Title: welcome back
Group: Arashi & KAT-TUN
Pairing/Genre: Jun + Jin and some other randoms
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1216 words
Summary: Jun and Jin are the only ones left in the bar, so they may as well talk to one another.
Notes: Prompted by
solesakuma but this really should partly be for
pithetaphish because I have promised her Jin/Jun ages. There might even be more.
It was late - way past the time the bar should have closed - and almost everyone had gone home. Takki was still talking animatedly to Tegoshi in the corner of the booth, Jin was teasing Nakamaru about the fact that his hairstyle never changed, and Jun was having an in-depth conversation with Kame about the healing qualities of red wine. Eventually, Nakamaru got fed up with being teased and grabbed Kame by the arm.
"Come on," Nakamaru said, trying to be gruff but Jun could see he wasn't as angry as he was making out. "If I'm driving you home, I'm driving you home now."
Kame gave Jun an apologetic look and handed him his glass of wine, since Jun had long since finished his. "It was good talking to you again, Matsumoto-kun."
Jun smiled and raised the glass as Kame got up. "Any time, Kame." Nakamaru shoved Kame's coat at him the next moment and bundled him out of the bar. Jun took a sip of the wine and watched them go for a moment, before his eyes settled on the other person left without a conversation partner, Jin.
Jin was playing with his phone and Jun was feeling intrusive enough to lean over and tap him on the shoulder. "Hey," he said, and Jin turned around, snapping his phone shut. He looked startled, a little surprised, and then he tried to school his features into a bored sort of look.
"Matsujun," Jin said, reaching for his half-empty bottle of beer on the table. He didn't elaborate, and Jun could see that the conversation was going to have to be on his shoulders.
"Welcome back," he said, even though Jin had been back for a while, with his tour and PV and everything. Jin smirked a little and it was clearly a good enough opening line, because he tucked his leg under himself and turned towards Jun.
"It's good to be back," Jin said, reaching over to tap his beer bottle against Jun's glass of wine.
Jun smiled and took a sip of his wine to join Jin in his toast, but of course he was more curious about Jin's words. "Is it really?" Think what he might about Jin's work ethic and professional attitude, Jun was honestly curious about what went on between the kid's ears. Much like most of Japan, probably.
The question didn't seem to faze Jin, and he smirked, looking at Jun out of the corner of his eye for a moment before he shrugged. "I can't change where home is. America's great, but it's a dream. Every time I go there, it feels so real - the people and the English and the food and the wide open spaces - but when I get back, it's like reality hits. Life is back to rice and nori and otsukaresamadeshita and rooms measured in tatami mats. I might love America, it's where my heart is, but I can't change what I grew up with. It feels more real here."
Jun had been to America - he remembers the people, the English, the food, the wide open spaces - but he didn't remember feeling like it was a dream. It was different from Japan, of course, and coming home was a relief in ways, but it was definitely real. He tilted his head. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, but I'm glad you don't hate it here."
Jin smiled, in an annoying, patronising way that Jun would have taken much more offence to were he more sober. "Hate is a strong word, Matsujun."
"You know," Jun started, lifting a finger off his wine glass to point at Jin. "You're not as mysteriously alluring as you think you are."
Jin laughed at that, throwing his head back and picking up his knees for a second. The reaction surprised Jun, mostly because he wasn't sure he could remember the last time he heard Jin laugh. Jin slapped a hand down on Jun's shoulder after a moment, steadying himself. "I'm neither mysterious nor alluring, Matsujun; but then, neither are you."
The words sounded like they were meant to be a jab, and it threw Jun a little. He hadn't been accused of having that sort of self-image in years, and it occurred to him that Jin probably still thought he was Domyoji. He wouldn't have been surprised; they saw each other at least semi-regularly at that point, so it was probably a lasting impression, even though his image had grown up so much that people had all but stopped calling him 'Do-S'.
It was Jun's turn to smile patronisingly. "I know I'm not." Jin frowned, and Jun just leaned back, out from under Jin's hand. "We don't know each other very well," he said, taking another sip of wine. "We should probably stop making assumptions."
Jin was still frowning, but he nodded anyway. "So, are you gay?"
Jun nearly choked on his wine. "Excuse me," he spluttered, coughing out the bit of alcohol he managed to inhale. "What?"
"Well," Jin said, the smile returning to his face, "that's one of my assumptions."
It took Jun a moment to calm his throat and think of an appropriate response. "Look, I'm not sure that I'm comfortable -"
"Oh, I was so right!" Jin crowed, slapping his hand on the seat cushion. "Koki owes me five thousand yen." He pulled his phone out of his pocket to text the good news, but Jun grabbed his arm.
"I'd appreciate it if this didn't get out," Jun said firmly.
Jin nodded seriously before breaking into a smirk. "As though nobody knew." He flicked his phone open and sent a quick message before Jun could stop him again.
Jun just rolled his eyes; Jin was probably right, but that didn't mean he had to be so cavalier with the information. "You know, I was going to say earlier that you hadn't become the person I thought you were going to be when we first met, but I think I might have to change my mind."
Jin smiled. "Well, if it's any consolation, Matsujun, you're exactly the person I thought you'd become." His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Brilliant," he said, grinning now, "Koki's going to buy me a drink to settle the bet. I'm off."
Jun looked around at their previously packed Johnny's party, and at some point during his conversation with Jin, Tegoshi and Takki had left as well. He drained the last of the glass of wine and stood, picking up his jacket and phone. Jin stuck around as Jun payed for the evening (it was his idea, after all, and the bill stung but he couldn't be bothered to worry about it), and they walked outside together.
Jin moved to the edge of the road, looking for a taxi. "Hey, dude, thanks for tonight. It was good. Sucks that your group bailed so early."
Jun shrugged, pulling his jacket on over the cold of the night air. "We're getting old," he joked, a smirk on his face because he knew that at least Ohno had left for another party and Nino was meeting with Takahashi-san.
Jin flagged a taxi down and turned to Jun. "Hey, we should do this again. Next time you can ask me if I was really sleeping with Kame all those years." He grinned and slipped into the cab before Jun could properly express his indignation.