fics; 10 rules for a perfect household + face your fears
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Title: 10 rules for a perfect household
Pairing: Pin
Rating: R
Note: 2025 words. For zika_desu. Prompt: domestic. This was probably my favorite one to write so I really hope you all like it! :D
There are rules. It’s the only way the two of them living together could work. They’re busy and lazy and if there weren’t rules the apartment would be trashed within days, dishes would never be clean, and laundry would pile up by the washing machine. With the rules, they manage to survive.
Rule 1: If you finish something, you buy it.
Jin’s at home more than Yamapi these days - what with Yamapi having a drama to film and things for 24 hour television to figure out, so Jin’s the one who ends up finishing up most of the food and drinks. Soon, however, it starts to actually make a dent in his wallet.
It’s the easiest rule they have to follow, it makes perfect sense, too. But it’s not Jin’s fault that the company isn’t giving him enough work and therefore turning him into a couch potato. So it’s not his fault that he keeps on finishing the chips and the beer and the milk and the cereal. It’s not his fault he’s hungry.
But it’s becoming a pain in the ass to remember to stop by the conbini after work, to remember what it is he’s finished off the night before and get it the next morning so that he’ll actually have something to eat.
And so Jin concocts a plan. He’s not as stupid as everyone seems to think. He leaves a little of everything once he’s done, just enough for Yamapi. He’s being considerate, really. Helping out his best friend by ensuring he has enough milk to go with the rest of the cereal in the box for breakfast the next morning. He’s not doing this to make it seem like Yamapi’s the one who finishes everything and hence has to go and spend his money to buy more. Nope, not at all. He’s doing this because he’s a good friend.
The best thing about it is that Yamapi’s too busy to realize Jin’s plan kindness. He goes and buys more of whatever it is they need after work. The apartment is full of foods because Yamapi never forgets (unlike Jin). He does feel a little guilty. But that doesn’t stop him from continuing to do it though.
Rule 2: Whoever doesn’t cook, washes the dishes.
Jin hates to do the dishes, so more often than not Yamapi comes home to find dinner already made and a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. He doesn’t complain much, it’s their rule after all, and Jin’s a pretty decent cook. It also helps him out since Yamapi doesn’t like the prospect of coming back from tiring filming to have to actually work more to make food. He’d think Jin is being considerate that way if he didn’t know any better (Jin would probably eat his hand if it meant he didn’t have to do the dishes).
But, just to get Jin back, Yamapi makes sure to dirty as many dishes as possible on the days he happens to cook.
Rule 3: Do your laundry at the set time.
Jin came up with this rule after his whites came back pink in Yamapi’s basket and after Yamapi’s underwear shrunk while stuck in with Jin’s.
Jin does his laundry Wednesdays and Saturday nights while Yamapi has his time in the mornings. It’s the only way to make sure clothes aren’t mixed and matched and dyed and shrunk. Because after that one time, Jin spend two days wearing pink shirts and socks and got laughed at by KT-TUN when they noticed (Kame still brings it up just to piss him off) and Yamapi even couldn’t stop his snickering even when the whole mess was his fault.
But then Yamapi ended up with shrunk boxers which Jin would have laughed at if Yamapi hadn’t purposely worn them around the apartment just to make Jin all hot and bothered because they left fucking nothing to the imagination and were much better on a heap on the floor. While Jin gave his pink clothes to Ueda when asked (he didn’t want to know why), Yamapi still wears his too-small boxers - though they never manage to stay on for very long.
Rule 4: Fridays are for cleaning.
Also known as Screaming Back and Forth at Each Other From Various Places of the Apartment.
Because Yamapi can’t help but wonder “Why are you so fucking lazy, you can at least put the bottles in the recycling when you finish!”
And Jin would like to voice his opinion that “The bathroom smells of your disgusting cologne, can’t you buy one that doesn’t make me want to puke?”
“You forgot to take the trash out again, Bakanishi! How many times do I have to remind you?” Yamapi exclaims, wrinkling his noise in disgust as the twist-ties the bag.
“Pi, I know you’re a little technologically-challenged, but it doesn’t take a genius to put the DVDs back in the box!” Jin screeches when he finds his favorite porn just laying out on top of the DVD player.
So by the end of a couple of hours they have not only a sparkling clean apartment but hoarse voices. But at least they don’t step in spilled drinks or find crumbs all over the couch anymore (for a week, anyway, until they do it all over again).
Rule 5: Showering together saves water!
Contrary to what Ryo says, Jin did not come up with this rule. Jin did help in making it become a rule, but it is Yamapi who thought of it. Because Yamapi wakes up earlier than Jin and Yamapi ends up in the shower before Jin and Jin wakes up way too late and hovers around impatiently because Yamapi takes for-fucking-ever.
“Why don’t you wake me up?” Jin shouts as he grumbles and paces the hall.
“I’m not your mother,” Yamapi replies.
“You could still wake me up!”
“You’d go back to sleep anyway!”
Jin can’t deny that’s true, but still he pouts and whines, “Hurry up, I’m going to be late for work.”
“Then just come shower with me,” Yamapi tells him and a long, long pause follows his words.
Jin blinks, tilts his head. “I wonder why I didn’t think of that,” he muses as he walks into the bathroom and strips off his pajamas. “Don’t answer that,” he adds quickly, when he sees Yamapi’s face.
Yamapi just smirks, and Jin’s eyes fall onto the curve of his wet, red lips.
Needless to say, they’re both late to work that day (and practically every day after that). But Yamapi still keeps it at as a rule that they both follow because clearly they’re doing the environment a favor.
Rule 6: The Rubber Band on the doorknob Rule.
Yamapi still remembers coming home in the morning to find all of KAT-TUN in various states of undress all across the floor and the couch. He’s just thankful none of them made it into his bed (at least not that he knows of - he washed his sheets just in case).
And three days later when Jin returns home to find Shige, Ryo and Yamapi in a naked heap on the couch, he laughs for the whole day and Yamapi grumbles and creates possibly their most important rule.
*Exception to this rule is if you want to actually be involved - in which case, gladly ignore the rubber band. :D (exception added by Jin).
Rule 7: Do Not Disturb means fucking Do Not Disturb.
Yamapi’s used to Jin barging into his room at odd times of the day and night to tell him pointless things. They’ve been best friends for a long time, he practically expects it to occur at least once a day and is worried when it doesn’t.
