[fic update] Caricature
Title: Caricature
Rating: PG-14
Pairings: Joshua / Neku
Summary: After having lost a bet with Mr. Hanekoma, Joshua is forced to seek assistance from his ex-proxy. When Joshua informs Neku of his lost-bet, Neku hesitantly wonders what Joshua has to do. It comes as a large surprise to the ex-player that the prim and snarky Joshua has to cross-dress for an entire year at his school and get the student body to believe he is a girl.
Earlier Chapters: Prologue || Chapter One || Chapter Two || Chapter Three || Chapter Four || Chapter Five
“Neku~ Wake up, Sunshine. It’s Sunday and you’ve yet to do your homework.”
A guttural noise drifted from the back of Neku’s throat instantly. The aforementioned redhead shifted awkwardly on his bed, burying his face impossibly further against his pillow. The urge to get up, get dressed, and get motivated was scant. So, instead of doing as the oddly cheerful voice instructed, he remained sprawled upon his bed, clinging to the last threads of sleep that he could. But wait…that hadn’t been his mother’s voice. With a second groan of dissatisfaction, Neku allowed his eyes to flutter open groggily. At once, blue met amused violet.
“Why doesn’t this surprise me?” he complained, shoving his body up into a sitting position. After two months of seeing Joshua’s less-than-lovely face in the mornings, it was ridiculous to be still considered surprised.
An airy giggle drifted through the room, followed by the sound of fingers strumming against wood. “Sanae wished to see us before we did anything today,” the Composer explained, sitting in Neku’s computer chair, gaze glued to his former proxy.
“Huh? Oh, Mr. H,” Neku murmured and shifted off his bed, messing with his untidy hair. “What for?”
"He thinks he may know why my Music is suddenly not bothering you,” Joshua explained casually, poking his index finger and thumb together in boredom.
“I thought we had decided that I was just becoming tolerant,” Neku grumbled, wandering over to his closet. Quickly, he removed the closest shirt and pants, easily slipped them on over his boxers. Once dressed, he turned back to Joshua who was being quite peculiar this morning. “Are you going to answer me or not?”
Joshua merely smirked in response and leaned his chin into his palm, eyes raking over the redhead. “That shirt clashes horribly, Neku.”
“Thanks,” Neku muttered sarcastically and reached for his comb, frowning at his mirror. “Not cross-dressing today either, Josh?”
“I told you,” Joshua reiterated. “I’d rather not when we aren’t going near our little classmates.”
Neku sighed, shook his head, and continued fiddling with his hair. “What does he think?” he questioned, changing the subject.
“About what?” Joshua wondered, head tilting.
“About the Music, idiot. That’s what we’ve been talking about for the past five minutes,” Neku sighed irritably and looked at Joshua’s reflection, noting the smug grin on the Composer’s face. “…You’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Joshua shook his head wistfully, meeting Neku’s gaze in the reflective surface.
Neku shifted awkwardly, setting his comb down. “Joshua Kiryu, as secretive and jerkish as ever,” he muttered under his breath and reached for his lanyard, ignoring the furtive sparkle in his room mate’s eyes. “Let’s go.”
Joshua slipped off the chair he had been reclining in, nodding affirmatively to Neku’s statement. “Perhaps I’ll even keep to my promise last night.”
“What?” Neku paused, opening his bedroom door. He peered over his shoulder at the Composer, brow quirked. “What promise?”
“To show you your Music, Neku,” Joshua giggled nonchalantly and brushed past Neku, out into the hall. “You forget so easily.”
“Josh!” Neku said quickly, voice lowered as he stared, wide-eyed, at the Composer. “My Mom’s home,” he breathed dangerously. “Get the hell back in my room until I tell you it’s safe or change your frequency, damnit.”
Joshua eyed Neku carefully. “Afraid that your Mother is going to think you’re being irresponsible?”
Neku’s face turned a pretty shade of pink. “Joshua,” he growled.
Joshua sighed histrionically and began walking down the hall, demeanor radiating callowness.
“Josh!” Neku sputtered and hurried out of his room, latching onto the Composer’s arm. “What the hell is up with you today? You’re acting really different,” he demanded under his breath, keeping the Composer from going too far into the depths of his home. “You’re being purposely assholeish. Why?”
