Shinju opened her eyes to find she was curled up with Die on the sofa. It seemed all night that they had been up waiting for some sort of reply from Toshiya - Die had been fuming.
"The nerve, the fucking nerve that boy has�" he'd muttered, flicking a fifth cigarette butt out the window. "Coming in and stamping on things and messing things up, not thinking how he could change things�" And Shinju had spoken softly, soothing until Die was just sitting, anxiously. Time had passed, and then hours of tense concern became too much, soft snores escaping Die's lips. Shinju had smiled maternally, taking the blanket from the armchair and draping it over Die. Then she sat beside him, wiggling under the cover and leaning against his slumbering form. Sleep then was a welcome relief.
Now, in the crisp morning light, Shinju got up quietly, stretching and letting off a silent yawn. Worries from last night filtered groggily into her brain. She wondered if Toshiya was okay. If things had gone well with Kyo. If they hadn't. She opened a window. Die's apartment always reeked of smoke. On the table, her mobile phone was flashing. Shinju picked it up to see that she had received two voice messages. Her stomach jumped excitedly, hoping to hear something from Toshiya.
Punching in her pin, Shinju leant out of the open window, breathing fresh air and half listening to the automatic voice of her voicemail.
You have two new messages, three saved messages. First message-
Shinju was in luck, Toshiya's perky tones speaking directly into her ear.
"-Hey Shin-chan, it's just me. Sorry I didn't call last night. I would've but, well, heh, things took a turn for the interesting. Tell Die that Kyo is fine. He's asleep in my bed right now. I can't wake him up, he looks too peaceful. Last night we� well I got him inside from the rain, and we talked. And we kissed. And I love him� he said he loved me. And well. It all went from there. God! I'm so happy! I just wanted to let you know. It's okay. Tell Die, it's okay. I'll talk to you soon. Love you babe. I love bloody everyone right now. Bye!"
She smiled with relief. Then giggled. Toshiya had charms. She hung up from the answer message service and moved away from the window. Die snored on, but Shinju could put a stop to that. She jogged his arm lightly at first, and when a reaction failed to materialise, more vigorously.
"Hmm?" Die grunted a response, opening his eyes when the shaking of his arm didn't stop. "What?"
"Time to get up, sleepy head." Shinju sat down on the sofa and giggled.
"Nng. It's too early." He closed his eyes again, slouching back further into the settee. Shinju remained annoyingly perky.
"I don't think so. It's a new day you know, and I have some interesting news for you. Don't you want to know about Kyo-"
Die sat up so fast it made Shinju jump.
"Shit! Kyo. He never- Hmm. What? What did you say about him?"
"Toshiya left me a message. Kyo is fine. He's asleep in Toshiya's bed, so I expect he's very comfortable."
"And he's okay?" Die's eyes focused and refocused on Shinju's face, still not fully awake.
"Yes. And. Well, more than okay, I should think."
"What do you mean?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Um. I don't think he was alone. For the whole night. In Toshiya's bed." Shinju grinned mischieviously. Die's eyes widened.
"Are you serious?"
"That's what Toshiya said. Or implied. Look, they had a talk last night. I guess everything got out in the open."
"Hmm. Shit that boy can charm."
Shinju laughed out loud.
"You don�t know the half of it. He could get into a monk's undies if he was persistent enough. But I think this is for real."
"Do you really? It was just last night that he and Kaoru-"
"And people change."
"And people stay the same."
"This is their business, Die. Toshiya says he loves him. That's good enough for me. It's just trust. You should trust Kyo too."
"Maybe." Die sat silently as Shinju dialled voicemail again, she still had another message. Something Toshiya had forgotten to say first time round? She tapped in the code absent-mindedly whilst watching Die.
"You needn't sulk anyway, it's not like-"
"-Hello Terachi-san, this is Boss-sama from Sen Kabuki."
Shinju stopped talking immediately to listen, her expression dropping from bemused to serious.
