Building and Burning [Chapter Three: You May Be Right]
Title// Building and Burning [Chapter Three: You May Be Right]
Author//
swn_2gthr_wrng
Rating//PG-13
Pairing//Ryuusuke/Taira
Warnings//slash
Chapter One (includes summary)
Chapter Two
“I wonder how late Chiba, Ryuusuke, and Taira stayed up till?” Koyuki asked Maho, who was lying next to him in his bed.
She had ended up sleeping over because she knew that Ryuusuke wouldn’t be home until late.
“Plus, you have to take into account if any of them took home anyone.”
Koyuki snorted, “So that’s why you slept over.”
“Partially, yeah.”
“That’s cool. So when do you think we should go see Ryuusuke?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to ‘intrude’,” she made air quotes with her fingers, “on anything. The worst part is the morning after in my opinion. How about we call him around 11:30?”
Koyuki nodded, “Wanna get some breakfast?”
“Sure,” Maho smiled, “I’m starved.
Ryuusuke woke up to the sound of ‘Guerilla Radio’. Realizing that it was his cell-phone, he slowly untangled himself from the still-sleeping Taira and walked towards the music. Seeing that it was his little sister, he answered with a quiet, “Hello?” as he left the room, not wanting to wake his lover up.
“Hey, Ray. You with someone?” Maho asked.
“Yeah,” Ryuusuke answered, slightly annoyed at the interrogation, “How’d you know?”
“‘Cos you answered your phone in a quiet voice. Why would you do that if no one was sleeping there?”
“Wow Maho. Your skills of deduction are improving.”
“Ouch bro, sarcasm first thing in the morning isn’t sexy. Hopefully she’s still sleeping,” Maho told him.
“Looks like you still need to improve on your deduction skills before you become a freelance private eye.” Ryuusuke told her, smiling. He could tell she would not appreciate this comment.
“Pssh, your comedy routine needs work too. So what was I wrong about? There’s no one there?”
“No, Taira stayed over,” Ryuusuke whispered, as he held the phone an inch away from his ear as his sister laughed.
“Woah, I was way off. So anyway, can Koyuki and I come over soon? Around 12?”
“Yeah sure, Taira should be up soon.”
“Okay, see ya then.”
“Yeah, you too,” Click.
Ryuusuke wandered back into what could be loosely termed as his bedroom where Taira was still snoozing. He sat down next to him, drawing his knees up to his bare chest and holding them, observing the bleach blond in ‘sleep mode’. This too, was a rare site. Taira was a considerate sleeper, not sprawling out or hogging the pillows. He didn’t snore either, though Ryuusuke doubted it would bother him. Instead, inaudible words formed on the bassist’s lips: statements which only Taira could hear.
Ryuusuke smiled content with just watching Taira sleep. Unfortunately, it was already 10 minutes to 12, which meant he should probably wake Taira up so he could at least put some clothing on. Regretfully, Ryuusuke ran a finger down the middle of Taira’s face, tapping him on the nose. Taira’s mouth closed and his eyes opened. Upon seeing the light of day he squeezed them shut again.
“Whhhyyyy?” he groaned, making Ryuusuke chuckle, “What time is it?”
“11:51 in the morning…technically, you got enough sleep.”
“Technically you’re an asshole,” Taira squinted.
“Aw, don’t be bitter,” Ryuusuke remarked, mock-hurt filling his voice as he tried to pout - something difficult to accomplish when you’re trying not to smile.
“You’re ugly when you pout,” Taira told him, grinning. Ryuusuke hit his arm and then stood up.
“Here’s the deal, put on these,” Ryuusuke said as he threw Taira’s boxers at him, “and these,” the boxers were soon accompanied by his cargo shorts, “and you can go back to sleep. Okay?”
Taira sat up, “Nah I’m awake now. I also need to take a shower,” He told the guitarist, casually pulling on his clothing as Ryuusuke put on his jeans.
“I hate to say this,” Taira said, standing and stretching his arms above his head, “But it kinda smells like sex in here.”
Ryuusuke opened the windows and turned on the ceiling fan, “Don’t worry. Maho wouldn’t even think about it and Koyuki, well…we don’t need to worry about him.”