The only time Yamapi can’t stand being bothered is when he’s sleeping. That means either at night or at any point in the day when he decides to take a nap. Be it on the couch or in his room or on the floor next to the couch because he was too tired to make it there or on the kitchen table (which is painful and Yamapi tries not to do it again) or in the genkan since moving further would just be a pain.
Yamapi likes to sleep. Yamapi needs the sleep. And that’s the only time that he won’t tolerate Jin’s random interruptions.
But of course, Jin doesn’t like having to wait, he’s impatient if nothing else, and if he can’t flail to Yamapi who else can he flail to? (Ryo only ever hangs up on him and Kame never answers). So, obviously, Jin has no choice but to wake Yamapi up. In the best possible way he knows how.
And therefore, the only way Yamapi doesn’t mind being disturbed when he’s sleeping is if he suddenly wakes to a warm heat around him, reaching out to grasp fingers into soft hair, and blinks his eyes open to find Jin peering up at him from between his legs.
Yes. That is the only exception.
Rule 8: Be Considerate.
Jin’s way of being considerate is letting Yamapi fuck him when he’s had a particularly rough day at work - it takes the edge off, having that control.
Yamapi’s way of being considerate is letting Jin think that Yamapi actually needs that edge off in the first place.
Neither of them are really sure why or how this rule came about but they’re too busy actually following it to care.
Rule 9: If your name’s not on it, it’s fair game!
This is exactly what Jin claimed when Yamapi accused him for finishing off the leftover pizza in the fridge. And two hours later, what Yamapi shot back at Jin when Jin claimed Yamapi ate the last of his cake.
And it went on for at least a week - both of them eating each other’s things without knowing (or knowing, in Jin’s occasional case) and then getting angry at each other for doing it.
Then Jin comes home with a label maker, proudly holding it up in the air and saying, “I have solved our problem!” And while Yamapi raised a brow skeptically, Jin promptly proceeded to show the amazing powers of the label maker by marking everything that was his in the fridge.
“Cool!” Yamapi agrees and takes the maker to do his foods. They grin at each other at their handiwork (because it clearly takes so much manpower to label a fridge full of foods) and Yamapi says, “And everything not labeled is free for both of us.”
“I’m a genius,” Jin declares and Yamapi’s so pleased with the results he just lets Jin think whatever he wants.
Rule 10: All of the Unspoken Rules that we just do because we are BFF.
There really isn’t a tenth rule. It’s just everything else they never got around to putting on paper because they got lazy (and all of the really important ones are written up anyway).
The tenth rule is Yamapi clearing off beer bottles from the coffee table because Jin passed out on the couch after a Tokyo Dome show. The tenth rule is Jin taking Yamapi’s car for a wash because he’s been meaning to do it but is too wrapped up in filming. The tenth rule is Yamapi putting Jin’s clothes into the dryer for him because he’s on the phone and forgets too easily. The tenth rule is Jin letting Yamapi sleep in ten minutes longer even though they have tickets to a show because it’s Yamapi’s first day off in weeks.
The tenth rule is waking up slowly on a Sunday morning to warm sunlight on their faces and arms around each other. It’s pressing kisses to necks and foreheads and slipping into sweats without ever having to say a word. It’s bumping hips and knocking elbows while making breakfast together. It’s Jin volunteering to do the dishes while Yamapi takes out the trash. It’s spending a day pressed against each other and sinking into that wonderful warmth, that indescribable feeling that only comes from being around your best friend.
The tenth rule is just being thankful for being together.
~
Title: Face your fears
Pairing: RyoShige
Rating: PG
Note: 3148 words. For sinestrated. Prompt: "what are you afraid of?"
There are three things Kato Shigeaki is afraid of:
1) Catepillars
2) NewS disbanding
3) Nishikido Ryo
The first one is obvious. Catepillars are scary. With their creepy crawly little legs and eurgh, Shige wouldn’t be sad at all if the entire species of catepillars decided to have a mass execution one day. In fact, he’d even arrange it.
The second one is pretty obvious too. Even though he’s studying law and will have that under his belt if/when NewS does disband, he still doesn’t want it to happen. At least not in the most foreseeable future. He likes singing and dancing, likes holding concerts and making the fans smile and scream.
The last one. That one. Shige, well. He still doesn’t really know. It’s been six years since NewS was formed and lots of changes has happened since then. Ryo has changed a lot since then and Shige has changed even more. Maybe it’s not so much as “afraid of Ryo” but rather “intimidated by Ryo.” But even so, things have changed but Shige’s feelings haven’t. Not completely. They hang out a lot more than when they first started, they talk to each other a lot more, too. But Shige still can’t shake this feeling whenever he’s around Ryo.
*
“I don’t know how to act around him,” he tells Koyama one day.
“Just be yourself!” Koyama replies cheerfully. “Everybody loves Shige.”
It’s not the best advice, but Shige decides to follow it anyway and when Ryo invites him to dinner after work one day, Shige readily accepts. But as the world clearly seems to enjoy laughing at him, Shige ends up spilling his drink and dropping his utensils and blushing to the tips of his ears.
Ryo just laughs and drops a few napkins over the spill. “Good to see you haven’t changed at all since we last hung out,” he says with amusement.
Shige cries inside and wishes the world would just swallow him whole instead of making him suffer constant humiliation.
*
“But Nishikido-kun’s really nice,” Massu says unhelpfully when Shige confides in him.
“I-I know that,” Shige says. “But I still act so…so awkward.”
“Just don’t think so much about it, you’ll be okay,” Massu suggests and since Shige doesn’t know what else to do, he keeps the advice in mind.
So the next time he’s talking with Ryo, he tries not to think too much about how things sound or how he may look to Ryo. But he ends up so focused on thinking about not thinking about it that Ryo snaps, “What the hell’s wrong with you? Are you even listening? You’re just nodding like an idiot.” And before Shige can open his mouth in horror and apologize, Ryo’s grumpily walking away.
*
“Aren’t you just afraid of what he thinks of you?” Tegoshi says easily and Shige blinks at him like he doesn’t understand. Tegoshi takes a look at him and sighs, like he’s pained with having to put up with Shige’s incompetence, and Shige would be annoyed if he wasn’t so preoccupied with figuring this whole thing out.
“You want him to like you,” Tegoshi says, like it’s obvious. “That’s why you’re so afraid of him. You don’t want to say or do the wrong thing in case it changes his opinion of you.”
Shige flushes and his eyes widen and he flails a little. “B-But th-that-that makes no sen-sense!”
“Sure it does,” Tegoshi says. He fixes Shige with a pointed stare and continues, “You like him.”
