[Fic] Fairy [2/3]
Title: Fairy
Fandom: KAT-TUN
Pairing: Akame
Genre: Romance, Angst, Fantasy
Word Count: 21061
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kame spends too much of his time staring out of windows, wishing for something he doesn't know.
A/N: Started ages ago and worked on sporadically when I was in the right mood for it. I think it's one of my best fics by far.
( part one )
“Kame-chan!! Why do you only sing such pretty songs?”
Kame blinks as he adjusts his hat before a photo shoot, looking over. “What do you mean?”
“You only sing pretty songs,” Jin complains. “You sing other songs with the others, more sexy ones, but you never do them by yourself.”
Kame hides a laugh. “Why?” he asks, amused. “Do you want to see me make sexy looks at you?”
Jin yelps and flushes indignantly as he leaps into the air. “I was trying to help! The loud person's always on you about making the fans happy, and you never even try to dance sexy, let alone sing!”
Kame raises an eyebrow. “Dance sexily? How?”
“Oh, I don't know,” Jin huffs. “Something like this.”
Jin hums something, some low, sultry tune, and he rolls his hips, a sensual move that makes Kame freeze as he watches. Jin brings a hand up to his mouth, pulling it down slowly over his lips as his hips move. Dark eyes look up through his dusty hair, and the look he sends Kame smolders.
Kame falters backwards and stumbles as he sits down into a chair.
“Something like that,” Jin says brightly, fluttering back over to Kame. “That was good, right? Do you think it was sexy?”
Kame groans and puts a hand to his head, and Jin buzzes around worriedly, wondering if Kame's suddenly not feeling too well, if Kame thought it was terrible, if Kame thought it was bad, if Kame didn't like it, and Kame's too mortified to tell Jin just how much he liked what he did.
The latest polls are in, and Ueda grimly informs them that they need to pick it up.
“Nearly every other group is ranked higher than us,” he informs them, his eyes piercing. “There's just something we're missing. Some element that we need...”
“It's not my fault!” Koki says quickly. “My rapping adds a definite thing that the other groups don't have!”
“As does my beatboxing!” Nakamaru adds.
“As does his beatboxing!”
Junno shrugs. “I have an image,” he says, blinking. “Do you think I should change it? I rather liked it...”
Ueda frowns. “I don't get it,” he says, reflecting. “Koki's the hard ass, Nakamaru is the organizer, Junno is happy, I'm mysterious, Kame is shy...” He throws his hands up, aggravated. “What else can we be missing?”
Kame bites his lip, forcing himself to keep quiet. It's an idea he's toyed with before, especially of late, but it was never the right time, never the right circumstances to bring it up...
“Are we not balanced enough?” Junno asks. “Should I try to hang out with Ueda more to balance out his moodiness? Or should I be less happy?”
“Who're you calling moody?” Ueda snaps, and Junno jumps back, offering a sheepish grin. Ueda snarls and moves forward, only to have Kame extend an arm, holding him back.
“Guys, guys,” he says. “Everyone's fine. No one needs to change.”
“Then why are the ratings so bad?” Ueda scowls, throwing the magazine to the floor. “There's got to be something we can do to change...”
Kame clears his throat, crossing his fingers behind his back.
“How about we add another member?”
“-and then he jumped up and hid behind the sofa, leaving Koki and Nakamaru laughing and chasing him around, all in front of the reporter and the camera.”
Jin falls over in the air, cracking up, and Kame chuckles with him, reliving the story.
“That's too funny!!” Jin gasps, finally resurfacing, holding his stomach. “I need air. I need air!”
Kame's lips twitch at Jin's theatrics, nearly a smile.
“It was a shame the housework was piling up so much,” he says. “You really should have been there. The new song recording went really well, too.”
“Ahh, mou,” Jin says, pouting. “It sounds like it was awesome.”
“It'd have been more awesome if you'd have been there.”
Jin laughs. “What, if your little fairy friend flew into the studio and started singing along? Everyone would have screamed and run around trying to swat me like a bug! Then you'd all have been institutionalized for seeing fairies, of course, and absolutely nothing goes with those funny white coats, you know-”
Kame smiles. “I know, I know,” he says, his tone amused. “But it would have been better.”
“Yeah...” Jin smiles slightly and sighs, reclining on the air. “It looks like such fun, to do that for a living. I wish I could sing and dance with you too.”
There is a pause.
Kame sees the wistful look in Jin's eyes, the far-off sheen that says he's daydreaming of being normal, of having real friends and being able to do the things he wants. Kame hears a slight sigh escape from Jin as he quietly dismisses the possibility, returning to the immediate present, to the duty at hand, and Kame can feel the quiet, forlorn hope of a life that's more fun being locked up again inside his friend.
Kame looks at Jin and swallows, biting his lip, meeting Jin's eyes before he speaks, his next words carefully thought-out; determined, deliberate, decisive.
“I wish you could, too.”
When he was younger, Kame's science teacher had showed them a film strip of a flower growing. It was done in time-lapse photography, and Kame had been amazed to see such a small seed growing and blossoming and stretching out into something beautiful so quickly. If Kame'd been asked to describe what he'd thought would happen to Jin after he made such a wish, he'd have responded slowly, carefully, saying something of the sort, expecting a human version of the flower growing up.
Now, in reality, Kame realizes it's nothing like a time-lapse photography strip.
It's more like an explosion.
Bright lights flash from Jin, reds and blues and greens and purples, hues mixing and swirling around him, colored winds flying in from nowhere and adding to the mix, whistling in his ears. Blazes of glitter fire up all over the place, swirls of sparkles flying around, and loud noises blast from the center of the colored cyclone, sounds from other planets and underground and the hidden parts of the worlds, sounds that have never been heard. Kame just stands there, watching, bracing himself against the shrieking winds, one hand shielding his eyes from the glitter and things flying, and the wind shrieks and screams and whirls around, surrounding and consuming Jin, until suddenly, it all disappears.
Kame nearly falls with the wind gone, stumbling forward the way he was leaning, catching himself. He turns to look as a ringed cloud of glitter slowly moves from the ground up, revealing bare feet, jeans, a loose tank top, and a soft, sensual face.
Jin bites his lip and slowly opens his eyes, revealing rich, chocolate eyes and long, dark lashes, and Kame unconsciously sucks in his breath.
“Jin,” Kame murmurs, and he takes a step towards him, his legs moving of his own accord, and he swallows hard, his mouth dry. His heart's pounding in his chest almost to the point of being painful as he reaches out to touch him, to brush his hair back and tuck it behind his ear.
“Kame...” Jin's voice is soft, confused, frightened, the same as when he was a fairy only more, and when Jin looks up at him, those deep, endless eyes meeting his, Kame pulls him into his arms before he knows what he's doing, holding him, whispering to him that it'll be alright, that they'll be great, that he'll love it and have such fun and it'll be so amazing that Jin will forget he was ever so small before.
He feels Jin nuzzle into his chest, feels his arms going around him, and Kame's struck with the sudden knowledge that he's holding him to him, actually holding him, not petting his head with his pinky or letting him hug his thumb. He holds him close, his mind stopped, numb, and strokes his back gently, soft, still trying to believe this is real.
Jin pulls back slightly and looks up at him, his heart shining in his eyes.
“Kame,” he breathes, reverent, touching his chest in amazement, astonishment. He pauses, looking at him, before moving his hands to his own chest, his own face, touching and feeling and getting used to being this size. He laughs when he realizes his clothes have grown as well, flushing slightly as he touches his bottom and legs, making sure everything is as it should be.
Kame watches, watching Jin slowly examine himself, turning around to look at his reflection in the mirror, poking and prodding his body, caressing his neck, tickling himself, laughing surreally very so often. Kame smiles softly to himself, watching on as Jin does a twirl and a curtsy, laughing at himself, and Kame feels his heart move, like it's trying to get out to go to Jin, like it wants to escape.
The reality of the situation comes flooding in shortly thereafter, when Jin announces that he only has one set of clothing and that he's hungry. Kame realizes that Jin's a person now, not just a fairy that eats crumbs and gets full, but it's not a hard transition for Kame to make in his mind, and he's still too thrilled by Jin actually being with him, not just lurking around him in a fairy-like way, so Kame's only too eager to take him out shopping, to really see Tokyo from a normal view.
