[One-Shot] Densha Otoko Deluxe
Title: Densha Otoko Deluxe (aka the Extended Version)
Fandom: Kis-My-Ft2
Pairings/Characters: Miyata Toshiya + Tamamori Yuta, cameos by others
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Fluff.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Owned by JE.
A/N: For mousapelli, inspired by drabbles I posted on je100. You can read this even if you do not have any knowledge of the original "Densha Otoko" story. ^_^
Tamamori had been on his way home from an outing with his colleagues from work when a drunken salaryman had started to rampage through the train. It was early for something like that to occur. A couple of housewives were in the car as well and a couple of OLs. The man slurred at the women first and then stumbled his way over to him.
“How about us, cutie? Wanna join me at a love hotel for the night?” the man slurred and sat down next to him.
Holding onto his bag, Tamamori tried his best to just ignore the man. Hopefully if he ignored him the other would go away and bother other people or, ideally, just get off at the next station and pass outs omewhere.
‘Bag-san, make him go away! He smells!’ he couldn’t even move away because he was sitting by the door already and there was nowhere to escape to.
“L-Leave him a-alone!!” a voice suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to a young male, who stood in front of the drunkard, half hiding behind an anime figurine. His shirt was tugged into his pants and he was wearing a bandana and glasses. An otaku.
Everyone seemed to be quite surprised by that. Although the stunned silence didn’t last long as the drunkard rose from the seat and stumbled over to the male. “What’cha telling me, you brat, huh? Have no respect for your elders? And what’s that stupid thing ya got with you there? Eh?” He shoved the male roughly and the other smashed into the door and rail and his glasses went flying.
Just in that moment, the conductor came storming through the train and into the car and restrained the drunken man. The police was already waiting at the station they pulled into. While two men escorted the drunkard out, another asked all passengers in the car to answer a few questions concerning the incident. The conductor was taking care of the fallen male and they were all led to the police station in the station.
Sitting in a chair and waiting for his turn, Tamamori glanced over to where the otaku-boy was sitting. He’d seen them before, whenever big events had been close to spots he’d visited, like over in Odaiba, or even in Harajuku at the radio station window. But he’d never really taken the time to look at any of them closely. He did so now and noticed that what people said about most otaku really wasn’t true. Yes the style of clothes and all was a bit weird and personally, Tamamori would rather be caught naked than wearing those but he respected other people’s styles. As long as one felt comfortable there wasn’t anything wrong with it, right? Or rather, this wasn’t as bad on the eyes as other stuff he’d seen around the clothes shop where he worked before.
‘Bag-san, should I go and say thank you?’ he looked at his bag and then back at the otaku-boy. Blinking, Tamamori noticed how the other seemed to be in a deep conversation with his anime character figurine.
“Mathilda-san! Why did I do that?” some of the conversation drifted over to him.
‘Bag-san, I think I like him.’ Tamamori smiled. People had always called him weird for adding ‘-san’ to almost everything and having conversations with inanimate objects. Of course a figurine was actually a character that theoretically moved around but somehow Tamamori had the feeling that the other wouldn’t think of him as weird for talking to his bag.
~*~
Holding a bag of ice with one hand - he’d gotten quite a bump on his head from colliding with the rail earlier - and his figurine in the other, Miyata tried to calm himself down. ‘Mathilda-san! What do I do? The pretty guy is looking at me! Did he notice me? Is he going to talk to me? What do I do when he does talk to me?’ Miyata looked at the figurine of a saluting, red-haired female space battleship officer. ‘I think if he smiled at me I could die happy!’
Miyata glanced over again and almost flailed. ‘He’s coming over! He’s coming over!’
He’d noticed the young male on the train when he’d gotten on. There was something about the other that had drawn his eyes, no matter what he’d tried to distract himself with - video games, anime videos, the new manga volumes he’d gotten. Miyata had been taken by the other’s looks, his slightly distant eyes - as if the other was only in this world with half of his mind - and then the soft, fluffy hair. His heart had beaten rapidly and he’d felt warm all of a sudden, despite the air conditioning being on. Miyata had never felt like that before. Not even when he’d been at the release date event for the new Miyuki-chan DVD boxes.
“Thank you for standing up to that guy. That was really brave of you, Otaku-san,” the male was standing right in front of his chair now and was smiling at him. Miyata felt something in his brain fry with a resounding ‘fizzle’ and ‘BOOM’ sound.
“Uh,” he couldn’t find any words to say. When he did manage to get his mouth to work again, all that came out was, “You’re really, really beautiful!” When he realized just what he’d just blurted out, he wanted to sink into a pitch black hole. He’d probably ruined his whole life with just a couple of words.
Instead of disgust though, the other blinked at him first before laughing. “You’re funny!”
When he left the police station again later and went to catch his train home, Miyata wondered how he’d managed to get the other’s mail address and phone number out of the whole thing. It had just happened in a blur and he couldn’t quite remember the details. His thoughts seemed to consist only of “SJDJASKDLJSDkajsdkajsdjasd” right now.
