Under the Same Umbrella
Installment 3 of the Romantic Fics Challenge! ^^
Maybe it's because Spring Break is almost here that I keep feeling like writing to procrastinate on my schoolwork....XD
Anyways, enjoy the slightly depressing Hikanoo! :)
Under the Same Umbrella
“Inoo-chan?”
Inoo Kei turned around upon hearing someone call out his name, his flip-flops scratching against the asphalt in front of the JUMP house. The night was cool and the raindrops had just started spilling from the heavens above. First one, then another droplet of cool liquid struck his bare skin, and Kei shivered upon the contact. He should have worn more than a baggy T-shirt and sweatpants. He should have brought an umbrella or some other kind of cover. But it was too late now.
At first, it was hard to make out who the shadowy form was in the almost suffocating semi-darkness. For some reason, the street lamps didn’t seem to be doing their job. However, as Kei squinted, he made out the face of Yaotome Hikaru staring back at him, seemingly far away, when really, the JUMP member was only a few feet behind him.
“Hikaru-kun?” Kei asked, his voice unsteady. He was unsure of his friend’s intent.
“Listen, Inoo-chan, I need to talk to you.”
“Oh, what about?” asked Kei nervously, shifting his weight between his feet, his toes wriggling in his flip-flops. If this conversation turned to the topic he suspected it would turn to, he was going walk out without any hesitation.
After a pause in which Hikaru considered how best to phrase his words, he finally spoke, “It’s about you… and Yabu.” Hikaru’s voice broke on the last word, the emotions were clearly too much for him.
Kei shook his head, sighing. It was as he feared. “I already told you Hikaru-kun. I’m flattered that you have feelings for me. I appreciate your feelings. Really, I do. But right now, I’m dating Kota-kun, so I can’t be with you. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to handle, but it’s the truth.”
Kei heard footsteps approach him, and suddenly, Hikaru was there in front of him, now only a few steps away, his eyes filled with sad longing. “Is that how you really feel? Do you really love him that much?”
As Hikaru said these words, Kei couldn’t help but soften under Hikaru’s gaze. “I really am sorry, Hikaru-kun,” he murmured.
To Kei’s surprise, Hikaru laughed, and it was an overly loud, barking laugh. “Yeah, yeah! I understand completely, Inoo-chan! It’s just like me to ruin our perfectly good friendship!” He laughed some more, and Kei felt himself breaking down as he realized how the jokester of JUMP was trying to hide his own heartache, even when it was all in vain. “Really,” said Hikaru, choking on his laughter, “don’t mind me! Just…be happy…with Yabu, okay? Promise me you will, won’t you, Inoo-chan?”
Kei felt a tear slide down his cheek, joining the raindrops that already left streaks running down the pale, smooth skin. He hoped that Hikaru couldn’t tell that he was crying. “Y-yeah,” he whispered. “I promise.”
In truth, it wasn’t that Kei didn’t love Hikaru or even that he truly loved Yabu Kota. It was just that he loved both of his friends - they were equally important to him - and when push came to shove, Kei was forced to pick one. Only one. Now, he was dealing with the consequences.
When Kei had chosen Kota, he had thought through his decision carefully. Kota was older, kinder, and less prone to joking around. Kei knew that Kota would take their relationship seriously, that he would take care of him and satisfy his every need, be it emotional or something more physical. If Kei picked Kota, his relationship with Kota would be stable, almost blissful in its near perfection.
Hikaru, on the other hand, was more capricious. Sometimes, Kei was unsure whether or not Hikaru took him and his problems seriously. If Kei ever had anything troubling him, Kota would be the one who gave him valuable advice. Hikaru would just find a way to laugh it off. Kei wasn’t sure if he could handle that in a relationship. After all, relationships ought to be meaningful, something entered into with a person whom you could pour your heart out without a second thought…shouldn’t it?
There should be nothing to hide.