Kame watches as Jin laughs and skips along on the sidewalk, happy, dancing and twirling and so full of life that Kame wonders how he doesn't burst with it all. A small smile stays on Kame's lips as he walks behind, suppressing his laughs as the other people on the street look and stare at Jin. It's wonderful, being out with Jin like this, and to Kame, it's the most natural thing in the world, and he never wants to give it up.
Then Jin catches sight of the Tokyo dome and starts to go towards the top, and Kame has to quickly tug him back down, smiling, and remind him quietly that most people can't fly.
The shopping takes longer than anticipated. Kame and Jin go around to a multitude of shops buying clothes and other essentials for Jin. Jin's amazed by the huge selection in all the shops, and Kame finds himself spoiling him, getting him a few more outfits than maybe he needed, or ones that are a little fancier than he can really afford. He can't help it, though, and the expression of joy on Jin's face makes his heart dance inside every time.
After they shop, Kame takes Jin to a sushi restaurant to have genuine Japanese food. Jin's excited to try people-food (his term, not Kame's), as fairies only eat fruit. He prods things with his chopsticks, eyes wide, and Kame smothers a laugh before slipping out to make a call.
When he returns, Jin has one chopstick up his nose and is eating the sushi with his hands, exclaiming over how good it is, and Kame can't help but smile as he sits down beside him to eat. Jin quickly learns how to use the chopsticks under Kame's tutelage, and his naïve innocence leads him to prove it to Kame by feeding him a tuna roll. Kame's face flames but he eats it, flushing as Jin beams. Kame swallows hard, harder than necessary just to ingest the sushi, before biting his lip and smiling slightly, picking up a salmon to feed Jin in return.
Jin hums and skips along the sidewalk next to Kame, pleasantly full and still excited. He leaps and does a twirl, shooting a grin at Kame.
“Are we going home now, Kame?” he asks, and Kame feels something inside of him smile when Jin calls his apartment 'home'.
“Not yet,” Kame says. “We have one more stop to make.”
“Really? Where?”
“It's a surprise.”
Jin's eyes light up and he immediately starts listing off various places, guessing, among them Australia, Kyoto, America, and the moon. Kame laughs and smiles, repeating his gentle “no” each time. Jin's so busy guessing he doesn't notice as they arrive at a tall building made of high-polished glass. Kame leads him in, smiling as Jin postulates about how Kame could be taking him to Atlantis, and nods to the woman at the desk, who nods and lets them go back.
Jin pauses when they reach an imposing, ornately decorated wooden door. He stares at it openly, taking in the blatant lack of a nameplate, and he looks to Kame, apprehension flickering in his eyes.
“Kame,” he says. “Where are we?”
Kame smiles.
“This is Johnny's,” he says, and pushes open the door.
After introducing Jin, Kame's sent to wait outside the door, giving Jin a private audition. Kame is confident that Jin will make it, but he's worried for Jin all the same.
Jin's never been alone like this before. Kame's always been with him, and he's only been normal-sized for less than a day. Kame bites his lip, worrying, silently wishing for Jin's interview to go okay. Kame hear Jin singing later, and that makes him relax somewhat, because even if Jin's ridiculous and his interview makes no sense, you can't ignore talent like that.
When Jin finally comes out, clutching a sheet, he looks visibly shaken, his face pale, but his expression is triumphant. His eyes manage to focus on Kame.
“Kame,” he says, his voice quivering. “Kame, I made it!”
Kame lets out a triumphant crow and grabs Jin, swinging him around, and Jin laughs, cheering, waving the paper around.
“It was weird.”
“How so?” Kame asks, heating up a victory dinner. Jin hops up onto the counter, pulling his knees up to his chest to hug as he considers.
“They talked to me like I was a fairy,” Jin says finally, and Kame blinks at that.
“What do you mean?”
“Kame always treats me like I'm a person, too,” Jin explains. “Johnny treated me like I was someone else.”
“Ah, he does have a bit of a superiority complex,” Kame tells him, rummaging in the fridge for the butter. “He treats everyone like they're less than a person unless he's pleased.”
Jin tilts his head. “He does that to everyone?”
Kame nods. Jin bites his lip, puzzled.
“But the other singers are all people, ne? So why would he treat them like they're not, then?” Jin asks, confused. “With me, it's different, but with you, he shouldn't act like that-”
“What do you mean, it's different with you?” Kame says, turning around. He looks at Jin, a slight suspicion forming in his mind. Jin shrugs.
“I'm not a person,” Jin explains. “So if he treats me as less than a person, that's because I am. But he shouldn't treat you like that.”
“What do you mean you're not a person?” Kame says sharply, a feeling like lead filling his insides.
“I'm a fairy,” Jin says simply. “Fairies don't count as people. The rules don't apply to us, and we don't count most of the time.”
Kame sees red for a moment, a flash of anger shooting through him at Johnny.
“What do you mean, you don't count?” Kame says angrily, lashing out. “You count just as much as everyone else, Jin! It's not like you're a lesser person because you're a fairy. No one should treat you like that.”
Jin blinks. “But I am,” he says, confused, and Kame opens his mouth to object when Jin cuts in.
“Like, remember how you wished me to be big?” Jin says. “With a person, you couldn't do that, because people have free will. It's one of the rules. But because I'm a fairy, you can wish me to do things, and I'll do them anyway. You see?”
A feeling of icy-cold dread runs up Kame's spine, and he drops the issue instantly, letting Jin go back to talking about how Johnny's office smelled like pixie cakes. As Jin tells him about the song he had to sing, Kame flips Jin's omelet into his plate, silently vowing to never treat Jin as a less than a person again.
“This is Jin.”
Ueda, Koki, and Nakamaru look up, Junno waiting to pause his game before looking up expectantly. Kame swallows.
“And... he's our new band mate,” he says, shrugging. What else is there to say?
He'd picked the hour they had in the break room as the best time to introduce him to the others, figuring they could mesh in a low-stress environment. From the odd looks he's getting from the others, though, Kame wonders why they all look so hostile.
“Hi! I'm Jin Akanishi,” Jin says brightly. “I look forward to working with you!”
Ueda raises an eyebrow, while Koki sniggers. Jin blinks, then makes a face.
“You could be more polite,” he informs them. “Just because I don't know anything doesn't mean I'm dumb!”
Nakamaru hides a laugh, and Junno smiles at him. Jin smiles back.
“You're Junno, ne?” he asks. “What are you doing? Is that a small computer?” Jin goes over, peering curiously at Junno's DS.
“Are you kidding?” Koki asks, smirking. “That's a Nintendo DS.”
Jin blinks. “...is that a really fancy kind of small computer?”
Nakamaru makes a face. “What's with you? Do you live under a rock?”
“A rock? Of course not. I wouldn't fit anymore, and that'd hurt and crush me,” Jin says, making a face. He looks at Nakamaru, confused, before turning back to watching Junno's game. Nakamaru glances at Kame.
“This guy for real?” he asks lowly. “I mean, I can see how you'd think he'd balance out out the dynamics, but he's like a kid. Do you really think he'll help the group out?”
“If he doesn't, we can always sell his kidneys for lunch money,” Koki comments, looking back down at his notebook.
Kame opens his mouth to retort, but Jin interrupts.
“You can sell your own kidneys first,” he informs him. “I'm here to help you, not listen to you make fun of me. I'll give it my all.”
Koki looks momentarily stunned by this little speech, as is Kame, for that matter.
“All or nothing,” Junno murmurs after a moment, humming. “Now or never.”
Jin looks over at him, wondering, before his eyes flash in recognition.
“We can make it happen, we can make it all right,” Jin responds, his voice perfectly in tune. He smiles.
From the corner of his eye, Kame can see Ueda raise his head and look at Jin slowly, taking him in, as if he hadn't fully seen him until just then.
“Time is coming, everlasting,” Ueda says, voice following the familiar song effortlessly. “Don't you want to see-”
“When we make it world wide!” Jin beams, looking at Kame for approval.
Junno looks mildly confused at what just happened, Nakamaru looking up suspiciously. Kame smiles back at Jin, and Ueda exchanges a significant look with Koki.
Ueda stands up, moving to a keyboard at the side of the room. Nakamaru smiles knowingly, nodding, and Koki smirks.
Jin blinks. “What are you doing?” he asks, puzzled. “Aren't we only supposed to play instruments in the big room?”
Ueda ignores him.