~*~
It seemed like it took Miyata forever and a day to finally find the courage to message Tamamori. Tamamori Yuta, yes that was the name of the pretty guy he had seen on the train. Just thinking of the name made him drift off into lala-land again.
His fellow otaku friends had distanced themselves from him, saying how his sudden changes in behavior were weird and he could come back and hang out to play the latest video game or dance to the newly released AKB48 songs when he’d come back to his senses. Things wouldn’t last after all, that was the fate of the otaku.
Miyata was tired of those believes though. He didn’t want to live his life dictated by stereotypes and maybe even fear. Yes, otaku were an odd subculture and not really accepted by some parts of society but he believed in the goodness of people. He believed that some people out there would still judge by character and not by looks only. He believed that there were people out there who’d see him as him, Miyata Toshiya, with his quirks and faults.
He hoped that Tamamori Yuta would be one of those people. He really, really did.
~*~
They just met for dinner the first time around, out in the suburbs where both of them lived. Nothing fancy, just friends meeting to have food. Since the weather was getting cold, Miyata had suggested Shabu Shabu and Tamamori had readily agreed. The restaurant was big and quite busy but Miyata had reserved them a table in a corner, close to the all-you-can-eat-vegetables bar.
“Bushaa~ Shabu shabu~” Tamamori dipped his meat into the boiling soup and swirled it around. The sound effects made Miyata blink a bit but then he grinned and provided his own little sound effects when he put in some vegetables for both of them and more meat.
Tamamori’s eyes seemed to widen a bit and he looked into his bowl. “Tofu-san, he’s not laughing at me or making fun of me is he?” he looked up at Miyata gain. “No, I really don’t think he is.”
Miyata blinked back, “Why would I?”
Smiling, Tamamori ate his conversation partner. Other people would have replied: ‘You’re such a child, Tama, at some point it stops being cute, you know?’ Or ‘You’re such a weirdo. But it’s cute.’ But Miyata had said none of that. Miyata just seemed to accept him the way he was. “Mh, why indeed?” he held out his bowl. “Can I have some more meat?”
“Of course,” Miyata put more into the bowl with a grin and then continued to eat as well.
Smiling and tapping his legs against the table leg happily, Tamamori though that he could get used to being spoiled by the other like this.
~*~
When he brainstormed for their next ‘date’ - Tamamori had suddenly started to call their dinner outings that after the third time or so - Miyata turned to an online message board for help. The ‘Help for Single Otaku’ thread was famous for providing good advice. He’d lurked on it before and witnessed changes in other people. So he decided to try it out himself.
WotageiMaster38cchi:
Suddenly the suggestion is for us to do something else aside from just going out for food. But I wonder if things will be alright if we really just wander around the streets together? The other person, they’re so pretty and fashionable. Walking next to me would seem weird! But I have no confidence in myself when it comes to no-normal clothes. What do I do?? Help appreciated.
OTL
Svaro_your_Life:
Have you even decided on a location yet? Where do you want to go?
TopGan:
How about you let him help you with clothes? You said they’re fashionable, right?
WotageiMaster38cchi:
That would be too embarrassing! And I don’t think they’d really do it. They don’t want to mess with me and who I am I guess. I don’t know if it’s out of kindness though? (°_°);;;
Nabeistoogoodtoeat:
How about you take him to Akihabara? ^_^b
The thread fell ‘silent’ for a few minutes before a collective ‘WHAT?!’ seemed to be heard from all the participants and lurkers at the new comment.
WotageiMaster38cchi:
You know what… I think I’ll do that. Thank you so much!! (\(^o^)/)
[WotageiMaster38cchi signed off]
Svaro_your_Life:
Dude, you just sent him off to certain death!
Sanapig:
He’s doomed. He’s DOOMED!
~*~
After a day spent in Akihabara, Tamamori stopped by at his favorite café on his way home, once he’d parted with Miyata. At his hour, only a few people were still around. So he sat down at the counter and ordered his usual brew before he started to talk to the owner.
“I went to Akihabara today, Kitamitsu,” he smiled. “It was interesting.”
The shorter mal behind the counter raised an eyebrow and reached over to check Tamamori’s temperature. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I went with the guy I told you about. Miyata. We’ve been meeting a few times now and today he took me on a date to Akihabara. He really knows his way around there,” Tamamori continued.
“The otaku-boy? Really? And you survived?” Kitayama’s tone wasn’t mean. It was more amused and knowing actually. He’d known Tamamori for a long time.
Tamamori shrugged, “He can be an idiot. But he’s a good idiot. And his name is Miyata. Not ‘Otaku-Boy’.”
“He’s putting up with you and that’s saying something about him. You make him sound like he’s a real push-over. Listening to all of your wills and whims,” Kitayama commented.
