KAT-TUN member love drabbles
TITLE: Real Face
PAIRING: Jin/Koki (platonic)
SUMMARY: Koki still isn't happy that Jin left.
October 2006 through April 2007 was an elephant in the room - one that Koki refused to acknowledge. When Jin would bring it up, whether it was the retelling of a story every one had heard already, or another quiet apology, Koki would glare, or makeup some excuse to leave the room or start an argument with Taguchi.
Even though Jin had been back for months (the new concert tour was over), Koki couldn't help but still feel like Jin had left them for selfish reasons. Barely six months after debuting, all their hard work, years of being "back-up dancers", together they'd reached the top - and Jin decided he wanted something else, like debuting wasn't all that much of a big deal.
But it was a big deal. Why else were they all in Johnny's? What else had all that work for?
"Koki..."
He looked up, "Shut up, Jin. Go buy me a drink, or something."
"Actually,"
Koki turned ready to glare, yell, but Jin responded first, "Do you remember that time - it was a long time ago, but you should remember - when you wanted to quit KAT-TUN and Johnny's all together, but Johnny told you not to? Cause, he said, otherwise you wouldn't ever do anything with your life?"
Confused, Koki kept looking at Jin, ".. Yeah. I remember. What of it?"
Jin sat down in an empty chair near Koki, but didn't look at him, just played with the hem of his shirt, "For you... being here is doing something... with your life... Right?"
"Yeah. Where're you going with this?"
Jin raised his head, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, "I had to go! Koki! You get it right?" Jin reached out and grabbed Koki's arm, near the elbow (he knew not to go for the hand after Kame's whole thing), "If all I've done with my life is sing and dance and listen to girls scream, I'll be sad when I'm old and no one likes me any more. I.. I needed to know that, at least for six months of my life, I was doing something I wanted to do, that I was living for myself. That way, I could feel like I'd done something with my life...."
Jin suddenly seemed to relax, like he'd gotten a weight off his chest. He let go of Koki's arm and sat back in the chair, not making eye contact. Koki didn't either.
Finally, Koki sighed, "You're such a drama queen."
"Every one told me I needed to talk to you about this. Without you ending the conversation before it started."
Koki turned to Jin, "Every one?"
Jin looked up with a toothy grin, "Kame, Uebo and Maru did. Taguchi just yelled at his DS the whole time I was getting lectured."
Koki laughed, "Figures."
TITLE: Never Again
PAIRING: Koki/Taguchi (platonic)
SUMMARY: Koki is the caretaker of Taguchi's knee.
Any who has seen even the first 30 seconds of Cartoon KAT-TUN knows that Taguchi is the token punching bag of the group. He gets kicked and punched and bullied by the others, and while he complains about it, Taguchi never physically fights back. It has always been like this. Even his leg injury couldn't keep Koki and Jin from hitting him and the others from bullying him.
The injury didn't stop it, but the injury did change it.
The bullying is softer now. It's unspoken among them that, even after a year, and longer, they can't force him to do anything that might aggravate it. Taguchi's leg is completely healed - his acrobatics are better than before - and they all know that, but all of them carry the fear of reinjury, even though Taguchi would be the only one to physically suffer from it.
The physical abuse (none of them actually call the hitting 'abuse', even Taguchi) carries its own rules. Hitting above the belt is every one's territory, even to those who aren't in the group. (Yokoyama happily joined Jin in Taguchi-punch-fests during breaks in shooting.)
However, hitting below the belt, after Jin slipped up and almost kicked Taguchi's bad knee a month after he'd gotten out of the hospital, has become solely Koki's responsobility. It's a duty guarded by the others, such to the point that when Yokoyama tried to kick Taguchi, Jin "accidentally" tripped and knocked Yokoyama over.
Koki is the only one among them who, even when angry, can consciously think, Remember about Taguchi's knee. Remember about Taguchi's knee. Koki considers it like an honor, that he's the only one allowed to do such a thing. That he's the one who shows the rest of the world that, even with the injury, KAT-TUN is still KAT-TUN and nothing had changed. They all knew Taguchi would be fine, so when he came back, they didn't baby him, they didn't treat him any more delicately. Taguchi went to the hospital as their punching bag and he returned the same thing.
No one outside of KAT-TUN tries to fight for the right to kick Taguchi - even though he's a little on the short side, Koki is an intimidating kind of guy. Koki doesn't need any backup when Nishikido or Murakami get too close and irritated with Taguchi. Koki always steps in, gives them a good glare and makes sure every one know he's protecting Taguchi.
TITLE: Butterfly
PAIRING: Jin/Ueda (platonic)
SUMMARY: Jin meets up with the guys in New York City.