Instead, he plays a few chords on the keyboard in a synthetic voice, dramatic, adding in a few notes with bells and percussion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” Koki announces, a low grin spreading across his face. Jin's face lights up recognition as Koki continues, and Nakamaru tugs Jin up, insistent. Jin follows all-too willingly, excited.
“It's... show time!”
Ueda jams on the keyboard hard, reproducing the sounds of an electric guitar, mimicking the stage sounds, and Nakamaru grabs Jin, pushing his face into his.
“Soshite mata ore wa tabidachi,” he sings, yelling. “Nokosareta no wa omoidetachi I remember!” He gives Jin an expectant look, goading.
Jin grins.
“Kimi ga nokoshita message like this,” he sings. “If you look back I won't forgive you-”
Kame smirks. “Kono ashi wa mae ni susumu tame,” he adds, taking the next verse. He grins, watching as Jin gets up to jump up and down, singing the fast, frantic lyrics, Nakamaru chanting along. “To the top of the world-! Yakusoku no chi de- I kneel to pray-!”
“She said never look back! She said never look back!”
“She said never look back whatever you face-!”
Kame glances around, grinning. Junno and Ueda are singing along now, exchanging looks of surprise. Koki and Nakamaru jumping up and down with Jin, chanting out the refrain, stomping up and down on the floor, Jin beaming and singing along.
“She said never look back! Sou furimukazu tsuyoku takaku-”
“Gonna go~ my way!”
Ueda ends on a dramatic chord, and Jin cheers, taking a sweeping bow. Nakamaru and Koki laugh and clap, bowing as well.
Laughing, they collapse onto the couch again, Koki teasing Jin for being so overdramatic, Nakamaru laughing as Jin calls him a spoilsport. Kame smiles, relieved, watching as Ueda moves to sit in the chair in front of Jin.
Koki's and Jin's laughter die down, but they're still smiling, content.
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Ueda asks finally. “That was amazing.”
Kame's thrilled with the ease that the rest of the group accepts Jin. It's as if he passed some sort of test, singing one of their trademark songs along with them that day in the break room. He fits into the group flawlessly, his innocence and optimism adding just the element they lack. Their singing coach praises his vocals, and it's true - Jin's vocals are low and sensual, adding a depth to their music, layering it with every word.
“You're a great addition to the group,” the coach says, enthusiastic. “With you, this group can reach the next level. It's like an entirely new group.”
“Yeah!” Junno pipes up. “We can hardly be KYKTT anymore with Akanishi-chan on the team!”
“That's a good point,” Nakamaru considers. “What would we change it to?”
“It has to be something good,” Koki says, frowning. “It has to be something I can rap. 'Kickt' just sounds cool. This new name has to be even cooler.”
They all sit around, thinking.
“I have an idea,” Jin ventures, timid. They all look at him expectantly, and Jin coughs.
“How about KAT-TUN?”
The new group, KAT-TUN, is an instant hit. Reporters leap at the chance to report on this sudden new change, and interviews come quick, features on them found in a magazine every other week. Jin charms the reporters, flirting innocently, without realizing, and the rest of them laugh, teasing him and knocking him over the head.
The photoshoots increase as well - Jin's got an effortless sensuality that translates well on camera. His smoldering looks and subtle invitations get them the budget to produce an expensive photo book, filled with full-color pictures of them all individually and in groups.
It sells out two hours after it's released.
“I told you it'd be fun,” Kame says, laughing as Jin screeches at the news, running around the room, Ueda still on the phone. “I told you we'd do it together.”
Jin just screams, flailing in mid-air, and Kame laughs, telling Ueda that yes, Jin's excited to hear the news too.
It's a blustery morning, and no one's in a good mood. It's deemed that it's Jin's turn for the morning coffee run, and despite his dark mood, Kame goes with him to make sure it goes okay. Jin's never had coffee, and he's curious to find out what it's like.
“It's a drug? Really?” Jin exclaims again, his eyes wide. “And people just drink it still?”
“It's the caffeine that's in it that's a drug,” Kame explains again, but Jin's not paying attention.
“One of the fairies in my class got hooked on poppy seeds, once,” he says, gesturing. “It was really bad! The teachers had to tie him up and feed him nothing but water and lemon for a week until it was all out of his system!”
Kame's lips twitch in amusement. “I don't think anyone can get that addicted to caffeine,” Kame tells him. Jin still looks skeptical, and Kame smirks.
Jin's excited by all the pastries and fruits in the café's display window, and Kame has to drag him inside to get him to focus.
“One cappuccino, one expresso, a latte with whipped cream, and two coffees,” Kame orders. The guy behind the counter nods, accustomed to the order, and sets about getting it ready.
“What's a cappuccino?” Jin asks, excited. “Is it Italian? What's cream? Why's it whipped? Isn't that a bad thing? Are they all kinds of coffee?”
The kid behind the counter looks startled by all of Jin's questions, and Kame smiles and explains what they all are.
“Coffee smells good,” Jin declares, watching as the worker hands Kame two coffees in a drink carrier. Kame drops two sugars into his, stirring. “Ne, Kame-chan, let me try?”
Kame shrugs and hands him the coffee, warning him, “Careful, it's hot.” Jin takes a sip, makes a face, and spews it out.
“Euuhh!!”
Kame laughs, and the counter boy freaks, looking everywhere for the coffee Jin spit everywhere, only to not find it anywhere. Kame's not concerned - it's probably vanished, knowing Jin. Instead, he watches as Jin quickly tries all the coffees, making horrific faces and spitting them out into a nearby trashcan after each mouthful.
“Ugh! Kame! These are gross! How can you like this??”
“Some people like coffee,” Kame says, shrugging. “Other people don't.”
Jin blinks, his face slowly falling.
“I wanted to try caffeine,” he says, biting his bottom lip. He looks up at Kame. “I guess I can't now, can I? If it's only in coffee...”
Kame's heart goes out to Jin. He's too cute trying to understand the world, and he's just so sweet in his own way...
Sweet...
An idea strikes Kame. He clears his throat.
“Could you get us a hot chocolate?” he asks.
The counter boy nods, getting one ready, and Kame hands it to Jin.
“Here,” Kame says. “Try it. It doesn't have as much caffeine in it as coffee, but I think you'll like it.”
Jin looks at it skeptically, sniffing, while Kame pays. As they leave, Jin's still poking at it with a coffee stirrer, Kame watching as he carries the rest.
“Just try it,” Kame prods gently. “It's not coffee, I promise you.”
Still looking skeptical, Jin takes a tentative sip. Kame watches as his eyes widen and he takes a larger one, then a larger one still.
“Kame! This is so good! What is this called again?”
“It's hot chocolate,” Kame tells him.
“Hot chocolate,” Jin repeats, smiling, before taking another drink. “This is wonderful, Kame! It makes me feel all happy and warm inside!”
Kame laughs. “If you want, we can have whoever goes for coffee each morning get you one,” he tells him, and Jin's eyes light up.
“Really?”
Jin babbles on excitedly about the wonders of this new magic drink and how it's infinitely superior to coffee all the way back to the studio. Kame smiles, glad he could cheer up Jin's morning, and equally glad Jin managed to cheer up his.
“Remix time!” Koki announces, falling onto a couch, ignoring Junno as he yelps, spilling his drink. “Ueda?”
Remix time is designated as the spontaneous singing of previous songs in new ways. Koki insists that it keeps their creative juices flowing, and they're usually fun. Ueda moves to the keyboard dutifully, cracking his knuckles.
“What is it this time?” he asks them all. “A group version of a solo? A rap?”
Koki shrugs. “Raps are good.”
Nakamaru and Kame scowl, and Junno rolls his eyes.
“Let's do GOLD again,” Jin says suddenly. “We haven't done that one since I first came.”
“That's because it's a really old song,” Junno points out. Jin makes a face.
“It's not a bad idea,” Nakamaru considers. “With Akanishi, we can probably produce an entirely different sound. Let's try it.”
Ueda frowns. “...okay. But let's go to the stage, for the hell of it,” he says, eyes glinting. “I want to try something.”
“Won't we get in trouble?” Junno asks, and Koki bops him over the head.
“What, for practicing?” he scoffs. “They're likely to be pleased.”
Nevertheless, they all quietly creep to the stage, dodging around corners, avoiding the staff.
“I'm a spy!” Jin whispers to Kame, excited. “Want me to make us all invisible?”
