for you, right?”
Mahiro nodded. “Is it weird if I say I was kind of jealous of Subaru as well? Because . . . I'm attracted to Hayato, too. I . . . I want to get to know him better the way Subaru did.”
“Hey, all the better!” Junji said. “You can have a threesome! I'd volunteer to be in on that, too, but we don't want to overwhelm him. Four might be a bit much for an industry newbie.”
Mahiro raised his head. “I love you for a reason, you know that?”
“I love you for a lot of reasons.” Junji kissed Mahiro's lips. “You want to call Subaru?”
“It's a bit late for that,” Mahiro said. “I'll call him tomorrow.” He looked at his lover. “Junji . . . does this mean that you and me and Subaru and Tomoya are a foursome? I . . . I don't even know how a four-way relationship would work.”
“It works however we want it to work,” Junji said. “And who says we have to call it a foursome? We'll call it . . . whatever we want to call it.” He nuzzled Mahiro's head. “Let's get ready for bed. You can have the bathroom first.”
Mahiro got off the couch, heading for the bathroom. He did feel a lot better right now. And whatever happened from here . . . he'd always have Junji, no matter what. Which meant more than anything.
* * *
Subaru knocked on Mahiro's door. He'd gotten the text message asking if he could come over first thing in the morning. He didn't have anything to do until that afternoon, so he definitely was available.
He just wondered if this was about Aoi giving him all the credit for the discovery of their newcomers. He'd gone on Twitter to correct the damage right away, but he didn't know how Mahiro felt about it - both of them knew it was an even 50/50 split. They knew it - but Aoi didn't.
Mahiro answered the door. “Come in,” he said. “Junji is out for a bit.”
Subaru walked into the living room. “Hi,” he said, giving him a hug. “What's up?”
“Sit down,” Mahiro said. “I . . . I have something on my mind.”
“Is it the Aoi thing?” Subaru said. “Because I made sure I tweeted, and . . .”
“No,” Mahiro said. “Not Aoi. That doesn't really matter to me. What matters to me is you.”
“Me?” Subaru said. “Why me?”
Mahiro looked away. He had to be very careful how he phrased this. Done wrong, it could blow everything.
“You and Hayato,” he said, “last night . . .”
“I'm sorry we disappeared,” Subaru said. “We went out to talk in the garden, and we were out there longer than we planned, and before we knew it . . .” He sighed. “It was just one of those one-thing-led-to-another things.”
“I know that you usually fall in love with guys and have affairs with them, and then they end up your best friends,” Mahiro said. “I know that's how Yuuki and Yo-ka came into your life, and MiA as well. And, yes, I know that's how it is with me, but . . .”
Subaru looked baffled. “Mahiro . . . are you . . . are you getting jealous? That's . . . I mean, I like Hayato, and I'm attracted to him, and we do want to get together again, onscreen and off, but . . .”
“That's the thing,” Mahiro said. “You're talking about being with him, and I know that means I have friend status now, and . . .” He looked at Subaru. Okay, here it comes. He felt like he was poised at the edge of a cliff, waiting to jump. “I don't want to be just a friend. Junji is the love of my life, yes, but I've fallen in love with you, too.”
Subaru looked at him, eyes and mouth wide open. Did he just hear what he thought he did? Was that a full-blown confession?
“I know it's not something you expected to hear,” Mahiro said, “and I know we'd have to work things out with the four of us, and I . . .”
Subaru suddenly threw his arms around the other man, tears pricking at his eyes. “You mean it?” he said. “You . . . you love me?”
“Yes. I always have. And it took last night to make me realize it.”
“I . . .” Subaru buried his face in Mahiro's shoulder. “I think I'm overwhelmed.”
“I am, too,” Mahiro said.
“Does . . . does Junji know about this?”
“Yes. And he approves. He encouraged me to tell you, in fact.”
“He . . . he did?”
“You mean a lot to him, too, you know.”
“Is he going to confess to Tomoya, too?”
Mahiro tenderly stroked Subaru's hair. “Why don't we encourage him to? We both know they're nuts about each other.”
There was a long silence, as they both processed what had just happened, their new status. Because it was a hell of a lot to process. They were blundering into uncharted territory, shooting the rapids, betting all their money on a strange-but-promising stock. It was risky, yes . . .but also carried the promise of a reward like no other.
Subaru finally raised his head. “Mahiro, where do we go from here? I mean, I've never done anything like this, I don't think any of us have . . . Yuuki always describes relationships like ours as a hub and spokes, but this is, well, two hubs.”
“I asked the same question last night, when Junji and I were talking. He said it will work however way we want it to work. That's just it. We'll just take it as it comes. And the first thing we need to do is talk to the other two.”
Subaru nodded. “I . . . “ He grasped both of his lover's hands. “Well, since we're a couple . . . a secondary couple? Half of a foursome?” He shook his head. “This is SO going to take some getting used to.”
“We're just us,” Mahiro said. “Same as we've always been.”
“There's something else I have to ask you.”
“What is it?”
Subaru looked away. “Do . . .do you want me to break it off with Hayato? I . . . I won't see him again if . . .”
“No,” Mahiro said. “It would be hypocritical of me if I did. Besides . . . I’m attracted to him, too.”
