FIC FOR XINGPHONIC
For: xingphonic
From: krysyuy
Title: Clarity
Pairings/Characters: Kame/Taguchi
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: slash, some angst
Notes: xingphonic, I really hope you enjoy reading this! (∩˃o˂∩)♡
Summary: It takes some time - as in, months and months - before Kame realizes he’s in love with his bandmate.
Taguchi Junnosuke is loud. Kame can hear his booming laugh all the way from the other side of the stage, and while his chatter is incomprehensible, there’s an enthusiastic lilt that speaks of someone prone to being overexcited. He’s never actually talked to the boy, but even without his booming personality, Taguchi’s height alone makes him stand out.
Quashing his envy - he’s still waiting for his growth spurt - Kame sighs, looking around. Jin is off somewhere with Yamapi and all the other kids he knows aren’t scheduled to appear in this episode of Shounen Club. He wishes he were at baseball practice instead. With nothing better to do, he goes through the dance steps for the one number he’ll be backup dancing in.
“Kamenashi Kazuya-kun, right?”
Kame misses the next step and turns around, annoyed. The same big smile he had been noticing from afar is now right in front of him. “Yes?” he replies. He’s not sure how Taguchi knows his name or what he would even want with him.
“Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you.” Taguchi sticks out his hand. “I’m Taguchi Junnosuke.”
Kame hesitates, and then shakes his hand. “Hey.”
“It looks like we’ll be dancing in the same number today!” Taguchi says. “I saw you practicing over here and I recognized the steps.”
Kame blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. “You weren’t at rehearsal yesterday.”
“Actually, they just told me like a couple hours ago. I’m a late addition.”
And he had managed to recognize and learn the steps in a couple hours? Kame struggles not to gape at him. Taguchi will probably join the names on the same short list as Jin and Yamapi, of those being carefully watched and groomed by management. If he’s not on there already.
“Did you need something?” Kame asks, his voice coming out sharper than intended.
Taguchi either ignores it or it goes completely over his head. “I thought you might want to practice together,” he replies.
Kame looks around the stage to where all the other Juniors are practicing in their own little groups. “Why me?”
Taguchi shrugs. “I dunno,” he says. “There’s just something about you.”
What does he mean by that? Something tells Kame that even if he refuses, Taguchi would join him anyway. “Let’s start from the top,” he says by way of agreeing.
Taguchi’s smile turns so bright, it’s like he somehow managed to up the wattage. “Roger!” he replies, saluting.
They run through the steps with mistakes here and there, which Kame points out. Taguchi readily follows his instruction without complaint, which is a nice surprise. He’s used to the other boys being more strong-willed and rebellious. After they run through it a few more times, it’s not long before they have it down pat.
“Yes, we are so awesome!” Taguchi exclaims.
They high-five each other and even Kame can’t help but laugh.
“You’re definitely going places,” Taguchi continues. He crosses his arms and nods several times.
“Thanks, I think,” he says with a small smile. “I’m not so sure though.” He still wonders from time to time if he wants this whole idol thing. There are so many other hopefuls and only so many possibilities for a debut.
Taguchi notices his gaze wander to the others. “Everyone’s working hard, huh?” he says in admiration. His tone softens. “Let’s do our best too.”
The sincerity in his words and in his expression makes Kame pause. Taguchi is definitely not like most Juniors, all of whom see this time as a competition. It’s sort of puzzling, but refreshing at the same time.
“Let’s run through it again,” Kame says.
For some reason, Taguchi’s cheerful “sure thing!” renews his spirits. He doesn’t even think about baseball for the rest of the day.
-
When Kame finds out that he’ll be in the same group as Taguchi, the prospect isn’t quite so terrible as he once would have thought.
-
Kame gazes up at the blue, blue sky, letting the wind rustle his hair. The quiet is soothing, so much so that he’ll probably fall asleep at any moment. Luckily he has the agency rooftop all to himself, no seniors or juniors roaming around, but most importantly, no group members.
“… Kazuya?”
Scratch that.
Kame sits up from where he had been leaning against the chain-link fence. “What’s up?” he asks as nonchalantly as possible. This is the first time any of them have spoken to him voluntarily after the Shūji to Akira announcement.
Without further ado, Taguchi plops down beside him, stretching out his legs. He is unusually quiet, but Kame doesn’t have it in him to fill up the silence, not when Taguchi is the one who came to him.
“Here.” Taguchi offers him a canned coffee.
Kame doesn’t take it.
The beverage hangs limply in Taguchi’s grasp. After a second or two, he carefully sets it down between them. “I’m sorry,” he says, eyes downcast. “I didn’t mean to freeze you out -”
Kame laughs, the sound bitter and hollow. “Yeah, you did.”
“I was scared more than I was mad,” Taguchi replies. “You’re debuting without us.”