Smiling, Tamamori said, “He’s different than other people are. It’s true. But I don’t think he’s a push-over really.”
Raising his eyebrow a little, Kitayama asked, “So what other world shaking insights did you get today?”
Tamamori looked at the other and declared with a straight face, “That nobody has the right to call me weird ever again!”
Snorting with laughter, Kitayama served the other the cup of coffee Tamamori had ordered.
Pouting, Tamamori looked at the coffee cup, “He’s laughing at me, Cup-san.”
“I’m sure Cup-san would be laughing at you, too if he could,” Kitayama snorted.
Tamamori fell silent and the other walked away to deal with some clients that had just stumbled in for a late-night coffee as well.
He wondered what his relationship with Miyata really was. At the beginning it had been friendship. Tamamori had found someone with somewhat the same wavelength as himself, someone who didn’t call him weird (but cute and pretty instead) and someone who did not mind to be called weird by Tamamori in turn. Miyata took everything with a smile. Sometimes it frustrated Tamamori a little bit that the other did not retaliate or do anything that he expected him to do. And then the other would throw him off by calling him pretty and the most beautiful person on earth or whatever other nonsense Miyata came up with that made Tamamori’s ears burn in embarrassment and lead to him whacking the other or hitting him over the head.
At first he’d thought it had all been jest that Miyata was joking and making fun of him but looking at the other earlier, when they had parted, Tamamori had realized that Miyata had been serious. It confused him and frustrated him once more.
Other people called him a mystery but he thought that Miyata was a much bigger mystery.
~*~
Their next little date was at the café Tamamori liked. The other had been talking about it a couple of times so Miyata had suggested to go there for a cup of coffee and maybe some cake. After their little venture into Akihabara, they’d gone back to just meeting for food or at an arcade. Though the latter hadn’t worked out all that well because Miyata had gotten stuck explaining stuff to some of the little kids there for hours.
Miyata looked around and decided that the café really was a nice place. The looks the guy behind the counter kept giving him though made him a little nervous. Tamamori wasn’t there yet and probably wasn’t due for another ten minutes. Miyata had come early. So he would have to deal with this on his own. The guy was walking straight towards him.
“Tama-chan told me he’s going to take you around Shibuya next, after you showed him all of Akiba,” the short male set down a cup of coffee in front of Miyata casually. A business card poked out from the side. “Contact me if you need help with clothes. Surprise him.”
Miyata blinked at the card and then at the man in front of him. “Thank you, uh-”
“Kitayama Hiromitsu. You could say I’m his older brother. So if you screw him over, I’ll make sure something very, very nasty happens to you. Take my word, otaku-boy,” despite the other’s lack of height, Miyata suddenly felt very intimidated by Kitayama’s presence.
~*~
It was a huge step but Tamamori had decided to meet for a date in Shibuya. He was early again and waited for his boyfriend in front of the Hachiko Statue. This time, for sure, he’d be able to spot the other easily. Miyata would probably stick out like a sore thumb in the fashionable Shibuya crowd. Tamamori had had doubts at first as to whether or not to bring Miyata here but the other had assured him that it was okay and that he wanted to see the world Tamamori usually lived in.
‘Watch-san, shouldn’t he be here already? There’s only this guy who’s smiling at me here. Where’s Miyacchi?’ Tamamori checked his watch again.
“Tama-chan? Is something wrong?” said guy waved a hand back and forth in front of his face.
Tamamori blinked and blinked again. “Miyacchi? Is that you?”
The other looked nothing like he usually did, wearing stylish jeans, a rock-band t-shirt and a jacket over it, hair falling down loosely without a bandana. Miyata actually looked like someone who’d walk around Shibuya and not Animate in Akihabara. It took Tamamori a few moments to pull himself out of his stunned stupor.
“Woah!”
Miyata smiled shyly, “Does it look odd?” He pulled on his own hair. “It feels new to me, too.”
Tamamori shook his head. He was still blinking and looking at Miyata rather disbelievingly. It was such a complete changed from the usual Miyata.
“Kitayama-san helped me out a bit,” Miyata admitted then.
“Oh!” Tamamori gave the other another once-over. Kitamitsu sure had a hand with fashion, coordinating something to suit the other like this. Though sometimes Tamamori wondered why that same sense didn’t always apply to Kitamitsu himself. Though admittedly, the other did dress nicely most of the time. Ah, he was getting sidetracked. Tamamori had to make sure to thank the older male the next time he went to the café. “Let’s go then?”
They spent the day browsing the displays of various shops and Tamamori laughed at some of Miyata’s sorry attempts at coordinating clothes for himself.
When they walked back to the station later that night, Tamamori commented, “You may have terrible taste in clothes but,” he stopped and smiled, “I think you have good taste in people.” He considered looping his fingers through the other’s but they were in public so he just grabbed Miyata and dragged him along. “Let’s have ice-cream before we go home.”