“You do? I mean, you are? I mean . . .”
“I'm as baffled by it all as you are,” Mahiro said. “But . . .hey, at least we have the same tastes, right?”
Subaru laughed. “What about other guys? What about MiA, and Yo-ka, and Yuuki, and . . .”
“You mean, am I attracted to them? Or am I jealous? Subaru . . . I know they’re still friends-with-benefits. I know how open and loving you are. I also know that no matter what, Tomoya will always have the first and deepest claim on your heart, and I'm okay with that.”
“And . . . and I'm okay with other guys you want to be with. Really.” He leaned his head on Mahiro's chest again. “You really are attracted to Hayato?”
“Yes.”
“Then you two need to meet up. He said they're meeting with Uruha tomorrow, maybe after that you and him can . . .”
“You're setting me up with him?”
“It's only fair, isn't it?” Subaru said with a smile. “Since I got a chance to get to know him at the party last night . . .”
Mahiro held him closer. “You're extraordinary, you know that?”
“I don't know about that,” Subaru said. “I'm just me.”
“That's what's so extraordinary.” Mahiro leaned in and kissed Subaru, softly. Subaru paused . . . and then responded, pulling Mahiro in and kissing his lips gently, then with increasing passion, opening up to let his tongue softly caress Mahiro's.
He eased away from him, gently. “Should we . . .”
“Yes,” Mahiro said. “We definitely should.”
Hand-in-hand, they walked toward the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them (just in case Junji came home with company) . . . and then, Mahiro just about tackled Subaru, tumbling with both to the mattress. They both laughed. Subaru lightly tickling Mahiro before they began to fumble with one another's clothes, then the fumbling became serious unzipping and pulling upward of T-shirts, and finally, everything they were wearing ended up scattered on the floor.
Once they were naked, they kissed hard, their tongues exploring one another gently as Subaru ran a hand down Mahiro’s back, feeling the flesh as if it were for the very first time, even though his touch was well familiar to him now.
Have I only known this man a few months? Subaru thought. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve known him all my life.
His hand came to rest on his lover’s ass, caressing it gently as Mahiro pressed his body into Subaru’s, the two rubbing against one another and moaning softly. This made Subaru caress him harder, more urgently.
Mahiro started to nibble his way down Subaru’s neck, making the younger man arch backward, breathing heavily. They quickly rolled over so Mahiro was on top, reaching down with both hands to Subaru’s nipples, which he caressed in slow circles until Subaru let out a long, low, full-throated moan.
“I can’t believe sometimes how gorgeous you are,” Mahiro said, leaning over to suck on one bud, bringing a louder moan from his lover as Subaru arched against him.
“More . . .” Subaru panted. “Please . . .”
Mahiro moved his mouth to the other nipple, and Subaru closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of how his tongue darted over the bud before his mouth closed around it, the sucking making him shiver with delight.
How wonderful it was that every one of his lovers felt distinct while doing this - and he’d know this was Mahiro in a moment, the way his tongue fluttered a little in its back-and-forth motions, teasing him gently before the hard sucking kicked in.
Mahiro raised his head, and moved downward so he was level with Subaru’s erection . . .while straddling the younger man’s head, giving a clear message of what he wanted them both to do.
It was one that Subaru got immediately. He raised his head, his tongue stroking at the underside of Mahiro’s cock, running upward slowly. . .as Mahiro did the same thing to him, licking downward over Subaru’s erection, moving toward the base.
Subaru caressed the very tip, running his tongue around and around it in slow circles, while Mahiro did the same to the base, right at the point where his cock joined his balls, making Subaru moan loudly again.
Mahiro’s tongue swept upward, Subaru’s downward, and Mahiro kept going until he reached the head, which he kissed, and licked, and kissed again.
His lips enveloped the tip, then slid downward, Subaru’s erection slipping into soft, wet heat.
“Oh, God!” Subaru cried, before shifting his head to take the head of Mahiro’s hardness in his own mouth, sucking it hard, closing his eyes so he could revel completely in the taste of him, the feel of the shape against his lips and tongue, his musky scent . . .
And then, there was the feel of Mahito sucking him, of his mouth moving up and down, taking more of him in, then pulling back, then taking him in again. He pulled almost all the way out, so just the head was in his lips, and sucked it hard, fluttering his tongue over it as Subaru moaned.
They sucked harder, faster, as they both moaned deep in their throats, unable to get enough of one another, of their shared pleasure . . .
Then, Mahiro raised his head so that Subaru came out of his mouth. Breathing heavily, he said, “Baby . . .” He licked the tip. “Do you want to keep going like this . . .” Another lick. “Or . . .”
Subaru felt a delighted thrill run through him as much for the intimate term of endearment as for the tongue action. Only Tomoya had called him that before. “I want to feel you in me,” he responded, breathlessly. “I want to ride you.”
Mahiro climbed off Subaru, and Subaru rolled over on his stomach, pulling his knees up so his lover could get him ready, spreading his legs apart. He felt himself trembling with anticipation as he heard the bedside drawer open, and the sound of a lube bottle being squeezed.
A finger pressed into him, and Subaru moaned loudly, closing his eyes and letting his whole body relax, wanting Mahiro to open him up quickly, because he couldn’t wait for their intimate joining, to feel the other man deep in his body.
