fic; it's all fun and games (until you fall in love)
Title: It’s all fun and games (until you fall in love)
Pairing: Ryo/Shige, bits of Ueda/Shige (if you squint)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Shige brings NewS strange hats and somehow all of NewS, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8 and Arashi find themselves being filmed in groups at a carnival.
Author’s Note: 7497 words. For my darling rolling_scone, who requested for a drabble post I did awhile ago: RyoShige, funny hats and eating icecream. After starting it, somehow (I’m still trying to figure it out) it morphed into this. Which is pure insanity. This is the first time I’ve written so many of the JE boys and pretty much the first time I’ve written any kind of resemblance of crack. I am clearly not good at it either, so it’ll be back to mushy angst and love stories after this. >.>
Erm, so yeah. Idefk. But if it makes you laugh then I guess my work is done. :) Thanks to indian_monsoon for being a sweetheart and helping me with ideas and telling me this wasn’t fail and a;sldkng;alskdn;alsd ilusm dear. Thank you for everything. ♥
Ahahahaha. I have no clever. *stares at title*
Lella, I really hope you like this. D:
Shige comes into work on Monday with a large bag along with his usual things. He sets it onto the couch and sighs and Tegoshi pops up behind him to question immediately, “Whats in there?”
Everyone else stops what they’re doing and turns to look at Shige and his bag with interest. Shige smiles and undoes the twist-tie on the bag, opens it up as he replies, “My mom bought us hats.” He pauses. “But, they’re not exactly conventional hats,” he adds, but Yamapi just pushes him out of the way and interrupts, “They’re hats. All hats are cool!”
He proceeds to pull out a multi-colored, striped hat with a spinning propeller on the top and says, “Cool!” as he flicks the propeller and is instantly enraptured by how it spins. He pops it on and looks around the room for approval.
“It suits you, Leader!” Tegoshi exclaims.
Ryo snorts and returns to reading his magazine. The rest of the group looks through The Bag of Awesome Hats, cooing, laughing, giggling over the different styles and colors and accessories. Ryo only looks up when he feels his own baseball cap get pulled off his head and another hat shoved on, exclaiming, “What the fuck,” when a piece o the hat smacks him in the face. He blinks and pulls the hat off, staring at it in a blank shock. It’s one of those jester hates; white with stripes of varying colors along the long pointy-parts (what are those even called?) with fucking bells at the tips.
“I’m not wearing this,” he declares.
“Yes, you are,” Shige replies, pulling it out of his hands and shoving it back on. He grins at Ryo who glares and points at the same hat albeit with different colors on Shige’s head.
“Why do we match?” Ryo demands.
Shige shrugs. A few bells ring. “Because they took the other ones,” he says, nodding towards the rest of NewS. All of the bells jingle. Loudly.
Ryo feels a massive headache approaching. He pouts and crosses his arms over his chest because that’s just what people do in situations like this. He’s about to open his mouth to say something but Shige appears to read his mind and interjects, “Don’t diss the hats. They’re from my mom.”
Ryo grits his teeth and ponders this. He can’t say anything bad about the hats now because it’d be saying bad things about Shige’s mom. Who isn’t bad because she’s Ryo’s fan so Ryo is now currently in a dilemma of sorts with not-bad-hats and Shige’s mom and Shige, who’s smiling from behind the not-stupid-long-parts of the jester hat and playing with one of the little bells. And it’s not cute, where the fuck did that thought come from.
“Stupid hats,” Ryo mutters.
“What was that?” Shige questions, eyes narrowing and Ryo wonders if the hat gave Shige Super Hearing or if that was just part of his already Genius Powers.
Ryo grins, a little strained, but a grin nevertheless. “I love the hat,” he says mock-sweetly.
Shige beams and Ryo thinks suddenly that maybe the lie was worth it.
*
“What are we doing here?” Ryo questions as he follows NewS, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8, and Arashi through the entrance of a large carnival. “And why is everyone else here, too?”
“Don’t you listen to anything?” Shige asks form next to him.
“I can’t hear myself think because of these damn bells,” Ryo snaps.
“We’re trying to promote some kind of inter-group unity so they’re filming us all having fun at the carnival.”
“Who’s lame idea was that?”
“I hear it was Arashi’s,” Shige says and Ryo nods as if that answers all - which it pretty much does.
“Everyone break up into groups!” Matsujun suddenly yells, causing everyone to stop talking and look up at him.
“Who in their right mind gave him megaphone?” Ryo asks.
“Make sure there are people from different groups in your group!” Matsujun continues to shout. “Now, go!”
They all start rushing around, grabbing friends from different groups and signing up on a sheet of paper that Sho conveniently has for them to keep track. Jin claims Yamapi before anyone else can and shouts and glares at anyone he doesn’t like who gets near the two of them. Ryo stands off to the side and watches as Koyama, Junnno, Aiba, and Maruyama flail excitedly together while writing down their group and Massu and Nakamaru plow through to find more groupmates. Tegoshi attacks Koki and demands to be in his group while Hina and Matsujun gravitate towards an exasperated-looking Kame.
Someone should have planned this better, Ryo thinks, as it takes a better part of an hour to finally get it all organized. Especially when he finds himself walking down the paths of the carnival with Shige, Ueda, and Nino, a camera crew lagging after them.
“Why’re you in my group? You don’t make it intergroup unity then,” Ryo asks of Shige how just rolls his eyes and doesn’t reply.
“Nice hat, Nishikido,” Ueda snickers and Nino snorts from beside him.
“Shut up,” Ryo snaps.
“Who went shopping for you? A clown?” Ueda asks.
Ryo glares as Shige stops walking beside him, face falling a little, the jingles of his hat sounding suddenly depressed. Ryo notices it, the look in Shige’s eyes, and stands his full height, which does nothing as Ueda’s still taller than him. “Stuff it, Princess. It’s an awesome hat,” he says and Shige’s gaze swivels onto him. Ryo grins deviously and adds, “See, it can do this.” And he turns his head fast enough to smack Ueda in the head with a bell-flap-thing, though at the same time manages to hit himself in the face in the exact same way.
Nino howls in laughter and Ueda punches Ryo in the shoulder, muttering about fucking inter-group unity before stomping off. Nino follows after, but Shige hovers around Ryo exclaiming, “Are you okay?”
Ryo wants to say it’s his fault - stupid hat and stupid Shige and stupid Ryo for defending him - but instead just nods and rubs his face, winces. “I’ll be fine.”
Shige peers at him with worried eyes and then grabs his hand and drags him towards the nearest snack-stand, asking for a cup of ice before Ryo even realizes what’s happening. And before he can stop him, Shig’es pressing the ice against his cheek with a sot expression across his face that oddly has Ryo’s heart skipping a beat.
“Better?” Shige asks and Ryo nods instantly.
“T-T-Thanks,” he finally gets out, wonders where his voice went, and when Shige smiles at him, Ryo wonders where his breath went, too.
*
(Yamapi, Ohkura, and Yoko try to drag a screaming Jin into the haunted house.
“How can you still be scared of haunted houses?” Yoko laughs. “They’re fake!”
“They’re scary!” Jin exclaims, trying to pull out of Yamapi and Ohkura’s death grips.
“It’s okay, Jin,” Yamapi says. “I’ll hold your hand the whole time if it makes you feel better.”
“How would that help!” Jin screeches, pulling free and making a mad dash, but the three of them are much quicker; Yamapi grabbing him around the waist while Yoko and Ohkura each take hold of an arm. Yoko also conveniently shoves his scarf into Jin’s open mouth to effectively stop the screaming and together they pull him through the entrance of the haunted house.
Ten minutes later, they walk out, Yamapi, Ohkura and Yoko laughing hysterically while Jin looks pale and exclaims, while pointing dramatically at them, “I am never speaking to you guys again.”
Five minutes later, Yamapi buys Jin ice cream and Jin squeals and hugs him and all is forgotten.)
*
“I still don’t get the point of this,” Ryo complains.
“Shut up and smile, we’re being filmed, remember?” Ueda replies, kicking Ryo from under the table. Ryo winces through a fake smile and makes a peace sign as Nino puts him into a headlock and Ueda gives him bunny-ears. Shige laughs beside him, bells jingling and all, and the group photographer takes a few shots before nodding. Ryo knocks Nino away with a glare but Nino only grins at him and they continue to make their way around the carnival.
“We should go on a roller coaster or something,” Ryo complains again.
“Fine,” Nino says. “Then go ride that.” He points off to the left at the carousal, a line of little children with their parents in front.
“You’d fit right in, Shorty.” Ueda snickers behind his hand.
“Would he be able to pass the height requirements?” Shige adds and then jumps away when Ryo turns sharply at him.
“Not you too! You’re supposed to be on my side,” Ryo whines, not sure why this suddenly bothers him more than it had any reason to.
Shige bites his lower lip and raise a hand in apology. “I’m sorry,” he says with a wince.
“I like this one,” Ueda announces, nodding at Shige with approval.
“You can have him then,” Ryo replies flippantly, though his chest tightens at the words. He glances at Shige and adds, “Traitor.”
Shige’s eyes widen but before Ryo can realize it’s with hurt, Ueda grabs Shige’s wrist and drags him towards the carousal. “Come on, Kato-kun, let’s go,” he cheers and Shige has no choice but to nod and follow.
Ryo grumbles as he watches them get in line, chattering amiably together with bright grins. Nino glances back from the two of them to Ryo and then smirks knowingly. He shoves his hands into his pockets, nudges Ryo in the ribs with an elbow. “Jealous?” he questions, eyes fixed onto the carousal-pair and almost bursts out laughing when Ryo nearly falls over from shock.
“D-D-Don’t be ridiculous, Aniki!” Ryo squeaks, eyes wide. “A-As if I’d have any reason to be jealous over Shige.”
Nino turns to him slowly, a devious glint in his eyes that Ryo doesn’t miss. “Ah,” he says with pretend surprise. “I never said anything about Kato-kun, now, did I?”
And before Ryo gets a chance to respond, Nino grins and says, “I’m going over to watch them,” and leaves Ryo looking as though he’d just been run over.