Taira laughed and ran a hand through his own hair, trying to get rid of the flat spot he knew was there.
“Man, one day your sister’s just gonna rock his world.”
Ryuusuke snorted.
“Hey you guys dressed?” they heard Maho cry out from outside.
“Speak of the devil,” Taira remarked as they made their way to the front door.
“Yeah…well, half.” Ryuusuke responded as he met Majo and Koyuki.
“I see you left your clothes on for Ryuusuke.” Maho commented. Taira’s sleeping habits were well known to the band.
“What makes you think he didn’t just put them on for you two?” Ryuusuke asked, a glint in his eye.
“He’s got a point,” Taira said matter-of-factly. They tried to keep straight faces, but the looks on the teens’ faces were too much. Taira laughed, and Ryuusuke, Maho, and Koyuki joined in. Ryuusuke and Taira weren’t trying to keep their relationship a secret, but neither of them wanted to spell it out. They just wanted people to figure it out for themselves; it was less stressful and way more fun.
As they sat in Ryuuske’s “kitchen” (again very loosely termed) the guitarist asked, “You guys had breakfast yet?”
“Yeah, Koyukie’s mom made us breakfast,” Maho told him.
“We’re going out for breakfast - or I guess a late brunch - after we take showers. You guys wanna come with?” Ryuusuke asked, as Taira went to go take the mentioned shower.
“I’m in,” Koyuki answered, looking at Maho.
“Yeah sure, why not?” the dark hair girl replied, “I’m going to go pick out a manga to read. I’ll be back.” Majo had conveniently left (it really was so Koyuki could talk to her brother).
Koyuki said, “So it looks like you two and Taira are on good terms again.”
“Yeah,” Ryuusuke grinned, “and the make-up sex was great.”
A look of shock and confusion was scrawled onto the teen’s face.
“W-What? Are you being serious?”
Ryuusuke didn’t have the chance to respond as Majo came in with a scowl on her face.
“Where is my second volume of Hana Kimi?”
Ryuusuke frowned indignantly, “Why would you think I know where it is?”
“This is where you live, right?” Maho snapped at him.
“Yeah well, maybe if you kept them at your place; or at least kept track of them.” He told her.
Maho said nothing, and went back to retrieve another manga.
“Yo, Ryuusuke,” Taira called from the washroom.
“I’ll be back in a sec,” Ryuusuke told Koyuki who was still trying to make sense of Ryuusuke’s earlier statement.
“Yeah man?” he answered when he got to the closed door.
“Can you get my shirt from your room?”
“Yeah sure,” Ryuusuke said as he made his way to his room to gather both his and Taira’s t-shirt.
“Ray?” Maho said in and inquiring tone. She was crouched down, skimming through the manga titles with her light brown eyes back to him.
“Yeah?” Ryuusuke answered, suddenly wary. Whenever Maho had that tone to her voice, Ryuusuke knew his sister was going to ask him an important question.
“Do you and Taira have a thing going on?”
“A ‘thing’?”
“Ray…”
“Maybe. What do you think?” He grinned and left the room to give Taira his shirt and take his own shower.
“Here’s your shirt,” Ryuusuke threw the bassist’s shirt in his face.
“Thanks, what took you?”
“I think my sister and Koyuki are onto us,” Ryuusuke told him.
“Really?” Taira grinned. “It couldn’t have been all those hints we’ve been dropping, could it?”
“Well, prepare yourself for awkward interrogations.”
“”Will do,” Taira pecked his cheek before leaving the bathroom.
“Hey Koyuki, what’s up?” Taira greeted the young guitarist and occupied the chair Ryuusuke had been sitting in.
“Nothing much, what time did you guys get in?”
Taira snorted, “I don’t remember. Oh man, you should’ve seen Chiba - he was completely wasted. We had to walk him back home. Then we got lost so we just decided to try and end up here before morning.”
Koyuki chuckled lightly, just imagining Taira and Ryuusuke wandering aimlessly around town. Maho entered the room, a mixed expression of amusement and curiosity on her face. She wanted a clear answer, and she was going to get it.