When the second finger entered, Subaru began to thrust against them, gently, pushing them deeper into him, and when the third penetrated, he let out a moan, especially when the stroking caressed extra-sensitive areas.
Mahiro knew now, didn’t he, they’d been lovers long enough that he knew how to get Subaru to respond, where his biggest “moan zones” were . . .
The fingers slid out, and Mahiro quickly reached for the baby wipes on the nighttable to clean off. He poured more lube into Subaru’s cleft, then lay back, passing the bottle to his lover.
Subaru poured it into his hand, then grasped Mahiro’s hardness, sliding down slowly, coating every bit of him, thinking of how very good his lover felt in his hand, how much better he’d feel in his body.
He straddled Mahiro, positioning himself, and then began to move downward, bit by bit, feeling the slow penetration. The inevitable pain was there, but Subaru just took a deep breath, waiting for it to subside and for pleasure to replace it.
When he paused to let himself get used to the welcome invasion, he opened his eyes and looked down at his lover, at the way Mahiro’s own eyes were closed in passion, his lips parted, his body already glowing with a faint sheen of sweat from their earlier activity.
He reached out and took Mahiro’s hand. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” Mahiro replied.
How strange and how wonderful it was to say those words in a moment of intimacy, to have Mahiro fully belong to him now as much as Tomoya did, as much as Mahiro belonged to Junji. It was thrilling, and exciting, and yes, incredibly erotic.
Subaru began to move, slowly, pulling back, then thrusting downward, feeling Mahiro’s hardness slide through his heated channel, the cascade of sensations running through every part of his body, right to his fingertips.
He sped up, thrusting harder, hearing Mahiro moan softly under him, his lover’s pleasure sounds resounding through his own body. He felt Mahiro’s hands slide up his torso, caressing his stomach and chest, then finding the nipples, rubbing them firmly, pinching gently, making Subaru moan louder.
Subaru looked down at Mahiro again, and saw his lover was looking back up at him, their eyes locked in heated intimacy as their bodies moved faster, Mahiro matching every one of Subaru’s downward thrusts, Subaru trying to take as much of his lover in as he could, feeling that Mahiro was thrusting into the very core of him.
It was like they really were one in that moment, joined and entwined in every possible manner of being - body, mind and soul.
As Subaru moved faster, he could feel his body start to tense, a slow heat spreading through him, which just intensified as Mahiro’s hand moved downward, wrapping around his erection, starting to stroke him rapidly.
“Ohh,” Subaru cried, “Mahiro, oh, God, I’m going to . . .”
And that was interruped by a long, loud, glorious cry as the pleasure exploded in him and he came in seemingly endless waves, the orgasm enveloping every part of him . . .he heard Mahiro cry out as well and arch upward sharply as his own climax was starting to fade.
Subaru collapsed on top of Mahiro, and they kissed, tenderly, wrapping their arms around each other, then snuggling together. They remained that way for a long time, until Mahiro moved just enough to get the wipes and clean them both up - after which they snuggled together again, holding one another close, not wanting to let go.
Their reverie was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening - and Junji's voice. “Mahiro? Subaru?”
And then, Tomoya's. “Are you guys still here?”
Subaru raised his head and smiled at Mahiro, who smiled back. No point in being quiet now. “We're here,” Subaru called. “In the bedroom.”
The other two opened the door, to see Subaru and Mahiro entwined in the sheets and each other. “Looks like you just had the same conversation we did,” Junji said.
“Eeeh?” Subaru raised his head.
Tomoya perched on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take Subaru's hand. “Junji and I talked about our feelings,” he said. “Specifically, the way we've come to feel about each other.” He then added, quickly, “But that doesn't mean I love you any less!”
Subaru wanted to laugh. Only in their world would a guy say that to someone who was naked in bed with another man.
“Mahiro confessed to me, too,” Subaru said. “So, then . . . “ He looked at the other two. “We're, um . . .”
“We're four guys who are honest with our feelings, that's what we are,” Junji said. “And right now, I feel like I need caffeine. Who's up for Starbucks?”
“Can you give us a moment to get dressed?” Mahiro said, sliding out of the bed.
“I didn't think you'd go like that,” Junji said. “Even though the barristas would appreciate it!”
Subaru slipped out of bed as well, reaching for his discarded clothes. He was still wondering where all this was going to go from here. It was all such . . . unexplored territory, even by the standards of the porn world.
Should he tell his friends right away? His brother? Should he refer publicly to both Mahiro and Tomoya as “my boyfriend?” And . . . what did this mean for his relationship with Junji, and Tomoya's with Mahiro?
He quietly decided that the best thing was to just let time take care of those questions, and not worry about it. If his friends asked, he'd be honest. If Uruha asked . . . well, he was sure that the director would have no problems with this as long as it didn't interfere with their professional lives, and Subaru had no intention of that happening.
Right now, though, he was going to put on his clothes and go to Starbucks with the others. Our first outing as a foursome, he thought.
And right now, he was feeling pretty good.
* * *
While they were in “Pornbucks,” Subaru's phone went off with a text message. He pulled it out and looked - it was from Hayato. “Hi,” it read. “Just wanted to let you know that I had fun last night, and I want to get together with you again sometime.”