All in all, at the end of the day, he had made a logical choice in choosing Kota to be his boyfriend. This would be the boy whom Kei could feel comfortable having a romantic relationship with. This would be the boy whom Kei would love unconditionally until the end of time. That boy was definitely not Hikaru. At least, that was what Kei had thought at the time.
So, starting from the day when he had rejected Hikaru’s confession, Kei had closed off his heart. He told himself that he only saw Hikaru as a close friend and nothing more. The love that he thought he felt for Hikaru was a lie. He only loved Kota, Kei told himself. He was doing the right thing. He would thank himself for it later.
However, Kei had forgotten just how easily Hikaru could steal his way back into his heart.
As they stood there, their hair sticking limply to their faces as Kei and Hikaru slowly got drenched with rain, Kei lost himself in Hikaru’s chocolate-brown eyes. He knew that he shouldn’t give in. That, for his and Kota’s sake, he really shouldn’t give in. But, deep in his heart, Kei knew the answer that he so desperately tried to avoid and deny: he loved Hikaru too.
Hikaru broke the laden silence with a wry laugh that cut across it like a knife through a moist red velvet cake. He took another step closer, closing in the distance between them so Kei had to tilt his head upward to see Hikaru’s face.
“Well, there’s no use in us just standing here and getting rained on,” the jokester said, clearing his throat abruptly. His expression then achieved a tenderness that Kei had never seen before. “Come on, Inoo-chan, let’s go back inside before we both catch serious colds…or worse.”
Out from behind his back, Hikaru pulled out a plastic umbrella from where he had been hiding it. He opened it, and in a moment, the pretty light blue plastic expanded to create a hub of brightness amidst all the dark. He held it out over both his and Kei’s heads, and suddenly, Kei was sheltered.
“Come on, let’s go,” Hikaru said with a smile.
Just as Kei was about to nod his assent, a voice broke out from a distance, echoing from within the JUMP house.
“Kei-chan, where are you?”
Kei winced as he recognized the owner of the voice. He felt Hikaru stiffen in his place next to him. “Your boyfriend is calling for you, Kei-chan,” muttered Hikaru bitterly, his tone biting.
“Hikaru -”
“No! Don’t say anything! Let me calm down first.” Kei watched as Hikaru breathed deeply, in and out. Then, the jokester smiled weakly. “Okay, let’s go.”
Kei nodded, and, before Hikaru could move away, he reached up and wrapped his hand around Hikaru’s, which was, in turn, wrapped around the umbrella’s handle. Smiling gently at his companion, he murmured, “Thank you, Hikaru-kun…for being here for me.”
Hikaru looked back at him, surprise evident on his face. “Of course, Inoo-chan. Even if you chose him, I’ll always be here for you. Even if you turned me away, I’ll still love you.” Hikaru leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Kei’s.
“Don’t forget that,” Hikaru whispered as he pulled away -all too soon, as Kei would later remember it when he recalled the events of that day with regret. Kei felt his cheeks burn with a heat that warmed his entire body, despite the night breezes tugging at his T-shirt, rippling past his thin frame. Even though he belonged to Kota, Kei couldn’t help thinking that kissing Hikaru had felt so right. He didn’t want that moment to end. He felt frozen in time.
“Kei-chan! Where did you go?”
Kota’s call seemed to jerk both of them back to the present. Hikaru pulled back hastily and looked away, as if ashamed of what he had done. Kei felt as if his eyes were burning holes in the asphalt under his feet.
After a while in which they waited out the awkwardness, Kei finally found the strength in him to look up again, back into those captivating eyes shining with love. No words were passed between them, but Kei knew that they had reached a mutual understanding.
“I’m coming!” he shouted without turning away. And, with his hand still wrapped around Hikaru’s, Kei slowly made his way back through the rain to the warmth of the JUMP house where he would be someone else’s once more.