That familiar wave of frustration rolls through him. “If any of you had bothered listening to me, you’d know -”
“I know you’re doing it for us,” Taguchi interrupts, looking for all the world like an admonished puppy. “Yamamoto-san finally had enough of us acting like idiots. He made sure we listened.”
Kame wonders how their manager handled that. KAT-TUN is hard enough to manage on a good day. And it had been nothing but bad ones for the past several days.
“It’s just, it would be so easy for you to leave us behind,” Taguchi says quietly. “So when we heard about you and Yamapi… well. It didn’t seem that far-fetched.”
Kame is so, so tired. “Why don’t you believe me when I say I don’t want that?”
“You shine so bright, Kazuya. You don’t even realize it,” Taguchi says with his gaze focused on his lap, fingers curling to stop a nervous twitch. But he raises his head for what he says next, his voice strong and clear and full of regret. “I should have believed in you. I’m sorry.”
Taguchi really means it. The knot in Kame’s chest loosens ever so slightly. Relief pulls at his walls, allowing the exhaustion he had kept at bay for the past few days to catch up to him. He slumps against the taller boy’s shoulder and blearily picks up the canned drink.
“Thanks for the coffee,” he says, yawning. He closes his eyes.
Before he drifts off, he swears he feels a hand settle over his head, a warm and comforting weight.
“… anytime.”
-
The others had been loud with their disapproval, but knowing their personalities, Kame had expected it. No, it’s the silence that spoke far louder than anything they threw at him.
Kame doesn’t know why Taguchi’s reaction had been the one to cut the deepest.
-
“When you’re drinking with somebody, don’t you hold each other’s hands?” Kame demonstrates by taking Koki’s hand in his as he looks around the studio.
Mori Izumi, a model and their current guest for Cartoon KAT-TUN, looks at him questioningly. “Don’t you do that because you fancy that person?” she asks.
Kame scratches his head. “I do this even with guys…”
A beat of silence. Then the other members jump out of their seats and away from him, making a ruckus.
“No way!”
“Say that again. What did you say just now?!”
Kame is genuinely puzzled by their reactions. Starting to feel a little lost, he says, “Even with guys, I hold hands when we share an idea… like ‘oh, I agree with you!’”
“Umm…….”
“You really don’t?” Kame asks, scrunching his eyebrows. “Let me explain!” He scoots over to Taguchi, who is the only one aside from their guest who hadn’t jumped up in shock.
He looks at Taguchi, and the familiar smile that greets him makes Kame relax. “I’m talking, and I go… ‘Isn’t that so?’” He moves to grab Taguchi’s hand in a gesture of friendly agreement, and Taguchi meets him halfway. “Don’t you do this?”
“You keep holding his hand?!” Nakamaru says with wide eyes. “Never.”
The others shrink back, like they just can’t believe it and Kame blinks at them owlishly. “Never?” he repeats.
They all nod vehemently and Kame wonders if he’s been committing some horrible faux pas this entire time. The others start talking amongst themselves while Kame reflects on his actions. There’s a small squeeze to his hand and with a start, Kame realizes he has yet to let go of Taguchi. More embarrassed and self-conscious than he normally would be, Kame releases him.
However, Taguchi keeps holding on. Kame looks up. Something about Taguchi’s smile is softer this time, soothing. In that moment, Kame feels such a surge of affection that he has to turn away. Taguchi squeezes his hand once more and this time, he is the one to let go.
The disappointment that presses against his chest takes him off guard and he almost grabs Taguchi back on instinct alone. Catching himself, he curls his fingers into a fist on his knee and concentrates on the conversation still going on around him.
It’s not until later that Kame notices that Taguchi had been able to reassure him without saying a single word.
-
It takes some time - as in, months and months - before Kame realizes he’s in love with his bandmate.
He’s not all too thrilled about it, even though it solves the mystery of why he’s always feeding him and stealing glances at him. Why he’s never far from his thoughts even if they haven’t seen each other in a while.
The thing is, he hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to love. Oh, he’s fallen in love before. It’s easy to fall, to be consumed by the promise of something that makes him imagine all sorts of possible what-ifs and what-could-bes.
But like most things, love is fleeting. He has never been able to make it stay, no matter how hard he tries. He has romanced and been romanced, but they have always ended as almost happy endings and never anything more. Sometimes he thinks it’s because he holds on too tight, only for it to slip through his fingers like water.
He’s not afraid of loving Taguchi. He’s afraid of losing him.
-
Years pass and Kame lets his feelings fall by the wayside. There are too many other things to focus on, to worry about. His own future, KAT-TUN’s future.