~*~
The confession was entirely awkward and happened exactly like their first encounter. Or well, almost, Miyata thought afterwards. It had been their ‘date’ after the Shibuya adventure and he’d asked Kitayama for advice with clothes again.
Tamamori had probably sensed something when they’d arrived at the fancy restaurant but hadn’t commented on it. Miyata had tried his best not to ruin the dinner because he was so nervous and it was a good thing the place was air-conditioned because he swore that if it hadn’t been, he would’ve been sweating torrents.
Contrary to what people would have believed, he waited with the crucial question until their after-dinner stroll. He led Tamamori into a pet shop he knew along the way. It was when they had been looking at the flying squirrels - Tamamori had apparently taken a liking to one of them - that he blurted out “Tama-chan, will you be my boyfriend?”
At first nothing had happened and he wondered whether the other had heard him at all, as distracted with the flying squirrel as he was.
“Why are you asking that now?” Tamamori looked at him. “Am I not already?”
It threw him off, a whole lot. Miyata just stood there and blinked before he must have broken out into the silliest grin on earth. If they hadn’t been in public and inside a store at that moment he was sure he would have lifted Tamamori up and twirled him around - much to Tamamori’s dismay of course.
“I guess you are.”
~*~
“You’re so gross,” Tamamori laughed and shoved Miyata gently when the other complimented him again and made other silly lovey-dovey comments. Like how Tamamori’s hair was shinier than this-and-that anime character’s love-attack-whatever. (Yes, all the otaku lingo was bouncing off him or he frequently got lost in it).
“You still love me,” Miyata would always reply.
And Tamamori would again reply with, “You’re so weird.”
It was one thing for Tamamori to make fun of his otaku boyfriend and another when other people did. Tamamori didn’t have any ill thoughts, it was just teasing.
“Hey, if it’s not the otaku-boy! Yo, big-nose! No stuffed in t-shirt today?”
“And no fanny-pack and bandana?”
“Show us the weirdo-dance!”
“No matter what you wear, you’ll still stink like an ota!”
But other people were looking down on Miyata, thought of him badly and thought of him as someone who was worth less than them. Someone who didn’t deserve the attention Tamamori gave him. It made Tamamori really angry.
“Hey pretty, aren’t you ashamed to be seen in his company? Oh wait, is he your brother or something? Has to be family, right? But even as family that’s kinda harsh, right? Having someone like THAT as your brother?”
“We feel sorry for ya! How about we ditch him and go out?”
“We could show you how we do something funny with him at the public toilet!”
That was enough. Tamamori saw red for and before he knew it, he’d dropped his bags and punched the two men in the face, making them fall to the floor or crash into some garbage bins in the process. “Shut the fuck up and get lost,” he growled at them, the air around him suddenly menacing and crackling with anger. It promised more pain to those who dared to trespass his personal space.
When the men scrambled away, Tamamori turned around to kiss his stunned boyfriend demonstratively. The anger disappeared and only a mellow kind of feeling was left.
“You’re nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Tama- Yuta,” Miyata looked back at him with a smile, happiness and maybe even tears sparkling in his eyes. He was the one who pulled Tamamori in for a second kiss.
~*~
“Tama-chan, you’re really beautiful. You’re the most beautiful person I know,” Miyata whispered as he held the other in his arms that night.
Rolling over to look at Miyata, Tamamori asked, “Why do you keep saying that? It’s so embarrassing! I react to it, you know? Not like your figurines.” He was glad for the darkness because it hid the furious blush on his cheeks. Not that Miyata didn’t know full well that it was there.
Miyata grinned goofily, “That’s exactly why I say it. Because when Tama-chan gets all flustered, you look even prettier. You’re so cute!” He made a kissy face at Tamamori.
“Shut up!” Tamamori whacked the other’s bare chest with one hand and smacked his other hand into Miyata’s face to avoid the kissy-kissy attack. He looked around for help, “Pillow-san, you think he should stop, too, right? Argh, you’re so disgusting! Stop it already!”
Hugging Tamamori, Miyata laughed happily. “You’re so cute, Tama-chan.” He pulled the other close and nuzzled the back of Tamamori’s neck gently. “I love you, Yuta.”
“What am I even supposed to say to that?” Tamamori grunted, ears burning.
“You don’t need to say anything back. It’s perfectly fine,” Miyata smiled.
Tamamori huffed and closed his eyes. “I’m going to sleep now. So shut up.”
Miyata nodded, “Alright. Sleep well then, Tama-chan. Sweet dreams.” He settled down as well and closed his eyes. His body was just starting to relax when he felt Tamamori shift and turn around in his arms. He didn’t move or anything and pretended to have already drifted off. He knew the other would be too embarrassed otherwise.
“Idiot. I love you, too, Toshiya,” Tamamori muttered under his breath and leaned closer to the other before he closed his eyes again and let himself drift off to sleep as well. He didn’t catch the wide, stupid grin that formed on Miyata’s face anymore.