“Taira…,” Maho started.
“Yeah?” he answered expectantly. Maho opened her mouth and closed it after a moment. She hadn’t really thought of what exactly to say; she sure as hell didn’t want to say anything too assuming and then get it wrong.
“What time does the show tonight start again?”
“Um, seven. It’s seven, right Koyuki?”
“Yeah I’m pretty sure.”
Ryuusuke sauntered into the kitchen. “It’s definitely seven,” he told them, standing behind Taira as there were only three chairs surrounding the small kitchen table.
“What do you say we get some food now?”
Everything seemed normal enough to the suspecting Maho and Koyuki as they ate. Well of course it does Maho thought, what was I expecting? she asked herself. She really didn’t have an answer. The only reason she wanted to get to the bottom of this was because it bugged her that her brother never mentioned anything about it before. There was no ‘Hey, I’m going out with Taira,’ or ‘Hey Maho, I think I have a thing for Taira,’ or even, ‘Yeah Taira’s pretty hot’. But maybe they were at a complicated stage right now…That’s it! God I’m such an idiot. They probably don’t even know what’s going on themselves right now, she realized.
After the restaurant they decided to part ways.
“I better go home, Saku’s probably wondering if I’m still alive.” The others laughed.
“Tell him if he’s not busy he should come over to Saito’s to hang out with us,” Koyuki told him as Maho nodded her agreement.
“We should head over there right now actually,” Maho said, “See you guys before the show starts.”
Maho and Koyuki waved goodbye and set off down the sidewalk at a leisurely place.
“So I’ll see you at the show then,” Ryuusuke said, not sure how to part from Taira. Taira took hold of his hand and squeezed it lightly.
“Yeah, see you.” He agreed and reluctantly let go, walking in the opposite direction.
Maho discreetly glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Taira release her brother’s hand. She looked to Koyuki, who was doing the exact same thing. So much for being discreet. Koyuki scratched his head perplexedly,
“I never would have thought either of them would’ve been ‘into guys’,” he commented.
Maho rolled her eyes and sighed, “They’re not ‘into guys’, Koyuki. They’re into each other. The fact that they’re both guys has little to do with it. Although, “ she stated, “Even though I knew Taira was one of those people who’s totally open-minded when it comes to sexuality, I’m a bit surprised about my brother.
“Only ‘a bit?’”
“Well, I knew he’d found something with Taira that he’d never found before; I mean, they became really close pretty fast.”
“Well yeah. But I thought it was in the ‘best friends’ way like me and Saku.”
Maho giggled a little, “Well technically is the ‘best friends’ way - as you put it. But sometimes the line between intellectually appealing and sexual appealing blurs, and then fades. That’s when you like someone for everything they are.”
“That sounds like love.” Koyuki remarked.
“I guess it is.”
The two walked silently for a moment before he asked, “So that means they’re in love?”
Maho made a sound of annoyance, “I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”
“Well you seemed to know a lot about it…” he explained.
“That’s only because my brother wouldn’t stop talking about the guy, but he never said anything about finding him attractive.”
”Is that why you were mad at him this morning?”
“That and the manga thing,” her lips twitching in an attempt to prevent a smile. It failed.
“I dunno, I think Taira would be good for my brother. I’m more worried about how Ryuusuke’s going to treat him. I mean, I know it must be slightly different since they were friends before and since they’re both guys, but Ry has made some pretty bad relationship decisions in the past.”
Koyuki nodded silently. In his time being friends with the talented guitarist, he’d realized that Ryuusuke was good at getting women, just not at keeping them. He remembered the second time he saw him. He was carelessly breaking up with a very-distressed young woman. An unsettling thought occurred to him,
“What will happen to the band if they have a bad break-up?”
“See, that’s probably the only real risk of inter-band relationships, in Beck’s case. Hopefully the breakup will be mutual, or they decide to stick through it for the band. I actually think the worst-case scenario would be putting the band on hold for a while,”
As they neared the shop where Mr. Saito lived, Maho paused and looked at Koyuki, “Let’s not talk about this around Saito right now,” She told him.