Shige splutters. “I-I do n-not!”
“And so you want him to like you back,” Tegoshi finishes like Shige hadn’t spoken. And before Shige has the chance to insist that he does not like Ryo, Tegoshi flounces off to cause havoc elsewhere.
“What’s with you?” Ryo asks when he walks into the dressing room three seconds later and sees Shige’s mortified face.
Shige jumps at Ryo’s voice. “N-Nothing,” he exclaims and quickly escapes, leaving a bewildered Ryo behind in favor of calming down his wild heart and hating that maybe Tegoshi has a very valid point.
*
“I don’t know what to do!” Shige exclaims as he flops forward onto the counter at a bar.
Yamapi pats his head and says, “Leave it me.” He grins excitedly.
Normally Shige would be worried, but right now he’s too desperate (and too drunk) to care, and instead flails into a hug with Yamapi and mumbles, “I love you,” into his leader’s shoulder.
Yamapi laughs and says, “Save that for Ryo-chan,” but Shige’s already passed out to hear.
*
Tomorrow is their first day off - all six of them - in a long time and Yamapi suggests they do something together. Koyama instantly agrees and the rest of them consent as well (Ryo after a bit of prodding and poking courtesy of Yamapi).
“What should we do?” Tegoshi asks.
“The sea! Let’s go!” Yamapi exclaims predictably. “It’s summer isn’t it? The beach is the best place to go.”
“We can do some fireworks, too!” Koyama adds just as excitedly, sparkles in his eyes already from the mere idea.
Tegoshi cheers his approval of the plan and Yamapi says, “We should meet each other there. We can carpool.” He pauses and glances at Ryo. “Don’t worry, Ryo-chan, I’ll pick you up since you still can’t drive yet.”
Ryo scoffs. “I’ll just take the train.”
“No~” Yamapi whines. “That’s no fun! I’ll come get you, okay?”
Ryo just grunts and Yamapi beams. He turns to Shige then and winks conspiratorily and Shige feels a sense of dread settle within him.
The next morning he’s just about ready to leave, grabbing his keys from the small table in the hall, a backpack with some food and towels over his shoulder. He had an early morning class so he doesn’t have to pick anyone up and therefore leaves at the last minute, not really in any rush to get there. However, just as he’s slipping on his shoes, his phone rings and without looking at the caller ID, he answers, “Hello?”
“Have you left yet?” Ryo asks and Shige’s eyes go round, pausing halfway in shoving his left foot into its shoe.
“N-No,” he says.
“Good,” Ryo says. “Come and get me then.”
“I-Isn’t Yamashita-kun supposed-”
“The idiot forgot,” Ryo cuts in and Shige feels like he should have seen this coming ever since Yamapi’s obvious wink yesterday. “You’re the closet to my place, so come get me.” And then he hangs up and Shige groans and wonders if it’s too late to just play sick.
Shige promptly has a panic attack in the genkan - not only does he have to pick Ryo up, but he has to sit through at least an hour of driving with him until they get to the sea. In the middle of his hyperventilating, Shige thinks he should probably leave before Ryo gets pissed at him for taking so long, and he quickly pulls on his shoes and locks the door as he heads out.
“God, that took you long enough,” is the only thing Ryo says when Shige picks him up. The rest of the drive passes by in silence. Shige is unsure what to say, focusing instead on driving, and Ryo just fiddles with the radio and leans back in his seat without a word. It makes Shige feel even more uncomfortable than normal but since Ryo doesn’t seem to be in the mood to speak, Shige doesn’t try to start up conversation either.
They’re the last to arrive, finding Yamapi waiting for them at the parking lot.
“Everyone’s here already, come on!” Yamapi says, sounding far more excited than one should be. Ryo rolls his eyes at him and walks off towards where Koyama and Tegoshi are already swimming and Massu is sprawled across the sand.
“So,” Yamapi says, falling into step beside Shige. “How’d it go?”
Shige hangs his head and doesn’t reply, but Yamapi gets it. “Nothing? You didn’t say anything at all?” he exclaims. “Shige. I had Ryo-chan yell at me for five whole minutes when I told him I “forgot” to pick him up. You ruined my plain.” He pouts and Shige feels guilty despite himself.
“I’m sorry! I-I just don’t know what to do,” Shige says sadly, joining the others and sitting down on the beach towels Koyama laid out.
“You like Ryo-chan, don’t you, Shige?” Yamapi says bluntly and Shige nearly chokes on nothing.
“W-What?” he exclaims.
Yamapi grins knowingly. “That’s why you’re so afraid to be around him.”
“I-I-I,” Shige tries, but finds his mind has shut off - the only thing he can do is stare at Yamapi with horror.
“Don’t worry,” Yamapi says. “Ryo-chan likes you, too.”
Shige snorts. “He doesn’t like me,” he says skeptically, and at that moment Ryo suddenly chooses to throw his shirt at Shige’s head and call out, “Come on, genius. How far can you swim?”
“He really likes you.” Yamapi grins cheekily as Shige gets to his feet, managing only a blush back at Yamapi before heading off to join Ryo.
*
Shige tries to act as normal as possible but it’s as if the world conspired against him to make Ryo suddenly pay attention to him all throughout the day. Hence, Shige’s acting less than normal, pretty collosally not-normal; fumbling over his words more, flushing to the tops of his ears every few minutes, and falling over his own feet. Ryo laughs at him, like always, but somehow today it’s not condescending as it is out of amusement, enjoyment. He rolls his eyes when Shige’s words get jumbled and teasingly calls him genius, ruffles Shige’s hair whenever he blushes, and helps Shige up when he trips, an arm warm around his waist.
Shige’s just anxious to go home but as luck would have it the world’s not done mocking him. Koyama forgot to buy fireworks and Yamapi pretty much forces Ryo and Shige to go buy some from a 24 hour combini just down the surf. Ryo gets up grudgingly, pulls a t-shirt over his head and grabs his wallet from his bag, then looks down at Shige until the younger boy has no choice but to go along. It doesn’t stop him from sending Yamapi death glares as he leaves, but Yamapi just beams at him, completely unfazed.
They walk there silently, standing side by side but not exchanging any words. But Shige can feel Ryo glancing at him every once in awhile, just quick flicks of his eyes, then back. It makes Shige even more painfully nervous so he keeps his mouth shut lest he ends up saying something completely inane. They buy the fireworks, smile at the girl at the register who is clearly trying to contain her excitement, and then make their way back.