The End
Fandom: Kis-My-Ft2
Pairings/Characters: Miyata Toshiya + Tamamori Yuta, cameos by others
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Fluff.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Owned by JE.
A/N: For mousapelli, inspired by drabbles I posted on je100. You can read this even if you do not have any knowledge of the original "Densha Otoko" story. ^_^
Tamamori had been on his way home from an outing with his colleagues from work when a drunken salaryman had started to rampage through the train. It was early for something like that to occur. A couple of housewives were in the car as well and a couple of OLs. The man slurred at the women first and then stumbled his way over to him.
“How about us, cutie? Wanna join me at a love hotel for the night?” the man slurred and sat down next to him.
Holding onto his bag, Tamamori tried his best to just ignore the man. Hopefully if he ignored him the other would go away and bother other people or, ideally, just get off at the next station and pass outs omewhere.
‘Bag-san, make him go away! He smells!’ he couldn’t even move away because he was sitting by the door already and there was nowhere to escape to.
“L-Leave him a-alone!!” a voice suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to a young male, who stood in front of the drunkard, half hiding behind an anime figurine. His shirt was tugged into his pants and he was wearing a bandana and glasses. An otaku.
Everyone seemed to be quite surprised by that. Although the stunned silence didn’t last long as the drunkard rose from the seat and stumbled over to the male. “What’cha telling me, you brat, huh? Have no respect for your elders? And what’s that stupid thing ya got with you there? Eh?” He shoved the male roughly and the other smashed into the door and rail and his glasses went flying.
Just in that moment, the conductor came storming through the train and into the car and restrained the drunken man. The police was already waiting at the station they pulled into. While two men escorted the drunkard out, another asked all passengers in the car to answer a few questions concerning the incident. The conductor was taking care of the fallen male and they were all led to the police station in the station.
Sitting in a chair and waiting for his turn, Tamamori glanced over to where the otaku-boy was sitting. He’d seen them before, whenever big events had been close to spots he’d visited, like over in Odaiba, or even in Harajuku at the radio station window. But he’d never really taken the time to look at any of them closely. He did so now and noticed that what people said about most otaku really wasn’t true. Yes the style of clothes and all was a bit weird and personally, Tamamori would rather be caught naked than wearing those but he respected other people’s styles. As long as one felt comfortable there wasn’t anything wrong with it, right? Or rather, this wasn’t as bad on the eyes as other stuff he’d seen around the clothes shop where he worked before.
‘Bag-san, should I go and say thank you?’ he looked at his bag and then back at the otaku-boy. Blinking, Tamamori noticed how the other seemed to be in a deep conversation with his anime character figurine.
“Mathilda-san! Why did I do that?” some of the conversation drifted over to him.
‘Bag-san, I think I like him.’ Tamamori smiled. People had always called him weird for adding ‘-san’ to almost everything and having conversations with inanimate objects. Of course a figurine was actually a character that theoretically moved around but somehow Tamamori had the feeling that the other wouldn’t think of him as weird for talking to his bag.
~*~
Holding a bag of ice with one hand - he’d gotten quite a bump on his head from colliding with the rail earlier - and his figurine in the other, Miyata tried to calm himself down. ‘Mathilda-san! What do I do? The pretty guy is looking at me! Did he notice me? Is he going to talk to me? What do I do when he does talk to me?’ Miyata looked at the figurine of a saluting, red-haired female space battleship officer. ‘I think if he smiled at me I could die happy!’
Miyata glanced over again and almost flailed. ‘He’s coming over! He’s coming over!’
He’d noticed the young male on the train when he’d gotten on. There was something about the other that had drawn his eyes, no matter what he’d tried to distract himself with - video games, anime videos, the new manga volumes he’d gotten. Miyata had been taken by the other’s looks, his slightly distant eyes - as if the other was only in this world with half of his mind - and then the soft, fluffy hair. His heart had beaten rapidly and he’d felt warm all of a sudden, despite the air conditioning being on. Miyata had never felt like that before. Not even when he’d been at the release date event for the new Miyuki-chan DVD boxes.
“Thank you for standing up to that guy. That was really brave of you, Otaku-san,” the male was standing right in front of his chair now and was smiling at him. Miyata felt something in his brain fry with a resounding ‘fizzle’ and ‘BOOM’ sound.
“Uh,” he couldn’t find any words to say. When he did manage to get his mouth to work again, all that came out was, “You’re really, really beautiful!” When he realized just what he’d just blurted out, he wanted to sink into a pitch black hole. He’d probably ruined his whole life with just a couple of words.
Instead of disgust though, the other blinked at him first before laughing. “You’re funny!”
When he left the police station again later and went to catch his train home, Miyata wondered how he’d managed to get the other’s mail address and phone number out of the whole thing. It had just happened in a blur and he couldn’t quite remember the details. His thoughts seemed to consist only of “SJDJASKDLJSDkajsdkajsdjasd” right now.