---
I hope you enjoyed reading it! I kind of knew this one would turn out melancholy when I was writing, so I'm sorry if it rained on anyone's parade! *haha pun*
Maybe it's because Spring Break is almost here that I keep feeling like writing to procrastinate on my schoolwork....XD
Anyways, enjoy the slightly depressing Hikanoo! :)
Under the Same Umbrella
“Inoo-chan?”
Inoo Kei turned around upon hearing someone call out his name, his flip-flops scratching against the asphalt in front of the JUMP house. The night was cool and the raindrops had just started spilling from the heavens above. First one, then another droplet of cool liquid struck his bare skin, and Kei shivered upon the contact. He should have worn more than a baggy T-shirt and sweatpants. He should have brought an umbrella or some other kind of cover. But it was too late now.
At first, it was hard to make out who the shadowy form was in the almost suffocating semi-darkness. For some reason, the street lamps didn’t seem to be doing their job. However, as Kei squinted, he made out the face of Yaotome Hikaru staring back at him, seemingly far away, when really, the JUMP member was only a few feet behind him.
“Hikaru-kun?” Kei asked, his voice unsteady. He was unsure of his friend’s intent.
“Listen, Inoo-chan, I need to talk to you.”
“Oh, what about?” asked Kei nervously, shifting his weight between his feet, his toes wriggling in his flip-flops. If this conversation turned to the topic he suspected it would turn to, he was going walk out without any hesitation.
After a pause in which Hikaru considered how best to phrase his words, he finally spoke, “It’s about you… and Yabu.” Hikaru’s voice broke on the last word, the emotions were clearly too much for him.
Kei shook his head, sighing. It was as he feared. “I already told you Hikaru-kun. I’m flattered that you have feelings for me. I appreciate your feelings. Really, I do. But right now, I’m dating Kota-kun, so I can’t be with you. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to handle, but it’s the truth.”
Kei heard footsteps approach him, and suddenly, Hikaru was there in front of him, now only a few steps away, his eyes filled with sad longing. “Is that how you really feel? Do you really love him that much?”
As Hikaru said these words, Kei couldn’t help but soften under Hikaru’s gaze. “I really am sorry, Hikaru-kun,” he murmured.
To Kei’s surprise, Hikaru laughed, and it was an overly loud, barking laugh. “Yeah, yeah! I understand completely, Inoo-chan! It’s just like me to ruin our perfectly good friendship!” He laughed some more, and Kei felt himself breaking down as he realized how the jokester of JUMP was trying to hide his own heartache, even when it was all in vain. “Really,” said Hikaru, choking on his laughter, “don’t mind me! Just…be happy…with Yabu, okay? Promise me you will, won’t you, Inoo-chan?”
Kei felt a tear slide down his cheek, joining the raindrops that already left streaks running down the pale, smooth skin. He hoped that Hikaru couldn’t tell that he was crying. “Y-yeah,” he whispered. “I promise.”
In truth, it wasn’t that Kei didn’t love Hikaru or even that he truly loved Yabu Kota. It was just that he loved both of his friends - they were equally important to him - and when push came to shove, Kei was forced to pick one. Only one. Now, he was dealing with the consequences.
When Kei had chosen Kota, he had thought through his decision carefully. Kota was older, kinder, and less prone to joking around. Kei knew that Kota would take their relationship seriously, that he would take care of him and satisfy his every need, be it emotional or something more physical. If Kei picked Kota, his relationship with Kota would be stable, almost blissful in its near perfection.
Hikaru, on the other hand, was more capricious. Sometimes, Kei was unsure whether or not Hikaru took him and his problems seriously. If Kei ever had anything troubling him, Kota would be the one who gave him valuable advice. Hikaru would just find a way to laugh it off. Kei wasn’t sure if he could handle that in a relationship. After all, relationships ought to be meaningful, something entered into with a person whom you could pour your heart out without a second thought…shouldn’t it?
There should be nothing to hide.