*
“Are you okay?” Shige asks, putting a hand on Ryo’s shoulder only to flinch away when Ryo jumps and almost elbows him in the face.
Nino laughs and Ueda comments, “Suspicious,” from where they’re sitting on the other side of the table and munching on fries.
Ryo can’t even muster up a glare, just nods at Shige and says, “Fine, yeah, fine. I’m fine,” while breaking out in a cold sweat.
Shige raises a brow and says, “If you’re sure.”
Ryo nods frantically, ignores the jingling of bells all around his head, and says, “It’s okay, really. I’m fine. Thanks.”
Shige nods slowly and turns to eat his own lunch, though concern is still eveident in his eyes. Conversation dulls down and a few moments later, the cameraman starts asking them all questions.
“Are we having fun?” Nino repeats, then nods enthusiastically and continues, “Of course! I think this was an excellent idea.”
“Isn’t that just because your group thought of it?” Ryo mutters and Nino sends him a glare.
“I think Nishiki has something he wants to say,” Nino says and the camera swivels over to Ryo who gapes wordlessly for a couple of seconds. Then he smiles and says, “I’m having a blast, and it’s all thanks to whoever came up with this ingenious idea.”
Ueda rolls his eyes but then the camera is on him and the cameraman asks, “What do you think of your group?” Ueda pouts thoughtfully and glances at Nino, then at Shige and Ryo sitting side by side, at Ryo stealing a fry from Shige’s plate and Shige smacking his fingers, at their identical stupid hats, and grins. “Interesting,” he answers. “They’re very interesting.”
“And Kato-kun?” The cameraman turns to Shige who’s now being force-fed fries by a grinning Ryo. “Do you like the group you’re in?”
Shige mumbles something around his food and Ryo smiles affectionately at him and pates his head. “He said we’re the best. Right, Shige?” He shoves another fry into the younger boy’s mouth.
Shige nods at the camera and once he swallows, gasps, “W-What Nishikido-kun said.”
Ryo beams and quickly slings an arm over Shige’s shoulders as the photographer motions for a shot. When they turn away to bother Nino and Ueda instead, Shige pushes Ryo away and glowers. “Can you stop with the force-feeding?”
“No,” says Ryo simply, taking another fry of Shige’s plate and popping it into his mouth.
“Those are mine,” Shige says but there’s no anger in his voice, just a bit of exasperation. The amusement in his eyes, though, gives him away.
“Sharing is caring,” Ryo singsongs but he doesn’t steal anymore fries.
Shige just rolls his eyes and in retaliation snatches Ryo’s drink from his hands and finishes it off.
“Aww, indirect kiss,” Nino and Ueda coo together from the other side of the table, sporting the same amused grin, eyes shimmering with mischievousness.
Ryo and Shige both jump from the statement and Shige drops the bottle of water, watches with terror as it spills down the leg of Ryo’s jeans. As Ueda and Nino burst into laughter, Shige flails and starts apologizing profusely, grabbing napkins and reaching out at Ryo to clean up. Horrified, Ryo grabs his hands before and says, “C-Calm down. It’s okay.” He glances around. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Shige jumps to his feet and says, “This way.” He takes Ryo by the wrist and drags him away before he can protest.
Ryo fumbles to keep up, eyes locked onto where Shige’s fingers are wrapped around his writs. “S-Shige, hold on,” he gasps. “Don’t freak out, it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s my fault, though. I want to help,” Shige insists, taking a few paper towels and wetting them. He reaches for Ryo’s pants and Ryo squeaks in surprise, startling both of them and Shige looks torn between bewildered and amused while Ryo suddenly wants to bury himself alive. They stare at each other for a few long moments, unsure what to do or say now, and Ryo really wishes Shige would just look away, dammit, because this is getting really uncomfortable and why, why, why is he suddenly feeling so, so, so attracted to him?
Ryo’s eyes dilate and his stomach drops to his knees. Anger comes out to mask his confusion and he snaps as he steps away, “What good does it do to make it more wet?”
Shige splutters. “I-I’m sorry!”
Ryo just stomps into a stall and locks the door. He pulls off his pants and tosses them over the top of the door to Shige who fumbles a little as he catches them and screeches, “What am I doing with these?”
“It’s not like I want you to wear them, stupid. Put it under the dryer and dry the pants,” Ryo explains, then adds teasingly, “And you’re supposed to be the smart one.”
“S-Shut up,” Shige says over the fan of the dryer and Ryo laughs. A few moments later Shige folds the pants over the top of the stall door. “That should be okay,” he says.
“Thanks,” Ryo replies and quickly redresses. He opens the door and finds Shige looking at him carefully, biting his lover lip. “What’s that look for?” Ryo says, flicking Shige on the forehead with his fingers. Shige yelps and rubs the skin, turning to glare at Ryo, but gasps when he finds the other leaning in close, peering at him. “You should stop worrying so much,” Ryo says. “It’ll give you wrinkles.” Then he grins and straightens up, turning to primp himself a little in the mirror. “Come on, let’s go before we get into trouble or something.”
Just as the head for the door, it opens and both Nino and Ueda pook their heads inside.
“What’re you doing?” Nino asks, his tone suggestive rather than questioning.
Shige rolls his eyes, obviously catching onto the implication and replies, “Making out, what else?”
The other three’s jaws simultaneously drop and Shige laughs at them all, feeling a little vindictive, before he shoves Ueda and Nino aside and heads out the door and sends back a “Let’s go smile for the cameras” over his shoulder. He stops and turns around to grin at them, bells on his hat jingling, and the others blink at him blankly. Ueda first moves, nodding and following, and Nino looks back at Ryo to say, “Nishiki, let’s go.”
Ryo jolts out of his thoughts and mumbles, “R-Right.” He shuffles after the rest of them, his mind whirling, still stuck on the words Shige previously said and unable to think of anything else. He almost wants to ask Shige why he said it, but doesn’t think he can without appearing so obvious that it means something to him. Ryo freezes in his tracks, eyes going wide. Since when did the idea of making wout with Shige mean something to him?
“Nishikido-kun?” Shige’s voice startles him back to reality and Ryo has to force himself not to jump away from the suddenly close proximity, wills his eyes to not drop directly to Shige’s mouth because he knows that would not be a good idea, no, not at all, and fuck.
Ryo coughs and fixes his eyes on Shige’s shoes quickly, staring hard at the laces and the designs that it takes a few moments to realize when Shige says, “Are you okay?”
“W-What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he insists and hopes he sounds more convincing to Shige than he does to his own ears. “I’m fine,” he repeats, almost to ensure himself because, dammit, something is just not right with him today. He swallows down the thickness in his throat and asks, “W-What do we do now?” to the all of them, eager for Shige to stop staring worriedly at him.
Shige finally does look away then, turning to ask Ueda and Nino for their advice, and Ryo sighs in relief, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, missing the sneaky that both Ueda and Nino send in his direction. When he gathers himself again, he turns to join the others, only to lose every part of himself he just put back together. The three of them are laughing and discussing options on how to spend the rest of the day, but the thing that innately pisses him off is how Ueda has an arm around Shige’s waist, and is staring up at him with a look of utter devotion on his face.
“What. The. Fuck,” he mutters under his breath and then quickly cools his expression when Shige waves him over, clearly unconcerned about Ueda leaning against him.
“We want to go on some of the rides,” Shige says.
“Okay,” Ryo replies. “Sounds good.”
Shige grins and pulls Ueda along towards the rides at the back of the carnival. Ryo walks slowly after them, eyes narrowing into a glare that rests on the back of Ueda’s head.
“You are so unbelievably obvious,” Nino says.
“What’re you talking about?” Ryo says, forces the panic out of his voice.
“And the fact you’re in such denial is really sad.” Nino shakes his head and gives Ryo a pitying look.
Ryo chooses to ignore him. If he asks anymore questions he knows Nino will put something ridiculous into his head and then he’ll never stop thinking about it. Like when they filmed Ryusei no Kizuna and Nino kept talking about Toda Erika in such unspeakable terms Ryo could barely look at her, let alone talk to her. And he still hasn’t gotten over that. He definitely is going to ignore anything and everything Nino says because it’ll do him no fucking good. Plus, he hasn’t shaken what he’d thought of being jealous over Shige (which was totally all Nino’s fault too, even if it didn’t say anything specifically about Shige). Ryo is not jealous over Shige, there’s no way. Because that’d imply he liked Shige, and that he wanted to be with Shige, and of course none of that is true in any way, shape, or form.
Determined that this is the case, he sighs deeply and rushes to join the others, falling into step beside Shige and flicking a bell on his hat by his ear. Shige turns to him and smiles brightly, eyes shining, and somehow, even with the stupid fucking hat on his head, Ryo completely and totally forgets to breathe, lost in Shige’s smile and eyes and everything.
And that’s all it takes for Ryo to question everything he’s ever previously known and believed. Because clearly the world had just turned upside down. It is the only logical explanation for Ryo to actually be in like (in love?) with Kato Shigeaki.
*
(“Oh my god, a petting zoo!” Koyama exclaims. “We have to go, please!”
“I’m okay with it,” Junno says and both Aiba and Maruyama agree as well. Koyama excitedly leads the way, not at all feeling out of place despite the petting zoo being packed with children.
The camera crew follows them around, filming as they coo over goats and chickens and rabbits and horses. Maruyama makes silly faces at the animals that also scare away the little children, while Koyama and Junno get pictures taken with some of the animals and Aiba tries to feed the chickens, clearly disregarding the “DO NOT FEED” sign.
As they make their way over to the sheep, one of them immediately heads over to the fence where they’re standing. Koyama reaches a hand out but Aiba suddenly smacks it back and screams, “VERY DANGER!” and pulls them all away.
Koyama and Junno pout together when Aiba finally lets them all go - about halfway across the carnival - and Maruyama says, “What did you do that for?”
“Very danger,” Aiba gasps in stilted English, looking horrified.
“It was a sheep!” Junno says.
“It was cute!” Koyama cries.
“Very danger!” Aiba exclaims with finality and no one dares argue again.)
*
“Let’s get ice cream!” Ueda exclaims, stopping dramatically and pointing to the vendor.
“You are such a girl,” Ryo comments, rolling his eyes.