~*~
It seemed like it took Miyata forever and a day to finally find the courage to message Tamamori. Tamamori Yuta, yes that was the name of the pretty guy he had seen on the train. Just thinking of the name made him drift off into lala-land again.
His fellow otaku friends had distanced themselves from him, saying how his sudden changes in behavior were weird and he could come back and hang out to play the latest video game or dance to the newly released AKB48 songs when he’d come back to his senses. Things wouldn’t last after all, that was the fate of the otaku.
Miyata was tired of those believes though. He didn’t want to live his life dictated by stereotypes and maybe even fear. Yes, otaku were an odd subculture and not really accepted by some parts of society but he believed in the goodness of people. He believed that some people out there would still judge by character and not by looks only. He believed that there were people out there who’d see him as him, Miyata Toshiya, with his quirks and faults.
He hoped that Tamamori Yuta would be one of those people. He really, really did.
~*~
They just met for dinner the first time around, out in the suburbs where both of them lived. Nothing fancy, just friends meeting to have food. Since the weather was getting cold, Miyata had suggested Shabu Shabu and Tamamori had readily agreed. The restaurant was big and quite busy but Miyata had reserved them a table in a corner, close to the all-you-can-eat-vegetables bar.
“Bushaa~ Shabu shabu~” Tamamori dipped his meat into the boiling soup and swirled it around. The sound effects made Miyata blink a bit but then he grinned and provided his own little sound effects when he put in some vegetables for both of them and more meat.
Tamamori’s eyes seemed to widen a bit and he looked into his bowl. “Tofu-san, he’s not laughing at me or making fun of me is he?” he looked up at Miyata gain. “No, I really don’t think he is.”
Miyata blinked back, “Why would I?”
Smiling, Tamamori ate his conversation partner. Other people would have replied: ‘You’re such a child, Tama, at some point it stops being cute, you know?’ Or ‘You’re such a weirdo. But it’s cute.’ But Miyata had said none of that. Miyata just seemed to accept him the way he was. “Mh, why indeed?” he held out his bowl. “Can I have some more meat?”
“Of course,” Miyata put more into the bowl with a grin and then continued to eat as well.
Smiling and tapping his legs against the table leg happily, Tamamori though that he could get used to being spoiled by the other like this.
~*~
When he brainstormed for their next ‘date’ - Tamamori had suddenly started to call their dinner outings that after the third time or so - Miyata turned to an online message board for help. The ‘Help for Single Otaku’ thread was famous for providing good advice. He’d lurked on it before and witnessed changes in other people. So he decided to try it out himself.
WotageiMaster38cchi:
Suddenly the suggestion is for us to do something else aside from just going out for food. But I wonder if things will be alright if we really just wander around the streets together? The other person, they’re so pretty and fashionable. Walking next to me would seem weird! But I have no confidence in myself when it comes to no-normal clothes. What do I do?? Help appreciated.
OTL
Svaro_your_Life:
Have you even decided on a location yet? Where do you want to go?
TopGan:
How about you let him help you with clothes? You said they’re fashionable, right?
WotageiMaster38cchi:
That would be too embarrassing! And I don’t think they’d really do it. They don’t want to mess with me and who I am I guess. I don’t know if it’s out of kindness though? (°_°);;;
Nabeistoogoodtoeat:
How about you take him to Akihabara? ^_^b
The thread fell ‘silent’ for a few minutes before a collective ‘WHAT?!’ seemed to be heard from all the participants and lurkers at the new comment.
WotageiMaster38cchi:
You know what… I think I’ll do that. Thank you so much!! (\(^o^)/)
[WotageiMaster38cchi signed off]
Svaro_your_Life:
Dude, you just sent him off to certain death!
Sanapig:
He’s doomed. He’s DOOMED!
~*~
After a day spent in Akihabara, Tamamori stopped by at his favorite café on his way home, once he’d parted with Miyata. At his hour, only a few people were still around. So he sat down at the counter and ordered his usual brew before he started to talk to the owner.
“I went to Akihabara today, Kitamitsu,” he smiled. “It was interesting.”
The shorter mal behind the counter raised an eyebrow and reached over to check Tamamori’s temperature. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I went with the guy I told you about. Miyata. We’ve been meeting a few times now and today he took me on a date to Akihabara. He really knows his way around there,” Tamamori continued.
“The otaku-boy? Really? And you survived?” Kitayama’s tone wasn’t mean. It was more amused and knowing actually. He’d known Tamamori for a long time.
Tamamori shrugged, “He can be an idiot. But he’s a good idiot. And his name is Miyata. Not ‘Otaku-Boy’.”
“He’s putting up with you and that’s saying something about him. You make him sound like he’s a real push-over. Listening to all of your wills and whims,” Kitayama commented.
Smiling, Tamamori said, “He’s different than other people are. It’s true. But I don’t think he’s a push-over really.”