All in all, at the end of the day, he had made a logical choice in choosing Kota to be his boyfriend. This would be the boy whom Kei could feel comfortable having a romantic relationship with. This would be the boy whom Kei would love unconditionally until the end of time. That boy was definitely not Hikaru. At least, that was what Kei had thought at the time.
So, starting from the day when he had rejected Hikaru’s confession, Kei had closed off his heart. He told himself that he only saw Hikaru as a close friend and nothing more. The love that he thought he felt for Hikaru was a lie. He only loved Kota, Kei told himself. He was doing the right thing. He would thank himself for it later.
However, Kei had forgotten just how easily Hikaru could steal his way back into his heart.
As they stood there, their hair sticking limply to their faces as Kei and Hikaru slowly got drenched with rain, Kei lost himself in Hikaru’s chocolate-brown eyes. He knew that he shouldn’t give in. That, for his and Kota’s sake, he really shouldn’t give in. But, deep in his heart, Kei knew the answer that he so desperately tried to avoid and deny: he loved Hikaru too.
Hikaru broke the laden silence with a wry laugh that cut across it like a knife through a moist red velvet cake. He took another step closer, closing in the distance between them so Kei had to tilt his head upward to see Hikaru’s face.
“Well, there’s no use in us just standing here and getting rained on,” the jokester said, clearing his throat abruptly. His expression then achieved a tenderness that Kei had never seen before. “Come on, Inoo-chan, let’s go back inside before we both catch serious colds…or worse.”
Out from behind his back, Hikaru pulled out a plastic umbrella from where he had been hiding it. He opened it, and in a moment, the pretty light blue plastic expanded to create a hub of brightness amidst all the dark. He held it out over both his and Kei’s heads, and suddenly, Kei was sheltered.
“Come on, let’s go,” Hikaru said with a smile.
Just as Kei was about to nod his assent, a voice broke out from a distance, echoing from within the JUMP house.
“Kei-chan, where are you?”
Kei winced as he recognized the owner of the voice. He felt Hikaru stiffen in his place next to him. “Your boyfriend is calling for you, Kei-chan,” muttered Hikaru bitterly, his tone biting.
“Hikaru -”
“No! Don’t say anything! Let me calm down first.” Kei watched as Hikaru breathed deeply, in and out. Then, the jokester smiled weakly. “Okay, let’s go.”
Kei nodded, and, before Hikaru could move away, he reached up and wrapped his hand around Hikaru’s, which was, in turn, wrapped around the umbrella’s handle. Smiling gently at his companion, he murmured, “Thank you, Hikaru-kun…for being here for me.”
Hikaru looked back at him, surprise evident on his face. “Of course, Inoo-chan. Even if you chose him, I’ll always be here for you. Even if you turned me away, I’ll still love you.” Hikaru leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Kei’s.
“Don’t forget that,” Hikaru whispered as he pulled away -all too soon, as Kei would later remember it when he recalled the events of that day with regret. Kei felt his cheeks burn with a heat that warmed his entire body, despite the night breezes tugging at his T-shirt, rippling past his thin frame. Even though he belonged to Kota, Kei couldn’t help thinking that kissing Hikaru had felt so right. He didn’t want that moment to end. He felt frozen in time.
“Kei-chan! Where did you go?”
Kota’s call seemed to jerk both of them back to the present. Hikaru pulled back hastily and looked away, as if ashamed of what he had done. Kei felt as if his eyes were burning holes in the asphalt under his feet.
After a while in which they waited out the awkwardness, Kei finally found the strength in him to look up again, back into those captivating eyes shining with love. No words were passed between them, but Kei knew that they had reached a mutual understanding.
“I’m coming!” he shouted without turning away. And, with his hand still wrapped around Hikaru’s, Kei slowly made his way back through the rain to the warmth of the JUMP house where he would be someone else’s once more.
---
I hope you enjoyed reading it! I kind of knew this one would turn out melancholy when I was writing, so I'm sorry if it rained on anyone's parade! *haha pun*