“Oh, I totally agree.”
“Good. Thanks Koyuki.”
Author//
swn_2gthr_wrng
Rating//PG-13
Pairing//Ryuusuke/Taira
Warnings//slash
Chapter One (includes summary)
Chapter Two
“I wonder how late Chiba, Ryuusuke, and Taira stayed up till?” Koyuki asked Maho, who was lying next to him in his bed.
She had ended up sleeping over because she knew that Ryuusuke wouldn’t be home until late.
“Plus, you have to take into account if any of them took home anyone.”
Koyuki snorted, “So that’s why you slept over.”
“Partially, yeah.”
“That’s cool. So when do you think we should go see Ryuusuke?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to ‘intrude’,” she made air quotes with her fingers, “on anything. The worst part is the morning after in my opinion. How about we call him around 11:30?”
Koyuki nodded, “Wanna get some breakfast?”
“Sure,” Maho smiled, “I’m starved.
Ryuusuke woke up to the sound of ‘Guerilla Radio’. Realizing that it was his cell-phone, he slowly untangled himself from the still-sleeping Taira and walked towards the music. Seeing that it was his little sister, he answered with a quiet, “Hello?” as he left the room, not wanting to wake his lover up.
“Hey, Ray. You with someone?” Maho asked.
“Yeah,” Ryuusuke answered, slightly annoyed at the interrogation, “How’d you know?”
“‘Cos you answered your phone in a quiet voice. Why would you do that if no one was sleeping there?”
“Wow Maho. Your skills of deduction are improving.”
“Ouch bro, sarcasm first thing in the morning isn’t sexy. Hopefully she’s still sleeping,” Maho told him.
“Looks like you still need to improve on your deduction skills before you become a freelance private eye.” Ryuusuke told her, smiling. He could tell she would not appreciate this comment.
“Pssh, your comedy routine needs work too. So what was I wrong about? There’s no one there?”
“No, Taira stayed over,” Ryuusuke whispered, as he held the phone an inch away from his ear as his sister laughed.
“Woah, I was way off. So anyway, can Koyuki and I come over soon? Around 12?”
“Yeah sure, Taira should be up soon.”
“Okay, see ya then.”
“Yeah, you too,” Click.
Ryuusuke wandered back into what could be loosely termed as his bedroom where Taira was still snoozing. He sat down next to him, drawing his knees up to his bare chest and holding them, observing the bleach blond in ‘sleep mode’. This too, was a rare site. Taira was a considerate sleeper, not sprawling out or hogging the pillows. He didn’t snore either, though Ryuusuke doubted it would bother him. Instead, inaudible words formed on the bassist’s lips: statements which only Taira could hear.
Ryuusuke smiled content with just watching Taira sleep. Unfortunately, it was already 10 minutes to 12, which meant he should probably wake Taira up so he could at least put some clothing on. Regretfully, Ryuusuke ran a finger down the middle of Taira’s face, tapping him on the nose. Taira’s mouth closed and his eyes opened. Upon seeing the light of day he squeezed them shut again.
“Whhhyyyy?” he groaned, making Ryuusuke chuckle, “What time is it?”
“11:51 in the morning…technically, you got enough sleep.”
“Technically you’re an asshole,” Taira squinted.
“Aw, don’t be bitter,” Ryuusuke remarked, mock-hurt filling his voice as he tried to pout - something difficult to accomplish when you’re trying not to smile.
“You’re ugly when you pout,” Taira told him, grinning. Ryuusuke hit his arm and then stood up.
“Here’s the deal, put on these,” Ryuusuke said as he threw Taira’s boxers at him, “and these,” the boxers were soon accompanied by his cargo shorts, “and you can go back to sleep. Okay?”
Taira sat up, “Nah I’m awake now. I also need to take a shower,” He told the guitarist, casually pulling on his clothing as Ryuusuke put on his jeans.
“I hate to say this,” Taira said, standing and stretching his arms above his head, “But it kinda smells like sex in here.”
Ryuusuke opened the windows and turned on the ceiling fan, “Don’t worry. Maho wouldn’t even think about it and Koyuki, well…we don’t need to worry about him.”