Shige walks a little faster now, eager to get back to the safety of the group. Ryo’s eyes never leave him, now. Shige feels it on the back of his head the entire way back. He wonders what Ryo’s thinking, but is too afraid to actually ask.
Tegoshi runs up to them when they return, grabs the plastic bag from Shige’s hands and flounces off to Koyama and Massu who helps him open them up. Yamapi looks at Ryo then turns to Shige who shakes his head just barely and looks away when Yamapi frowns at him.
The sky is almost completely dark now, the sun just having finished setting, a few thin stripes of orange-purple hues visible over the horizon and reflecting into the sea. Shige’s starting to wonder if he could just leave, especially when Tegoshi starts singing Sen no kaze ni natte at the top of his lungs, arms spread open wide towards the sea. He can’t help but laugh with the others though, because it is funny, and thankfully there’s not many people around to see this time. Yamapi pulls out the beer they’ve been saving from the cooler and passes them around. Shige takes his gratefully and grabs his camera, pulling it around his head and heading towards the shore. He walks for awhile, staring at the waves, then when he’s far enough away, turns back around, set his unopened beer down by his feet.
He lifts the camera up and peers through the lens, focusing onto the rest of NewS gathered together. Yamapi is playing with one of the sparkler fireworks, a rare smile on his lips; Koyama is laying on his back, staring up at the sky; Massu is working on a nikuman, occasionally helping Tegoshi who’s trying to build a sandcastle; and Ryo, Ryo is staring directly across the beach towards Shige, his expression unfathomable.
Shige’s heart jumps and he quickly lowers his camera, looks down at the shore. He turns his back fully and crouches, balancing on his feet. Sighing heavily, he reaches for his bottle and takes a long drink. As he sets it back down, he hears the sounds of feet walking up behind him and he doesn’t even need to turn around to know who it is.
Ryo crouches down beside him, his own bottle in hand, and says without preamble, “What’re you afraid of?”
Shige looks at him quickly, not expecting the question at all, nor what Ryo means by it. Ryo glances at him then looks back out at the sea, takes a sip of his beer. Shige bites his lip and looks down at his knees. “I don’t know what you mean,” he replies truthfully after a few moments.
Ryo puts his bottle down between his feet and counts off on his fingers. “You said nothing to me on the drive here, and once we got here you only participated with me because I taunted you, and when we went to get the fireworks you ignored me again and now you’re sitting way over here instead of with the rest of us. Though I suspect it has more to do with me not the others.”
Shige clenches his fingers around his ankles, doesn’t say anything because, really, what can he say? He never figured Ryo would actually care about his blatant avoidance and isn’t sure how to react now that Ryo’s brought it up.
A couple of long, stretched-out minutes pass in silence and then Ryo stands up with a heavy sigh. Shige swallows a lump down in his throat, turns his head just a little so he’s able to flick his eyes up at Ryo, then promptly looks away when he meets Ryo’s gaze. Ryo frowns, sticks his hands into his pockets, and looks up at the sky, asks again, “You don’t act like this with anyone else, just me. What’re you so afraid of?”
Shige sucks his lower lip into his mouth, clenches his eyes closed tightly. He doesn’t know what to do or say, never one to be able to deal with confrontations well. He thinks back to what the others told him, specifically what Tegoshi and Yamapi told him. That he’s scared because he likes Ryo, that he wants Ryo’s approval, wants Ryo to like him back. Then the words are out of his mouth before he knows it: “I don’t want you to dislike me.”
He says it quietly but he knows Ryo heard him, the silence afterward unnerving. Shige wishes he hadn’t said anything, but now that the words are out in the open, he knows he can’t deny it any longer. It’s the truth, after all. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, it’s the truth. He doesn’t want Ryo to dislike him. In fact, he wants Ryo to really like him. And he’s just not been sure to do it, thinking keeping quiet around the older man would make it easier not to fuck things up.
So maybe he does like Ryo. He glares up at the sky; clearly this is another form of the world’s torture over his life.
But Shige puts that thought away as quickly as it came, glancing back down, chewing on his lip nervously. Ryo hasn’t said a thing and Shige’s not sure what he’s thinking, and is too cowardly to make the first move.
Just as he’s starting to get really worried, Ryo suddenly demands loudly, “Are you an idiot?”
Shige would be offended if the tone of Ryo’s voice didn’t make him wince. Right now, though, he thinks he really might be an idiot and he’s about to say so when Ryo cuts him off with, “Get up.”
Now Shige’s a little more frightened than normal. “W-What?” he squeaks helplessly.
“Get up. Stand. Now.” Ryo’s voice is sharp, cutting through Shige like a knife. His heart plummets into his stomach; he’s done it now - Ryo’s definitely angry. He should have just kept his mouth shut.
Shige slowly gets to his feet, eyes trained on the sand, unmoving, not daring to do anything, even breathing as shallowly as possible in case that pisses Ryo off, too. Then he watches Ryo’s feet move closer to him, until they’re barely a few inches apart, and makes the mistake of looking up at him. But he doesn’t see anger, no fury, no hatred. Maybe a tiny bit of irriation, but then he’s smiling, that bright, beautiful smile that Shige loves and reaches out to jab Shige in the forehead with his fingers.
Shige squawks unceremoniously and stumbles back a little, rubbing at his head and is about to snap at Ryo when the older man grabs his hand and pulls. It’s horribly cliché, he thinks, kissing while standing at the shore of the sea, the sounds of fireworks loud in their ears, and the cool breeze fluttering past. But Shige doesn’t care how lame the situation is because the kiss most definitely isn’t; Ryo’s mouth warm against his, tongue seeking out and licking along the part in his lips before dipping in tentatively, his fingers around Shige’s wrist tight and secure.
Shige breaks away first, gasping for air, feeling lightheaded and flustered. Ryo’s eyes are on him, much softer than before, sincere, and it makes the crazed rush in Shige’s veins slowly calm down.
“Uhm,” Shige says first, wanting to break the silence yet not knowing where to start.
Ryo laughs and Shige flushes, eyes dropping to the ground again. Then Ryo ruffles his hair again, maybe a little too roughly, but when Shige looks back up he’s grinning. “You really are an idiot,” Ryo says and Shige pouts. “Afraid over absolutely nothing.”
Shige’s heart practically dances in his chest, and he smiles so widely his cheeks start to hurt. But when Ryo kisses him again as the tide washes over their ankles and Yamapi cat-calls at them from a couple of feet away, he thinks it’s okay to have been an idiot over something for once. And now he can say there are only two things of which he’s afraid.