“Ah, that's probably not such a great idea,” Kame says hurriedly.
“Really? I could do it really easily! I'm a lot better with my magic, now!”
“No, Jin.”
When they arrive at the stage, Ueda tosses them mikes, hooking up the equipment and testing the synthesizers. Koki spins his, twirling it around in his fingers, shooting Jin a jaunty grin.
Jin scoffs and makes his float above his hand, making Koki scowl at his lame magic trick.
Kame quickly reminds Jin that telekinesis isn't a normal skill people have.
“Okay,” Ueda says, starting up the equipment. “This is GOLD - the ballad version.”
Ueda plays dramatic chords, the strings deep and rich, light, shining notes on top, chimes coming in, and Kame opts for the lead.
“All or nothing, now or never...”
Everyone's nodding their heads or tapping their feet along with the beat. The timbre is rich, full, and the mixture of textures is simply incredible. Unspoken, Junno takes the next verse, singing slowly, along with the tune. Koki takes the refrain after him, his tone pained, full.
Kame glances at Jin, expecting him to go next, but his eyes are closed, just listening. Nakamaru chimes in, taking the refrain, followed by Ueda. Kame exchanges a look with Koki, wondering if Jin's even going to participate. The song's coming along well, though, despite being composed of only solo bits. Ueda's amazing music underneath is the cause of that, Kame knows, but it's still great to hear.
They all chime in on the refrain after Ueda, Koki taking a brief harmony. It's slow, alive, pulsing music. Kame's just about to start singing the second part of the refrain when he sees Jin look at him and opens his mouth.
The world stops.
Jin's singing, but it's not music, it's not even noise. It's a sound, a high unearthly sound, like a banshee lost in the winds, screaming for a lost love. It's haunting and amazing and impossible, for him to make a sound like that, and it permeates the darkest corners of Kame's mind.
Kame forgets to breathe, skipping a note, completely stunned and blown away.
He glances at Ueda afterward, who'd faltered as well. Both of them had only been able to stare at Jin as he sung that haunting high note, hitting an incredible falsetto, and Kame and Ueda exchange a wordless look of awe and wonder.
Ueda smirks, and revs up the sound board.
The song takes on a quicker beat after that, and Jin sings along, pausing to sing a harmony note at another point as well. The song crashes to a close, and they all stand there, panting slightly, looking at each other in the silence, all grins and smiles and smirks, proud.
“Bravo!!”
“Oh, well done!!”
“Sasuga ne!!”
Abruptly, Kame realizes that their breaks over, they're supposed to be practicing for their next Tokyo Dome concert, and all the staff's back at the stage.
“That was amazing!” the director says, thrilled. “Akanishi, that falsetto-! Oh, that was excellent! You have to do GOLD now, and then this version again, later, as a reprise! Can you imagine the audience's reaction-?!”
“I didn't know you were such a girl, Akanishi,” Koki teases. “You sure you're still male, to hit a high note like that?”
Jin huffs and fluffs his hair.
“You're just jealous of my fabulous ability,” he says, but he's laughing, his eyes sparkling, and Kame laughs, wrapping an arm around him from behind.
Later, walking home, Kame's still stunned by the falsetto, that haunting note still echoing in his mind. Trying to shake it off, Kame moves over to Jin, nudging him lightly.
“That was incredible, earlier,” he says. “I've never heard you sing like that before.”
Jin flushes darkly, his face brilliant red above the white collar of his coat, though Kame's not sure why.
“I didn't know I was going to sing,” Jin confesses. “It- I just sang. I didn't know what was going to come out.”
Kame looks at him, puzzled. Jin hurries on, explaining.
“I mean, it was just so overwhelming, you know? It was so pretty, everyone's voices were so beautiful, with Ueda's instruments, and I- I just sang. It was like it came from within me, from some emotion deep inside, and it was so strong that I just had to let it out-”
Kame blinks, wondering, remembering how Jin looked at him as he sang the note, holding his eyes. Jin bites his lip, almost nervous, before grabbing onto Kame's hand.
“Ne, Kame! I'm cold! Can we go home faster now please?”
Kame laughs and teases him, remarking on how fragile fairies are, and Jin retorts something about the warming spells that Kame's forbidden him to use outside. Kame laughs, and Jin laughs, and they hurry along the street hand in hand, fighting against the cold.
As Kame opens his door, Jin gives him a smile, his cheeks rosy from the wind, and Kame feels his heart skip a beat, and he offers him a small smile back. Inside, Jin throws off his coat and hurries to the kitchen to make dinner, exclaiming that he's going to try curry tonight, and Kame just laughs, indulgent, watching his child-like antics.
He can't forget the haunting note Jin sang, earlier, though. Or how it seemed somehow tragic, as if his heart were about to break.
“Ueda!!”
Jin comes running into the break room, waving something short and pink around. Kame looks up and stares, Koki and Nakamaru stifling their sniggers. Ueda pretends not to notice, reading on his laptop as if nothing happened, and Jin glares.
“I can't believe you put this in my dressing room!”
“Why?” Ueda asks, amused. “Never seen a dress before?”
“I thought I was supposed to wear it!”
Ueda chokes, and Koki and Nakamaru crack up, gasping for air in their hysterics. Kame can't help but laugh as well, as Jin continues on, livid.
“I went out there to meet with the photographer, and her eyes went all buggy and she fell to the ground, wheezing! I thought she was having a heart attack! And when I ran and grabbed one of the interns to help me, he looked at me and started laughing! No one would help me at all!”
Eventually, they all quiet down, still sniggering occasionally, Jin still mad.
“I'm sorry,” Ueda tells him. “I thought you'd know it was just a joke. It was meant to be funny. I didn't think you would wear it.”
“Why wouldn't I?” Jin says, sliding down onto the couch between Ueda and Kame. “Whenever someone puts something in my dressing room, it's because it's what I'm supposed to wear!”
“Dresses are for girls,” Ueda explains, launching into an explanation about socially acceptable gender roles. Jin blinks, and Kame watches, amused as Jin tries to follow along, completely lost with the entire idea.
“Whatever,” he says finally, at the end. He scoffs, bopping Ueda lightly over the head. “That was still mean, Tat-chan.”
Ueda smiles. “Sorry Jin.”
It's not until later that Kame realizes that they'd called each other by their first names.
“A duet?”
“Yeah.” Kame's trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing, but his eyes betray his excitement, his enthusiasm. “I got it approved. We can record it together.”
“Really?! Waa, Kame!!”
Kame laughs and Jin leaps up, shrieking. He beams at Kame, his eyes sparkling and dancing, his excitement in every move.
“Kame, Kame, we can sing it! The song we wrote that night, the one that I helped you with-! We can really sing it together-!!”
Kame's happy as well, though for different reasons. The song they wrote seems to personal to let anyone but one of them sing it, but to have them both sing it, and record it, so everyone can only hear it with both of them together, singing as one...
Ueda looks over, his dark eyes meeting Kame's silently judging. Kame's own eyes narrow.
It's Kame's own way to let the world know that Jin is his.
“Saki no koto dore hodo ni kangete itemo.”
Kame sings, his eyes closed, letting the music flow over him, the guitar and piano playing in his ears. The song comes from inside of him, from the part of him he can only find when Jin's with him. “Honto no kotonante dare ni mo mienai...”
“Kuuhaku? kokoro ni nanika ga tsumatte...” Kame hears Jin's rich harmonies join with his own, and he opens one eye to watch Jin sing.
“Ayamachi bakari kurikaeshiteta.” Jin's eyes flicker open, holding Kame's gaze as they sing.
It's like a spell. They weave a spell with their words, and Kame feels complete, like this, just singing with Jin. Their tones come together, caressing the words, and the harmony wraps around them, immersing them in the moment. The song hangs in air, a living thing, and Kame's sure his heart's stopped, from the way Jin's looking at him, and Kame's sure it's the same way he's looking at Jin.
“Kono te wo hanasazuni... tomo ni ayunda hibi ga ikitsuzukeru kara...”
The song has a life of its own, filling Kame with an uncanny, making Kame aware of every beat, every quiver of his voice. He hears the noiseless fan silently behind the music, and he feels the soft wind brush against his face. He feels Jin's singing inside of him, a part of his own, and Kame closes his eyes, unable to bother with reality anymore.
“...kienai kono kizuna.”