“So did I,” Subaru said. “And I do, too. Mahiro wants to get together with you as well.”
“He does?” Hayato replied. “Cool, I want to get together with him, too! You can give him my number.”
“I will,” Subaru replied. He looked over at Mahiro. “Hayato wants me to give you his number.”
“Oooh, what's this?” Junji said. “You're very popular lately, aren't you?”
“Do you want to get Hayato's number, too?” Mahiro said to Junji.
“He had his eye on meN-meN last night,” Tomoya said.
“Like you didn't?” said Junji. “Well, we could always share. That's what we're all about, right? Sharing?”
“It's what we've always been about,” Subaru said. “Okay, Mahiro, I just messaged his contact info to you.”
He then texted to Hayato, “You're going to fit in with us just fine - I can tell.”
He was very content right now. Yes, there was a lot of sharing going on right now. Between him and Tomoya, him and Mahiro . . . and soon, he and Mahiro would probably be sharing a relationship with Hayato. Which suited him just fine.
His life wasn't conventional, to be sure. Hell, to the outer world, it seemed flat-out bizarre. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Chapter: Fifty-fourth overall in The Camera Eye series, and the eighth story in Season 3. Links to previous installments can be found here
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Porn industry AU, drama, smut, romance
Warnings: Male/male sex, polyamory, 69
Pairing: Mahiro (Kiryu) x Subaru (Royz), mentions of Hayato (Codomo Dragon) x Subaru, Tomoya (Royz) x Subaru, Junji (Kiryu) x Mahiro and Junji x Tomoya
Disclaimer: Royz, Kiryu and Codomo Dragon belong to BP Records, I own the story only.
Summary: Mahiro knows that Subaru has a tendency to fall in love with guys, and then make them best-friends-with-benefits after he falls in love with the next guy. After Subaru’s rendezvous with Hayato, Mahiro finds himself confronting feelings that are as frightening as they are thrilling.
Notes:Immediate sequel to the last Camera Eye story, Japan’s Got Talent, you should probably read that one before this.
Mahiro was asked after the Aoi Presents show if he minded the fact that the Superstar had publicly identified Subaru as the one who discovered Codomo Dragon's video, who rescued it from certain the-postal-service-screwed-up-and-didn't-get-it-in-on-time obscurity and elevated it to the status of winner.
“You said you BOTH watched that video together, right?” Mitsuki asked him. “You both decided it was the winner. So why'd he say it was just him?”
“Well, he WAS the one who picked it up off the floor,” Mahiro said.
“Bullshit!” said Mitsuki. “That would have been you if you'd seen it two seconds earlier!”
“You said you both sat down and watched all his finalists, right?” said Takemasa. “You both did his job for him. So why did only he get the public credit?
“Aoi-sama said we both helped before he introduced the winner,” Mahiro said.
“But afterward, it was all about Subaru!” said Hiyori. “Don't you think that isn't fair?”
Mahiro shrugged. “It doesn't bother me. Subaru said on Twitter afterwards that it was as much me as him. Aoi retweeted what he said and added 'I agree.' It's no big deal, really. It doesn't bother me at all.”
But Junji quietly watched his lover talking to his friends. He knew there WAS something that was troubling Mahiro - and it wasn't anything to do with Aoi, though it DID have something to do with Subaru.
* * *
Junji first noticed it at the afterparty for the award presentation. All the Kiryu Video crew were invited, and, of course, all of Codomo Dragon were there. Their group found themselves talking to the newbies, and discoverd that they got along with them splendidly. And so, they all ended up sprawled across one of the parlors, drinks in hand, chatting and laughing. Tomoya was there along with them - at one point, he was on a couch, very much draped across Junji, which Junji didn't mind at all.
After they'd been there a couple of hours, though, Mahiro said, “Where's Subaru?”
Junji and Tomoya looked at each other. “He's at this party,” Junji said. “He would have told us if he were leaving.”
“Tomoya, you don't know where he is?” Mahiro said.
Tomoya shook his head. “He was talking to Yo-ka when I came in here with you guys. He's probably still with Yo-ka and Yuuki.”
“Hey - we haven't seen Hayato all night, either,” Kana said.
“Probably got picked up by some porn stud,” Chamu said, jiggling his beer bottle to see how much was left in the bottom and contemplating a refill.
“Are you kidding me?” said meN-meN. “If he got anywhere near a real star, he'd nosebleed all over him.”
“You don't think they're together, do you?” said Hiyori, peeking out into the main room of the party. “I don't see either of them out there.”
Mahiro was quiet. He remembered all too well what he'd been told about Subaru before - that he had a tendency to fall in love easily. He had a history of making friends by having passionate affairs with men, then adopting them into his life as friends.
First, he'd done that with Yuuki, then Yo-ka, then MiA . . . and then, Mahiro himself. In the few months since the JAVAS, they'd developed a relationship that was, well . . .
Friends-with-benefits, to be sure, just compounded by the fact that Junji and Tomoya were friends-with-benefits, too. But there was something about the way they were when they were together that seemed, well, warmer than just your usual friendship-plus-sex.
His relationship with Subaru made him feel like they were two plates in a set that stacked together perfectly. Heck, sometimes he thought that he, Junji, Subaru and Tomoya were a four-plate set - as complex as that was.