Ueda ignores him. “How about you, Shige-kun?” he asks instead and Shige nods excitedly, the two of them heading over to buy some. Ryo glares but follows, grumbling under his breath while Nino strolls along beside him, an amused expression on his face.
“Do you want anything, Nishikido-kun?” Shige asks and Ryo hums thoughtfully, scanning the options. He nods when he finds something and asks Shige, “What’re you getting?”
“Just a vanilla ice cream cone,” Shige replies.
Ryo nods again and reaches for his wallet, orders both his own and Shige’s cone too.
“Wait, I can get my own, you know,” Shige says quickly.
“Too late,” Ryo replies, grinning as he hands over the money. “Now take your ice cream.”
Shige looks like he wants to argue, but takes his cone from the vendor anyway. “I’ll pay you back,” he says to Ryo.
“Forget it.”
Shige pouts with annoyance and licks the tip of his cone. “Thanks,” he mumbles a while later.
Ryo just smiles in return, finding a bench a few feet away and sitting down. Shige immediately sits beside him and Ryo is now more aware of the warmth coming from their shoulders pressed together than on the ice cream cone in his hands. It’s not until Shige exclaims, “What’re you doing?” does Ryo even realize he’d been so concerned about Shige that he hadn’t noticed his ice cream melting over his fingers.
“Hold on,” Shige says, jumping up to run back to the vendor and grab some napkins. When he returns he helps wipe up Ryo’s hands and Ryo’s too petrified by the action to snap at him and do it himself. “There,” Shige says awhile later, looking satisified. “Be more careful.”
Ryo nods slowly, looking up at him finally. He laughs and says, “You have no right to lecture when you’re a mess too.” As Shige blinks with confusion, Ryo takes the napkin from his hand and reaches over to wipe the corners of his mouth. He stops halfway through, as if only then realizing what he’s doing, hand poised in front of Shige’s face, eyes widening with horror.
Shige just shrugs and says, “Oh, thanks,” and licks the ice cream from his lips, completely unaware of how Ryo’s eyes follow the slow movement of his tongue. “Better?” he asks a moment later, looking at Ryo expectantly.
Ryo swallows down the lump in his throat and nods. “Y-Yeah, fine,” he chokes out and Shige smiles.
*
(“Just because you were in that world tournament doesn’t make you that great,” Matsujun declares, taking the baseball from Kame’s hand and getting in line to test how fast his throw is. “I can do it just as well as you.”
Kame shrugs uninterestedly. “Prove it,” he replies easily and Matsujun glares at him and throws the ball, his speed coming in lower than Kame’s.
“Pathetic,” Hina says, watching from the side, arms crossed over his chest. “I can beat you both.”
“Let’s see you try, soccer-boy,” Matsujun says, tossing the ball to Hina.
Hina just rolls his eyes, clearly confident, and takes his turn. He matches Matsujun’s score but is still lower than Kame, who grins, eyes gleaming with smugness.
“What was that about beating me?” he asks.
“Shut up,” Matsujun says haughtily. “We’ll go again. The loser buys the other two anything they want from the carnival.”
“Sounds good,” Hina says, and Kame nods, up for the challenge and already thinking of what he wants when he wins.)
*
Ryo considers banging his head against the metal bar of the rollercoaster. Maybe it would tilt the world back into place - to a time where he clearly did not like Shige, did not keep thinking of him, and did not tingle throughout his body whenever he smiled, laughed, looked at him.
“Aw, Nishikido, are you scared?” Ueda taunts, turning around in the front car of the rollercoaster and misinterpreting Ryo’s expression. “Do you need someone to hold your hand?”
Before Ryo can open his mouth in a retort, Nino reaches over and clasps Ryo and Shige’s hands together. Grinning, he exclaims, “Perfect!”
Ueda cracks up and they face the front again while Ryo stares at his and Shige’s intertwined hands, eyes wide in horror though his whole body is screaming its approval.
Shige laughs and slowly pulls his hand away (Ryo has to force himself not to tighten his grasp), looking a little flustered which makes Ryo feel somewhat better, though not by much. “They like causing trouble, don’t they?” he asks.
Ryo nods. “You have no idea,” he mutters.
“Are you really okay? You’ve been acting weird,” Shige says, voice laced with concern.
Ryo bites his lips, hates himself for making Shige worry (and subsequently making himself care about Shige being worried) and gives him a genuine smile. “I’m fine, really. Just not used to carnivals, I guess.”
Shige seems to ponder his answer for awhile then returns the smile. “Okay. You can, uhm, tell me if something’s bothering you,” he says, then pauses, chews the inside of his cheek, unsure whether to continue. After a long moment, though, he finally adds, “I am on your side, you know.”
Ryo feels his heart plummet into his stomach, thinks he could kick himself for making that stupid comment earlier - though how was he supposed to know Shige would take it so literally? “I-I was kidding!” Ryo exclaims.
“I know,” Shige replies and chuckles. “I’m just telling you now. W-We’re on the same side.”
Ryo grins at him and says, “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”
Shige laughs but it stops abruptly as the rollercoaster starts to move. Ryo doesn’t fail to notice his hands tightening on the safety bar and asks, “Are you scared?”
“Of course not,” Shige says a little too quickly and Ryo knows instantly he’s lying. But Ryo doesn’t press him further about it, and in a move that has him questioning his sanity even more, slides a hand over to rest on top of Shige’s.
Shige turns to him sharply but Ryo just squeezes his hand and says nothing, eyes focused in front of him, though his heart is beating madly in his chest and doesn’t slow down even when Shige turns away a moment later. Just before the rollercoaster goes over the top of the first fall, Ryo faintly hears Shige breathe, “Thanks.”
*
(“You’ve won again,” the employee behind the booth says. “Pick a prize.”
“Not again!” Koki exclaims with both anger and incredulity.
Tegoshi just beams and picks out his tenth prize, a large stuffed bear with a pink bow-tie. “This is cute, isn’t it?” he asks cutely, looking around at Koki, Sho and Subaru.
“Sure it is,” Sho says and Tegoshi grins and shoves it into his hands before turning around and saying, “Let’s find another game to play!”
“Does he ever stop?” Subaru hisses as they follow Tegoshi slowly, holding three of Tegoshi’s previous prizes in his hands.
Sho and Koki shake their heads sadly. “Never,” they reply and then all three of them groan, resigning themselves to a very, very long day.)
*
“Do I have to put this back on?” Ryo stares at the jester hat that Shige’s holding out for him, having had to take it off during the rollercoaster ride.
“Well,” Shige says, loking horribly depressed and Ryo wants to punch himself. “If it bothers you that much…”
“I’ll wear it, Kato-kun!” Ueda jumps in, grinning, and Ryo watches furiously as Shige smiles, a little surprised but pleased, and hands the hat over.
“No!” Ryo exclaims, ten times louder than he meant to and everyone in the vicinity turns to stare at him. Flushing and wondering what happened to that filter between his brain and his mouth, quickly snatches the hat from Ueda’s hands and says, “I’ll wear it. It’s mine.”
Shige practically glows in happiness while Ueda merely looks amused. Ryo contemplates punching him as he shoves the hat back on and resigns himself to premature hearing loss.
“Oh, hey, bumper cars,” Nino says, pointing towards the ride as they approach it. He turns and looks at them. “Game?”
Shige and Ueda nod and Ryo really has no choice but to agree as well, quickly following after them. Shige claims a car and Ryo makes to go sit with him, but Ueda shoves him out of the way and takes the empty spot. He flashes Ryo a smirk before turning around to chat with Shige and Ryo is realizing again why he hated Ueda in the first place.
“Come on, loser,” Nino says, grabbing Ryo by the elbow and getting their own car.
“I am not a loser,” Ryo defends instantly, quickly taking the seat with the wheel before Nino can stop him.
“You just tell youself that,” Nino answers flippantly.
Ryo ignores him. When the ride starts, he grabs the steering wheel and immediately heads for Ueda and Shige’s car, running into their bumper. Ueda turns and flicks him off to which Shige quickly pulls his hand down, muttering, “There are kids here and we’re still being filmed!” Ueda drops his hand, but glares at Ryo who smirks triumphantly and backs up. When other cares hit them, usually driven by young children, Nino tells Ryo to retaliate because that’s how the game goes, but Ryo doesn’t listen, aiming for one car and on car only.
Ueda starts to fight back, though, and Shige helps to guide him, shouting orders and pointing towards Ryo and Nino’s car. Now even more pissed off, Ryo continues to get back at him while Nino just sits back and watches, clearly all too amused by the entire thing.
When the ride stops, Ryo almost wants to stay and go again, but Nino drags him out saying, “There are other ways to release your sexual frustrations, Nishiki.”
Ryo stops in his tracks and turns sharply towards Nino, bells ringing everyone from the hat, and shrieks, “What?”
Nino grins. “I’ve told you, you’re really obvious,” he says. “You want Kato-kun. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Ryo exclaims childishly, looking mortified.
“Still in denial. How cute.” Nino pats Ryo’s shoulders, more teasing than comforting, and adds, “You should get on it before someone else does.” He nods over to where Ueda and Shige are making silly poses for the photographer.
Ryo freezes, watching the two of them, anger rising in his veins while his mind swims in a current of Nino’s previous words. His chest tightens around his heart, fists clenching at his sides, and he bites his lip to keep from screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Well,” Nino says, and Ryo hates that all-knowing gleam in his eyes. “I don’t care what you do. Just don’t make out on camera, okay?”
Ryo eyes widen and he turns rather pink, swarms of emotions sweeping up inside of him, part of him agreeing with Nino, though the other part thinks that if he got anywhere close to making out with Shige, that he should do it and not fucking care if someone was watching. He’s also pretty sure the latter half is going to win out when and if the time comes.
“Nishikido-kun!” Shige says, startling Ryo a bit by appearing in front of him suddenly. “We’re going to the Ferris wheel. Is that okay?”
Ryo smiles at him, a true smile, that seems to take Shige by surprise, pupils dilating. “Sounds good,” he says with a nod and then stares at Shige comtemplatively for a few long seconds.
Shige blinks at him and says, “Nishikido-kun? What’s wrong?”