Jin,
We're going to be in New York to shot some pictures for the concert pamphlet. You should come visit us while we're there, even though you can't be in the pictures.
-Ueda
---
Uebo,
Do you realize how far away LA and New York are from each other? It's a really long flight.
---
Shut up.
No excuses.
We'll be there a little before New Years.
---
...
.....
Fine. I have some time off from school after Christmas. Send me the dates you'll be in the New York. I'll bum some money off my friends here.
---
Ueda had told the others about Jin's visit over breakfast in the lobby of the hotel, and they reacted as he'd expected. Taguchi and Nakamaru seemed interested in seeing Jin again, Kame was completely indifferent and Koki just looked pissed.
The snow lying about the park improved Koki's mood, but only slightly. He did his best not to look too sulky for the cameras and goofed off with Nakamaru and Kame. Taguchi was building a snowman, and had recruited Ueda to find arms. And while he was, sort of, keeping a look out for suitable branches, Ueda was more interested on trying to spot the dyed head of hair he knew belonged to Jin.
Nearly 20 minutes after Jin said he'd arrive, Ueda could see him running down the path through the park, slipping once of a patch of ice and nearly falling over. Jin caught sight of Ueda and waved to him frantically. Ueda walked towards him, and once they were close enough, Jin pulled Ueda into a tight hug.
"Sorry, I'm late... Have you beefed up a little since I left?"
"I expected you to be late, so it's no big deal. And yes, I've started taking my boxing more seriously. I won't lose to you."
Jin gave Ueda a funny look, "We're fighting?"
Ueda sighed, but before he could say anything, they heard some one calling Jin's name - Taguchi. He looked thrilled, running over and hugging Jin and talking a mile a minute about how much healthier Jin looked.
With half the group away, it didn't take long for Koki, Kame and Nakamaru to wander over. Nakamaru slapped Jin on the back and smiled, Kame was civil (as always) and said, "hello", Koki took a minute to debate whether he wanted to acknowledge Jin's existance at all, but finally did with a curt head nod.
Later, at dinner, while Jin talked with Kame, Taguchi and Nakamaru (even Koki let himself look slightly interested in the stories Jin told), Ueda couldn't help but think that what had been said at Jin's press conference was utterly fitting - KAT-TUN had six members, and until Jin's return, they would all support him and work hard.
PAIRING: Jin/Koki (platonic)
SUMMARY: Koki still isn't happy that Jin left.
October 2006 through April 2007 was an elephant in the room - one that Koki refused to acknowledge. When Jin would bring it up, whether it was the retelling of a story every one had heard already, or another quiet apology, Koki would glare, or makeup some excuse to leave the room or start an argument with Taguchi.
Even though Jin had been back for months (the new concert tour was over), Koki couldn't help but still feel like Jin had left them for selfish reasons. Barely six months after debuting, all their hard work, years of being "back-up dancers", together they'd reached the top - and Jin decided he wanted something else, like debuting wasn't all that much of a big deal.
But it was a big deal. Why else were they all in Johnny's? What else had all that work for?
"Koki..."
He looked up, "Shut up, Jin. Go buy me a drink, or something."
"Actually,"
Koki turned ready to glare, yell, but Jin responded first, "Do you remember that time - it was a long time ago, but you should remember - when you wanted to quit KAT-TUN and Johnny's all together, but Johnny told you not to? Cause, he said, otherwise you wouldn't ever do anything with your life?"
Confused, Koki kept looking at Jin, ".. Yeah. I remember. What of it?"
Jin sat down in an empty chair near Koki, but didn't look at him, just played with the hem of his shirt, "For you... being here is doing something... with your life... Right?"
"Yeah. Where're you going with this?"
Jin raised his head, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face, "I had to go! Koki! You get it right?" Jin reached out and grabbed Koki's arm, near the elbow (he knew not to go for the hand after Kame's whole thing), "If all I've done with my life is sing and dance and listen to girls scream, I'll be sad when I'm old and no one likes me any more. I.. I needed to know that, at least for six months of my life, I was doing something I wanted to do, that I was living for myself. That way, I could feel like I'd done something with my life...."
Jin suddenly seemed to relax, like he'd gotten a weight off his chest. He let go of Koki's arm and sat back in the chair, not making eye contact. Koki didn't either.
Finally, Koki sighed, "You're such a drama queen."
"Every one told me I needed to talk to you about this. Without you ending the conversation before it started."
Koki turned to Jin, "Every one?"
Jin looked up with a toothy grin, "Kame, Uebo and Maru did. Taguchi just yelled at his DS the whole time I was getting lectured."