Title: 10 rules for a perfect household
Pairing: Pin
Rating: R
Note: 2025 words. For zika_desu. Prompt: domestic. This was probably my favorite one to write so I really hope you all like it! :D
There are rules. It’s the only way the two of them living together could work. They’re busy and lazy and if there weren’t rules the apartment would be trashed within days, dishes would never be clean, and laundry would pile up by the washing machine. With the rules, they manage to survive.
Rule 1: If you finish something, you buy it.
Jin’s at home more than Yamapi these days - what with Yamapi having a drama to film and things for 24 hour television to figure out, so Jin’s the one who ends up finishing up most of the food and drinks. Soon, however, it starts to actually make a dent in his wallet.
It’s the easiest rule they have to follow, it makes perfect sense, too. But it’s not Jin’s fault that the company isn’t giving him enough work and therefore turning him into a couch potato. So it’s not his fault that he keeps on finishing the chips and the beer and the milk and the cereal. It’s not his fault he’s hungry.
But it’s becoming a pain in the ass to remember to stop by the conbini after work, to remember what it is he’s finished off the night before and get it the next morning so that he’ll actually have something to eat.
And so Jin concocts a plan. He’s not as stupid as everyone seems to think. He leaves a little of everything once he’s done, just enough for Yamapi. He’s being considerate, really. Helping out his best friend by ensuring he has enough milk to go with the rest of the cereal in the box for breakfast the next morning. He’s not doing this to make it seem like Yamapi’s the one who finishes everything and hence has to go and spend his money to buy more. Nope, not at all. He’s doing this because he’s a good friend.
The best thing about it is that Yamapi’s too busy to realize Jin’s plan kindness. He goes and buys more of whatever it is they need after work. The apartment is full of foods because Yamapi never forgets (unlike Jin). He does feel a little guilty. But that doesn’t stop him from continuing to do it though.
Rule 2: Whoever doesn’t cook, washes the dishes.
Jin hates to do the dishes, so more often than not Yamapi comes home to find dinner already made and a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. He doesn’t complain much, it’s their rule after all, and Jin’s a pretty decent cook. It also helps him out since Yamapi doesn’t like the prospect of coming back from tiring filming to have to actually work more to make food. He’d think Jin is being considerate that way if he didn’t know any better (Jin would probably eat his hand if it meant he didn’t have to do the dishes).
But, just to get Jin back, Yamapi makes sure to dirty as many dishes as possible on the days he happens to cook.
Rule 3: Do your laundry at the set time.
Jin came up with this rule after his whites came back pink in Yamapi’s basket and after Yamapi’s underwear shrunk while stuck in with Jin’s.
Jin does his laundry Wednesdays and Saturday nights while Yamapi has his time in the mornings. It’s the only way to make sure clothes aren’t mixed and matched and dyed and shrunk. Because after that one time, Jin spend two days wearing pink shirts and socks and got laughed at by KT-TUN when they noticed (Kame still brings it up just to piss him off) and Yamapi even couldn’t stop his snickering even when the whole mess was his fault.
But then Yamapi ended up with shrunk boxers which Jin would have laughed at if Yamapi hadn’t purposely worn them around the apartment just to make Jin all hot and bothered because they left fucking nothing to the imagination and were much better on a heap on the floor. While Jin gave his pink clothes to Ueda when asked (he didn’t want to know why), Yamapi still wears his too-small boxers - though they never manage to stay on for very long.
Rule 4: Fridays are for cleaning.
Also known as Screaming Back and Forth at Each Other From Various Places of the Apartment.
Because Yamapi can’t help but wonder “Why are you so fucking lazy, you can at least put the bottles in the recycling when you finish!”
And Jin would like to voice his opinion that “The bathroom smells of your disgusting cologne, can’t you buy one that doesn’t make me want to puke?”
“You forgot to take the trash out again, Bakanishi! How many times do I have to remind you?” Yamapi exclaims, wrinkling his noise in disgust as the twist-ties the bag.
“Pi, I know you’re a little technologically-challenged, but it doesn’t take a genius to put the DVDs back in the box!” Jin screeches when he finds his favorite porn just laying out on top of the DVD player.
So by the end of a couple of hours they have not only a sparkling clean apartment but hoarse voices. But at least they don’t step in spilled drinks or find crumbs all over the couch anymore (for a week, anyway, until they do it all over again).
Rule 5: Showering together saves water!
Contrary to what Ryo says, Jin did not come up with this rule. Jin did help in making it become a rule, but it is Yamapi who thought of it. Because Yamapi wakes up earlier than Jin and Yamapi ends up in the shower before Jin and Jin wakes up way too late and hovers around impatiently because Yamapi takes for-fucking-ever.
“Why don’t you wake me up?” Jin shouts as he grumbles and paces the hall.
“I’m not your mother,” Yamapi replies.
“You could still wake me up!”
“You’d go back to sleep anyway!”
Jin can’t deny that’s true, but still he pouts and whines, “Hurry up, I’m going to be late for work.”
“Then just come shower with me,” Yamapi tells him and a long, long pause follows his words.
Jin blinks, tilts his head. “I wonder why I didn’t think of that,” he muses as he walks into the bathroom and strips off his pajamas. “Don’t answer that,” he adds quickly, when he sees Yamapi’s face.
Yamapi just smirks, and Jin’s eyes fall onto the curve of his wet, red lips.
Needless to say, they’re both late to work that day (and practically every day after that). But Yamapi still keeps it at as a rule that they both follow because clearly they’re doing the environment a favor.
Rule 6: The Rubber Band on the doorknob Rule.
Yamapi still remembers coming home in the morning to find all of KAT-TUN in various states of undress all across the floor and the couch. He’s just thankful none of them made it into his bed (at least not that he knows of - he washed his sheets just in case).
And three days later when Jin returns home to find Shige, Ryo and Yamapi in a naked heap on the couch, he laughs for the whole day and Yamapi grumbles and creates possibly their most important rule.
*Exception to this rule is if you want to actually be involved - in which case, gladly ignore the rubber band. :D (exception added by Jin).
Rule 7: Do Not Disturb means fucking Do Not Disturb.
Yamapi’s used to Jin barging into his room at odd times of the day and night to tell him pointless things. They’ve been best friends for a long time, he practically expects it to occur at least once a day and is worried when it doesn’t.