Raising his eyebrow a little, Kitayama asked, “So what other world shaking insights did you get today?”
Tamamori looked at the other and declared with a straight face, “That nobody has the right to call me weird ever again!”
Snorting with laughter, Kitayama served the other the cup of coffee Tamamori had ordered.
Pouting, Tamamori looked at the coffee cup, “He’s laughing at me, Cup-san.”
“I’m sure Cup-san would be laughing at you, too if he could,” Kitayama snorted.
Tamamori fell silent and the other walked away to deal with some clients that had just stumbled in for a late-night coffee as well.
He wondered what his relationship with Miyata really was. At the beginning it had been friendship. Tamamori had found someone with somewhat the same wavelength as himself, someone who didn’t call him weird (but cute and pretty instead) and someone who did not mind to be called weird by Tamamori in turn. Miyata took everything with a smile. Sometimes it frustrated Tamamori a little bit that the other did not retaliate or do anything that he expected him to do. And then the other would throw him off by calling him pretty and the most beautiful person on earth or whatever other nonsense Miyata came up with that made Tamamori’s ears burn in embarrassment and lead to him whacking the other or hitting him over the head.
At first he’d thought it had all been jest that Miyata was joking and making fun of him but looking at the other earlier, when they had parted, Tamamori had realized that Miyata had been serious. It confused him and frustrated him once more.
Other people called him a mystery but he thought that Miyata was a much bigger mystery.
~*~
Their next little date was at the café Tamamori liked. The other had been talking about it a couple of times so Miyata had suggested to go there for a cup of coffee and maybe some cake. After their little venture into Akihabara, they’d gone back to just meeting for food or at an arcade. Though the latter hadn’t worked out all that well because Miyata had gotten stuck explaining stuff to some of the little kids there for hours.
Miyata looked around and decided that the café really was a nice place. The looks the guy behind the counter kept giving him though made him a little nervous. Tamamori wasn’t there yet and probably wasn’t due for another ten minutes. Miyata had come early. So he would have to deal with this on his own. The guy was walking straight towards him.
“Tama-chan told me he’s going to take you around Shibuya next, after you showed him all of Akiba,” the short male set down a cup of coffee in front of Miyata casually. A business card poked out from the side. “Contact me if you need help with clothes. Surprise him.”
Miyata blinked at the card and then at the man in front of him. “Thank you, uh-”
“Kitayama Hiromitsu. You could say I’m his older brother. So if you screw him over, I’ll make sure something very, very nasty happens to you. Take my word, otaku-boy,” despite the other’s lack of height, Miyata suddenly felt very intimidated by Kitayama’s presence.
~*~
It was a huge step but Tamamori had decided to meet for a date in Shibuya. He was early again and waited for his boyfriend in front of the Hachiko Statue. This time, for sure, he’d be able to spot the other easily. Miyata would probably stick out like a sore thumb in the fashionable Shibuya crowd. Tamamori had had doubts at first as to whether or not to bring Miyata here but the other had assured him that it was okay and that he wanted to see the world Tamamori usually lived in.
‘Watch-san, shouldn’t he be here already? There’s only this guy who’s smiling at me here. Where’s Miyacchi?’ Tamamori checked his watch again.
“Tama-chan? Is something wrong?” said guy waved a hand back and forth in front of his face.
Tamamori blinked and blinked again. “Miyacchi? Is that you?”
The other looked nothing like he usually did, wearing stylish jeans, a rock-band t-shirt and a jacket over it, hair falling down loosely without a bandana. Miyata actually looked like someone who’d walk around Shibuya and not Animate in Akihabara. It took Tamamori a few moments to pull himself out of his stunned stupor.
“Woah!”
Miyata smiled shyly, “Does it look odd?” He pulled on his own hair. “It feels new to me, too.”
Tamamori shook his head. He was still blinking and looking at Miyata rather disbelievingly. It was such a complete changed from the usual Miyata.
“Kitayama-san helped me out a bit,” Miyata admitted then.
“Oh!” Tamamori gave the other another once-over. Kitamitsu sure had a hand with fashion, coordinating something to suit the other like this. Though sometimes Tamamori wondered why that same sense didn’t always apply to Kitamitsu himself. Though admittedly, the other did dress nicely most of the time. Ah, he was getting sidetracked. Tamamori had to make sure to thank the older male the next time he went to the café. “Let’s go then?”
They spent the day browsing the displays of various shops and Tamamori laughed at some of Miyata’s sorry attempts at coordinating clothes for himself.
When they walked back to the station later that night, Tamamori commented, “You may have terrible taste in clothes but,” he stopped and smiled, “I think you have good taste in people.” He considered looping his fingers through the other’s but they were in public so he just grabbed Miyata and dragged him along. “Let’s have ice-cream before we go home.”