“You calling me that is wrong,” replies Ryo. “Just call me Ryo, okay?” And Ryo almost laughs at the shock on Shige’s face and the way he looks momentarily horrified. Ryo nudges him and adds in a pitiful voice, “Well, if you don’t want to, then…”
“No!” Shige exclaims. “I mean, no. It-It’s okay. I was just startled.”
“Good.” Ryo grins and then drops an arm over Shige’s shoulders. “Let’s go, then.”
Shige looks like he might implode from Ryo’s sudden kindness, but doesn’t push him away, laughing as he starts leading the way. Ryo glances over his shoulder to call Nino and Ueda along, smirking at how furious, albeit a little amused, Ueda looks. Nino stands at his side and returns the smirk, clearly impressed by the turn of events.
Ryo turns back around when Shige starts to ramble off about what else they can do before the day is over, and Ryo feels a suddenly strong sense of accomplishment. It only helps that everytime Shige calls him Ryo, his spine tingles and he can’t help but grin, because even though the thought is a frightening, maybe…maybe this is exactly how he’s wanted it to be all along.
*
(Nakamaru, Yasu and Ohno cheer from the audience as they watch Massu participate in a food-eating contest. Yasu’s standing on a chair and shouting out words of encouragement while Nakamaru looks a little more concerned about Massu’s well-being than his win, though Massu’s eating the provided food with ease and enthusiasm. Ohno is less interested in the whole thing, eyeing the other contestants and knowing there’s no way they’ll win.
When Massu does win, he’s grinning from ear to ear, and is presented with a coupon for free food from all over the carnival. Accepting it with gratitude, he returns to the others, and Yasu immediately exclaims, “You were amazing!”
“Didn’t you eat too much?” Nakamaru questions.
“Not more than usual,” Massu shrugs, still beaming. “So, what do you guys want to eat?”
“Are you seriously going to eat more?” Nakamaru exclaims, eyes wide.
“Of course!” Massu says happily, clearly not understanding Nakamaru’s concern.
“I want cotton candy!” Yasu announces, raising a hand into the air.
“Me, too,” Ohno agrees, and Massu looks at Nakamaru expectantly until the KAT-TUN member sighs and says, “Cotton candy sounds good.”
“Yay!” Massu and Yasu flail together and they drag the other two off towards the nearest cotton candy vendor.)
*
“I want to go up with Shige,” Ryo declares immediately when they reach the Ferris wheel, before anyone (namely Ueda) can say anything. He glares at Ueda who just looks annoyed but doesn’t argue to Ryo’s extreme satisfaction. They wait in the line and once it’s their turn, Ryo suggests that the camera crew go up with Ueda and Nino first and then they can go up with him and Shige.
Nino, catching on, quickly says, “Sounds fine to me,” and Ueda has no choice but to follow the Arashi member into the awaiting carriage.
Ryo twiddles his fingers at them as they move and then turns to Shige to say, “Let’s get into one a few after them.”
“Huh?” is Shige’s intelligent response. “I thought we were going to wait.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Ryo returns, pulling Shige into the next available carriage, four behind Ueda and Nino’s.
“But-” Shige begins, but Ryo cuts him off with a “Are you that annoyed to be alone with me?”
Shige shakes his head quickly. “No! No, I don’t mind.”
Ryo grins and they settle into the carriage, waiting a few moments before they start to move. “This is much better,” he says awhile later. “Without those two causing trouble all the time.”
Shige smiles. “It’s rare for the two of us to be alone though.”
“It hasn’t been that rare, lately,” Ryo insists, and really it hasn’t. They slowly, but surely, have become much better friends than Ryo could have ever guessed years ago. He knows for a fact if anyone had foreseen his falling in love with the younger boy when they’d debuted, Ryo would have laughed in their face. And now, it’s almost kind of ironic, that the person in NewS he takes the longest time to get to know ends up being the one he loves the most.
“That’s true,” Shige agrees, cutting across Ryo’s thoughts, smiling brightly. “I like it better this way.”
Oh shit, Ryo thinks, biting his lip because Shige’s not making this easy at all. So Nino was right - he does want in Shige’s pants and maybe he’s wanted that all along, just never realized it. Maybe that’s why he enjoys spending time with him and going out to eat after work and making fun of him, teasing him, getting into fights with him. All of these things he does on a daily basis, things he never thought more about than what they are at face value. But now, maybe all of the attention he pays to Shige really was his only way to show how he was attracted to the younger man. And in all this time, Ryo never truly got it.
“Ryo?” Shige says then and Ryo’s skin tingles at the sound of his name on Shige’s lips. “Are you all right?”
Ryo immediately glares at him, which clearly takes Shige by surprise, his eyes widening. “No,” Ryo answers, because he really isn’t, his mind swimming with too many new revelations. “No, I’m not all right.”
Shige sucks his lower lip into his mouth, unsure what to say, and after a long moment of silence, Ryo continues, “It’s all your fault, too.”
“What?” Shige exclaims, defensive, his eyes sparkling. “What did I do?”
“You are you,” Ryo retorts, carefully moving to the other side of the carriage and leaning into Shige’s space. “And that is the problem,” he finishes before he kisses Shige hard on the mouth.
Ryo doesn’t actually expect Shige to respond, but Shige surprises him and does, head tilting, lips parting, tongue seeking out and meeting his own. Shige makes a soft murmur of pleasure that has Ryo’s belly fluttering. Ryo wants to continue without stopping until absolutely necessary, but the jingling of the bells around their heads really does ruin the moment. He pulls back a bit and chuckles when Shige whines in protest, fingers curling into the front of Ryo’s shirt to keep him close.
“Someone might see us,” Shige says, breath ghosting against his jaw.
“Fuck them,” Ryo replies and puts their mouths together just once. “Can we get rid of these now? I can’t concentrate,” he says when he moves apart, pointing to his hat.
Shige laughs, pulls Ryo’s off and fluffs his flattened hair with his fingers, taking his own hat off with his free hand, and tossing them onto the other seat. “Just for awhile,” he says, eyes shining as he captures Ryo’s mouth with his own.
They’re unsure how many times they make it around the whole ride, but make sure to pull apart when they finally need to get out, hoping no one notices their flustered faces.
“That might be the best Ferris wheel ride I’ve ever been on,” Ryo says, a little dazed when they get off and head back down towards the main path.
Shige grins and puts the hat back on Ryo’s head. “Don’t get too used to it,” he teases, and Ryo suddenly grabs his hand, pulls him away from the crowds to say, “You, you’re okay with this? I-I like you, Shige. I think I might even love you, which is just completely crazy but-”
Shige covers Ryo’s mouth with a hand and laughs at the glower Ryo gives him. “Ryo. I normally don’t make out in public places, so how do you think I feel about this?”
Ryo pulls Shige’s hand away and snap, “Look, I-I don’t know, okay?”
Shige stares at him, dropping his head to the side curiously before he gasps and exclaims, “Are you actually insecure? That’s a first. You’re confident about everything.”
“Maybe this is just more important,” Ryo retorts.
Shige blinks with incredulity while Ryo considers running in the opposite direction, sick of feeling so utterly pathetic over this whole thing. He drops his head and covers his face with a hand instead, and Shige watches him silently for a few moments, lips curving when Ryo starts to mutter curses under his breath. “I love you,” he says eventually and Ryo looks up sharply. Shige smiles warmly, sunlight gleaming in his eyes, and those stupid bells ring again but for once Ryo doesn’t mind.
Relief, euphoria, excitement, every possible good feeling rushes through Ryo’s veins like a spark of electricity and he doesn’t remember a time he’s felt so undoubtably thrilled. He opens his mouth to respond but gets cut off by one familiar voice cooing, “Aww, that’s so cute,” while another comments right after, “I think I’m going to puke. Please don’t make out while I’m standing right here.”
“Then move,” Ryo suggests, turning to glare at Ueda, more pissed off than embarrassed, though Shige is bright red and trying to melt into the ground beside him.
“Good job, Nishiki,” Nino says, triumphant smirk in place. “I told you so.”
Ryo ignores him. “Is it time to go yet?” he questions.
Shige glances at his watch. “We should start heading back to the front,” he says.
“Thank god,” Ryo and Ueda say at once and then glare at each other.
Ueda and Nino lead the way, joining back up with the camera crew waiting for them a few meters away. Ryo turns to Shige who grins and shoves his hands into his pocket, passing by Ryo without a word. Ryo allows himself a smile and falls into step beside him.
*
Nino walks into the Arashi dressing room an hour after the carnival program ended, the last of the group to show up to their meeting. He flops onto the couch next to Ohno who immediately puts his head on his shoulder, eyes closed.
“How’d it go?” Nino asks.
“Perfect,” Sho replies. “It was a success. Everyone seems to have had fun and the company has amazing material to make into DVDs. They’ll sell really well, for sure.”
“Of course,” Matsujun says.
“We have the best ideas,” Aiba exclaims, grinning widely and still completely energetic after spending most of the day at the carnival.
Ohno pokes Nino in the side and says sleepily, “How did your secret project go?”
Nino smirks. “Completely taken care of. Nishikido’s really easy to deal with, you know.”
Matsujun snorts in agreement and Sho questions, “So, they’re…?”
“Probably fucking as we speak,” Nino finishes, eyes shining in amusement, while Matusjun makes a face at the thought. “It went better than expected.”
“That’s great!” Aiba says happily. “So, who’re we going to do next?”
The four of them (sans Ohno) look at each other then at the white-board on the wall, upon which the members of the company are listed by group, Ryo’s and Shige’s now conveniently crossed off. Eventually Matsujun gets up and circles two names in KAT-TUN’s list and says wickedly, “I have the best idea.”
end.
note; ...please don’t hate me? *hides under rock* Uhm, uhm. I don’t even know anymore. I hope you enjoyed this even a little. It was fun to write though really hard because I just can’t do crack at all and a;lsdkga’s;dlka;sdg Yeah. No more of that from me. :\ And yes, Arashi has taken it upon themselves to hook JE boys up. :D a;lknsgd this is crack, I keep feeling like I need to justify every crazy thing I wrote in here. >.>
I will shut up now. Thank you very much for reading, I really hope you liked this. ♥
(Also, please and thank you.)
