[KinKi Fic] Survival Requirement
Despite my attempts at humor, all my KinKi drafts seem to end up all somber. -_-0
Anyway, this sprouted out from exchanging thoughts on the traumatic Ningen Shikkaku with
fenlings , plus
silver_lined 's comment on protective!Tsuyoshi.
Disclaimer: This writing is fictional and has no commercial purpose. Characters are real persons belonging to themselves.
Pairing: Undercurrent KinKi Kids
Genre: Drama; slight angst, slight sap
Rating: PG for some morbidity
Summary: The best way to deal with a traumatic experience is to drag your partner down with you.
Warning: A line of reference to Ningen Shikkaku episode 3; possibly unpleasant thought object
---
Survival Requirement
They were once asked during a talk show: "What is the one thing you are afraid of?"
The expected answer was along the lines of cats or jet-coaster rides, as Kouichi was already thinking; but Tsuyoshi, fresh from the cold contemplative depth of Ningen Shikkaku, answered seriously, "Losing my limbs... or voice, I guess."
Both the host and Kouichi were visibly stunned.
"...Ah, that's important for a performer, right?" the host commented, in the gentlest tone she could muster. She hoped for a brief second that the other half of the duo could salvage the mood with a more cheerful answer, but she took a look at Kouichi's disturbed countenance and decided to skip right to the last question.
"We'll cut that out," they heard the filming crew assuring their manager as they stepped backstage. Kouichi cringed inwardly at the stern look the manager turned to them next.
"In the future, don't give serious answers to sensitive questions like that," he said. "You never know who might get dangerous ideas from it."
"I'm sorry," Tsuyoshi murmured, and Kouichi silently bowed along with him, still speechless.
They never talked about that subject again, but Kouichi would later remember the gig following that interview as the point of time when Tsuyoshi started going protective on him.
--
Many years later, the question resurfaced. There was no danger of mistaking the mood this time, as their co-guests were already telling anecdotes of their recent terrifying incidents.
Tsuyoshi dutifully recounted an April Fool prank where someone hid the bowl of fish he'd bought on the way to the studio and left an empty rice bowl in its place -- which was more hilarious than it was frightening, much as the storyteller begged to differ. The host remarked jokingly that with such a laid-back personality, it would take a lot to scare a proper reaction out of him.
Tsuyoshi considered it for a while, his poker face not failing as he said, "Well, I think it will be really scary if one day this guy tells me that KinKi Kids should break up."
"Oi, oi," Kouichi laughed, but the weight of that statement brought his mind wandering back to the first time they'd handled that question, the stern warning from their manager, and, for some morbid reason, the way his heart had squeezed watching Tsuyoshi forcibly dunked over and over into that swimming pool.
He was only half aware that the host had turned the topic to him, and it was probably why the only answer he could think of, albeit delivered with absentminded cheerfulness, was: "For me? Eh... losing Tsuyoshi, I guess."
The audience cheered, while Tsuyoshi laughed. "So serious," he commented, and that plus the way he mumbled those syllables told Kouichi he was probably reliving the same memories.
Tsuyoshi walked ahead as he usually did when they went for standby, but this time Kouichi caught up with him. "No choice, is there," he said. "If I ever lose my voice, I can only count on you to sing the whole song."
Tsuyoshi almost stopped, if not for Kouichi's guiding hand at the crook of his back. "Then what are you going to do up there," he asked with wonder, "back-dancing?"
"No good?"
Tsuyoshi looked thoughtful. "No, that's fine. That way you won't mess up the lyrics."
"Feh. I bet you're glad to leave all the moving around to me."
The crew cued them onto the stage, and Tsuyoshi did so with his head ducked to hide a grin. "Until then," he gave Kouichi a discreet nudge as they settled into position, "work properly, will you."
Kouichi obediently wiped the smile off his face. Their latest single was supposed to be a heart-wrenching love song.
---
Anyway, this sprouted out from exchanging thoughts on the traumatic Ningen Shikkaku with
fenlings , plus
silver_lined 's comment on protective!Tsuyoshi.
Disclaimer: This writing is fictional and has no commercial purpose. Characters are real persons belonging to themselves.
Pairing: Undercurrent KinKi Kids
Genre: Drama; slight angst, slight sap
Rating: PG for some morbidity
Summary: The best way to deal with a traumatic experience is to drag your partner down with you.
Warning: A line of reference to Ningen Shikkaku episode 3; possibly unpleasant thought object
---
Survival Requirement
They were once asked during a talk show: "What is the one thing you are afraid of?"
The expected answer was along the lines of cats or jet-coaster rides, as Kouichi was already thinking; but Tsuyoshi, fresh from the cold contemplative depth of Ningen Shikkaku, answered seriously, "Losing my limbs... or voice, I guess."
Both the host and Kouichi were visibly stunned.
"...Ah, that's important for a performer, right?" the host commented, in the gentlest tone she could muster. She hoped for a brief second that the other half of the duo could salvage the mood with a more cheerful answer, but she took a look at Kouichi's disturbed countenance and decided to skip right to the last question.
"We'll cut that out," they heard the filming crew assuring their manager as they stepped backstage. Kouichi cringed inwardly at the stern look the manager turned to them next.
"In the future, don't give serious answers to sensitive questions like that," he said. "You never know who might get dangerous ideas from it."
"I'm sorry," Tsuyoshi murmured, and Kouichi silently bowed along with him, still speechless.
They never talked about that subject again, but Kouichi would later remember the gig following that interview as the point of time when Tsuyoshi started going protective on him.
--
Many years later, the question resurfaced. There was no danger of mistaking the mood this time, as their co-guests were already telling anecdotes of their recent terrifying incidents.
Tsuyoshi dutifully recounted an April Fool prank where someone hid the bowl of fish he'd bought on the way to the studio and left an empty rice bowl in its place -- which was more hilarious than it was frightening, much as the storyteller begged to differ. The host remarked jokingly that with such a laid-back personality, it would take a lot to scare a proper reaction out of him.
Tsuyoshi considered it for a while, his poker face not failing as he said, "Well, I think it will be really scary if one day this guy tells me that KinKi Kids should break up."
"Oi, oi," Kouichi laughed, but the weight of that statement brought his mind wandering back to the first time they'd handled that question, the stern warning from their manager, and, for some morbid reason, the way his heart had squeezed watching Tsuyoshi forcibly dunked over and over into that swimming pool.
He was only half aware that the host had turned the topic to him, and it was probably why the only answer he could think of, albeit delivered with absentminded cheerfulness, was: "For me? Eh... losing Tsuyoshi, I guess."
The audience cheered, while Tsuyoshi laughed. "So serious," he commented, and that plus the way he mumbled those syllables told Kouichi he was probably reliving the same memories.
Tsuyoshi walked ahead as he usually did when they went for standby, but this time Kouichi caught up with him. "No choice, is there," he said. "If I ever lose my voice, I can only count on you to sing the whole song."
Tsuyoshi almost stopped, if not for Kouichi's guiding hand at the crook of his back. "Then what are you going to do up there," he asked with wonder, "back-dancing?"
"No good?"
Tsuyoshi looked thoughtful. "No, that's fine. That way you won't mess up the lyrics."
"Feh. I bet you're glad to leave all the moving around to me."
The crew cued them onto the stage, and Tsuyoshi did so with his head ducked to hide a grin. "Until then," he gave Kouichi a discreet nudge as they settled into position, "work properly, will you."
Kouichi obediently wiped the smile off his face. Their latest single was supposed to be a heart-wrenching love song.
---