Joshua shrugged, smirked, and jerked his arm from Neku’s grasp. “I already raised my frequency, you didn’t notice?”
Neku paused, eying the Composer. He tilted his head. “….You did?”
“Of course I did. I’m not that stupid, Neku,” Joshua lilted and stood near the stairs, hand on his hip. “As much as I would love to scare your Mother into thinking she’s going to be a Grandmother, I’d rather not get you into too much trouble. It’d be such a shame if I didn’t get to wander around Shibuya aimlessly with you because you were grounded~”
Neku said nothing, shook his head, and hurried to Joshua’s side. “Even after two months, you’re insufferable,” he informed Joshua and headed down the stairs, in disbelief.
Joshua watched Neku with amusement and followed suit. Today was going to be quite the interesting day.
***
“Hey boys, good to see ya!”
Neku offered a slight wave to the café owner and headed over to the counter, ignoring the identical knowing look on the older man’s face that Joshua held. Something was definitely up, and Neku despised being the odd one out. Gah. It was times like these that Neku regretted even speaking with Joshua again. The idiot was more trouble than he was worth. Screw friendship and being civil.
“Boss, you gonna tell me why you ran outta this place yesterday wearing that mischievous grin, eh?”
Joshua glanced curiously at his Producer, taking a seat beside his ex proxy. “Mischievous grin? I assure you I was not doing such.”
“J,” Mr. Hanekoma stated sternly, ignoring the confused look spreading across Neku’s face.
“It wasn’t mischievous,” Joshua pointed out, distractedly collecting a random packet of sugar. “I was merely amused at the fact that I could hear my proxy’s Music.”
Sanae Hanekoma fell silent, eyes washing over the pair of boys. “…That so?” he wondered, a faint chuckle lacing his words.
“Indeed,” Joshua stated slowly, purposely, gaze meeting his Producer’s meaningfully.
“No, J,” Mr. Hanekoma responded sternly. “Ya still hafta-”
“Your wild point was proven, Sanae. Ther e is no need to continue this charade any longer,” Joshua murmured simply.
“…What the hell are you guys talking about this time?” Neku interrupted, frowning at the sudden lack of knowledge. “I thought we were here to talk about Joshua’s Cold issue thing.”
Joshua shook his head, signaling for Neku to shush.
“That was no action of your own, J. That was the stipulations,” Sanae reasoned and chuckled. “For all you know, it’s normal.”
Joshua glowered, eyes suddenly turning darker. “Sanae, I’ll say this again. There is no way that I am going through with that harebrained-”
Neku hesitantly leaned back, uncertain what the two were arguing about, but from what he was gathering, it involved his Music. Which made no sense, really, because he couldn’t fathom what they could be arguing about that involved that. Confused? Neku was beyond that point. Wanted to walk about and call them both childish? Yeah, he wanted to do that too. Wanted to hang out with his other friends and ditch Josh? He was starting to desire that too, actually.
“Time’s tickin’, Boss.”
Joshua frowned, watching his Producer carefully. “And if I don’t?”
“I’ll have to do it myself.”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed. “You’d be spreading lies, Sanae.”
“Whatever you say, Boss. That was our agreement and there’s no changing it.”
Joshua cursed under his breath, dragged a hand through his hair, and turned to Neku, who was wearing a befuddled expression. “Never mind him, Neku. He’s gone senile in his old age,” the Composer giggled, a smirk crossing his handsome features.
Mr. Hanekoma snorted at that and turned his back to the pair, heading over to the coffee machine. “Now, before we scare Phones to the point of no return, let’s get down to business.”
“Ah yes, my Music,” Joshua agreed, lacing his hands together under his chin. “What was your idea?”
“I don’t think Phones just randomly became tolerant outta the blue,” the Producer explained, pouring two mugs of coffee. “I think it turns a bit deeper than that, Boss.”
“Oh?...” Joshua did not look pleased whatsoever.
“I think you’re just the one who is changing, J.”