Pairing: Ryo/Shige, bits of Ueda/Shige (if you squint)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Shige brings NewS strange hats and somehow all of NewS, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8 and Arashi find themselves being filmed in groups at a carnival.
Author’s Note: 7497 words. For my darling rolling_scone, who requested for a drabble post I did awhile ago: RyoShige, funny hats and eating icecream. After starting it, somehow (I’m still trying to figure it out) it morphed into this. Which is pure insanity. This is the first time I’ve written so many of the JE boys and pretty much the first time I’ve written any kind of resemblance of crack. I am clearly not good at it either, so it’ll be back to mushy angst and love stories after this. >.>
Erm, so yeah. Idefk. But if it makes you laugh then I guess my work is done. :) Thanks to indian_monsoon for being a sweetheart and helping me with ideas and telling me this wasn’t fail and a;sldkng;alskdn;alsd ilusm dear. Thank you for everything. ♥
Ahahahaha. I have no clever. *stares at title*
Lella, I really hope you like this. D:
Shige comes into work on Monday with a large bag along with his usual things. He sets it onto the couch and sighs and Tegoshi pops up behind him to question immediately, “Whats in there?”
Everyone else stops what they’re doing and turns to look at Shige and his bag with interest. Shige smiles and undoes the twist-tie on the bag, opens it up as he replies, “My mom bought us hats.” He pauses. “But, they’re not exactly conventional hats,” he adds, but Yamapi just pushes him out of the way and interrupts, “They’re hats. All hats are cool!”
He proceeds to pull out a multi-colored, striped hat with a spinning propeller on the top and says, “Cool!” as he flicks the propeller and is instantly enraptured by how it spins. He pops it on and looks around the room for approval.
“It suits you, Leader!” Tegoshi exclaims.
Ryo snorts and returns to reading his magazine. The rest of the group looks through The Bag of Awesome Hats, cooing, laughing, giggling over the different styles and colors and accessories. Ryo only looks up when he feels his own baseball cap get pulled off his head and another hat shoved on, exclaiming, “What the fuck,” when a piece o the hat smacks him in the face. He blinks and pulls the hat off, staring at it in a blank shock. It’s one of those jester hates; white with stripes of varying colors along the long pointy-parts (what are those even called?) with fucking bells at the tips.
“I’m not wearing this,” he declares.
“Yes, you are,” Shige replies, pulling it out of his hands and shoving it back on. He grins at Ryo who glares and points at the same hat albeit with different colors on Shige’s head.
“Why do we match?” Ryo demands.
Shige shrugs. A few bells ring. “Because they took the other ones,” he says, nodding towards the rest of NewS. All of the bells jingle. Loudly.
Ryo feels a massive headache approaching. He pouts and crosses his arms over his chest because that’s just what people do in situations like this. He’s about to open his mouth to say something but Shige appears to read his mind and interjects, “Don’t diss the hats. They’re from my mom.”
Ryo grits his teeth and ponders this. He can’t say anything bad about the hats now because it’d be saying bad things about Shige’s mom. Who isn’t bad because she’s Ryo’s fan so Ryo is now currently in a dilemma of sorts with not-bad-hats and Shige’s mom and Shige, who’s smiling from behind the not-stupid-long-parts of the jester hat and playing with one of the little bells. And it’s not cute, where the fuck did that thought come from.
“Stupid hats,” Ryo mutters.
“What was that?” Shige questions, eyes narrowing and Ryo wonders if the hat gave Shige Super Hearing or if that was just part of his already Genius Powers.
Ryo grins, a little strained, but a grin nevertheless. “I love the hat,” he says mock-sweetly.
Shige beams and Ryo thinks suddenly that maybe the lie was worth it.
*
“What are we doing here?” Ryo questions as he follows NewS, KAT-TUN, Kanjani8, and Arashi through the entrance of a large carnival. “And why is everyone else here, too?”
“Don’t you listen to anything?” Shige asks form next to him.
“I can’t hear myself think because of these damn bells,” Ryo snaps.
“We’re trying to promote some kind of inter-group unity so they’re filming us all having fun at the carnival.”
“Who’s lame idea was that?”
“I hear it was Arashi’s,” Shige says and Ryo nods as if that answers all - which it pretty much does.
“Everyone break up into groups!” Matsujun suddenly yells, causing everyone to stop talking and look up at him.
“Who in their right mind gave him megaphone?” Ryo asks.
“Make sure there are people from different groups in your group!” Matsujun continues to shout. “Now, go!”
They all start rushing around, grabbing friends from different groups and signing up on a sheet of paper that Sho conveniently has for them to keep track. Jin claims Yamapi before anyone else can and shouts and glares at anyone he doesn’t like who gets near the two of them. Ryo stands off to the side and watches as Koyama, Junnno, Aiba, and Maruyama flail excitedly together while writing down their group and Massu and Nakamaru plow through to find more groupmates. Tegoshi attacks Koki and demands to be in his group while Hina and Matsujun gravitate towards an exasperated-looking Kame.
Someone should have planned this better, Ryo thinks, as it takes a better part of an hour to finally get it all organized. Especially when he finds himself walking down the paths of the carnival with Shige, Ueda, and Nino, a camera crew lagging after them.
“Why’re you in my group? You don’t make it intergroup unity then,” Ryo asks of Shige how just rolls his eyes and doesn’t reply.
“Nice hat, Nishikido,” Ueda snickers and Nino snorts from beside him.
“Shut up,” Ryo snaps.
“Who went shopping for you? A clown?” Ueda asks.
Ryo glares as Shige stops walking beside him, face falling a little, the jingles of his hat sounding suddenly depressed. Ryo notices it, the look in Shige’s eyes, and stands his full height, which does nothing as Ueda’s still taller than him. “Stuff it, Princess. It’s an awesome hat,” he says and Shige’s gaze swivels onto him. Ryo grins deviously and adds, “See, it can do this.” And he turns his head fast enough to smack Ueda in the head with a bell-flap-thing, though at the same time manages to hit himself in the face in the exact same way.
Nino howls in laughter and Ueda punches Ryo in the shoulder, muttering about fucking inter-group unity before stomping off. Nino follows after, but Shige hovers around Ryo exclaiming, “Are you okay?”
Ryo wants to say it’s his fault - stupid hat and stupid Shige and stupid Ryo for defending him - but instead just nods and rubs his face, winces. “I’ll be fine.”
Shige peers at him with worried eyes and then grabs his hand and drags him towards the nearest snack-stand, asking for a cup of ice before Ryo even realizes what’s happening. And before he can stop him, Shig’es pressing the ice against his cheek with a sot expression across his face that oddly has Ryo’s heart skipping a beat.
“Better?” Shige asks and Ryo nods instantly.
“T-T-Thanks,” he finally gets out, wonders where his voice went, and when Shige smiles at him, Ryo wonders where his breath went, too.
*
(Yamapi, Ohkura, and Yoko try to drag a screaming Jin into the haunted house.
“How can you still be scared of haunted houses?” Yoko laughs. “They’re fake!”
“They’re scary!” Jin exclaims, trying to pull out of Yamapi and Ohkura’s death grips.
“It’s okay, Jin,” Yamapi says. “I’ll hold your hand the whole time if it makes you feel better.”
“How would that help!” Jin screeches, pulling free and making a mad dash, but the three of them are much quicker; Yamapi grabbing him around the waist while Yoko and Ohkura each take hold of an arm. Yoko also conveniently shoves his scarf into Jin’s open mouth to effectively stop the screaming and together they pull him through the entrance of the haunted house.
Ten minutes later, they walk out, Yamapi, Ohkura and Yoko laughing hysterically while Jin looks pale and exclaims, while pointing dramatically at them, “I am never speaking to you guys again.”
Five minutes later, Yamapi buys Jin ice cream and Jin squeals and hugs him and all is forgotten.)
*
“I still don’t get the point of this,” Ryo complains.
“Shut up and smile, we’re being filmed, remember?” Ueda replies, kicking Ryo from under the table. Ryo winces through a fake smile and makes a peace sign as Nino puts him into a headlock and Ueda gives him bunny-ears. Shige laughs beside him, bells jingling and all, and the group photographer takes a few shots before nodding. Ryo knocks Nino away with a glare but Nino only grins at him and they continue to make their way around the carnival.
“We should go on a roller coaster or something,” Ryo complains again.
“Fine,” Nino says. “Then go ride that.” He points off to the left at the carousal, a line of little children with their parents in front.
“You’d fit right in, Shorty.” Ueda snickers behind his hand.
“Would he be able to pass the height requirements?” Shige adds and then jumps away when Ryo turns sharply at him.
“Not you too! You’re supposed to be on my side,” Ryo whines, not sure why this suddenly bothers him more than it had any reason to.
Shige bites his lower lip and raise a hand in apology. “I’m sorry,” he says with a wince.
“I like this one,” Ueda announces, nodding at Shige with approval.
“You can have him then,” Ryo replies flippantly, though his chest tightens at the words. He glances at Shige and adds, “Traitor.”
Shige’s eyes widen but before Ryo can realize it’s with hurt, Ueda grabs Shige’s wrist and drags him towards the carousal. “Come on, Kato-kun, let’s go,” he cheers and Shige has no choice but to nod and follow.
Ryo grumbles as he watches them get in line, chattering amiably together with bright grins. Nino glances back from the two of them to Ryo and then smirks knowingly. He shoves his hands into his pockets, nudges Ryo in the ribs with an elbow. “Jealous?” he questions, eyes fixed onto the carousal-pair and almost bursts out laughing when Ryo nearly falls over from shock.
“D-D-Don’t be ridiculous, Aniki!” Ryo squeaks, eyes wide. “A-As if I’d have any reason to be jealous over Shige.”
Nino turns to him slowly, a devious glint in his eyes that Ryo doesn’t miss. “Ah,” he says with pretend surprise. “I never said anything about Kato-kun, now, did I?”
And before Ryo gets a chance to respond, Nino grins and says, “I’m going over to watch them,” and leaves Ryo looking as though he’d just been run over.
*
“Are you okay?” Shige asks, putting a hand on Ryo’s shoulder only to flinch away when Ryo jumps and almost elbows him in the face.