~*~
The confession was entirely awkward and happened exactly like their first encounter. Or well, almost, Miyata thought afterwards. It had been their ‘date’ after the Shibuya adventure and he’d asked Kitayama for advice with clothes again.
Tamamori had probably sensed something when they’d arrived at the fancy restaurant but hadn’t commented on it. Miyata had tried his best not to ruin the dinner because he was so nervous and it was a good thing the place was air-conditioned because he swore that if it hadn’t been, he would’ve been sweating torrents.
Contrary to what people would have believed, he waited with the crucial question until their after-dinner stroll. He led Tamamori into a pet shop he knew along the way. It was when they had been looking at the flying squirrels - Tamamori had apparently taken a liking to one of them - that he blurted out “Tama-chan, will you be my boyfriend?”
At first nothing had happened and he wondered whether the other had heard him at all, as distracted with the flying squirrel as he was.
“Why are you asking that now?” Tamamori looked at him. “Am I not already?”
It threw him off, a whole lot. Miyata just stood there and blinked before he must have broken out into the silliest grin on earth. If they hadn’t been in public and inside a store at that moment he was sure he would have lifted Tamamori up and twirled him around - much to Tamamori’s dismay of course.
“I guess you are.”
~*~
“You’re so gross,” Tamamori laughed and shoved Miyata gently when the other complimented him again and made other silly lovey-dovey comments. Like how Tamamori’s hair was shinier than this-and-that anime character’s love-attack-whatever. (Yes, all the otaku lingo was bouncing off him or he frequently got lost in it).
“You still love me,” Miyata would always reply.
And Tamamori would again reply with, “You’re so weird.”
It was one thing for Tamamori to make fun of his otaku boyfriend and another when other people did. Tamamori didn’t have any ill thoughts, it was just teasing.
“Hey, if it’s not the otaku-boy! Yo, big-nose! No stuffed in t-shirt today?”
“And no fanny-pack and bandana?”
“Show us the weirdo-dance!”
“No matter what you wear, you’ll still stink like an ota!”
But other people were looking down on Miyata, thought of him badly and thought of him as someone who was worth less than them. Someone who didn’t deserve the attention Tamamori gave him. It made Tamamori really angry.
“Hey pretty, aren’t you ashamed to be seen in his company? Oh wait, is he your brother or something? Has to be family, right? But even as family that’s kinda harsh, right? Having someone like THAT as your brother?”
“We feel sorry for ya! How about we ditch him and go out?”
“We could show you how we do something funny with him at the public toilet!”
That was enough. Tamamori saw red for and before he knew it, he’d dropped his bags and punched the two men in the face, making them fall to the floor or crash into some garbage bins in the process. “Shut the fuck up and get lost,” he growled at them, the air around him suddenly menacing and crackling with anger. It promised more pain to those who dared to trespass his personal space.
When the men scrambled away, Tamamori turned around to kiss his stunned boyfriend demonstratively. The anger disappeared and only a mellow kind of feeling was left.
“You’re nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Tama- Yuta,” Miyata looked back at him with a smile, happiness and maybe even tears sparkling in his eyes. He was the one who pulled Tamamori in for a second kiss.
~*~
“Tama-chan, you’re really beautiful. You’re the most beautiful person I know,” Miyata whispered as he held the other in his arms that night.
Rolling over to look at Miyata, Tamamori asked, “Why do you keep saying that? It’s so embarrassing! I react to it, you know? Not like your figurines.” He was glad for the darkness because it hid the furious blush on his cheeks. Not that Miyata didn’t know full well that it was there.
Miyata grinned goofily, “That’s exactly why I say it. Because when Tama-chan gets all flustered, you look even prettier. You’re so cute!” He made a kissy face at Tamamori.
“Shut up!” Tamamori whacked the other’s bare chest with one hand and smacked his other hand into Miyata’s face to avoid the kissy-kissy attack. He looked around for help, “Pillow-san, you think he should stop, too, right? Argh, you’re so disgusting! Stop it already!”
Hugging Tamamori, Miyata laughed happily. “You’re so cute, Tama-chan.” He pulled the other close and nuzzled the back of Tamamori’s neck gently. “I love you, Yuta.”
“What am I even supposed to say to that?” Tamamori grunted, ears burning.
“You don’t need to say anything back. It’s perfectly fine,” Miyata smiled.
Tamamori huffed and closed his eyes. “I’m going to sleep now. So shut up.”
Miyata nodded, “Alright. Sleep well then, Tama-chan. Sweet dreams.” He settled down as well and closed his eyes. His body was just starting to relax when he felt Tamamori shift and turn around in his arms. He didn’t move or anything and pretended to have already drifted off. He knew the other would be too embarrassed otherwise.
“Idiot. I love you, too, Toshiya,” Tamamori muttered under his breath and leaned closer to the other before he closed his eyes again and let himself drift off to sleep as well. He didn’t catch the wide, stupid grin that formed on Miyata’s face anymore.
The End