( part three )
Fandom: KAT-TUN
Pairing: Akame
Genre: Romance, Angst, Fantasy
Word Count: 21061
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Kame spends too much of his time staring out of windows, wishing for something he doesn't know.
A/N: Started ages ago and worked on sporadically when I was in the right mood for it. I think it's one of my best fics by far.
( part one )
“Kame-chan!! Why do you only sing such pretty songs?”
Kame blinks as he adjusts his hat before a photo shoot, looking over. “What do you mean?”
“You only sing pretty songs,” Jin complains. “You sing other songs with the others, more sexy ones, but you never do them by yourself.”
Kame hides a laugh. “Why?” he asks, amused. “Do you want to see me make sexy looks at you?”
Jin yelps and flushes indignantly as he leaps into the air. “I was trying to help! The loud person's always on you about making the fans happy, and you never even try to dance sexy, let alone sing!”
Kame raises an eyebrow. “Dance sexily? How?”
“Oh, I don't know,” Jin huffs. “Something like this.”
Jin hums something, some low, sultry tune, and he rolls his hips, a sensual move that makes Kame freeze as he watches. Jin brings a hand up to his mouth, pulling it down slowly over his lips as his hips move. Dark eyes look up through his dusty hair, and the look he sends Kame smolders.
Kame falters backwards and stumbles as he sits down into a chair.
“Something like that,” Jin says brightly, fluttering back over to Kame. “That was good, right? Do you think it was sexy?”
Kame groans and puts a hand to his head, and Jin buzzes around worriedly, wondering if Kame's suddenly not feeling too well, if Kame thought it was terrible, if Kame thought it was bad, if Kame didn't like it, and Kame's too mortified to tell Jin just how much he liked what he did.
The latest polls are in, and Ueda grimly informs them that they need to pick it up.
“Nearly every other group is ranked higher than us,” he informs them, his eyes piercing. “There's just something we're missing. Some element that we need...”
“It's not my fault!” Koki says quickly. “My rapping adds a definite thing that the other groups don't have!”
“As does my beatboxing!” Nakamaru adds.
“As does his beatboxing!”
Junno shrugs. “I have an image,” he says, blinking. “Do you think I should change it? I rather liked it...”
Ueda frowns. “I don't get it,” he says, reflecting. “Koki's the hard ass, Nakamaru is the organizer, Junno is happy, I'm mysterious, Kame is shy...” He throws his hands up, aggravated. “What else can we be missing?”
Kame bites his lip, forcing himself to keep quiet. It's an idea he's toyed with before, especially of late, but it was never the right time, never the right circumstances to bring it up...
“Are we not balanced enough?” Junno asks. “Should I try to hang out with Ueda more to balance out his moodiness? Or should I be less happy?”
“Who're you calling moody?” Ueda snaps, and Junno jumps back, offering a sheepish grin. Ueda snarls and moves forward, only to have Kame extend an arm, holding him back.
“Guys, guys,” he says. “Everyone's fine. No one needs to change.”
“Then why are the ratings so bad?” Ueda scowls, throwing the magazine to the floor. “There's got to be something we can do to change...”
Kame clears his throat, crossing his fingers behind his back.
“How about we add another member?”
“-and then he jumped up and hid behind the sofa, leaving Koki and Nakamaru laughing and chasing him around, all in front of the reporter and the camera.”
Jin falls over in the air, cracking up, and Kame chuckles with him, reliving the story.
“That's too funny!!” Jin gasps, finally resurfacing, holding his stomach. “I need air. I need air!”
Kame's lips twitch at Jin's theatrics, nearly a smile.
“It was a shame the housework was piling up so much,” he says. “You really should have been there. The new song recording went really well, too.”
“Ahh, mou,” Jin says, pouting. “It sounds like it was awesome.”
“It'd have been more awesome if you'd have been there.”
Jin laughs. “What, if your little fairy friend flew into the studio and started singing along? Everyone would have screamed and run around trying to swat me like a bug! Then you'd all have been institutionalized for seeing fairies, of course, and absolutely nothing goes with those funny white coats, you know-”
Kame smiles. “I know, I know,” he says, his tone amused. “But it would have been better.”
“Yeah...” Jin smiles slightly and sighs, reclining on the air. “It looks like such fun, to do that for a living. I wish I could sing and dance with you too.”
There is a pause.
Kame sees the wistful look in Jin's eyes, the far-off sheen that says he's daydreaming of being normal, of having real friends and being able to do the things he wants. Kame hears a slight sigh escape from Jin as he quietly dismisses the possibility, returning to the immediate present, to the duty at hand, and Kame can feel the quiet, forlorn hope of a life that's more fun being locked up again inside his friend.
Kame looks at Jin and swallows, biting his lip, meeting Jin's eyes before he speaks, his next words carefully thought-out; determined, deliberate, decisive.
“I wish you could, too.”
When he was younger, Kame's science teacher had showed them a film strip of a flower growing. It was done in time-lapse photography, and Kame had been amazed to see such a small seed growing and blossoming and stretching out into something beautiful so quickly. If Kame'd been asked to describe what he'd thought would happen to Jin after he made such a wish, he'd have responded slowly, carefully, saying something of the sort, expecting a human version of the flower growing up.
Now, in reality, Kame realizes it's nothing like a time-lapse photography strip.
It's more like an explosion.
Bright lights flash from Jin, reds and blues and greens and purples, hues mixing and swirling around him, colored winds flying in from nowhere and adding to the mix, whistling in his ears. Blazes of glitter fire up all over the place, swirls of sparkles flying around, and loud noises blast from the center of the colored cyclone, sounds from other planets and underground and the hidden parts of the worlds, sounds that have never been heard. Kame just stands there, watching, bracing himself against the shrieking winds, one hand shielding his eyes from the glitter and things flying, and the wind shrieks and screams and whirls around, surrounding and consuming Jin, until suddenly, it all disappears.
Kame nearly falls with the wind gone, stumbling forward the way he was leaning, catching himself. He turns to look as a ringed cloud of glitter slowly moves from the ground up, revealing bare feet, jeans, a loose tank top, and a soft, sensual face.
Jin bites his lip and slowly opens his eyes, revealing rich, chocolate eyes and long, dark lashes, and Kame unconsciously sucks in his breath.
“Jin,” Kame murmurs, and he takes a step towards him, his legs moving of his own accord, and he swallows hard, his mouth dry. His heart's pounding in his chest almost to the point of being painful as he reaches out to touch him, to brush his hair back and tuck it behind his ear.
“Kame...” Jin's voice is soft, confused, frightened, the same as when he was a fairy only more, and when Jin looks up at him, those deep, endless eyes meeting his, Kame pulls him into his arms before he knows what he's doing, holding him, whispering to him that it'll be alright, that they'll be great, that he'll love it and have such fun and it'll be so amazing that Jin will forget he was ever so small before.
He feels Jin nuzzle into his chest, feels his arms going around him, and Kame's struck with the sudden knowledge that he's holding him to him, actually holding him, not petting his head with his pinky or letting him hug his thumb. He holds him close, his mind stopped, numb, and strokes his back gently, soft, still trying to believe this is real.
Jin pulls back slightly and looks up at him, his heart shining in his eyes.
“Kame,” he breathes, reverent, touching his chest in amazement, astonishment. He pauses, looking at him, before moving his hands to his own chest, his own face, touching and feeling and getting used to being this size. He laughs when he realizes his clothes have grown as well, flushing slightly as he touches his bottom and legs, making sure everything is as it should be.
Kame watches, watching Jin slowly examine himself, turning around to look at his reflection in the mirror, poking and prodding his body, caressing his neck, tickling himself, laughing surreally very so often. Kame smiles softly to himself, watching on as Jin does a twirl and a curtsy, laughing at himself, and Kame feels his heart move, like it's trying to get out to go to Jin, like it wants to escape.
The reality of the situation comes flooding in shortly thereafter, when Jin announces that he only has one set of clothing and that he's hungry. Kame realizes that Jin's a person now, not just a fairy that eats crumbs and gets full, but it's not a hard transition for Kame to make in his mind, and he's still too thrilled by Jin actually being with him, not just lurking around him in a fairy-like way, so Kame's only too eager to take him out shopping, to really see Tokyo from a normal view.