Nino laughs and Ueda comments, “Suspicious,” from where they’re sitting on the other side of the table and munching on fries.
Ryo can’t even muster up a glare, just nods at Shige and says, “Fine, yeah, fine. I’m fine,” while breaking out in a cold sweat.
Shige raises a brow and says, “If you’re sure.”
Ryo nods frantically, ignores the jingling of bells all around his head, and says, “It’s okay, really. I’m fine. Thanks.”
Shige nods slowly and turns to eat his own lunch, though concern is still eveident in his eyes. Conversation dulls down and a few moments later, the cameraman starts asking them all questions.
“Are we having fun?” Nino repeats, then nods enthusiastically and continues, “Of course! I think this was an excellent idea.”
“Isn’t that just because your group thought of it?” Ryo mutters and Nino sends him a glare.
“I think Nishiki has something he wants to say,” Nino says and the camera swivels over to Ryo who gapes wordlessly for a couple of seconds. Then he smiles and says, “I’m having a blast, and it’s all thanks to whoever came up with this ingenious idea.”
Ueda rolls his eyes but then the camera is on him and the cameraman asks, “What do you think of your group?” Ueda pouts thoughtfully and glances at Nino, then at Shige and Ryo sitting side by side, at Ryo stealing a fry from Shige’s plate and Shige smacking his fingers, at their identical stupid hats, and grins. “Interesting,” he answers. “They’re very interesting.”
“And Kato-kun?” The cameraman turns to Shige who’s now being force-fed fries by a grinning Ryo. “Do you like the group you’re in?”
Shige mumbles something around his food and Ryo smiles affectionately at him and pates his head. “He said we’re the best. Right, Shige?” He shoves another fry into the younger boy’s mouth.
Shige nods at the camera and once he swallows, gasps, “W-What Nishikido-kun said.”
Ryo beams and quickly slings an arm over Shige’s shoulders as the photographer motions for a shot. When they turn away to bother Nino and Ueda instead, Shige pushes Ryo away and glowers. “Can you stop with the force-feeding?”
“No,” says Ryo simply, taking another fry of Shige’s plate and popping it into his mouth.
“Those are mine,” Shige says but there’s no anger in his voice, just a bit of exasperation. The amusement in his eyes, though, gives him away.
“Sharing is caring,” Ryo singsongs but he doesn’t steal anymore fries.
Shige just rolls his eyes and in retaliation snatches Ryo’s drink from his hands and finishes it off.
“Aww, indirect kiss,” Nino and Ueda coo together from the other side of the table, sporting the same amused grin, eyes shimmering with mischievousness.
Ryo and Shige both jump from the statement and Shige drops the bottle of water, watches with terror as it spills down the leg of Ryo’s jeans. As Ueda and Nino burst into laughter, Shige flails and starts apologizing profusely, grabbing napkins and reaching out at Ryo to clean up. Horrified, Ryo grabs his hands before and says, “C-Calm down. It’s okay.” He glances around. “Where’s the bathroom?”
Shige jumps to his feet and says, “This way.” He takes Ryo by the wrist and drags him away before he can protest.
Ryo fumbles to keep up, eyes locked onto where Shige’s fingers are wrapped around his writs. “S-Shige, hold on,” he gasps. “Don’t freak out, it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s my fault, though. I want to help,” Shige insists, taking a few paper towels and wetting them. He reaches for Ryo’s pants and Ryo squeaks in surprise, startling both of them and Shige looks torn between bewildered and amused while Ryo suddenly wants to bury himself alive. They stare at each other for a few long moments, unsure what to do or say now, and Ryo really wishes Shige would just look away, dammit, because this is getting really uncomfortable and why, why, why is he suddenly feeling so, so, so attracted to him?
Ryo’s eyes dilate and his stomach drops to his knees. Anger comes out to mask his confusion and he snaps as he steps away, “What good does it do to make it more wet?”
Shige splutters. “I-I’m sorry!”
Ryo just stomps into a stall and locks the door. He pulls off his pants and tosses them over the top of the door to Shige who fumbles a little as he catches them and screeches, “What am I doing with these?”
“It’s not like I want you to wear them, stupid. Put it under the dryer and dry the pants,” Ryo explains, then adds teasingly, “And you’re supposed to be the smart one.”
“S-Shut up,” Shige says over the fan of the dryer and Ryo laughs. A few moments later Shige folds the pants over the top of the stall door. “That should be okay,” he says.
“Thanks,” Ryo replies and quickly redresses. He opens the door and finds Shige looking at him carefully, biting his lover lip. “What’s that look for?” Ryo says, flicking Shige on the forehead with his fingers. Shige yelps and rubs the skin, turning to glare at Ryo, but gasps when he finds the other leaning in close, peering at him. “You should stop worrying so much,” Ryo says. “It’ll give you wrinkles.” Then he grins and straightens up, turning to primp himself a little in the mirror. “Come on, let’s go before we get into trouble or something.”
Just as the head for the door, it opens and both Nino and Ueda pook their heads inside.
“What’re you doing?” Nino asks, his tone suggestive rather than questioning.
Shige rolls his eyes, obviously catching onto the implication and replies, “Making out, what else?”
The other three’s jaws simultaneously drop and Shige laughs at them all, feeling a little vindictive, before he shoves Ueda and Nino aside and heads out the door and sends back a “Let’s go smile for the cameras” over his shoulder. He stops and turns around to grin at them, bells on his hat jingling, and the others blink at him blankly. Ueda first moves, nodding and following, and Nino looks back at Ryo to say, “Nishiki, let’s go.”
Ryo jolts out of his thoughts and mumbles, “R-Right.” He shuffles after the rest of them, his mind whirling, still stuck on the words Shige previously said and unable to think of anything else. He almost wants to ask Shige why he said it, but doesn’t think he can without appearing so obvious that it means something to him. Ryo freezes in his tracks, eyes going wide. Since when did the idea of making wout with Shige mean something to him?
“Nishikido-kun?” Shige’s voice startles him back to reality and Ryo has to force himself not to jump away from the suddenly close proximity, wills his eyes to not drop directly to Shige’s mouth because he knows that would not be a good idea, no, not at all, and fuck.
Ryo coughs and fixes his eyes on Shige’s shoes quickly, staring hard at the laces and the designs that it takes a few moments to realize when Shige says, “Are you okay?”
“W-What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he insists and hopes he sounds more convincing to Shige than he does to his own ears. “I’m fine,” he repeats, almost to ensure himself because, dammit, something is just not right with him today. He swallows down the thickness in his throat and asks, “W-What do we do now?” to the all of them, eager for Shige to stop staring worriedly at him.
Shige finally does look away then, turning to ask Ueda and Nino for their advice, and Ryo sighs in relief, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, missing the sneaky that both Ueda and Nino send in his direction. When he gathers himself again, he turns to join the others, only to lose every part of himself he just put back together. The three of them are laughing and discussing options on how to spend the rest of the day, but the thing that innately pisses him off is how Ueda has an arm around Shige’s waist, and is staring up at him with a look of utter devotion on his face.
“What. The. Fuck,” he mutters under his breath and then quickly cools his expression when Shige waves him over, clearly unconcerned about Ueda leaning against him.
“We want to go on some of the rides,” Shige says.
“Okay,” Ryo replies. “Sounds good.”
Shige grins and pulls Ueda along towards the rides at the back of the carnival. Ryo walks slowly after them, eyes narrowing into a glare that rests on the back of Ueda’s head.
“You are so unbelievably obvious,” Nino says.
“What’re you talking about?” Ryo says, forces the panic out of his voice.
“And the fact you’re in such denial is really sad.” Nino shakes his head and gives Ryo a pitying look.
Ryo chooses to ignore him. If he asks anymore questions he knows Nino will put something ridiculous into his head and then he’ll never stop thinking about it. Like when they filmed Ryusei no Kizuna and Nino kept talking about Toda Erika in such unspeakable terms Ryo could barely look at her, let alone talk to her. And he still hasn’t gotten over that. He definitely is going to ignore anything and everything Nino says because it’ll do him no fucking good. Plus, he hasn’t shaken what he’d thought of being jealous over Shige (which was totally all Nino’s fault too, even if it didn’t say anything specifically about Shige). Ryo is not jealous over Shige, there’s no way. Because that’d imply he liked Shige, and that he wanted to be with Shige, and of course none of that is true in any way, shape, or form.
Determined that this is the case, he sighs deeply and rushes to join the others, falling into step beside Shige and flicking a bell on his hat by his ear. Shige turns to him and smiles brightly, eyes shining, and somehow, even with the stupid fucking hat on his head, Ryo completely and totally forgets to breathe, lost in Shige’s smile and eyes and everything.
And that’s all it takes for Ryo to question everything he’s ever previously known and believed. Because clearly the world had just turned upside down. It is the only logical explanation for Ryo to actually be in like (in love?) with Kato Shigeaki.
*
(“Oh my god, a petting zoo!” Koyama exclaims. “We have to go, please!”
“I’m okay with it,” Junno says and both Aiba and Maruyama agree as well. Koyama excitedly leads the way, not at all feeling out of place despite the petting zoo being packed with children.
The camera crew follows them around, filming as they coo over goats and chickens and rabbits and horses. Maruyama makes silly faces at the animals that also scare away the little children, while Koyama and Junno get pictures taken with some of the animals and Aiba tries to feed the chickens, clearly disregarding the “DO NOT FEED” sign.
As they make their way over to the sheep, one of them immediately heads over to the fence where they’re standing. Koyama reaches a hand out but Aiba suddenly smacks it back and screams, “VERY DANGER!” and pulls them all away.
Koyama and Junno pout together when Aiba finally lets them all go - about halfway across the carnival - and Maruyama says, “What did you do that for?”
“Very danger,” Aiba gasps in stilted English, looking horrified.
“It was a sheep!” Junno says.
“It was cute!” Koyama cries.
“Very danger!” Aiba exclaims with finality and no one dares argue again.)
*
“Let’s get ice cream!” Ueda exclaims, stopping dramatically and pointing to the vendor.
“You are such a girl,” Ryo comments, rolling his eyes.