But . . . what if Subaru had found, well, his next crush? His next passionate affair? What if he was just going to focus on Hayato for his other-than-Tomoya playtime from now on?
What if Mahiro had been . . . friendzoned?
* * *
His fears were compounded when, sure enough, Subaru appeared about a half-hour later, with Hayato in tow.
“Hi, guys!” he said. “We were . . .”
“Out in the garden, talking,” Hayato said. “Did we miss anything?”
“Just these guys being dorks,” meN-meN said. “Like that's unusual.”
“They're as dorky as we are!” Chamu said, pointing to the Kiryu Video group. “That's how we know we're going to fit in with this company!”
Junji glanced over at Mahiro - who was just kind of sitting there, quietly. He decided his lover needed some talk time before they turned in - no matter how late it was.
Fortunately, Subaru and Tomoya were going back to their own place tonight. Having all four of them there would make this awkward. When they got back in their apartment, Mahiro tossed the keys on the table as usual. “I'll take a shower in the morning,” he said. “Right now, I just want to lie down.”
Junji suddenly wrapped his arms around him from behind. “Baby, I know something's bothering you. Out with it.”
“Nothing's bothering me,” Mahiro said.
“And I know you way better than that,” said Junji. “Now, you're not going to be able to sleep well if something's bugging you. And if you can't sleep well, I can't sleep well, I think we BOTH want to sleep tonight. So . . . tell me.”
“Junji, I . . .”
“It's Aoi not naming you as the discoverer of that video, isn't it?”
“No! That's . . .” He sighed. “All right, sit down. You're not going to let up on me until I say it, are you?”
“You know me very well, my love,” Junji said. The two of them sat on the couch. “If it's not Aoi, then . . .”
“It's Subaru,” Mahiro said. “It's Subaru and Hayato.”
“What . . . because they were outside?”
“Because . . . they were gone for a long time, and they came back in together, and you KNOW what happens at these parties as well as I do.”
Junji blinked. “Um, babe, you do know that Subaru's primarily in a relationship with Tomoya, right? If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous.” Pause. “You're not, right?”
Mahiro looked away. Jealous? That was a word that wasn't supposed to exist in this industry. Everyone had open relationships with everyone else. Jealousy wasn't a concept that was supposed to happen with him. And yet . . here he was.
“I . . .” he said. “I know that Subaru has always had affairs with guys, and fallen in love with them, and afterwards, they became his close friends. . . . after he moves on to the next guy. So last night, he was with Hayato, and . . .”
“And you're afraid you two aren't going to be together anymore, right?”
Mahiro just looked away, quietly.
“Okay. I know we've been spending a lot of time with both of them - platonic and otherwise. I know that they've come to mean a lot to you. They've come to mean a lot to me, too.”
“Especially Tomoya?” Mahiro looked at his lover.
“I could say that Tomoya means as much to me as Subaru means to you.”
Mahiro looked at the ground. Junji knew him so well, so very well . . . no wonder they were soul mates. “Sometimes I wonder why we can't just be like other people. Why can't we just love one person at a time? Why do we have to be so . . . open? I mean, I love living the way I do, but at the same time . . . I envy people who have it easier than us.”
“Do they?” Junji said. “Do you really think people who are monogamous are happier than us? When they're in love with one person, and suddenly find themselves attracted to another, they go through a breakup, right? And then they break up with that new person to go with someone else completely different, and they wonder if they made the right choice. And then, if they're just attracted to just another person and want to have a fling with them? They have the guilt of being a cheater.”
He hugged Mahiro tightly. “Face it - we're just more honest than most people. We don't have any feelings that are different than anyone else. We just admit to ourselves and other people that we have them - and we're not ashamed of them. Plus, we're willing to make a relationship like ours work.”
Mahiro nestled into his lover's embrace. Junji had an effect on him like no one else. He made him feel calm, and secure, and just plain loved.
“Talk to Subaru,” Junji said. “Tell him how you feel. You are okay with him being with Hayato as long as you know he still has feelings for you, right?”
Mahiro nodded. “Is it weird if I say I was kind of jealous of Subaru as well? Because . . . I'm attracted to Hayato, too. I . . . I want to get to know him better the way Subaru did.”
“Hey, all the better!” Junji said. “You can have a threesome! I'd volunteer to be in on that, too, but we don't want to overwhelm him. Four might be a bit much for an industry newbie.”
Mahiro raised his head. “I love you for a reason, you know that?”
“I love you for a lot of reasons.” Junji kissed Mahiro's lips. “You want to call Subaru?”
“It's a bit late for that,” Mahiro said. “I'll call him tomorrow.” He looked at his lover. “Junji . . . does this mean that you and me and Subaru and Tomoya are a foursome? I . . . I don't even know how a four-way relationship would work.”
“It works however we want it to work,” Junji said. “And who says we have to call it a foursome? We'll call it . . . whatever we want to call it.” He nuzzled Mahiro's head. “Let's get ready for bed. You can have the bathroom first.”
Mahiro got off the couch, heading for the bathroom. He did feel a lot better right now. And whatever happened from here . . . he'd always have Junji, no matter what. Which meant more than anything.