Taira laughed and ran a hand through his own hair, trying to get rid of the flat spot he knew was there.
“Man, one day your sister’s just gonna rock his world.”
Ryuusuke snorted.
“Hey you guys dressed?” they heard Maho cry out from outside.
“Speak of the devil,” Taira remarked as they made their way to the front door.
“Yeah…well, half.” Ryuusuke responded as he met Majo and Koyuki.
“I see you left your clothes on for Ryuusuke.” Maho commented. Taira’s sleeping habits were well known to the band.
“What makes you think he didn’t just put them on for you two?” Ryuusuke asked, a glint in his eye.
“He’s got a point,” Taira said matter-of-factly. They tried to keep straight faces, but the looks on the teens’ faces were too much. Taira laughed, and Ryuusuke, Maho, and Koyuki joined in. Ryuusuke and Taira weren’t trying to keep their relationship a secret, but neither of them wanted to spell it out. They just wanted people to figure it out for themselves; it was less stressful and way more fun.
As they sat in Ryuuske’s “kitchen” (again very loosely termed) the guitarist asked, “You guys had breakfast yet?”
“Yeah, Koyukie’s mom made us breakfast,” Maho told him.
“We’re going out for breakfast - or I guess a late brunch - after we take showers. You guys wanna come with?” Ryuusuke asked, as Taira went to go take the mentioned shower.
“I’m in,” Koyuki answered, looking at Maho.
“Yeah sure, why not?” the dark hair girl replied, “I’m going to go pick out a manga to read. I’ll be back.” Majo had conveniently left (it really was so Koyuki could talk to her brother).
Koyuki said, “So it looks like you two and Taira are on good terms again.”
“Yeah,” Ryuusuke grinned, “and the make-up sex was great.”
A look of shock and confusion was scrawled onto the teen’s face.
“W-What? Are you being serious?”
Ryuusuke didn’t have the chance to respond as Majo came in with a scowl on her face.
“Where is my second volume of Hana Kimi?”
Ryuusuke frowned indignantly, “Why would you think I know where it is?”
“This is where you live, right?” Maho snapped at him.
“Yeah well, maybe if you kept them at your place; or at least kept track of them.” He told her.
Maho said nothing, and went back to retrieve another manga.
“Yo, Ryuusuke,” Taira called from the washroom.
“I’ll be back in a sec,” Ryuusuke told Koyuki who was still trying to make sense of Ryuusuke’s earlier statement.
“Yeah man?” he answered when he got to the closed door.
“Can you get my shirt from your room?”
“Yeah sure,” Ryuusuke said as he made his way to his room to gather both his and Taira’s t-shirt.
“Ray?” Maho said in and inquiring tone. She was crouched down, skimming through the manga titles with her light brown eyes back to him.
“Yeah?” Ryuusuke answered, suddenly wary. Whenever Maho had that tone to her voice, Ryuusuke knew his sister was going to ask him an important question.
“Do you and Taira have a thing going on?”
“A ‘thing’?”
“Ray…”
“Maybe. What do you think?” He grinned and left the room to give Taira his shirt and take his own shower.
“Here’s your shirt,” Ryuusuke threw the bassist’s shirt in his face.
“Thanks, what took you?”
“I think my sister and Koyuki are onto us,” Ryuusuke told him.
“Really?” Taira grinned. “It couldn’t have been all those hints we’ve been dropping, could it?”
“Well, prepare yourself for awkward interrogations.”
“”Will do,” Taira pecked his cheek before leaving the bathroom.
“Hey Koyuki, what’s up?” Taira greeted the young guitarist and occupied the chair Ryuusuke had been sitting in.
“Nothing much, what time did you guys get in?”
Taira snorted, “I don’t remember. Oh man, you should’ve seen Chiba - he was completely wasted. We had to walk him back home. Then we got lost so we just decided to try and end up here before morning.”
Koyuki chuckled lightly, just imagining Taira and Ryuusuke wandering aimlessly around town. Maho entered the room, a mixed expression of amusement and curiosity on her face. She wanted a clear answer, and she was going to get it.
“Taira…,” Maho started.