Ueda ignores him. “How about you, Shige-kun?” he asks instead and Shige nods excitedly, the two of them heading over to buy some. Ryo glares but follows, grumbling under his breath while Nino strolls along beside him, an amused expression on his face.
“Do you want anything, Nishikido-kun?” Shige asks and Ryo hums thoughtfully, scanning the options. He nods when he finds something and asks Shige, “What’re you getting?”
“Just a vanilla ice cream cone,” Shige replies.
Ryo nods again and reaches for his wallet, orders both his own and Shige’s cone too.
“Wait, I can get my own, you know,” Shige says quickly.
“Too late,” Ryo replies, grinning as he hands over the money. “Now take your ice cream.”
Shige looks like he wants to argue, but takes his cone from the vendor anyway. “I’ll pay you back,” he says to Ryo.
“Forget it.”
Shige pouts with annoyance and licks the tip of his cone. “Thanks,” he mumbles a while later.
Ryo just smiles in return, finding a bench a few feet away and sitting down. Shige immediately sits beside him and Ryo is now more aware of the warmth coming from their shoulders pressed together than on the ice cream cone in his hands. It’s not until Shige exclaims, “What’re you doing?” does Ryo even realize he’d been so concerned about Shige that he hadn’t noticed his ice cream melting over his fingers.
“Hold on,” Shige says, jumping up to run back to the vendor and grab some napkins. When he returns he helps wipe up Ryo’s hands and Ryo’s too petrified by the action to snap at him and do it himself. “There,” Shige says awhile later, looking satisified. “Be more careful.”
Ryo nods slowly, looking up at him finally. He laughs and says, “You have no right to lecture when you’re a mess too.” As Shige blinks with confusion, Ryo takes the napkin from his hand and reaches over to wipe the corners of his mouth. He stops halfway through, as if only then realizing what he’s doing, hand poised in front of Shige’s face, eyes widening with horror.
Shige just shrugs and says, “Oh, thanks,” and licks the ice cream from his lips, completely unaware of how Ryo’s eyes follow the slow movement of his tongue. “Better?” he asks a moment later, looking at Ryo expectantly.
Ryo swallows down the lump in his throat and nods. “Y-Yeah, fine,” he chokes out and Shige smiles.
*
(“Just because you were in that world tournament doesn’t make you that great,” Matsujun declares, taking the baseball from Kame’s hand and getting in line to test how fast his throw is. “I can do it just as well as you.”
Kame shrugs uninterestedly. “Prove it,” he replies easily and Matsujun glares at him and throws the ball, his speed coming in lower than Kame’s.
“Pathetic,” Hina says, watching from the side, arms crossed over his chest. “I can beat you both.”
“Let’s see you try, soccer-boy,” Matsujun says, tossing the ball to Hina.
Hina just rolls his eyes, clearly confident, and takes his turn. He matches Matsujun’s score but is still lower than Kame, who grins, eyes gleaming with smugness.
“What was that about beating me?” he asks.
“Shut up,” Matsujun says haughtily. “We’ll go again. The loser buys the other two anything they want from the carnival.”
“Sounds good,” Hina says, and Kame nods, up for the challenge and already thinking of what he wants when he wins.)
*
Ryo considers banging his head against the metal bar of the rollercoaster. Maybe it would tilt the world back into place - to a time where he clearly did not like Shige, did not keep thinking of him, and did not tingle throughout his body whenever he smiled, laughed, looked at him.
“Aw, Nishikido, are you scared?” Ueda taunts, turning around in the front car of the rollercoaster and misinterpreting Ryo’s expression. “Do you need someone to hold your hand?”
Before Ryo can open his mouth in a retort, Nino reaches over and clasps Ryo and Shige’s hands together. Grinning, he exclaims, “Perfect!”
Ueda cracks up and they face the front again while Ryo stares at his and Shige’s intertwined hands, eyes wide in horror though his whole body is screaming its approval.
Shige laughs and slowly pulls his hand away (Ryo has to force himself not to tighten his grasp), looking a little flustered which makes Ryo feel somewhat better, though not by much. “They like causing trouble, don’t they?” he asks.
Ryo nods. “You have no idea,” he mutters.
“Are you really okay? You’ve been acting weird,” Shige says, voice laced with concern.
Ryo bites his lips, hates himself for making Shige worry (and subsequently making himself care about Shige being worried) and gives him a genuine smile. “I’m fine, really. Just not used to carnivals, I guess.”
Shige seems to ponder his answer for awhile then returns the smile. “Okay. You can, uhm, tell me if something’s bothering you,” he says, then pauses, chews the inside of his cheek, unsure whether to continue. After a long moment, though, he finally adds, “I am on your side, you know.”
Ryo feels his heart plummet into his stomach, thinks he could kick himself for making that stupid comment earlier - though how was he supposed to know Shige would take it so literally? “I-I was kidding!” Ryo exclaims.
“I know,” Shige replies and chuckles. “I’m just telling you now. W-We’re on the same side.”
Ryo grins at him and says, “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”
Shige laughs but it stops abruptly as the rollercoaster starts to move. Ryo doesn’t fail to notice his hands tightening on the safety bar and asks, “Are you scared?”
“Of course not,” Shige says a little too quickly and Ryo knows instantly he’s lying. But Ryo doesn’t press him further about it, and in a move that has him questioning his sanity even more, slides a hand over to rest on top of Shige’s.
Shige turns to him sharply but Ryo just squeezes his hand and says nothing, eyes focused in front of him, though his heart is beating madly in his chest and doesn’t slow down even when Shige turns away a moment later. Just before the rollercoaster goes over the top of the first fall, Ryo faintly hears Shige breathe, “Thanks.”
*
(“You’ve won again,” the employee behind the booth says. “Pick a prize.”
“Not again!” Koki exclaims with both anger and incredulity.
Tegoshi just beams and picks out his tenth prize, a large stuffed bear with a pink bow-tie. “This is cute, isn’t it?” he asks cutely, looking around at Koki, Sho and Subaru.
“Sure it is,” Sho says and Tegoshi grins and shoves it into his hands before turning around and saying, “Let’s find another game to play!”
“Does he ever stop?” Subaru hisses as they follow Tegoshi slowly, holding three of Tegoshi’s previous prizes in his hands.
Sho and Koki shake their heads sadly. “Never,” they reply and then all three of them groan, resigning themselves to a very, very long day.)
*
“Do I have to put this back on?” Ryo stares at the jester hat that Shige’s holding out for him, having had to take it off during the rollercoaster ride.
“Well,” Shige says, loking horribly depressed and Ryo wants to punch himself. “If it bothers you that much…”
“I’ll wear it, Kato-kun!” Ueda jumps in, grinning, and Ryo watches furiously as Shige smiles, a little surprised but pleased, and hands the hat over.
“No!” Ryo exclaims, ten times louder than he meant to and everyone in the vicinity turns to stare at him. Flushing and wondering what happened to that filter between his brain and his mouth, quickly snatches the hat from Ueda’s hands and says, “I’ll wear it. It’s mine.”
Shige practically glows in happiness while Ueda merely looks amused. Ryo contemplates punching him as he shoves the hat back on and resigns himself to premature hearing loss.
“Oh, hey, bumper cars,” Nino says, pointing towards the ride as they approach it. He turns and looks at them. “Game?”
Shige and Ueda nod and Ryo really has no choice but to agree as well, quickly following after them. Shige claims a car and Ryo makes to go sit with him, but Ueda shoves him out of the way and takes the empty spot. He flashes Ryo a smirk before turning around to chat with Shige and Ryo is realizing again why he hated Ueda in the first place.
“Come on, loser,” Nino says, grabbing Ryo by the elbow and getting their own car.
“I am not a loser,” Ryo defends instantly, quickly taking the seat with the wheel before Nino can stop him.
“You just tell youself that,” Nino answers flippantly.
Ryo ignores him. When the ride starts, he grabs the steering wheel and immediately heads for Ueda and Shige’s car, running into their bumper. Ueda turns and flicks him off to which Shige quickly pulls his hand down, muttering, “There are kids here and we’re still being filmed!” Ueda drops his hand, but glares at Ryo who smirks triumphantly and backs up. When other cares hit them, usually driven by young children, Nino tells Ryo to retaliate because that’s how the game goes, but Ryo doesn’t listen, aiming for one car and on car only.
Ueda starts to fight back, though, and Shige helps to guide him, shouting orders and pointing towards Ryo and Nino’s car. Now even more pissed off, Ryo continues to get back at him while Nino just sits back and watches, clearly all too amused by the entire thing.
When the ride stops, Ryo almost wants to stay and go again, but Nino drags him out saying, “There are other ways to release your sexual frustrations, Nishiki.”
Ryo stops in his tracks and turns sharply towards Nino, bells ringing everyone from the hat, and shrieks, “What?”
Nino grins. “I’ve told you, you’re really obvious,” he says. “You want Kato-kun. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Ryo exclaims childishly, looking mortified.
“Still in denial. How cute.” Nino pats Ryo’s shoulders, more teasing than comforting, and adds, “You should get on it before someone else does.” He nods over to where Ueda and Shige are making silly poses for the photographer.
Ryo freezes, watching the two of them, anger rising in his veins while his mind swims in a current of Nino’s previous words. His chest tightens around his heart, fists clenching at his sides, and he bites his lip to keep from screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Well,” Nino says, and Ryo hates that all-knowing gleam in his eyes. “I don’t care what you do. Just don’t make out on camera, okay?”
Ryo eyes widen and he turns rather pink, swarms of emotions sweeping up inside of him, part of him agreeing with Nino, though the other part thinks that if he got anywhere close to making out with Shige, that he should do it and not fucking care if someone was watching. He’s also pretty sure the latter half is going to win out when and if the time comes.
“Nishikido-kun!” Shige says, startling Ryo a bit by appearing in front of him suddenly. “We’re going to the Ferris wheel. Is that okay?”
Ryo smiles at him, a true smile, that seems to take Shige by surprise, pupils dilating. “Sounds good,” he says with a nod and then stares at Shige comtemplatively for a few long seconds.
Shige blinks at him and says, “Nishikido-kun? What’s wrong?”