"I am sorry to be calling so late, but this is with regard to your audition and interview at our club last week. As you know, we had a lot of response to our advertisement of two places here-"
"Shin?" Die interrupted. "What is it? Shin-"
"Shhh! It's Sen Kabuki!"
"-you made a very positive impact on us and I would like to propose you starting employment here for a trial period. This will of course be fully paid, training inclusive. I suggest you get back to us as soon as possible, as this place is in high demand. I look forward to hearing your reply. I wish you a good day."
The message ended.
"Well? What did they say?" Shinju didn't respond. She ended the call. Die reached out and touched her arm. "Shin?"
"They� said they want to employ me." He face broke into a smile. "It's for a trial period, but Die, I have a job!"
"That's great!" Die jumped up and enveloped an excited Shinju in his arms. She hugged back, reaching up and placing a kiss on Die's lips.
"It is. Things are turning out for the better now, don't you think? It looks like everything has been leading here� all the bad things. Losing you, losing my job. I thought everything could only be changing from bad to worse. Even if this job isn't permanent, I can at least pay the rent for another month. And I've got you." She kissed him again. "That's the most important thing."
"Mmm." Die smiled and kissed back. "We'll tell them, soon. But for now it's just you and me." There were other issues to be dealt with, other things to be sorted out. But now, this was most important. Shinju arched into Die, the touch of lips saying all that needed to be said.
*
Miki rolled over, yawned and decided it was too light to stay asleep. She sat up a little, propped up against her pillow. Boss-sama was sitting at the foot of the bed pulling his socks on.
"Morning." She spoke with a drowsy morning voice. He turned and smiled mildly.
"Good morning. Sleep well?"
"Mmhmm. Have you been up long?" She sat up properly, resting her hands on top of the covers.
"Not long. I've just showered." He stood up, took his tie from the table and sat back down again, starting to tie it in the mirror. "I phoned the prospective new girls last night, I'm awaiting some response." He finished the tie, decided it was not up to scratch and started again. "Also there are some designers coming in this afternoon. I said you would show them round. Is that alright?"
"Oh I expect so." Miki chuckled. The Boss sighed and undid his tie again, a frustrated look shadowing his passive face. "Let me do it." Miki crawled out from the covers, walking on her knees until she was kneeling next to him. "Look at me." He turned to face her and she set to work, lining the tie up, crossing it over, feeling dark blue silk against her fingers. She tugged the knot a little, the slight action forming perfection as far as ties went. "There you go. You look dashing." She sat back on her heels, admiring his smooth features. She gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up. "I'll go make some breakfast."
He grabbed her hand as she moved from the bed.
"Wait a second." She sat down again. "There's no hurry." He brushed the hair out of her eyes.
"Bed hair is so attractive, don't you think?" She laughed pulling fingers through loose tangles.
He nodded.
"On you." He cupped Miki's face, kissing and then pressing her back into the covers. She smiled, running her fingertips lazily down his jawbone.
"Your shirt will get creased you know."
"Oh well. That can be fixed later. Right now, I'm willing to make the sacrifice." He chuckled softly. Morning love always brought a smile to his face for the rest of the day.
*
When Kyo woke he was alone, and with this discovery came fear. He had not been aware of Toshiya waking hours earlier and watching silently, a sleeping Kyo that was all his to love and lust over. This body that stood so damaged - a documentation of his life, the obvious battlefield of his arms, little scars from smashed glass, cigarettes being put out. Kyo had been through personal wars and survived. Now his body was no longer going to be assaulted, but adored. Toshiya had laid smiling timelessly, stroking peroxide yellow hair away from closed eyes and loving how beautiful Kyo looked when he was unaware.