Kame watches as Jin laughs and skips along on the sidewalk, happy, dancing and twirling and so full of life that Kame wonders how he doesn't burst with it all. A small smile stays on Kame's lips as he walks behind, suppressing his laughs as the other people on the street look and stare at Jin. It's wonderful, being out with Jin like this, and to Kame, it's the most natural thing in the world, and he never wants to give it up.
Then Jin catches sight of the Tokyo dome and starts to go towards the top, and Kame has to quickly tug him back down, smiling, and remind him quietly that most people can't fly.
The shopping takes longer than anticipated. Kame and Jin go around to a multitude of shops buying clothes and other essentials for Jin. Jin's amazed by the huge selection in all the shops, and Kame finds himself spoiling him, getting him a few more outfits than maybe he needed, or ones that are a little fancier than he can really afford. He can't help it, though, and the expression of joy on Jin's face makes his heart dance inside every time.
After they shop, Kame takes Jin to a sushi restaurant to have genuine Japanese food. Jin's excited to try people-food (his term, not Kame's), as fairies only eat fruit. He prods things with his chopsticks, eyes wide, and Kame smothers a laugh before slipping out to make a call.
When he returns, Jin has one chopstick up his nose and is eating the sushi with his hands, exclaiming over how good it is, and Kame can't help but smile as he sits down beside him to eat. Jin quickly learns how to use the chopsticks under Kame's tutelage, and his naïve innocence leads him to prove it to Kame by feeding him a tuna roll. Kame's face flames but he eats it, flushing as Jin beams. Kame swallows hard, harder than necessary just to ingest the sushi, before biting his lip and smiling slightly, picking up a salmon to feed Jin in return.
Jin hums and skips along the sidewalk next to Kame, pleasantly full and still excited. He leaps and does a twirl, shooting a grin at Kame.
“Are we going home now, Kame?” he asks, and Kame feels something inside of him smile when Jin calls his apartment 'home'.
“Not yet,” Kame says. “We have one more stop to make.”
“Really? Where?”
“It's a surprise.”
Jin's eyes light up and he immediately starts listing off various places, guessing, among them Australia, Kyoto, America, and the moon. Kame laughs and smiles, repeating his gentle “no” each time. Jin's so busy guessing he doesn't notice as they arrive at a tall building made of high-polished glass. Kame leads him in, smiling as Jin postulates about how Kame could be taking him to Atlantis, and nods to the woman at the desk, who nods and lets them go back.
Jin pauses when they reach an imposing, ornately decorated wooden door. He stares at it openly, taking in the blatant lack of a nameplate, and he looks to Kame, apprehension flickering in his eyes.
“Kame,” he says. “Where are we?”
Kame smiles.
“This is Johnny's,” he says, and pushes open the door.
After introducing Jin, Kame's sent to wait outside the door, giving Jin a private audition. Kame is confident that Jin will make it, but he's worried for Jin all the same.
Jin's never been alone like this before. Kame's always been with him, and he's only been normal-sized for less than a day. Kame bites his lip, worrying, silently wishing for Jin's interview to go okay. Kame hear Jin singing later, and that makes him relax somewhat, because even if Jin's ridiculous and his interview makes no sense, you can't ignore talent like that.
When Jin finally comes out, clutching a sheet, he looks visibly shaken, his face pale, but his expression is triumphant. His eyes manage to focus on Kame.
“Kame,” he says, his voice quivering. “Kame, I made it!”
Kame lets out a triumphant crow and grabs Jin, swinging him around, and Jin laughs, cheering, waving the paper around.
“It was weird.”
“How so?” Kame asks, heating up a victory dinner. Jin hops up onto the counter, pulling his knees up to his chest to hug as he considers.
“They talked to me like I was a fairy,” Jin says finally, and Kame blinks at that.
“What do you mean?”
“Kame always treats me like I'm a person, too,” Jin explains. “Johnny treated me like I was someone else.”
“Ah, he does have a bit of a superiority complex,” Kame tells him, rummaging in the fridge for the butter. “He treats everyone like they're less than a person unless he's pleased.”
Jin tilts his head. “He does that to everyone?”
Kame nods. Jin bites his lip, puzzled.
“But the other singers are all people, ne? So why would he treat them like they're not, then?” Jin asks, confused. “With me, it's different, but with you, he shouldn't act like that-”
“What do you mean, it's different with you?” Kame says, turning around. He looks at Jin, a slight suspicion forming in his mind. Jin shrugs.
“I'm not a person,” Jin explains. “So if he treats me as less than a person, that's because I am. But he shouldn't treat you like that.”
“What do you mean you're not a person?” Kame says sharply, a feeling like lead filling his insides.
“I'm a fairy,” Jin says simply. “Fairies don't count as people. The rules don't apply to us, and we don't count most of the time.”
Kame sees red for a moment, a flash of anger shooting through him at Johnny.
“What do you mean, you don't count?” Kame says angrily, lashing out. “You count just as much as everyone else, Jin! It's not like you're a lesser person because you're a fairy. No one should treat you like that.”
Jin blinks. “But I am,” he says, confused, and Kame opens his mouth to object when Jin cuts in.
“Like, remember how you wished me to be big?” Jin says. “With a person, you couldn't do that, because people have free will. It's one of the rules. But because I'm a fairy, you can wish me to do things, and I'll do them anyway. You see?”
A feeling of icy-cold dread runs up Kame's spine, and he drops the issue instantly, letting Jin go back to talking about how Johnny's office smelled like pixie cakes. As Jin tells him about the song he had to sing, Kame flips Jin's omelet into his plate, silently vowing to never treat Jin as a less than a person again.
“This is Jin.”
Ueda, Koki, and Nakamaru look up, Junno waiting to pause his game before looking up expectantly. Kame swallows.
“And... he's our new band mate,” he says, shrugging. What else is there to say?
He'd picked the hour they had in the break room as the best time to introduce him to the others, figuring they could mesh in a low-stress environment. From the odd looks he's getting from the others, though, Kame wonders why they all look so hostile.
“Hi! I'm Jin Akanishi,” Jin says brightly. “I look forward to working with you!”
Ueda raises an eyebrow, while Koki sniggers. Jin blinks, then makes a face.
“You could be more polite,” he informs them. “Just because I don't know anything doesn't mean I'm dumb!”
Nakamaru hides a laugh, and Junno smiles at him. Jin smiles back.
“You're Junno, ne?” he asks. “What are you doing? Is that a small computer?” Jin goes over, peering curiously at Junno's DS.
“Are you kidding?” Koki asks, smirking. “That's a Nintendo DS.”
Jin blinks. “...is that a really fancy kind of small computer?”
Nakamaru makes a face. “What's with you? Do you live under a rock?”
“A rock? Of course not. I wouldn't fit anymore, and that'd hurt and crush me,” Jin says, making a face. He looks at Nakamaru, confused, before turning back to watching Junno's game. Nakamaru glances at Kame.
“This guy for real?” he asks lowly. “I mean, I can see how you'd think he'd balance out out the dynamics, but he's like a kid. Do you really think he'll help the group out?”
“If he doesn't, we can always sell his kidneys for lunch money,” Koki comments, looking back down at his notebook.
Kame opens his mouth to retort, but Jin interrupts.
“You can sell your own kidneys first,” he informs him. “I'm here to help you, not listen to you make fun of me. I'll give it my all.”
Koki looks momentarily stunned by this little speech, as is Kame, for that matter.
“All or nothing,” Junno murmurs after a moment, humming. “Now or never.”
Jin looks over at him, wondering, before his eyes flash in recognition.
“We can make it happen, we can make it all right,” Jin responds, his voice perfectly in tune. He smiles.
From the corner of his eye, Kame can see Ueda raise his head and look at Jin slowly, taking him in, as if he hadn't fully seen him until just then.
“Time is coming, everlasting,” Ueda says, voice following the familiar song effortlessly. “Don't you want to see-”
“When we make it world wide!” Jin beams, looking at Kame for approval.
Junno looks mildly confused at what just happened, Nakamaru looking up suspiciously. Kame smiles back at Jin, and Ueda exchanges a significant look with Koki.
Ueda stands up, moving to a keyboard at the side of the room. Nakamaru smiles knowingly, nodding, and Koki smirks.
Jin blinks. “What are you doing?” he asks, puzzled. “Aren't we only supposed to play instruments in the big room?”
Ueda ignores him.
