Secret Whispers - Chapter twenty-two [part IV]
PART III
When everything goes perfect, there has to be something to ruin it.
And this was Kazuya’s exact thought as he paced through the living room, throwing nervous glances at the laptop that was lying innocently on the table. Why, but why did this have to happen right now?! Damn media and its prying! Kazuya cursed and with a tired sigh, he crashed onto Jin’s new couch, passing a hand through his hair and disheveling it.
Almost two weeks had passed since Kazuya had accepted Jin’s offer to remain in America with him and since he couldn’t just slack off like a parasite, he had asked Jin to give him a job as an assistant or something, this way they could spend more time together - after all, they had three years to recover, right? But despite this, Jin still had his appointments to attend and during such days, Kazuya would stay at home and simply do nothing; well, except house chores and cooking.
He wasn’t missing Japan, though. There was nothing left there for him to return to since all he had ever wanted was here, in America, and currently working. He was happy this way, happy to finally be with Jin, to share every moment of his life with him, to wake up every morning to see that sleepy face he loved to kiss and touch and pinch… Yes, this was the best he could ask.
But he hadn’t asked for this - Kazuya glared again at the laptop. If it hadn’t been for Koki to call him, he would have probably found out when he’d spot paparazzi outside their door, trying to film them in. That’s right, now Japan was filled with rumors about him and Jin being together. Apparently, someone had found out that he had left Japan for America and it also seemed that others decided to dig up some of their relationship, questions like -
Why did they deny the fact that they knew each other when it was obvious that during the shooting of Nishikido Ryo’s movie, they were more than acquainted?
Of course, Kazuya could answer perfectly such a question, but it would only raise more questions and it would give Jin more problems. If they hadn’t been so careless, if they had paid attention to their surroundings back then - such rumors would have never taken place.
There are inside sources that say they spotted Kamenashi-san and Akanishi-san in sort of intimate interactions, word has it that they seemed to be fighting over something. Could it be that the arguments between these two celebrities were of romantic nature? And what is Kamenashi-san doing in America? What is the actual relationship between Kamenashi-san and Akanishi-san?
Kazuya wanted to scream in frustration. He had believed he had managed to have the reporters off Jin’s back, not giving them any substantial material to trace his confession through the conference back to Jin. But his mistake had been coming to America and apparently this had triggered a series of rumors that everyone loved to gossip around and he was sure that in no time, it would reach America’s newspapers and Jin’s career will have to suffer.
Not unless they did something about this and Kazuya was determined to stop all this.
The front door was opened and Jin’s usual greeting - “Honey, I’m home!” - reached the younger one’s ears who quickly jumped off the couch and ran to his lover, jumping in his arms. “Whooo, what’s with his sudden greeting?” Jin chuckled as he grabbed Kazuya into his arms, placing a light and cheerful kiss on his lips. “Though I missed you too.” He added with a smirk, locking his eyes with the boy’s and only then seeing the worry that was residing in them. “What happened?” Jin was quick to ask, worry also sweeping over him.
Kazuya looked like a child who had had his toy stolen. “There are rumors about us back home.” He said to Jin with a panicked voice, gripping his arms a little. “The press knows I’m here and they are investigating our past. Oh, fuck, Jin, they will ruin your image!” Kazuya continued and by now, he had dragged Jin after him into the living room to show him the article he had been reading after Koki had informed him about what was happening in Japan. “What do we do?” He looked anxiously at Jin, biting his lower lip and seeming unable to stand still as he started again pacing through the living, thinking of possibilities to dissolve any rumors related to them.
Jin preferred to ignore his lover for the moment and read the interview till the end, looking carefully at the pictures that had been printed in the newspaper. It seemed that there were two of them and Jin could clearly remember when they had been taken - the day Kazuya had spent a night outside waiting for him. One of the pictures was with them hugging each other, but the younger one had already given an explanation for that so they could easily lie again. The other one was with Jin standing alone in the cold, looking after the car and seeming like he had lost all of his life. They had no idea how much they were right with this assumption, Jin thought with a laugh, because he had really felt in that moment that everything had ended for him.
The singer sighed and looked up at Kazuya who still couldn’t keep still. He seemed to remember the boy’s question after a few seconds though so Jin shrugged and stood up, leaving the room and heading to his bedroom to change clothes as he knew that Kazuya will follow him upstairs. “Nothing.” He answered lightly, seeming like he didn’t care that much about what they were writing about him. “Let them talk, they’ll grow bored of this subject eventually.”