The only time Yamapi can’t stand being bothered is when he’s sleeping. That means either at night or at any point in the day when he decides to take a nap. Be it on the couch or in his room or on the floor next to the couch because he was too tired to make it there or on the kitchen table (which is painful and Yamapi tries not to do it again) or in the genkan since moving further would just be a pain.
Yamapi likes to sleep. Yamapi needs the sleep. And that’s the only time that he won’t tolerate Jin’s random interruptions.
But of course, Jin doesn’t like having to wait, he’s impatient if nothing else, and if he can’t flail to Yamapi who else can he flail to? (Ryo only ever hangs up on him and Kame never answers). So, obviously, Jin has no choice but to wake Yamapi up. In the best possible way he knows how.
And therefore, the only way Yamapi doesn’t mind being disturbed when he’s sleeping is if he suddenly wakes to a warm heat around him, reaching out to grasp fingers into soft hair, and blinks his eyes open to find Jin peering up at him from between his legs.
Yes. That is the only exception.
Rule 8: Be Considerate.
Jin’s way of being considerate is letting Yamapi fuck him when he’s had a particularly rough day at work - it takes the edge off, having that control.
Yamapi’s way of being considerate is letting Jin think that Yamapi actually needs that edge off in the first place.
Neither of them are really sure why or how this rule came about but they’re too busy actually following it to care.
Rule 9: If your name’s not on it, it’s fair game!
This is exactly what Jin claimed when Yamapi accused him for finishing off the leftover pizza in the fridge. And two hours later, what Yamapi shot back at Jin when Jin claimed Yamapi ate the last of his cake.
And it went on for at least a week - both of them eating each other’s things without knowing (or knowing, in Jin’s occasional case) and then getting angry at each other for doing it.
Then Jin comes home with a label maker, proudly holding it up in the air and saying, “I have solved our problem!” And while Yamapi raised a brow skeptically, Jin promptly proceeded to show the amazing powers of the label maker by marking everything that was his in the fridge.
“Cool!” Yamapi agrees and takes the maker to do his foods. They grin at each other at their handiwork (because it clearly takes so much manpower to label a fridge full of foods) and Yamapi says, “And everything not labeled is free for both of us.”
“I’m a genius,” Jin declares and Yamapi’s so pleased with the results he just lets Jin think whatever he wants.
Rule 10: All of the Unspoken Rules that we just do because we are BFF.
There really isn’t a tenth rule. It’s just everything else they never got around to putting on paper because they got lazy (and all of the really important ones are written up anyway).
The tenth rule is Yamapi clearing off beer bottles from the coffee table because Jin passed out on the couch after a Tokyo Dome show. The tenth rule is Jin taking Yamapi’s car for a wash because he’s been meaning to do it but is too wrapped up in filming. The tenth rule is Yamapi putting Jin’s clothes into the dryer for him because he’s on the phone and forgets too easily. The tenth rule is Jin letting Yamapi sleep in ten minutes longer even though they have tickets to a show because it’s Yamapi’s first day off in weeks.
The tenth rule is waking up slowly on a Sunday morning to warm sunlight on their faces and arms around each other. It’s pressing kisses to necks and foreheads and slipping into sweats without ever having to say a word. It’s bumping hips and knocking elbows while making breakfast together. It’s Jin volunteering to do the dishes while Yamapi takes out the trash. It’s spending a day pressed against each other and sinking into that wonderful warmth, that indescribable feeling that only comes from being around your best friend.
The tenth rule is just being thankful for being together.
~
Title: Face your fears
Pairing: RyoShige
Rating: PG
Note: 3148 words. For sinestrated. Prompt: "what are you afraid of?"
There are three things Kato Shigeaki is afraid of:
1) Catepillars
2) NewS disbanding
3) Nishikido Ryo
The first one is obvious. Catepillars are scary. With their creepy crawly little legs and eurgh, Shige wouldn’t be sad at all if the entire species of catepillars decided to have a mass execution one day. In fact, he’d even arrange it.
The second one is pretty obvious too. Even though he’s studying law and will have that under his belt if/when NewS does disband, he still doesn’t want it to happen. At least not in the most foreseeable future. He likes singing and dancing, likes holding concerts and making the fans smile and scream.
The last one. That one. Shige, well. He still doesn’t really know. It’s been six years since NewS was formed and lots of changes has happened since then. Ryo has changed a lot since then and Shige has changed even more. Maybe it’s not so much as “afraid of Ryo” but rather “intimidated by Ryo.” But even so, things have changed but Shige’s feelings haven’t. Not completely. They hang out a lot more than when they first started, they talk to each other a lot more, too. But Shige still can’t shake this feeling whenever he’s around Ryo.
*
“I don’t know how to act around him,” he tells Koyama one day.
“Just be yourself!” Koyama replies cheerfully. “Everybody loves Shige.”
It’s not the best advice, but Shige decides to follow it anyway and when Ryo invites him to dinner after work one day, Shige readily accepts. But as the world clearly seems to enjoy laughing at him, Shige ends up spilling his drink and dropping his utensils and blushing to the tips of his ears.
Ryo just laughs and drops a few napkins over the spill. “Good to see you haven’t changed at all since we last hung out,” he says with amusement.
Shige cries inside and wishes the world would just swallow him whole instead of making him suffer constant humiliation.
*
“But Nishikido-kun’s really nice,” Massu says unhelpfully when Shige confides in him.
“I-I know that,” Shige says. “But I still act so…so awkward.”
“Just don’t think so much about it, you’ll be okay,” Massu suggests and since Shige doesn’t know what else to do, he keeps the advice in mind.
So the next time he’s talking with Ryo, he tries not to think too much about how things sound or how he may look to Ryo. But he ends up so focused on thinking about not thinking about it that Ryo snaps, “What the hell’s wrong with you? Are you even listening? You’re just nodding like an idiot.” And before Shige can open his mouth in horror and apologize, Ryo’s grumpily walking away.
*
“Aren’t you just afraid of what he thinks of you?” Tegoshi says easily and Shige blinks at him like he doesn’t understand. Tegoshi takes a look at him and sighs, like he’s pained with having to put up with Shige’s incompetence, and Shige would be annoyed if he wasn’t so preoccupied with figuring this whole thing out.
“You want him to like you,” Tegoshi says, like it’s obvious. “That’s why you’re so afraid of him. You don’t want to say or do the wrong thing in case it changes his opinion of you.”
Shige flushes and his eyes widen and he flails a little. “B-But th-that-that makes no sen-sense!”
“Sure it does,” Tegoshi says. He fixes Shige with a pointed stare and continues, “You like him.”