* * *
Subaru knocked on Mahiro's door. He'd gotten the text message asking if he could come over first thing in the morning. He didn't have anything to do until that afternoon, so he definitely was available.
He just wondered if this was about Aoi giving him all the credit for the discovery of their newcomers. He'd gone on Twitter to correct the damage right away, but he didn't know how Mahiro felt about it - both of them knew it was an even 50/50 split. They knew it - but Aoi didn't.
Mahiro answered the door. “Come in,” he said. “Junji is out for a bit.”
Subaru walked into the living room. “Hi,” he said, giving him a hug. “What's up?”
“Sit down,” Mahiro said. “I . . . I have something on my mind.”
“Is it the Aoi thing?” Subaru said. “Because I made sure I tweeted, and . . .”
“No,” Mahiro said. “Not Aoi. That doesn't really matter to me. What matters to me is you.”
“Me?” Subaru said. “Why me?”
Mahiro looked away. He had to be very careful how he phrased this. Done wrong, it could blow everything.
“You and Hayato,” he said, “last night . . .”
“I'm sorry we disappeared,” Subaru said. “We went out to talk in the garden, and we were out there longer than we planned, and before we knew it . . .” He sighed. “It was just one of those one-thing-led-to-another things.”
“I know that you usually fall in love with guys and have affairs with them, and then they end up your best friends,” Mahiro said. “I know that's how Yuuki and Yo-ka came into your life, and MiA as well. And, yes, I know that's how it is with me, but . . .”
Subaru looked baffled. “Mahiro . . . are you . . . are you getting jealous? That's . . . I mean, I like Hayato, and I'm attracted to him, and we do want to get together again, onscreen and off, but . . .”
“That's the thing,” Mahiro said. “You're talking about being with him, and I know that means I have friend status now, and . . .” He looked at Subaru. Okay, here it comes. He felt like he was poised at the edge of a cliff, waiting to jump. “I don't want to be just a friend. Junji is the love of my life, yes, but I've fallen in love with you, too.”
Subaru looked at him, eyes and mouth wide open. Did he just hear what he thought he did? Was that a full-blown confession?
“I know it's not something you expected to hear,” Mahiro said, “and I know we'd have to work things out with the four of us, and I . . .”
Subaru suddenly threw his arms around the other man, tears pricking at his eyes. “You mean it?” he said. “You . . . you love me?”
“Yes. I always have. And it took last night to make me realize it.”
“I . . .” Subaru buried his face in Mahiro's shoulder. “I think I'm overwhelmed.”
“I am, too,” Mahiro said.
“Does . . . does Junji know about this?”
“Yes. And he approves. He encouraged me to tell you, in fact.”
“He . . . he did?”
“You mean a lot to him, too, you know.”
“Is he going to confess to Tomoya, too?”
Mahiro tenderly stroked Subaru's hair. “Why don't we encourage him to? We both know they're nuts about each other.”
There was a long silence, as they both processed what had just happened, their new status. Because it was a hell of a lot to process. They were blundering into uncharted territory, shooting the rapids, betting all their money on a strange-but-promising stock. It was risky, yes . . .but also carried the promise of a reward like no other.
Subaru finally raised his head. “Mahiro, where do we go from here? I mean, I've never done anything like this, I don't think any of us have . . . Yuuki always describes relationships like ours as a hub and spokes, but this is, well, two hubs.”
“I asked the same question last night, when Junji and I were talking. He said it will work however way we want it to work. That's just it. We'll just take it as it comes. And the first thing we need to do is talk to the other two.”
Subaru nodded. “I . . . “ He grasped both of his lover's hands. “Well, since we're a couple . . . a secondary couple? Half of a foursome?” He shook his head. “This is SO going to take some getting used to.”
“We're just us,” Mahiro said. “Same as we've always been.”
“There's something else I have to ask you.”
“What is it?”
Subaru looked away. “Do . . .do you want me to break it off with Hayato? I . . . I won't see him again if . . .”
“No,” Mahiro said. “It would be hypocritical of me if I did. Besides . . . I’m attracted to him, too.”
“You do? I mean, you are? I mean . . .”
“I'm as baffled by it all as you are,” Mahiro said. “But . . .hey, at least we have the same tastes, right?”
Subaru laughed. “What about other guys? What about MiA, and Yo-ka, and Yuuki, and . . .”
“You mean, am I attracted to them? Or am I jealous? Subaru . . . I know they’re still friends-with-benefits. I know how open and loving you are. I also know that no matter what, Tomoya will always have the first and deepest claim on your heart, and I'm okay with that.”
“And . . . and I'm okay with other guys you want to be with. Really.” He leaned his head on Mahiro's chest again. “You really are attracted to Hayato?”
“Yes.”
“Then you two need to meet up. He said they're meeting with Uruha tomorrow, maybe after that you and him can . . .”
“You're setting me up with him?”
“It's only fair, isn't it?” Subaru said with a smile. “Since I got a chance to get to know him at the party last night . . .”
Mahiro held him closer. “You're extraordinary, you know that?”
“I don't know about that,” Subaru said. “I'm just me.”
“That's what's so extraordinary.” Mahiro leaned in and kissed Subaru, softly. Subaru paused . . . and then responded, pulling Mahiro in and kissing his lips gently, then with increasing passion, opening up to let his tongue softly caress Mahiro's.