But now, Kyo was worried. If Toshiya had left- there was a clunk from outside the bedroom. And pop music was playing somewhere. He sat up, groped for his glasses and found them, bringing the world into clear focus. To his dismay, he remembered that none of his clothes were actually in this room. He climbed over the bed to survey the room. Toshiya's jeans were strewn across the floor in the corner, and to a mixture of embarrassment and glee, he could see the used condom in the rubbish bin. There was, however, nothing to wear. A long sleeved tee shirt of Toshiya's draped lazily a chair. It would have to do. Kyo slipped the garment over his shouldered, immediately swamped.
With a sigh, he carefully opened the door, peeping out furtively. There was no one in the main room, but sounds continued to escape from the kitchen. Kyo quickly spotted his trousers and underpants on the sofa, he darted over to them, hastily pulling them on zipping up until he was decent and could feel comfortable again. Then, adopting his habitual pose, arms crossed and pulled in close, eyes peering thoughtfully through the scrubby mess of a fringe, he made his way to the kitchen.
From the doorway he could see Toshiya dancing to the radio, just as he had been doing some months ago when Kyo had first spent the night there. He wiggled and gyrated to rhythmic pop, making breakfast as he went. There was, of course, the 'just got laid' spring in his step, adding a little extra swagger into his movements. Kyo smiled. Toshiya's mannerisms were all too endearing. He continued the reliving of a past moment, revelling in how things were different now.
"So that's how you make breakfast is it?"
Toshiya spun round, laughing when he saw Kyo there.
"But of course. Then again, I'm missing a vital ingredient." He continued his movement to the music, shimmying over to Kyo and dragging him into a waltz. "Sleep well?" Kyo nodded. "Then I'm sure you have enough energy to dance with me this fine morning." And off they set, Toshiya parodying a sensual dance to the last few bars of a chirpy chart entry before a slow song cut in, E or one of their successors crooning about love and the likes. Toshiya swayed up against Kyo in the little kitchen space that he had, Kyo following and then adopting a shy lead, humming and murmuring along as he went, matching the words with the slow rhythm his feet were following. The moment seemed to last forever until Toshiya spoke. "I didn�t' know you sang."
Kyo shrugged.
"In the shower� when I'm alone. But I'm alone with you now� I didn't realise I was doing it. If it bothers you-"
"-No, no. It's nice. Keep going." Quietly, Kyo did. His voice was pleasing. Low and unrefined, but nice to listen to. Toshiya closed his eyes and followed Kyo's lead, an endless sway on laminate tiling. Then Kyo stopped.
"The food is burning." He broke the embrace, moving things around in the pan and turning off the gas. He looked to find a spatula, only to find Toshiya's lips on his instead, pleasant surprise causing him to stop thinking about the breakfast. Kyo had been worried about this, that it would all be a dream and that Toshiya wouldn't care this morning. The dance had implied, but the kiss clinched it. Kyo stood on his toes and kissed back.
"Love you." He mumbled happily. Toshiya's eyes shone.
"Really?"
Kyo nodded shyly.
"More than anything. More than anyone. I've never felt anything so intense, and it's all for you. I don't have a lot to give you, but everything I can feel for you, I'll give it to you. You've taken me by storm. I hope I can live up to what ever you want� I'll try. I really will." Toshiya was smiling uncontrollably now, placing a peck of a kiss on Kyo's lips.
"I love you. I have from the beginning and you should know it. Die said that I had to be a good thing for you, and I'll give it all I've got. No more being weak, because now I've got something to be strong for. For being good to you. And I will."
"And I'll keep trying to believe all this is real. It seems so� amazing. All of a sudden. All of a sudden you're here."
"And so are you. We'll be here together for a long time."
"Mmm."
"But enough of the future. Now is far more important."
Kyo nodded.
"Now is good." It was perfectly true. There were things to worry about. There were issues to deal with. There was a whole life ahead but in this split second it really wasn't important. So many things had changed, were changing, were going to change, and leave everything so different. And at the heart of it all, it would all be the same. They kissed.
fanfiction|home