Instead, he plays a few chords on the keyboard in a synthetic voice, dramatic, adding in a few notes with bells and percussion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,” Koki announces, a low grin spreading across his face. Jin's face lights up recognition as Koki continues, and Nakamaru tugs Jin up, insistent. Jin follows all-too willingly, excited.
“It's... show time!”
Ueda jams on the keyboard hard, reproducing the sounds of an electric guitar, mimicking the stage sounds, and Nakamaru grabs Jin, pushing his face into his.
“Soshite mata ore wa tabidachi,” he sings, yelling. “Nokosareta no wa omoidetachi I remember!” He gives Jin an expectant look, goading.
Jin grins.
“Kimi ga nokoshita message like this,” he sings. “If you look back I won't forgive you-”
Kame smirks. “Kono ashi wa mae ni susumu tame,” he adds, taking the next verse. He grins, watching as Jin gets up to jump up and down, singing the fast, frantic lyrics, Nakamaru chanting along. “To the top of the world-! Yakusoku no chi de- I kneel to pray-!”
“She said never look back! She said never look back!”
“She said never look back whatever you face-!”
Kame glances around, grinning. Junno and Ueda are singing along now, exchanging looks of surprise. Koki and Nakamaru jumping up and down with Jin, chanting out the refrain, stomping up and down on the floor, Jin beaming and singing along.
“She said never look back! Sou furimukazu tsuyoku takaku-”
“Gonna go~ my way!”
Ueda ends on a dramatic chord, and Jin cheers, taking a sweeping bow. Nakamaru and Koki laugh and clap, bowing as well.
Laughing, they collapse onto the couch again, Koki teasing Jin for being so overdramatic, Nakamaru laughing as Jin calls him a spoilsport. Kame smiles, relieved, watching as Ueda moves to sit in the chair in front of Jin.
Koki's and Jin's laughter die down, but they're still smiling, content.
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Ueda asks finally. “That was amazing.”
Kame's thrilled with the ease that the rest of the group accepts Jin. It's as if he passed some sort of test, singing one of their trademark songs along with them that day in the break room. He fits into the group flawlessly, his innocence and optimism adding just the element they lack. Their singing coach praises his vocals, and it's true - Jin's vocals are low and sensual, adding a depth to their music, layering it with every word.
“You're a great addition to the group,” the coach says, enthusiastic. “With you, this group can reach the next level. It's like an entirely new group.”
“Yeah!” Junno pipes up. “We can hardly be KYKTT anymore with Akanishi-chan on the team!”
“That's a good point,” Nakamaru considers. “What would we change it to?”
“It has to be something good,” Koki says, frowning. “It has to be something I can rap. 'Kickt' just sounds cool. This new name has to be even cooler.”
They all sit around, thinking.
“I have an idea,” Jin ventures, timid. They all look at him expectantly, and Jin coughs.
“How about KAT-TUN?”
The new group, KAT-TUN, is an instant hit. Reporters leap at the chance to report on this sudden new change, and interviews come quick, features on them found in a magazine every other week. Jin charms the reporters, flirting innocently, without realizing, and the rest of them laugh, teasing him and knocking him over the head.
The photoshoots increase as well - Jin's got an effortless sensuality that translates well on camera. His smoldering looks and subtle invitations get them the budget to produce an expensive photo book, filled with full-color pictures of them all individually and in groups.
It sells out two hours after it's released.
“I told you it'd be fun,” Kame says, laughing as Jin screeches at the news, running around the room, Ueda still on the phone. “I told you we'd do it together.”
Jin just screams, flailing in mid-air, and Kame laughs, telling Ueda that yes, Jin's excited to hear the news too.
It's a blustery morning, and no one's in a good mood. It's deemed that it's Jin's turn for the morning coffee run, and despite his dark mood, Kame goes with him to make sure it goes okay. Jin's never had coffee, and he's curious to find out what it's like.
“It's a drug? Really?” Jin exclaims again, his eyes wide. “And people just drink it still?”
“It's the caffeine that's in it that's a drug,” Kame explains again, but Jin's not paying attention.
“One of the fairies in my class got hooked on poppy seeds, once,” he says, gesturing. “It was really bad! The teachers had to tie him up and feed him nothing but water and lemon for a week until it was all out of his system!”
Kame's lips twitch in amusement. “I don't think anyone can get that addicted to caffeine,” Kame tells him. Jin still looks skeptical, and Kame smirks.
Jin's excited by all the pastries and fruits in the café's display window, and Kame has to drag him inside to get him to focus.
“One cappuccino, one expresso, a latte with whipped cream, and two coffees,” Kame orders. The guy behind the counter nods, accustomed to the order, and sets about getting it ready.
“What's a cappuccino?” Jin asks, excited. “Is it Italian? What's cream? Why's it whipped? Isn't that a bad thing? Are they all kinds of coffee?”
The kid behind the counter looks startled by all of Jin's questions, and Kame smiles and explains what they all are.
“Coffee smells good,” Jin declares, watching as the worker hands Kame two coffees in a drink carrier. Kame drops two sugars into his, stirring. “Ne, Kame-chan, let me try?”
Kame shrugs and hands him the coffee, warning him, “Careful, it's hot.” Jin takes a sip, makes a face, and spews it out.
“Euuhh!!”
Kame laughs, and the counter boy freaks, looking everywhere for the coffee Jin spit everywhere, only to not find it anywhere. Kame's not concerned - it's probably vanished, knowing Jin. Instead, he watches as Jin quickly tries all the coffees, making horrific faces and spitting them out into a nearby trashcan after each mouthful.
“Ugh! Kame! These are gross! How can you like this??”
“Some people like coffee,” Kame says, shrugging. “Other people don't.”
Jin blinks, his face slowly falling.
“I wanted to try caffeine,” he says, biting his bottom lip. He looks up at Kame. “I guess I can't now, can I? If it's only in coffee...”
Kame's heart goes out to Jin. He's too cute trying to understand the world, and he's just so sweet in his own way...
Sweet...
An idea strikes Kame. He clears his throat.
“Could you get us a hot chocolate?” he asks.
The counter boy nods, getting one ready, and Kame hands it to Jin.
“Here,” Kame says. “Try it. It doesn't have as much caffeine in it as coffee, but I think you'll like it.”
Jin looks at it skeptically, sniffing, while Kame pays. As they leave, Jin's still poking at it with a coffee stirrer, Kame watching as he carries the rest.
“Just try it,” Kame prods gently. “It's not coffee, I promise you.”
Still looking skeptical, Jin takes a tentative sip. Kame watches as his eyes widen and he takes a larger one, then a larger one still.
“Kame! This is so good! What is this called again?”
“It's hot chocolate,” Kame tells him.
“Hot chocolate,” Jin repeats, smiling, before taking another drink. “This is wonderful, Kame! It makes me feel all happy and warm inside!”
Kame laughs. “If you want, we can have whoever goes for coffee each morning get you one,” he tells him, and Jin's eyes light up.
“Really?”
Jin babbles on excitedly about the wonders of this new magic drink and how it's infinitely superior to coffee all the way back to the studio. Kame smiles, glad he could cheer up Jin's morning, and equally glad Jin managed to cheer up his.
“Remix time!” Koki announces, falling onto a couch, ignoring Junno as he yelps, spilling his drink. “Ueda?”
Remix time is designated as the spontaneous singing of previous songs in new ways. Koki insists that it keeps their creative juices flowing, and they're usually fun. Ueda moves to the keyboard dutifully, cracking his knuckles.
“What is it this time?” he asks them all. “A group version of a solo? A rap?”
Koki shrugs. “Raps are good.”
Nakamaru and Kame scowl, and Junno rolls his eyes.
“Let's do GOLD again,” Jin says suddenly. “We haven't done that one since I first came.”
“That's because it's a really old song,” Junno points out. Jin makes a face.
“It's not a bad idea,” Nakamaru considers. “With Akanishi, we can probably produce an entirely different sound. Let's try it.”
Ueda frowns. “...okay. But let's go to the stage, for the hell of it,” he says, eyes glinting. “I want to try something.”
“Won't we get in trouble?” Junno asks, and Koki bops him over the head.
“What, for practicing?” he scoffs. “They're likely to be pleased.”
Nevertheless, they all quietly creep to the stage, dodging around corners, avoiding the staff.
“I'm a spy!” Jin whispers to Kame, excited. “Want me to make us all invisible?”