He eased away from him, gently. “Should we . . .”
“Yes,” Mahiro said. “We definitely should.”
Hand-in-hand, they walked toward the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them (just in case Junji came home with company) . . . and then, Mahiro just about tackled Subaru, tumbling with both to the mattress. They both laughed. Subaru lightly tickling Mahiro before they began to fumble with one another's clothes, then the fumbling became serious unzipping and pulling upward of T-shirts, and finally, everything they were wearing ended up scattered on the floor.
Once they were naked, they kissed hard, their tongues exploring one another gently as Subaru ran a hand down Mahiro’s back, feeling the flesh as if it were for the very first time, even though his touch was well familiar to him now.
Have I only known this man a few months? Subaru thought. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve known him all my life.
His hand came to rest on his lover’s ass, caressing it gently as Mahiro pressed his body into Subaru’s, the two rubbing against one another and moaning softly. This made Subaru caress him harder, more urgently.
Mahiro started to nibble his way down Subaru’s neck, making the younger man arch backward, breathing heavily. They quickly rolled over so Mahiro was on top, reaching down with both hands to Subaru’s nipples, which he caressed in slow circles until Subaru let out a long, low, full-throated moan.
“I can’t believe sometimes how gorgeous you are,” Mahiro said, leaning over to suck on one bud, bringing a louder moan from his lover as Subaru arched against him.
“More . . .” Subaru panted. “Please . . .”
Mahiro moved his mouth to the other nipple, and Subaru closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of how his tongue darted over the bud before his mouth closed around it, the sucking making him shiver with delight.
How wonderful it was that every one of his lovers felt distinct while doing this - and he’d know this was Mahiro in a moment, the way his tongue fluttered a little in its back-and-forth motions, teasing him gently before the hard sucking kicked in.
Mahiro raised his head, and moved downward so he was level with Subaru’s erection . . .while straddling the younger man’s head, giving a clear message of what he wanted them both to do.
It was one that Subaru got immediately. He raised his head, his tongue stroking at the underside of Mahiro’s cock, running upward slowly. . .as Mahiro did the same thing to him, licking downward over Subaru’s erection, moving toward the base.
Subaru caressed the very tip, running his tongue around and around it in slow circles, while Mahiro did the same to the base, right at the point where his cock joined his balls, making Subaru moan loudly again.
Mahiro’s tongue swept upward, Subaru’s downward, and Mahiro kept going until he reached the head, which he kissed, and licked, and kissed again.
His lips enveloped the tip, then slid downward, Subaru’s erection slipping into soft, wet heat.
“Oh, God!” Subaru cried, before shifting his head to take the head of Mahiro’s hardness in his own mouth, sucking it hard, closing his eyes so he could revel completely in the taste of him, the feel of the shape against his lips and tongue, his musky scent . . .
And then, there was the feel of Mahito sucking him, of his mouth moving up and down, taking more of him in, then pulling back, then taking him in again. He pulled almost all the way out, so just the head was in his lips, and sucked it hard, fluttering his tongue over it as Subaru moaned.
They sucked harder, faster, as they both moaned deep in their throats, unable to get enough of one another, of their shared pleasure . . .
Then, Mahiro raised his head so that Subaru came out of his mouth. Breathing heavily, he said, “Baby . . .” He licked the tip. “Do you want to keep going like this . . .” Another lick. “Or . . .”
Subaru felt a delighted thrill run through him as much for the intimate term of endearment as for the tongue action. Only Tomoya had called him that before. “I want to feel you in me,” he responded, breathlessly. “I want to ride you.”
Mahiro climbed off Subaru, and Subaru rolled over on his stomach, pulling his knees up so his lover could get him ready, spreading his legs apart. He felt himself trembling with anticipation as he heard the bedside drawer open, and the sound of a lube bottle being squeezed.
A finger pressed into him, and Subaru moaned loudly, closing his eyes and letting his whole body relax, wanting Mahiro to open him up quickly, because he couldn’t wait for their intimate joining, to feel the other man deep in his body.
When the second finger entered, Subaru began to thrust against them, gently, pushing them deeper into him, and when the third penetrated, he let out a moan, especially when the stroking caressed extra-sensitive areas.
Mahiro knew now, didn’t he, they’d been lovers long enough that he knew how to get Subaru to respond, where his biggest “moan zones” were . . .
The fingers slid out, and Mahiro quickly reached for the baby wipes on the nighttable to clean off. He poured more lube into Subaru’s cleft, then lay back, passing the bottle to his lover.
Subaru poured it into his hand, then grasped Mahiro’s hardness, sliding down slowly, coating every bit of him, thinking of how very good his lover felt in his hand, how much better he’d feel in his body.
He straddled Mahiro, positioning himself, and then began to move downward, bit by bit, feeling the slow penetration. The inevitable pain was there, but Subaru just took a deep breath, waiting for it to subside and for pleasure to replace it.
When he paused to let himself get used to the welcome invasion, he opened his eyes and looked down at his lover, at the way Mahiro’s own eyes were closed in passion, his lips parted, his body already glowing with a faint sheen of sweat from their earlier activity.