“You calling me that is wrong,” replies Ryo. “Just call me Ryo, okay?” And Ryo almost laughs at the shock on Shige’s face and the way he looks momentarily horrified. Ryo nudges him and adds in a pitiful voice, “Well, if you don’t want to, then…”
“No!” Shige exclaims. “I mean, no. It-It’s okay. I was just startled.”
“Good.” Ryo grins and then drops an arm over Shige’s shoulders. “Let’s go, then.”
Shige looks like he might implode from Ryo’s sudden kindness, but doesn’t push him away, laughing as he starts leading the way. Ryo glances over his shoulder to call Nino and Ueda along, smirking at how furious, albeit a little amused, Ueda looks. Nino stands at his side and returns the smirk, clearly impressed by the turn of events.
Ryo turns back around when Shige starts to ramble off about what else they can do before the day is over, and Ryo feels a suddenly strong sense of accomplishment. It only helps that everytime Shige calls him Ryo, his spine tingles and he can’t help but grin, because even though the thought is a frightening, maybe…maybe this is exactly how he’s wanted it to be all along.
*
(Nakamaru, Yasu and Ohno cheer from the audience as they watch Massu participate in a food-eating contest. Yasu’s standing on a chair and shouting out words of encouragement while Nakamaru looks a little more concerned about Massu’s well-being than his win, though Massu’s eating the provided food with ease and enthusiasm. Ohno is less interested in the whole thing, eyeing the other contestants and knowing there’s no way they’ll win.
When Massu does win, he’s grinning from ear to ear, and is presented with a coupon for free food from all over the carnival. Accepting it with gratitude, he returns to the others, and Yasu immediately exclaims, “You were amazing!”
“Didn’t you eat too much?” Nakamaru questions.
“Not more than usual,” Massu shrugs, still beaming. “So, what do you guys want to eat?”
“Are you seriously going to eat more?” Nakamaru exclaims, eyes wide.
“Of course!” Massu says happily, clearly not understanding Nakamaru’s concern.
“I want cotton candy!” Yasu announces, raising a hand into the air.
“Me, too,” Ohno agrees, and Massu looks at Nakamaru expectantly until the KAT-TUN member sighs and says, “Cotton candy sounds good.”
“Yay!” Massu and Yasu flail together and they drag the other two off towards the nearest cotton candy vendor.)
*
“I want to go up with Shige,” Ryo declares immediately when they reach the Ferris wheel, before anyone (namely Ueda) can say anything. He glares at Ueda who just looks annoyed but doesn’t argue to Ryo’s extreme satisfaction. They wait in the line and once it’s their turn, Ryo suggests that the camera crew go up with Ueda and Nino first and then they can go up with him and Shige.
Nino, catching on, quickly says, “Sounds fine to me,” and Ueda has no choice but to follow the Arashi member into the awaiting carriage.
Ryo twiddles his fingers at them as they move and then turns to Shige to say, “Let’s get into one a few after them.”
“Huh?” is Shige’s intelligent response. “I thought we were going to wait.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Ryo returns, pulling Shige into the next available carriage, four behind Ueda and Nino’s.
“But-” Shige begins, but Ryo cuts him off with a “Are you that annoyed to be alone with me?”
Shige shakes his head quickly. “No! No, I don’t mind.”
Ryo grins and they settle into the carriage, waiting a few moments before they start to move. “This is much better,” he says awhile later. “Without those two causing trouble all the time.”
Shige smiles. “It’s rare for the two of us to be alone though.”
“It hasn’t been that rare, lately,” Ryo insists, and really it hasn’t. They slowly, but surely, have become much better friends than Ryo could have ever guessed years ago. He knows for a fact if anyone had foreseen his falling in love with the younger boy when they’d debuted, Ryo would have laughed in their face. And now, it’s almost kind of ironic, that the person in NewS he takes the longest time to get to know ends up being the one he loves the most.
“That’s true,” Shige agrees, cutting across Ryo’s thoughts, smiling brightly. “I like it better this way.”
Oh shit, Ryo thinks, biting his lip because Shige’s not making this easy at all. So Nino was right - he does want in Shige’s pants and maybe he’s wanted that all along, just never realized it. Maybe that’s why he enjoys spending time with him and going out to eat after work and making fun of him, teasing him, getting into fights with him. All of these things he does on a daily basis, things he never thought more about than what they are at face value. But now, maybe all of the attention he pays to Shige really was his only way to show how he was attracted to the younger man. And in all this time, Ryo never truly got it.
“Ryo?” Shige says then and Ryo’s skin tingles at the sound of his name on Shige’s lips. “Are you all right?”
Ryo immediately glares at him, which clearly takes Shige by surprise, his eyes widening. “No,” Ryo answers, because he really isn’t, his mind swimming with too many new revelations. “No, I’m not all right.”
Shige sucks his lower lip into his mouth, unsure what to say, and after a long moment of silence, Ryo continues, “It’s all your fault, too.”
“What?” Shige exclaims, defensive, his eyes sparkling. “What did I do?”
“You are you,” Ryo retorts, carefully moving to the other side of the carriage and leaning into Shige’s space. “And that is the problem,” he finishes before he kisses Shige hard on the mouth.
Ryo doesn’t actually expect Shige to respond, but Shige surprises him and does, head tilting, lips parting, tongue seeking out and meeting his own. Shige makes a soft murmur of pleasure that has Ryo’s belly fluttering. Ryo wants to continue without stopping until absolutely necessary, but the jingling of the bells around their heads really does ruin the moment. He pulls back a bit and chuckles when Shige whines in protest, fingers curling into the front of Ryo’s shirt to keep him close.
“Someone might see us,” Shige says, breath ghosting against his jaw.
“Fuck them,” Ryo replies and puts their mouths together just once. “Can we get rid of these now? I can’t concentrate,” he says when he moves apart, pointing to his hat.
Shige laughs, pulls Ryo’s off and fluffs his flattened hair with his fingers, taking his own hat off with his free hand, and tossing them onto the other seat. “Just for awhile,” he says, eyes shining as he captures Ryo’s mouth with his own.
They’re unsure how many times they make it around the whole ride, but make sure to pull apart when they finally need to get out, hoping no one notices their flustered faces.
“That might be the best Ferris wheel ride I’ve ever been on,” Ryo says, a little dazed when they get off and head back down towards the main path.
Shige grins and puts the hat back on Ryo’s head. “Don’t get too used to it,” he teases, and Ryo suddenly grabs his hand, pulls him away from the crowds to say, “You, you’re okay with this? I-I like you, Shige. I think I might even love you, which is just completely crazy but-”
Shige covers Ryo’s mouth with a hand and laughs at the glower Ryo gives him. “Ryo. I normally don’t make out in public places, so how do you think I feel about this?”
Ryo pulls Shige’s hand away and snap, “Look, I-I don’t know, okay?”
Shige stares at him, dropping his head to the side curiously before he gasps and exclaims, “Are you actually insecure? That’s a first. You’re confident about everything.”
“Maybe this is just more important,” Ryo retorts.
Shige blinks with incredulity while Ryo considers running in the opposite direction, sick of feeling so utterly pathetic over this whole thing. He drops his head and covers his face with a hand instead, and Shige watches him silently for a few moments, lips curving when Ryo starts to mutter curses under his breath. “I love you,” he says eventually and Ryo looks up sharply. Shige smiles warmly, sunlight gleaming in his eyes, and those stupid bells ring again but for once Ryo doesn’t mind.
Relief, euphoria, excitement, every possible good feeling rushes through Ryo’s veins like a spark of electricity and he doesn’t remember a time he’s felt so undoubtably thrilled. He opens his mouth to respond but gets cut off by one familiar voice cooing, “Aww, that’s so cute,” while another comments right after, “I think I’m going to puke. Please don’t make out while I’m standing right here.”
“Then move,” Ryo suggests, turning to glare at Ueda, more pissed off than embarrassed, though Shige is bright red and trying to melt into the ground beside him.
“Good job, Nishiki,” Nino says, triumphant smirk in place. “I told you so.”
Ryo ignores him. “Is it time to go yet?” he questions.
Shige glances at his watch. “We should start heading back to the front,” he says.
“Thank god,” Ryo and Ueda say at once and then glare at each other.
Ueda and Nino lead the way, joining back up with the camera crew waiting for them a few meters away. Ryo turns to Shige who grins and shoves his hands into his pocket, passing by Ryo without a word. Ryo allows himself a smile and falls into step beside him.
*
Nino walks into the Arashi dressing room an hour after the carnival program ended, the last of the group to show up to their meeting. He flops onto the couch next to Ohno who immediately puts his head on his shoulder, eyes closed.
“How’d it go?” Nino asks.
“Perfect,” Sho replies. “It was a success. Everyone seems to have had fun and the company has amazing material to make into DVDs. They’ll sell really well, for sure.”
“Of course,” Matsujun says.
“We have the best ideas,” Aiba exclaims, grinning widely and still completely energetic after spending most of the day at the carnival.
Ohno pokes Nino in the side and says sleepily, “How did your secret project go?”
Nino smirks. “Completely taken care of. Nishikido’s really easy to deal with, you know.”
Matsujun snorts in agreement and Sho questions, “So, they’re…?”
“Probably fucking as we speak,” Nino finishes, eyes shining in amusement, while Matusjun makes a face at the thought. “It went better than expected.”
“That’s great!” Aiba says happily. “So, who’re we going to do next?”
The four of them (sans Ohno) look at each other then at the white-board on the wall, upon which the members of the company are listed by group, Ryo’s and Shige’s now conveniently crossed off. Eventually Matsujun gets up and circles two names in KAT-TUN’s list and says wickedly, “I have the best idea.”
end.
note; ...please don’t hate me? *hides under rock* Uhm, uhm. I don’t even know anymore. I hope you enjoyed this even a little. It was fun to write though really hard because I just can’t do crack at all and a;lsdkga’s;dlka;sdg Yeah. No more of that from me. :\ And yes, Arashi has taken it upon themselves to hook JE boys up. :D a;lknsgd this is crack, I keep feeling like I need to justify every crazy thing I wrote in here. >.>
I will shut up now. Thank you very much for reading, I really hope you liked this. ♥
(Also, please and thank you.)