Joshua and Neku’s expression, for the first time in quite awhile, matched. “…Excuse me?” the Composer demanded, a slim eyebrow arching as Neku resisted the urge to laugh. Joshua? Change? Like that would ever happen.
“Ya heard me. Maybe this whole arrangement with Phones is changin’ you,” Mr. Hanekoma suggested with a shrug. He turned to Neku, meeting the boy’s skeptical eyes. “You said you weren’t cold anymore, right?” Nod. “And you can hear faint music, right?”
“….Sorta. It’s really far off, and I don’t hear it all the time, it could just be my imagination, because it’s kinda depressing and-” Neku began with a determined frown but was cut short by Joshua.
“Now my Music is depressing? Seriously, this idea is ridiculous, you two,” Joshua complained, lips pursed together afterwards. “I’ve been around far too long to randomly change because I’ve spent two months with a teenager.”
Sanae snorted at that as well, looking to Neku knowingly. “Be flattered, Phones. The change you’re bringin’ about in him is showin’ in Shibuya.”
Joshua said nothing.
“I…don’t think I’m doing that, Mr. H,” Neku stated apprehensively, licking his lips awkwardly. “Nothing’s changed. We argue as much as we always have, we still insult each other… I still want to push him off a cliff. Everything’s the same… I think.”
Joshua glowered at the cliff statement and rolled his eyes. “What ‘good’ has shown in Shibuya to prove your point?”
“Most basically, the stock market.”
“Ugh…” Neku groaned, head suddenly throbbing. “No more Economics, damnit.”
“Somethin’ wrong, Phones?” Mr. Hanekoma laughed, looking at the redhead in amusement.
“Oh, it’s just a class Neku and I have,” Joshua giggled and looked squarely back at his Producer. “Go on. Name something else more concrete.”
“The City’s Music. Even the Higher-Ups have commented how much better it’s been this past month,” the Producer explained. “They’re awfully proud of ya, J. Shibuya’s becoming the optimal plane.”
“That’s just hard work,” Joshua boasted, biting his bottom lip, the traces of annoyance presence on his visage.
The Producer laughed once more and turned his attention to Neku, who seemed lost and distant. “Phones, I know this must be borin’ yeah, but take it from me. Whatever the hell you’ve been doin’, keep it up. Thanks for getting’ into Boss’ thick head and warmin’ him up.”
Neku blinked, grumbled to himself, and looked down, face warming to a soft red.
“Sanae~ You’re making him blush,” Joshua giggled and leaned over, pinching Neku’s cheek.
At once, Neku swatted at the hand, offended. “’m not blushing, idiot.”
“Your face says otherwise,” Joshua chided and looked to his Producer again, noting the smug look on his face. “What?”
“Oh nothing,” Sanae Hanekoma sighed and handed the pair the cups of coffee with a soft, mostly hidden snicker. “What are your plans for today?”
Neku ignored the question, took a sip of his drink, and then blinked. “So wait, you’re basically telling me that I’m not affected by that freak Icestorm because I’ve changed him into a better person?” His jaw slacked.
Joshua frowned and shook his head, bangs falling in his face. “Don’t be silly, Neku. You didn’t change me. Besides, I was an amazing person to begin with. There was no room for improvement,” he giggled.
Neku rolled his eyes and noticed the small nod the café owner gave him to confirm his statement. The redhead blinked in incredulity. He inhaled deeply and looked down towards the black coffee, allowing the pad of his finger to trace circles in it, watching in dull amusement as ripples resulted.
“Back to your question,” Joshua piped in after a moment, “I’m planning on letting Neku hear his own Music.”
Sanae cocked a brow. “You have fun with that, J.”
“Oh, I assure you, I will,” Joshua confirmed and took another sip of his beverage. A pause. “In case I need your assistance, may we use your back room? I’ve heard that hearing your own Music can tend to be a bit shocking. I don’t need Neku dying on me again,” he giggled, eyes glimmering surreptitiously.
“…Riight,” the barista laughed and nodded. “Sure, use it all ya want. Just…”
“Just?” Joshua echoed.
“Nevermind,” he chuckled.