“Ah, that's probably not such a great idea,” Kame says hurriedly.
“Really? I could do it really easily! I'm a lot better with my magic, now!”
“No, Jin.”
When they arrive at the stage, Ueda tosses them mikes, hooking up the equipment and testing the synthesizers. Koki spins his, twirling it around in his fingers, shooting Jin a jaunty grin.
Jin scoffs and makes his float above his hand, making Koki scowl at his lame magic trick.
Kame quickly reminds Jin that telekinesis isn't a normal skill people have.
“Okay,” Ueda says, starting up the equipment. “This is GOLD - the ballad version.”
Ueda plays dramatic chords, the strings deep and rich, light, shining notes on top, chimes coming in, and Kame opts for the lead.
“All or nothing, now or never...”
Everyone's nodding their heads or tapping their feet along with the beat. The timbre is rich, full, and the mixture of textures is simply incredible. Unspoken, Junno takes the next verse, singing slowly, along with the tune. Koki takes the refrain after him, his tone pained, full.
Kame glances at Jin, expecting him to go next, but his eyes are closed, just listening. Nakamaru chimes in, taking the refrain, followed by Ueda. Kame exchanges a look with Koki, wondering if Jin's even going to participate. The song's coming along well, though, despite being composed of only solo bits. Ueda's amazing music underneath is the cause of that, Kame knows, but it's still great to hear.
They all chime in on the refrain after Ueda, Koki taking a brief harmony. It's slow, alive, pulsing music. Kame's just about to start singing the second part of the refrain when he sees Jin look at him and opens his mouth.
The world stops.
Jin's singing, but it's not music, it's not even noise. It's a sound, a high unearthly sound, like a banshee lost in the winds, screaming for a lost love. It's haunting and amazing and impossible, for him to make a sound like that, and it permeates the darkest corners of Kame's mind.
Kame forgets to breathe, skipping a note, completely stunned and blown away.
He glances at Ueda afterward, who'd faltered as well. Both of them had only been able to stare at Jin as he sung that haunting high note, hitting an incredible falsetto, and Kame and Ueda exchange a wordless look of awe and wonder.
Ueda smirks, and revs up the sound board.
The song takes on a quicker beat after that, and Jin sings along, pausing to sing a harmony note at another point as well. The song crashes to a close, and they all stand there, panting slightly, looking at each other in the silence, all grins and smiles and smirks, proud.
“Bravo!!”
“Oh, well done!!”
“Sasuga ne!!”
Abruptly, Kame realizes that their breaks over, they're supposed to be practicing for their next Tokyo Dome concert, and all the staff's back at the stage.
“That was amazing!” the director says, thrilled. “Akanishi, that falsetto-! Oh, that was excellent! You have to do GOLD now, and then this version again, later, as a reprise! Can you imagine the audience's reaction-?!”
“I didn't know you were such a girl, Akanishi,” Koki teases. “You sure you're still male, to hit a high note like that?”
Jin huffs and fluffs his hair.
“You're just jealous of my fabulous ability,” he says, but he's laughing, his eyes sparkling, and Kame laughs, wrapping an arm around him from behind.
Later, walking home, Kame's still stunned by the falsetto, that haunting note still echoing in his mind. Trying to shake it off, Kame moves over to Jin, nudging him lightly.
“That was incredible, earlier,” he says. “I've never heard you sing like that before.”
Jin flushes darkly, his face brilliant red above the white collar of his coat, though Kame's not sure why.
“I didn't know I was going to sing,” Jin confesses. “It- I just sang. I didn't know what was going to come out.”
Kame looks at him, puzzled. Jin hurries on, explaining.
“I mean, it was just so overwhelming, you know? It was so pretty, everyone's voices were so beautiful, with Ueda's instruments, and I- I just sang. It was like it came from within me, from some emotion deep inside, and it was so strong that I just had to let it out-”
Kame blinks, wondering, remembering how Jin looked at him as he sang the note, holding his eyes. Jin bites his lip, almost nervous, before grabbing onto Kame's hand.
“Ne, Kame! I'm cold! Can we go home faster now please?”
Kame laughs and teases him, remarking on how fragile fairies are, and Jin retorts something about the warming spells that Kame's forbidden him to use outside. Kame laughs, and Jin laughs, and they hurry along the street hand in hand, fighting against the cold.
As Kame opens his door, Jin gives him a smile, his cheeks rosy from the wind, and Kame feels his heart skip a beat, and he offers him a small smile back. Inside, Jin throws off his coat and hurries to the kitchen to make dinner, exclaiming that he's going to try curry tonight, and Kame just laughs, indulgent, watching his child-like antics.
He can't forget the haunting note Jin sang, earlier, though. Or how it seemed somehow tragic, as if his heart were about to break.
“Ueda!!”
Jin comes running into the break room, waving something short and pink around. Kame looks up and stares, Koki and Nakamaru stifling their sniggers. Ueda pretends not to notice, reading on his laptop as if nothing happened, and Jin glares.
“I can't believe you put this in my dressing room!”
“Why?” Ueda asks, amused. “Never seen a dress before?”
“I thought I was supposed to wear it!”
Ueda chokes, and Koki and Nakamaru crack up, gasping for air in their hysterics. Kame can't help but laugh as well, as Jin continues on, livid.
“I went out there to meet with the photographer, and her eyes went all buggy and she fell to the ground, wheezing! I thought she was having a heart attack! And when I ran and grabbed one of the interns to help me, he looked at me and started laughing! No one would help me at all!”
Eventually, they all quiet down, still sniggering occasionally, Jin still mad.
“I'm sorry,” Ueda tells him. “I thought you'd know it was just a joke. It was meant to be funny. I didn't think you would wear it.”
“Why wouldn't I?” Jin says, sliding down onto the couch between Ueda and Kame. “Whenever someone puts something in my dressing room, it's because it's what I'm supposed to wear!”
“Dresses are for girls,” Ueda explains, launching into an explanation about socially acceptable gender roles. Jin blinks, and Kame watches, amused as Jin tries to follow along, completely lost with the entire idea.
“Whatever,” he says finally, at the end. He scoffs, bopping Ueda lightly over the head. “That was still mean, Tat-chan.”
Ueda smiles. “Sorry Jin.”
It's not until later that Kame realizes that they'd called each other by their first names.
“A duet?”
“Yeah.” Kame's trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing, but his eyes betray his excitement, his enthusiasm. “I got it approved. We can record it together.”
“Really?! Waa, Kame!!”
Kame laughs and Jin leaps up, shrieking. He beams at Kame, his eyes sparkling and dancing, his excitement in every move.
“Kame, Kame, we can sing it! The song we wrote that night, the one that I helped you with-! We can really sing it together-!!”
Kame's happy as well, though for different reasons. The song they wrote seems to personal to let anyone but one of them sing it, but to have them both sing it, and record it, so everyone can only hear it with both of them together, singing as one...
Ueda looks over, his dark eyes meeting Kame's silently judging. Kame's own eyes narrow.
It's Kame's own way to let the world know that Jin is his.
“Saki no koto dore hodo ni kangete itemo.”
Kame sings, his eyes closed, letting the music flow over him, the guitar and piano playing in his ears. The song comes from inside of him, from the part of him he can only find when Jin's with him. “Honto no kotonante dare ni mo mienai...”
“Kuuhaku? kokoro ni nanika ga tsumatte...” Kame hears Jin's rich harmonies join with his own, and he opens one eye to watch Jin sing.
“Ayamachi bakari kurikaeshiteta.” Jin's eyes flicker open, holding Kame's gaze as they sing.
It's like a spell. They weave a spell with their words, and Kame feels complete, like this, just singing with Jin. Their tones come together, caressing the words, and the harmony wraps around them, immersing them in the moment. The song hangs in air, a living thing, and Kame's sure his heart's stopped, from the way Jin's looking at him, and Kame's sure it's the same way he's looking at Jin.
“Kono te wo hanasazuni... tomo ni ayunda hibi ga ikitsuzukeru kara...”
The song has a life of its own, filling Kame with an uncanny, making Kame aware of every beat, every quiver of his voice. He hears the noiseless fan silently behind the music, and he feels the soft wind brush against his face. He feels Jin's singing inside of him, a part of his own, and Kame closes his eyes, unable to bother with reality anymore.
“...kienai kono kizuna.”
( part three )