Shige splutters. “I-I do n-not!”
“And so you want him to like you back,” Tegoshi finishes like Shige hadn’t spoken. And before Shige has the chance to insist that he does not like Ryo, Tegoshi flounces off to cause havoc elsewhere.
“What’s with you?” Ryo asks when he walks into the dressing room three seconds later and sees Shige’s mortified face.
Shige jumps at Ryo’s voice. “N-Nothing,” he exclaims and quickly escapes, leaving a bewildered Ryo behind in favor of calming down his wild heart and hating that maybe Tegoshi has a very valid point.
*
“I don’t know what to do!” Shige exclaims as he flops forward onto the counter at a bar.
Yamapi pats his head and says, “Leave it me.” He grins excitedly.
Normally Shige would be worried, but right now he’s too desperate (and too drunk) to care, and instead flails into a hug with Yamapi and mumbles, “I love you,” into his leader’s shoulder.
Yamapi laughs and says, “Save that for Ryo-chan,” but Shige’s already passed out to hear.
*
Tomorrow is their first day off - all six of them - in a long time and Yamapi suggests they do something together. Koyama instantly agrees and the rest of them consent as well (Ryo after a bit of prodding and poking courtesy of Yamapi).
“What should we do?” Tegoshi asks.
“The sea! Let’s go!” Yamapi exclaims predictably. “It’s summer isn’t it? The beach is the best place to go.”
“We can do some fireworks, too!” Koyama adds just as excitedly, sparkles in his eyes already from the mere idea.
Tegoshi cheers his approval of the plan and Yamapi says, “We should meet each other there. We can carpool.” He pauses and glances at Ryo. “Don’t worry, Ryo-chan, I’ll pick you up since you still can’t drive yet.”
Ryo scoffs. “I’ll just take the train.”
“No~” Yamapi whines. “That’s no fun! I’ll come get you, okay?”
Ryo just grunts and Yamapi beams. He turns to Shige then and winks conspiratorily and Shige feels a sense of dread settle within him.
The next morning he’s just about ready to leave, grabbing his keys from the small table in the hall, a backpack with some food and towels over his shoulder. He had an early morning class so he doesn’t have to pick anyone up and therefore leaves at the last minute, not really in any rush to get there. However, just as he’s slipping on his shoes, his phone rings and without looking at the caller ID, he answers, “Hello?”
“Have you left yet?” Ryo asks and Shige’s eyes go round, pausing halfway in shoving his left foot into its shoe.
“N-No,” he says.
“Good,” Ryo says. “Come and get me then.”
“I-Isn’t Yamashita-kun supposed-”
“The idiot forgot,” Ryo cuts in and Shige feels like he should have seen this coming ever since Yamapi’s obvious wink yesterday. “You’re the closet to my place, so come get me.” And then he hangs up and Shige groans and wonders if it’s too late to just play sick.
Shige promptly has a panic attack in the genkan - not only does he have to pick Ryo up, but he has to sit through at least an hour of driving with him until they get to the sea. In the middle of his hyperventilating, Shige thinks he should probably leave before Ryo gets pissed at him for taking so long, and he quickly pulls on his shoes and locks the door as he heads out.
“God, that took you long enough,” is the only thing Ryo says when Shige picks him up. The rest of the drive passes by in silence. Shige is unsure what to say, focusing instead on driving, and Ryo just fiddles with the radio and leans back in his seat without a word. It makes Shige feel even more uncomfortable than normal but since Ryo doesn’t seem to be in the mood to speak, Shige doesn’t try to start up conversation either.
They’re the last to arrive, finding Yamapi waiting for them at the parking lot.
“Everyone’s here already, come on!” Yamapi says, sounding far more excited than one should be. Ryo rolls his eyes at him and walks off towards where Koyama and Tegoshi are already swimming and Massu is sprawled across the sand.
“So,” Yamapi says, falling into step beside Shige. “How’d it go?”
Shige hangs his head and doesn’t reply, but Yamapi gets it. “Nothing? You didn’t say anything at all?” he exclaims. “Shige. I had Ryo-chan yell at me for five whole minutes when I told him I “forgot” to pick him up. You ruined my plain.” He pouts and Shige feels guilty despite himself.
“I’m sorry! I-I just don’t know what to do,” Shige says sadly, joining the others and sitting down on the beach towels Koyama laid out.
“You like Ryo-chan, don’t you, Shige?” Yamapi says bluntly and Shige nearly chokes on nothing.
“W-What?” he exclaims.
Yamapi grins knowingly. “That’s why you’re so afraid to be around him.”
“I-I-I,” Shige tries, but finds his mind has shut off - the only thing he can do is stare at Yamapi with horror.
“Don’t worry,” Yamapi says. “Ryo-chan likes you, too.”
Shige snorts. “He doesn’t like me,” he says skeptically, and at that moment Ryo suddenly chooses to throw his shirt at Shige’s head and call out, “Come on, genius. How far can you swim?”
“He really likes you.” Yamapi grins cheekily as Shige gets to his feet, managing only a blush back at Yamapi before heading off to join Ryo.
*
Shige tries to act as normal as possible but it’s as if the world conspired against him to make Ryo suddenly pay attention to him all throughout the day. Hence, Shige’s acting less than normal, pretty collosally not-normal; fumbling over his words more, flushing to the tops of his ears every few minutes, and falling over his own feet. Ryo laughs at him, like always, but somehow today it’s not condescending as it is out of amusement, enjoyment. He rolls his eyes when Shige’s words get jumbled and teasingly calls him genius, ruffles Shige’s hair whenever he blushes, and helps Shige up when he trips, an arm warm around his waist.
Shige’s just anxious to go home but as luck would have it the world’s not done mocking him. Koyama forgot to buy fireworks and Yamapi pretty much forces Ryo and Shige to go buy some from a 24 hour combini just down the surf. Ryo gets up grudgingly, pulls a t-shirt over his head and grabs his wallet from his bag, then looks down at Shige until the younger boy has no choice but to go along. It doesn’t stop him from sending Yamapi death glares as he leaves, but Yamapi just beams at him, completely unfazed.
They walk there silently, standing side by side but not exchanging any words. But Shige can feel Ryo glancing at him every once in awhile, just quick flicks of his eyes, then back. It makes Shige even more painfully nervous so he keeps his mouth shut lest he ends up saying something completely inane. They buy the fireworks, smile at the girl at the register who is clearly trying to contain her excitement, and then make their way back.