Joshua rolled his eyes and slipped off his stool, looking to his still puzzled proxy. “Come along, Neku. We’ve got much to do.” He walked past Neku, into the other room, leaving Neku and Mr. Hanekoma alone for a brief interval of time.
“Mr. H…what the hell were you two talking about that entire time?” Neku complained, looking helplessly at his idol.
The Producer chuckled once more, rubbing his stubble endearingly. “I’d tell ya, but that’d be infringing on J and I’s deal. Ask him yourself.”
Neku grumbled to himself, got off the stool, and followed after where Joshua had disappeared, muttering all the while about how damn confused he was and how no one was helping him. All he knew was that he somehow changed Joshua for the better…and Joshua could hear his Music…and the two were hiding something big from him. Something really big that was upsetting Joshua. God, he really hoped it wasn’t another plot to destroy Shibuya.
***
“Music is a very temperamental thing, Neku,” Joshua lectured, gesturing for Neku to take a seat on the couch as he pulled the curtains shut. For some reason, that mere action caused the redhead to tense. Why was he trusting Joshua again? Then again, if he wanted to kill him, he would have already…right?
“Okay,” Neku answered uncertainly, brows furrowing.
“If, at any time, you feel any pain, tell me,” Joshua stated, walking over to the seated redhead. His pale gaze swept over his former proxy for a brief moment. “Can you promise me that, Neku?”
The seriousness from the Composer’s voice caused Neku to tense further. “Uh yeah, sure.”
“Good.” Joshua’s ego-centric smirk was back. “Once you’ve heard your own Music, I’m going to experiment. It’s for the good of Shibuya, mind you.”
“…Experiment? What kind of experiments?” Neku demanded, biting his lip.
“Just involving Music. Nothing to worry about,” Joshua stated, waving off the concern. “The pain clause goes towards this as well. Stop me if you feel any pain.”
Neku nodded and closed his eyes. A few moments passed without anything being said or done. Neku was about to open his eyes and tell Joshua to just get on with it, when he felt cold fingers brush up against his face. The redhead’s face drained of colour, leaving him inert and stiff. He gulped down a lump of nerves as the Composer’s artistic fingers brushed down from his forehead and onto his cheeks. During the process, a soft, warm melody began fluttering into Neku’s ear. Except..it wasn’t just in his ears. It felt like it was inside his head. He stiffened further as a wave of warmth engulfed him, making his sweater feel incredibly heavy all of a sudden. The warmth was then followed by the increasing volume of the music. It lulled his tense muscles into relaxation as the warmth tickled his face and body, making his head loll some against the Composer’s touch.
“You doing all right, partner?” Joshua giggled, though there was a noticeable soft edge to his words.
“Hm?...Oh yeah, ‘m fine,” Neku responded, eyes still firmly shut as he indulged in the warmth, mind becoming easily enthralled by the notes of his own Music.
“Oh Neku, you’re so conceited. Getting all drunk off your own Music,” Joshua teased, lightly tracing Neku’s jaw before allowing his hand to fall away, the Music dissipating with the contact.
“Huh?” Neku snapped out of his reveries and eyed the Composer. “Where’d it go?”
“It was brought on from my contact, silly,” Joshua mused and smirked. “When I removed my hand, it left.”
“You’ve touched me before now. Why didn’t I hear it before?” Neku complained, skeptically meeting Joshua’s gaze.
“I have to be focusing my powers on channeling it, Neku,” Joshua sighed. “It’s an elementary concept.”
Neku rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he scoffed, rubbing his cheeks. He still felt warm and elated for some stupid reason. “Let’s just let you hear yours or whatever else you wanted.”
“Oh, I didn’t want to hear my own,” Joshua informed Neku, the smirk growing.
“…That’s not what you meant by experimenting?” Neku frowned. Damnit, deceived again.
“Nope,” Joshua giggled. His lips curved up further as he leaned in, watching as Neku tensed. “I wanted to see what would happen if I tried to tie our Music together, partner.”
Neku blinked, blinked again, and then blanched. “Tie our…Music together?” He leaned away from Joshua. “Okay, don’t get me wrong, but that sounds really…”
“Romantic?” Joshua guessed, the smirk never leaving his face.