Still, it doesn’t stop him from spending more time with Taguchi. Instead of rejecting Taguchi’s invitations to go out to eat, Kame accepts. This evolves into Kame coming over for video game nights in Taguchi’s condo, and then even tagging along to see Taguchi’s billiard games.
This subsequently turns into Kame dragging Taguchi to wine tasting bars and taking him on shopping trips. Eventually Kame invites him over so he can cook for him whenever their schedules allow. Kame doesn’t say anything, but Taguchi surprises him one day by showing up when he’s at the batting cages. They spend the rest of the afternoon practicing and Kame is pleased that Taguchi’s pitching has improved since the last time he tried to teach him.
On one of their now routine outings, which don’t happen as often as Kame would like, Taguchi manages to convince him to go to karaoke. He makes him sing Samurai Love Attack and they both end up jumping around the room screaming ‘L-O-V-E!’. Kame wants to blame the drinks, but he has work the next day and has limited himself to a couple beers. Taguchi has no such restriction and by the end of the night, he’s tipsy but still kind of, sort of coherent.
“Kazuya~”
Kame glances next to him. Taguchi is leaning back in the passenger seat, humming to himself with his eyes closed. Kame smiles. “Hmm?”
“Are you happy?”
At the next stoplight, he looks over again, making sure to keep his face blank. “Why do you ask?” he replies.
Taguchi gazes at him sleepily. “I want you to be happy.”
Kame laughs. “You can be sweet when you want to be, huh,” he says. He pats the taller man on the head. “Don’t worry, Taguchi. I’m happy.”
Taguchi doesn’t reply. Kame turns his eyes back to the road and there’s silence the rest of the drive to Taguchi’s condominium. However, he can feel his bandmate staring holes in the side of his head.
“Here’s your stop,” Kame says as he parks in the front. “You can make it to your place okay? Taguchi?”
Taguchi is still staring at him. “I don’t believe you. I see it here.” He picks up where the conversation had left off, brushing his fingertips along the corners of Kame’s eyes. “You make me happy.”
Kame stops breathing.
Taguchi’s gaze drops to Kame’s lips and stays there. “There’s just something about you,” he whispers.
“I dunno. There’s just something about you.”
The words of Taguchi’s younger self rings in his head. “You’re drunk,” he says tersely. “Go to bed, sleep it off.”
Taguchi pouts, but moves to do as he’s told.
Kame captures his wrist just as Taguchi is halfway out the passenger door. “Taguchi, I…”
He lets his sentence trail off and Taguchi tilts his head in an adorably puzzled way. “Kazuya?”
You make me happy, too.
“… ‘s nothing.” Kame forces a smile. “See you when I see you.”
He lets go.
-
They don’t see each other much after that, not due to any awkwardness, but because of their own individual work schedules. It drives Kame crazy.
It’s proof just how bad Kame’s got it when he accepts Nakamaru’s invitation to go survival gaming after he hears that Taguchi is going too. But he’s not going through this alone and subsequently drags Ueda into it on the pretense of group bonding. Nakamaru is understandably shocked and elated, even if Ueda is only doing it because he heard that it’s the latest trend among girls nowadays.
Being a hardcore survival game enthusiast, Nakamaru takes it upon himself to forward Kame and Ueda all the information they need to know, and then some. Everything they need for the game - from camouflage outfits to kneepads to holsters - they borrow from him. There’s actually a rental option at the facility, but Nakamaru insists that they don’t waste their money. The clothes may not fit perfectly, but the effect of having the full on gear is pretty badass. Nakamaru and Taguchi lend each of them one of their airsoft guns, so both Kame and Ueda have two total on them.
Nakamaru gathers them plus some Hey! Say! JUMP members and Shuuichi staff for a group total of twelve. From Nakamaru’s information packet, it seems there are a variety of different survival games, but the one they’re participating in is outdoors. The game is capture-the-flag and whoever hits the buzzer underneath the opposing team’s flag wins.
Kame is so focused on checking his gear that he doesn’t hear someone come up behind him. He jumps when they lay a hand on his shoulder. He spins around to find Taguchi chuckling. It’s the first time Kame has seen the taller man since their karaoke night weeks ago and he drinks in the sight before him greedily. Taguchi too is decked out in full survival game gear, though his mask is currently pushing back his hair. Kame just wants to leap on him and never let go.
Instead, he says, “… Hey. Long time, no see.” Smooth, very smooth.
“Hey, Kazuya,” Taguchi replies with a grin. His expression doesn’t give away whether or not he remembers what he said the other night. “Since this is your first time, you wanna stick with me?”
Yuto and Keito run up to them with shining eyes before Kame can pounce and say yes.
“Kamenashi-kun!”
“Taguchi-kun!”
Yuto somehow manages to look like an eager little kid even though he now towers over Kame easily. “Do you wanna pair up? I’m still a beginner but I’ll help you out with anything!”