Shige walks a little faster now, eager to get back to the safety of the group. Ryo’s eyes never leave him, now. Shige feels it on the back of his head the entire way back. He wonders what Ryo’s thinking, but is too afraid to actually ask.
Tegoshi runs up to them when they return, grabs the plastic bag from Shige’s hands and flounces off to Koyama and Massu who helps him open them up. Yamapi looks at Ryo then turns to Shige who shakes his head just barely and looks away when Yamapi frowns at him.
The sky is almost completely dark now, the sun just having finished setting, a few thin stripes of orange-purple hues visible over the horizon and reflecting into the sea. Shige’s starting to wonder if he could just leave, especially when Tegoshi starts singing Sen no kaze ni natte at the top of his lungs, arms spread open wide towards the sea. He can’t help but laugh with the others though, because it is funny, and thankfully there’s not many people around to see this time. Yamapi pulls out the beer they’ve been saving from the cooler and passes them around. Shige takes his gratefully and grabs his camera, pulling it around his head and heading towards the shore. He walks for awhile, staring at the waves, then when he’s far enough away, turns back around, set his unopened beer down by his feet.
He lifts the camera up and peers through the lens, focusing onto the rest of NewS gathered together. Yamapi is playing with one of the sparkler fireworks, a rare smile on his lips; Koyama is laying on his back, staring up at the sky; Massu is working on a nikuman, occasionally helping Tegoshi who’s trying to build a sandcastle; and Ryo, Ryo is staring directly across the beach towards Shige, his expression unfathomable.
Shige’s heart jumps and he quickly lowers his camera, looks down at the shore. He turns his back fully and crouches, balancing on his feet. Sighing heavily, he reaches for his bottle and takes a long drink. As he sets it back down, he hears the sounds of feet walking up behind him and he doesn’t even need to turn around to know who it is.
Ryo crouches down beside him, his own bottle in hand, and says without preamble, “What’re you afraid of?”
Shige looks at him quickly, not expecting the question at all, nor what Ryo means by it. Ryo glances at him then looks back out at the sea, takes a sip of his beer. Shige bites his lip and looks down at his knees. “I don’t know what you mean,” he replies truthfully after a few moments.
Ryo puts his bottle down between his feet and counts off on his fingers. “You said nothing to me on the drive here, and once we got here you only participated with me because I taunted you, and when we went to get the fireworks you ignored me again and now you’re sitting way over here instead of with the rest of us. Though I suspect it has more to do with me not the others.”
Shige clenches his fingers around his ankles, doesn’t say anything because, really, what can he say? He never figured Ryo would actually care about his blatant avoidance and isn’t sure how to react now that Ryo’s brought it up.
A couple of long, stretched-out minutes pass in silence and then Ryo stands up with a heavy sigh. Shige swallows a lump down in his throat, turns his head just a little so he’s able to flick his eyes up at Ryo, then promptly looks away when he meets Ryo’s gaze. Ryo frowns, sticks his hands into his pockets, and looks up at the sky, asks again, “You don’t act like this with anyone else, just me. What’re you so afraid of?”
Shige sucks his lower lip into his mouth, clenches his eyes closed tightly. He doesn’t know what to do or say, never one to be able to deal with confrontations well. He thinks back to what the others told him, specifically what Tegoshi and Yamapi told him. That he’s scared because he likes Ryo, that he wants Ryo’s approval, wants Ryo to like him back. Then the words are out of his mouth before he knows it: “I don’t want you to dislike me.”
He says it quietly but he knows Ryo heard him, the silence afterward unnerving. Shige wishes he hadn’t said anything, but now that the words are out in the open, he knows he can’t deny it any longer. It’s the truth, after all. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, it’s the truth. He doesn’t want Ryo to dislike him. In fact, he wants Ryo to really like him. And he’s just not been sure to do it, thinking keeping quiet around the older man would make it easier not to fuck things up.
So maybe he does like Ryo. He glares up at the sky; clearly this is another form of the world’s torture over his life.
But Shige puts that thought away as quickly as it came, glancing back down, chewing on his lip nervously. Ryo hasn’t said a thing and Shige’s not sure what he’s thinking, and is too cowardly to make the first move.
Just as he’s starting to get really worried, Ryo suddenly demands loudly, “Are you an idiot?”
Shige would be offended if the tone of Ryo’s voice didn’t make him wince. Right now, though, he thinks he really might be an idiot and he’s about to say so when Ryo cuts him off with, “Get up.”
Now Shige’s a little more frightened than normal. “W-What?” he squeaks helplessly.
“Get up. Stand. Now.” Ryo’s voice is sharp, cutting through Shige like a knife. His heart plummets into his stomach; he’s done it now - Ryo’s definitely angry. He should have just kept his mouth shut.
Shige slowly gets to his feet, eyes trained on the sand, unmoving, not daring to do anything, even breathing as shallowly as possible in case that pisses Ryo off, too. Then he watches Ryo’s feet move closer to him, until they’re barely a few inches apart, and makes the mistake of looking up at him. But he doesn’t see anger, no fury, no hatred. Maybe a tiny bit of irriation, but then he’s smiling, that bright, beautiful smile that Shige loves and reaches out to jab Shige in the forehead with his fingers.
Shige squawks unceremoniously and stumbles back a little, rubbing at his head and is about to snap at Ryo when the older man grabs his hand and pulls. It’s horribly cliché, he thinks, kissing while standing at the shore of the sea, the sounds of fireworks loud in their ears, and the cool breeze fluttering past. But Shige doesn’t care how lame the situation is because the kiss most definitely isn’t; Ryo’s mouth warm against his, tongue seeking out and licking along the part in his lips before dipping in tentatively, his fingers around Shige’s wrist tight and secure.
Shige breaks away first, gasping for air, feeling lightheaded and flustered. Ryo’s eyes are on him, much softer than before, sincere, and it makes the crazed rush in Shige’s veins slowly calm down.
“Uhm,” Shige says first, wanting to break the silence yet not knowing where to start.
Ryo laughs and Shige flushes, eyes dropping to the ground again. Then Ryo ruffles his hair again, maybe a little too roughly, but when Shige looks back up he’s grinning. “You really are an idiot,” Ryo says and Shige pouts. “Afraid over absolutely nothing.”
Shige’s heart practically dances in his chest, and he smiles so widely his cheeks start to hurt. But when Ryo kisses him again as the tide washes over their ankles and Yamapi cat-calls at them from a couple of feet away, he thinks it’s okay to have been an idiot over something for once. And now he can say there are only two things of which he’s afraid.