Koki laughed, "Figures."
TITLE: Never Again
PAIRING: Koki/Taguchi (platonic)
SUMMARY: Koki is the caretaker of Taguchi's knee.
Any who has seen even the first 30 seconds of Cartoon KAT-TUN knows that Taguchi is the token punching bag of the group. He gets kicked and punched and bullied by the others, and while he complains about it, Taguchi never physically fights back. It has always been like this. Even his leg injury couldn't keep Koki and Jin from hitting him and the others from bullying him.
The injury didn't stop it, but the injury did change it.
The bullying is softer now. It's unspoken among them that, even after a year, and longer, they can't force him to do anything that might aggravate it. Taguchi's leg is completely healed - his acrobatics are better than before - and they all know that, but all of them carry the fear of reinjury, even though Taguchi would be the only one to physically suffer from it.
The physical abuse (none of them actually call the hitting 'abuse', even Taguchi) carries its own rules. Hitting above the belt is every one's territory, even to those who aren't in the group. (Yokoyama happily joined Jin in Taguchi-punch-fests during breaks in shooting.)
However, hitting below the belt, after Jin slipped up and almost kicked Taguchi's bad knee a month after he'd gotten out of the hospital, has become solely Koki's responsobility. It's a duty guarded by the others, such to the point that when Yokoyama tried to kick Taguchi, Jin "accidentally" tripped and knocked Yokoyama over.
Koki is the only one among them who, even when angry, can consciously think, Remember about Taguchi's knee. Remember about Taguchi's knee. Koki considers it like an honor, that he's the only one allowed to do such a thing. That he's the one who shows the rest of the world that, even with the injury, KAT-TUN is still KAT-TUN and nothing had changed. They all knew Taguchi would be fine, so when he came back, they didn't baby him, they didn't treat him any more delicately. Taguchi went to the hospital as their punching bag and he returned the same thing.
No one outside of KAT-TUN tries to fight for the right to kick Taguchi - even though he's a little on the short side, Koki is an intimidating kind of guy. Koki doesn't need any backup when Nishikido or Murakami get too close and irritated with Taguchi. Koki always steps in, gives them a good glare and makes sure every one know he's protecting Taguchi.
TITLE: Butterfly
PAIRING: Jin/Ueda (platonic)
SUMMARY: Jin meets up with the guys in New York City.
Jin,
We're going to be in New York to shot some pictures for the concert pamphlet. You should come visit us while we're there, even though you can't be in the pictures.
-Ueda
---
Uebo,
Do you realize how far away LA and New York are from each other? It's a really long flight.
---
Shut up.
No excuses.
We'll be there a little before New Years.
---
...
.....
Fine. I have some time off from school after Christmas. Send me the dates you'll be in the New York. I'll bum some money off my friends here.
---
Ueda had told the others about Jin's visit over breakfast in the lobby of the hotel, and they reacted as he'd expected. Taguchi and Nakamaru seemed interested in seeing Jin again, Kame was completely indifferent and Koki just looked pissed.
The snow lying about the park improved Koki's mood, but only slightly. He did his best not to look too sulky for the cameras and goofed off with Nakamaru and Kame. Taguchi was building a snowman, and had recruited Ueda to find arms. And while he was, sort of, keeping a look out for suitable branches, Ueda was more interested on trying to spot the dyed head of hair he knew belonged to Jin.
Nearly 20 minutes after Jin said he'd arrive, Ueda could see him running down the path through the park, slipping once of a patch of ice and nearly falling over. Jin caught sight of Ueda and waved to him frantically. Ueda walked towards him, and once they were close enough, Jin pulled Ueda into a tight hug.
"Sorry, I'm late... Have you beefed up a little since I left?"
"I expected you to be late, so it's no big deal. And yes, I've started taking my boxing more seriously. I won't lose to you."
Jin gave Ueda a funny look, "We're fighting?"
Ueda sighed, but before he could say anything, they heard some one calling Jin's name - Taguchi. He looked thrilled, running over and hugging Jin and talking a mile a minute about how much healthier Jin looked.
With half the group away, it didn't take long for Koki, Kame and Nakamaru to wander over. Nakamaru slapped Jin on the back and smiled, Kame was civil (as always) and said, "hello", Koki took a minute to debate whether he wanted to acknowledge Jin's existance at all, but finally did with a curt head nod.
Later, at dinner, while Jin talked with Kame, Taguchi and Nakamaru (even Koki let himself look slightly interested in the stories Jin told), Ueda couldn't help but think that what had been said at Jin's press conference was utterly fitting - KAT-TUN had six members, and until Jin's return, they would all support him and work hard.