Kazuya looked like Jin had sprang two, no, three heads. “Baby, are you drunk?” He asked him as he jogged alongside with his lover. “In case you haven’t noticed, I live here with you. If none of us spikes the rumors, the media from here and Japan will come flying here and find out everything.” He said and took a deep breath. “I don’t have anything to lose, but… Jin, your image is half of your career. I don’t want it to be ruined because we have a relationship.” Kazuya added and he looked really worried about Jin’s future, career and everything. He just didn’t want Jin to give up at something because of him, because of them.
“It’s not like we can stop them from talking about us.” Jin pointed out, opening the door to their bedroom - and smiling stupidly to himself as he thought that this was now their bedroom - and going to his dresser to pull out some new clothes. He had to attend a premier of a movie now and he was already running a little late. Oh well, they could wait, it wasn’t like they could start without him as he was the one singing most of the songs from it. “Besides, you’re here to work with me and they can’t say anything against this.” Jin added as he started to strip from his clothes.
Kazuya pouted as Jin seemed to have a reply to everything he said. “Okay, we can state that I came here because of work, but how do we explain my presence in your house? Why do I live here? Things like this, Jin, will create more rumors, won’t make them stop.” He said and went to gather every piece of clothing that Jin threw around. It got into their habit - Jin was a messy person while Kazuya wasn’t. “If we don’t do something, it will degenerate…” He continued and stopped abruptly, the clothes Jin had discarded folded neatly in his arms. “I don’t want to stay apart from you because Ueda -” the younger one’s voice strained a little “- suddenly decides that this is best for your image.” Kazuya completed on a low voice, gripping tightly Jin’s clothes. Yes, this will be the consequences for not killing the rumors from the beginning and just letting them be. After all, mass-media was awful when it came to things like relationships between men, especially when they wanted to hide it so desperately.
Jin sighed and turned to look at Kazuya. “Okay, then I’ll stop them from wondering if we’re together or not.” He said with a light smile, getting closer to the younger one and kissing his lips. It was kind of cute the way his lover seemed to get this agitated just because of some rumors and it made Jin happy that his first worry had been that he’d have to be separated from him. He could feel more than ever that he had made the best choice by giving Kazuya a second chance even if there were still things to overcome and to talk about.
But now Jin was sure that they’d manage to get over them and be happy together. Because this was what they both wanted.
“But now I need you to do me a favor and go get dressed. There is a premier of a movie tonight and I need you to come with me.” He explained and with a last kiss to his lover’s lips, Jin turned around and went to search for that damn suit to wear.
Kazuya pressed his lips together, still feeling Jin’s taste tingling on them. “This won’t stop the rumors, you know.” He said and went to put the clothes on a chair. “Quite the contrary… If I go with you, the headlines in Japan will be us again.” The younger sighed and went to their dresser, pulled it open and took out a black suit, handing it to Jin. “Go with Armani, I’ll take Aoki.” He smiled to his lover and pulled out a beige suit, one of his favorites.
Jin grinned at his lover, giving him another peck as a thank you and then going to the bed to dress himself up. “Maybe not, but I need you there tonight with me. The director of my next movie will be there and Ueda thought that it would be nice to meet him in such circumstances. Besides,” he continued and bit his lip as he stopped his movements and straightened himself up to look at the younger one, “I kind of hoped that you’ll be with me the whole time I’m filming.” He confessed, thinking that until now Kazuya had mostly just tagged along with him and hadn’t had that much to do. This though… this meant that he would become Jin’s assistant again, like he had been back in Japan.
Kazuya looked back at Jin with a serious expression before a smile lit up his whole face and he jumped like a bunny into his lover’s arms. “That would be great.” He said with a happy voice, holding Jin tight and inhaling deeply his scent. “Otherwise, I’d get another rumor - that of a stalker.” The younger one laughed as he drew a little, just to be able to look into Jin’s eyes. “I love you.” He said with a smile, leaning to press a kiss on Jin’s lips.
The singer laughed and kissed Kazuya back. “I love you too, but I’d love you even more if you’d dress faster.” He joked and parted from the boy, playfully slapping his ass as he grabbed his new clothes and started dressing.
Kazuya smiled back and proceed to do what the older one had asked him, not before pecking once more his lips and chuckling stupidly like the fool in love that he was.