“Yeah?” he answered expectantly. Maho opened her mouth and closed it after a moment. She hadn’t really thought of what exactly to say; she sure as hell didn’t want to say anything too assuming and then get it wrong.
“What time does the show tonight start again?”
“Um, seven. It’s seven, right Koyuki?”
“Yeah I’m pretty sure.”
Ryuusuke sauntered into the kitchen. “It’s definitely seven,” he told them, standing behind Taira as there were only three chairs surrounding the small kitchen table.
“What do you say we get some food now?”
Everything seemed normal enough to the suspecting Maho and Koyuki as they ate. Well of course it does Maho thought, what was I expecting? she asked herself. She really didn’t have an answer. The only reason she wanted to get to the bottom of this was because it bugged her that her brother never mentioned anything about it before. There was no ‘Hey, I’m going out with Taira,’ or ‘Hey Maho, I think I have a thing for Taira,’ or even, ‘Yeah Taira’s pretty hot’. But maybe they were at a complicated stage right now…That’s it! God I’m such an idiot. They probably don’t even know what’s going on themselves right now, she realized.
After the restaurant they decided to part ways.
“I better go home, Saku’s probably wondering if I’m still alive.” The others laughed.
“Tell him if he’s not busy he should come over to Saito’s to hang out with us,” Koyuki told him as Maho nodded her agreement.
“We should head over there right now actually,” Maho said, “See you guys before the show starts.”
Maho and Koyuki waved goodbye and set off down the sidewalk at a leisurely place.
“So I’ll see you at the show then,” Ryuusuke said, not sure how to part from Taira. Taira took hold of his hand and squeezed it lightly.
“Yeah, see you.” He agreed and reluctantly let go, walking in the opposite direction.
Maho discreetly glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Taira release her brother’s hand. She looked to Koyuki, who was doing the exact same thing. So much for being discreet. Koyuki scratched his head perplexedly,
“I never would have thought either of them would’ve been ‘into guys’,” he commented.
Maho rolled her eyes and sighed, “They’re not ‘into guys’, Koyuki. They’re into each other. The fact that they’re both guys has little to do with it. Although, “ she stated, “Even though I knew Taira was one of those people who’s totally open-minded when it comes to sexuality, I’m a bit surprised about my brother.
“Only ‘a bit?’”
“Well, I knew he’d found something with Taira that he’d never found before; I mean, they became really close pretty fast.”
“Well yeah. But I thought it was in the ‘best friends’ way like me and Saku.”
Maho giggled a little, “Well technically is the ‘best friends’ way - as you put it. But sometimes the line between intellectually appealing and sexual appealing blurs, and then fades. That’s when you like someone for everything they are.”
“That sounds like love.” Koyuki remarked.
“I guess it is.”
The two walked silently for a moment before he asked, “So that means they’re in love?”
Maho made a sound of annoyance, “I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”
“Well you seemed to know a lot about it…” he explained.
“That’s only because my brother wouldn’t stop talking about the guy, but he never said anything about finding him attractive.”
”Is that why you were mad at him this morning?”
“That and the manga thing,” her lips twitching in an attempt to prevent a smile. It failed.
“I dunno, I think Taira would be good for my brother. I’m more worried about how Ryuusuke’s going to treat him. I mean, I know it must be slightly different since they were friends before and since they’re both guys, but Ry has made some pretty bad relationship decisions in the past.”
Koyuki nodded silently. In his time being friends with the talented guitarist, he’d realized that Ryuusuke was good at getting women, just not at keeping them. He remembered the second time he saw him. He was carelessly breaking up with a very-distressed young woman. An unsettling thought occurred to him,
“What will happen to the band if they have a bad break-up?”
“See, that’s probably the only real risk of inter-band relationships, in Beck’s case. Hopefully the breakup will be mutual, or they decide to stick through it for the band. I actually think the worst-case scenario would be putting the band on hold for a while,”
As they neared the shop where Mr. Saito lived, Maho paused and looked at Koyuki, “Let’s not talk about this around Saito right now,” She told him.
“Oh, I totally agree.”
“Good. Thanks Koyuki.”