He reached out and took Mahiro’s hand. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too,” Mahiro replied.
How strange and how wonderful it was to say those words in a moment of intimacy, to have Mahiro fully belong to him now as much as Tomoya did, as much as Mahiro belonged to Junji. It was thrilling, and exciting, and yes, incredibly erotic.
Subaru began to move, slowly, pulling back, then thrusting downward, feeling Mahiro’s hardness slide through his heated channel, the cascade of sensations running through every part of his body, right to his fingertips.
He sped up, thrusting harder, hearing Mahiro moan softly under him, his lover’s pleasure sounds resounding through his own body. He felt Mahiro’s hands slide up his torso, caressing his stomach and chest, then finding the nipples, rubbing them firmly, pinching gently, making Subaru moan louder.
Subaru looked down at Mahiro again, and saw his lover was looking back up at him, their eyes locked in heated intimacy as their bodies moved faster, Mahiro matching every one of Subaru’s downward thrusts, Subaru trying to take as much of his lover in as he could, feeling that Mahiro was thrusting into the very core of him.
It was like they really were one in that moment, joined and entwined in every possible manner of being - body, mind and soul.
As Subaru moved faster, he could feel his body start to tense, a slow heat spreading through him, which just intensified as Mahiro’s hand moved downward, wrapping around his erection, starting to stroke him rapidly.
“Ohh,” Subaru cried, “Mahiro, oh, God, I’m going to . . .”
And that was interruped by a long, loud, glorious cry as the pleasure exploded in him and he came in seemingly endless waves, the orgasm enveloping every part of him . . .he heard Mahiro cry out as well and arch upward sharply as his own climax was starting to fade.
Subaru collapsed on top of Mahiro, and they kissed, tenderly, wrapping their arms around each other, then snuggling together. They remained that way for a long time, until Mahiro moved just enough to get the wipes and clean them both up - after which they snuggled together again, holding one another close, not wanting to let go.
Their reverie was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening - and Junji's voice. “Mahiro? Subaru?”
And then, Tomoya's. “Are you guys still here?”
Subaru raised his head and smiled at Mahiro, who smiled back. No point in being quiet now. “We're here,” Subaru called. “In the bedroom.”
The other two opened the door, to see Subaru and Mahiro entwined in the sheets and each other. “Looks like you just had the same conversation we did,” Junji said.
“Eeeh?” Subaru raised his head.
Tomoya perched on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take Subaru's hand. “Junji and I talked about our feelings,” he said. “Specifically, the way we've come to feel about each other.” He then added, quickly, “But that doesn't mean I love you any less!”
Subaru wanted to laugh. Only in their world would a guy say that to someone who was naked in bed with another man.
“Mahiro confessed to me, too,” Subaru said. “So, then . . . “ He looked at the other two. “We're, um . . .”
“We're four guys who are honest with our feelings, that's what we are,” Junji said. “And right now, I feel like I need caffeine. Who's up for Starbucks?”
“Can you give us a moment to get dressed?” Mahiro said, sliding out of the bed.
“I didn't think you'd go like that,” Junji said. “Even though the barristas would appreciate it!”
Subaru slipped out of bed as well, reaching for his discarded clothes. He was still wondering where all this was going to go from here. It was all such . . . unexplored territory, even by the standards of the porn world.
Should he tell his friends right away? His brother? Should he refer publicly to both Mahiro and Tomoya as “my boyfriend?” And . . . what did this mean for his relationship with Junji, and Tomoya's with Mahiro?
He quietly decided that the best thing was to just let time take care of those questions, and not worry about it. If his friends asked, he'd be honest. If Uruha asked . . . well, he was sure that the director would have no problems with this as long as it didn't interfere with their professional lives, and Subaru had no intention of that happening.
Right now, though, he was going to put on his clothes and go to Starbucks with the others. Our first outing as a foursome, he thought.
And right now, he was feeling pretty good.
* * *
While they were in “Pornbucks,” Subaru's phone went off with a text message. He pulled it out and looked - it was from Hayato. “Hi,” it read. “Just wanted to let you know that I had fun last night, and I want to get together with you again sometime.”
“So did I,” Subaru said. “And I do, too. Mahiro wants to get together with you as well.”
“He does?” Hayato replied. “Cool, I want to get together with him, too! You can give him my number.”
“I will,” Subaru replied. He looked over at Mahiro. “Hayato wants me to give you his number.”
“Oooh, what's this?” Junji said. “You're very popular lately, aren't you?”
“Do you want to get Hayato's number, too?” Mahiro said to Junji.
“He had his eye on meN-meN last night,” Tomoya said.
“Like you didn't?” said Junji. “Well, we could always share. That's what we're all about, right? Sharing?”
“It's what we've always been about,” Subaru said. “Okay, Mahiro, I just messaged his contact info to you.”
He then texted to Hayato, “You're going to fit in with us just fine - I can tell.”
He was very content right now. Yes, there was a lot of sharing going on right now. Between him and Tomoya, him and Mahiro . . . and soon, he and Mahiro would probably be sharing a relationship with Hayato. Which suited him just fine.
His life wasn't conventional, to be sure. Hell, to the outer world, it seemed flat-out bizarre. And he wouldn't have it any other way.