Soon enough, they were both in the limousine that was going to drive them to the theater, dressed in tuxedos and wearing twin smiles on their faces. The car stopped and before Kazuya had any time to say anything, Jin climbed out and pulled the boy after him with a goofy grin, his hand settling on Kazuya’s waist like it belonged there while cameras started to come closer to them to be able to take better pictures of them together.
Kazuya looked confused at Jin, not understanding why Jin had chosen right now to put his arm around his waist, it should be around his shoulder, right? That if they wanted to show they were only friends, of course. He smiled timidly and tried to slip subtly out of Jin’s arms, masking his lover’s momentary lapse of reason. But, of course, Jin didn’t let him and Kazuya had to ask him - “What the hell are you doing?” He hissed from the corner of his mouth, still keeping his smile for the cameras, even if right now he felt like putting a bag on his head and hide away. Jin wasn’t helping at all.
The older one laughed and waved at the camera as he pushed Kazuya to start walking on the red carpet. “I’m doing what I said I’ll do to stop those rumors.” He explained and stopped in the middle of the road, seeing a few people coming to him and starting to ask him questions about the film. Jin answered them all with a smile, all the time not leaving Kazuya’s side and not letting him go away without making a big fuss. “Guess what I’m about to do now.” Jin joked with a light smile as he turned the boy around when the last one of the journalists had left, making them stand face to face to each other and ignore the rest of the world.
But before Kazuya had time to answer, Jin kissed him in front of the whole world to see.
Shock? Happiness? Amusement?
Kazuya didn’t know which one of these emotions ruled his heart as he felt Jin’s lips on his, showing to everyone just what sort of relationship they had. With a defeated sigh, the younger one answered to Jin’s kiss, bringing his hands around his lover’s neck, thinking that this was madness, something close to stupidity. But this didn’t matter when Jin was holding him, kissing him and claiming his whole being in front of the entire world.
They finally parted and Kazuya remained close to his lips, a smile dancing on them. “You’re crazy.” He said, opening his eyes and looking at Jin adoringly.
“I’m crazy about you.” Jin admitted with a smile, continuing to peck Kazuya’s lips and feeling like he couldn’t stop smiling. He had to confess that he had been a little scared that the boy might run away from his embrace as he had always been the one to refuse to make their relationship public even in front of their friends. But now Jin had taken a huge step and he had done it without informing Kazuya, figuring that it was the best way to shut those reporters’ mouths off - to show them proof and stop them from interpreting every move of theirs. “Are you mad?” Jin asked with a concerned voice, frowning a little as he looked at his lover.
“About you?” Kazuya teased and chuckled. “Yes.” He replied with a wink and a blown kiss before he slipped his hand into Jin’s. “I’m madly in love with you.” He added and was pleased to see a tinge of red covering Jin’s cheeks, it was rare the occasion when Jin would actually blush. But… he had never thought that he actually wouldn’t care that much if others knew about their relationship if Jin was okay with this, but yet again he did confess in front of the entire Japan that he was gay because of Jin. The younger man sighed happily - this was the best outcome.
“Mr. Akanishi!” The voice of a reporter was heard and both of them looked into its direction. “So you two are in a relationship?” He asked, looking sort of shocked and amused in the same time. It was obvious that none of the people there expected Jin to have a lover, respectively a man.
Kazuya looked at Jin and leaned a little against him, not being able to erase the stupid smile on his face. There wasn’t a need for an answer to this question - their actions were speaking for themselves.
“He’s Kamenashi Kazuya.” Jin introduced his lover, a tender smile covering his lips as he looked at the younger. “And he’s the only one that I’m never going to let go to.” He added, their hands entwined and their bodies showing how close they were, the language of their bodies speaking about how much they loved each other and how much they had overcome in the past months.
“So can we expect that we’ll see more of Mr. Kamenashi?” another reporter asked and Jin was happy to answer this question too.
“Definitely.” He replied and both of them smiled to the cameras that were flashing around them, not stopping even for more moment - or when the actual star of the night came.
“Mr. Akanishi, Mr. Kamenashi, please smile for the camera!” they heard someone from behind and the two lovers grinned at each other before turning around and letting the photographer take a picture of their wide smiles and their happiness.
To last for eternity.
* - Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966
** Far away, Nickelback [Kazuya's song]