Neku paled further, sweat forming on his face. Beneath that white resided a soft red, growing by the moment. “I…Romantic?! What the hell are you on?” he demanded, folding his arms stubbornly to his chest. “I was gonna say it sounded a bit gay, but whatever.”
Joshua rolled his eyes and reached out sternly, taking hold of Neku’s wrist. Without a word, he wrapped his fingers around the cool skin and closed his eyes.
“You’re…being serious?” Neku stated, gaze traveling over the Composer’s expression. Damnit, he looked so calm all of a sudden and just damn.
“Mhm,” Joshua informed Neku and cracked open an eye. “Now, be quiet and let me concentrate, Neku.”
Neku was about to ask what Joshua was hoping to find from forging the two melodies together, but he instead opted to remain silent. With a defeated sigh, the teen closed his eyes. Once engulfed in darkness, he felt his mind being picked apart. It was a weird sensation. Almost like a headache, but a moving one and he couldn’t quite figure out what the hell was going on. The warmth came and went as his melody and Joshua’s traded off in his head. It felt so weird…
Joshua stopped after a moment, withdrawing his own hand as quickly as he seized Neku’s. Neku’s eyes flashed open, confused, but glad that the foreign, bizarre feeling was gone. Blue eyes met violet at once.
“Something wrong?” Neku wondered, frowning.
“It’s nothing,” the Composer reassured and arose, stretching his arms aimlessly above his head.
Neku rolled his eyes and then looked off to the right. “…Joshua, what were you and Mr. H talking about back there?”
“Hm?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Neku deadpanned, gritting his teeth together. “You were talking about something important, and I have this stupid feeling that it somehow involves me. Now, are you going to tell me or spring it on me when I least suspect it like you always do?”
Joshua mirrored Neku’s frown. “Neku, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Neku growled under his breath and got to his feet, meeting Joshua’s gaze harshly. “You,” he began, eyes narrowing a bit, as if insulted by Joshua’s secretive ways. “You always hide things from me. First the whole proxy and Composer thing, then the Bet, and now this and damnit, Joshua. I swear to god, if whatever you’re hiding from me this time is bad, I’ll be done. I’ll have had it. I can’t keep this up, Joshua. I have a life.”
Joshua blinked, dumbstruck. “Neku, what are you talking about?” he reiterated. “Why are you so upset?”
“You never tell me anything!” Neku argued, hands flying up to his hair, pulling, hard. “We’ve been living together for two months! I’ve known you for almost half a year now! If you don’t trust me now, damnit, I don’t know what to do! I still trust you after all you did, and it would be nice if you returned the favor once in awhile!”
“…I do trust you, Neku,” Joshua assured, falling oddly quiet. “ I trusted you with Shibuya’s future.”
Neku twitched. “And you kept that a secret too.”
“I never lied,” Joshua pointed out, frown growing. “I just merely left out-”
“Well, I’m asking you this now. Either you’re going to lie to me or tell me the truth. There’s no middle ground.” Neku stepped closer, staring at his ex-partner, room-mate, friend. “What you and Mr. H were talking about…does it involve me?”
Joshua nodded carefully.
“…What about me?”
“I can’t tell you that, Neku,” Joshua stated simply, shrugging indifferently.
“Tell me!” Neku quipped angrily. “I’ll play stupid if I’m not allowed to know! Damnit, Joshua! I just… I just want to be your friend, okay, and you’re making it extremely hard.”
Joshua chuckled, almost a bit sadly, and brushed past Neku, headed out the door. “Figure it out yourself, Neku, and if you can guess correctly, I’ll confirm it. Promise~”
Their gazes met from across the room and Joshua was gone, leaving Neku cold and confused.
“I just want you to let me in, damnit,” Neku whispered to the quiet air. “I just…I just want to help you.” He shook his head, words falling on deaf ears. Without another word, he left the room, determined to figure things out for himself, without Joshua.
AUTHOR NOTE: in other news, I failed nanowrimo because I decided to try an original. Got halfway through and died. Bah, next year I'm doing a fanfiction. So much easier. ...And is it just me, or is the lack of JoshuaNeku in this becoming bothersome, rofl.