“Taguchi-kun, may I tag along with you?” The admiration is plain on Keito’s face as he stares up at the taller man. “I’ve never played before.”
There’s no way they can turn them down, not when their juniors are looking at them so expectantly. “Catch ya later?” Taguchi says, shrugging. Then he slings an arm around Keito’s neck and gives his hair an affectionate ruffle. “What’s new with you?”
Kame watches them go, a bit disappointed, but nevertheless turns to Yuto with a grin. The last time he had seen his adorable junior was when they finished wrapping episode two of Tokyo Bandwagon. “How’s it going, short stuff?” he asks.
Yuto brightens and, with a shy smile, says, “I just wanted to say thank you again for taking care of me during filming.” He gives a small bow.
“Of course! I was happy to,” Kame replies. He looks Yuto up and down. The Hey! Say! JUMP member is set with his own camouflage outfit and weaponry. “This time you can teach me a thing or two, what do you say?”
“Sure!” Yuto says, straightening his back. “First off, it’ll be tempting to run, but it’s better to crawl or you can get taken out quick.”
Yuto proceeds to give Kame all sorts of survival game tips, a lot of which Nakamaru covered in his packet, though Kame doesn’t have the heart to tell his junior that. When the whistle blows signaling the start of the game, Kame follows Yuto’s lead. After a bit of maneuvering, they crawl under a thick set of bushes and proceed to take out any enemies that try to sneak past. Yuto bags one on his first try, but it takes Kame four times before he gets a hit.
After that, they abandon their bush to make their way closer to where the enemy’s flag should be. Kame feels quite proud of his shot, but of course that’s when he gets hit in the back. It’s nothing more than a little pinch, but boy, does it piss him off. Kame heads towards the Safe Zone to wait out the end of round one, leaving behind an apologetic Yuto, though the HSJ member certainly has nothing to be sorry for.
When he gets to the neutral area where the other killed players go, he sees Ueda sitting on a bench with a terrifyingly blank face. He snags the spot beside him. With one glance, an understanding passes between them.
Like hell they’re going to lose again.
However, a few rounds later, Kame and Ueda are still shot out of the game faster than they would have liked. By then, their competitive streak takes over completely and they listen with rapt attention to Nakamaru’s instructions as he lays out a plan to win the tiebreaker.
“I want two teams to stay back and protect our flag, another two to create a distraction, and the others head around to capture the enemy flag,” Nakamaru says. He then proceeds to pair off the group. “Taguchi, you’re with Kame. Ueda, with me.”
Taguchi suddenly appears next to him, like he was just waiting for the go-ahead. “I’ve got your back,” he says, nudging him in the side playfully.
Kame bumps fists with him. “Let’s do this.”
They’re one of the teams designated to capture the flag, so when the whistle blows, they head into enemy territory. They keep low to the ground as they hurry along, running and ducking behind bushes, trees and woodpiles. Once it becomes clear they’re getting close to the flag, they start to crawl along the floor and hide in the underbrush to gauge how many enemies there are.
“One, two, three… four.” Kame clucks his tongue in annoyance. Only one is out in the open, but Kame spots the other three hiding in various vantage points. Their camo clothes make it hard to spot them, but Kame has spent half of his life on the lookout for paparazzi. This is child’s play in comparison. Unfortunately, his aim with a gun is not as sharp.
“You got a shot?” Kame whispers.
Taguchi looks through the scope of his airsoft rifle. “Yeah,” he replies, “but if I take it, the others are going to scatter.”
“Where the hell is Nakamaru?”
As if on cue, gunfire erupts from the opposite side of where they are. It’s a ways away from the flag, but still sounds near enough to make the enemies nervous. Two leave to scope out the situation, while the other leaves his hiding spot to check in with the lone person guarding the flag.
Taguchi tracks them with his rifle. “Ready to run?” he asks.
Kame gets off his knees to crouch on the forest floor. “Just cover me,” he replies, taking out his pistol.
The click of the airsoft rifle goes off once, then twice. The enemy doesn’t even have time to curse before Kame is sprinting for the flag. As Kame draws near, he sees that one enemy is already heading towards the Safe Zone; however, the other has managed to stay alive. The enemy notices him and hurriedly raises his weapon, but Kame is now only a few feet away, and if he can just make it to the buzzer-
A click, click, click sounds off again from behind him and the enemy is taken out right as Kame’s palm slams down on the buzzer. The bzzzt goes off three times in rapid succession, a signal to the other players.
Pulling off his mask, Kame pumps his fist in the air as cheers erupt from different points in the forest. The last enemy Taguchi had taken down gives him a handshake, and then heads back to base. Kame is hot, sweaty and tired, but the thrill of victory has his spirits soaring. He rushes back to where Taguchi is to see the taller man waiting for him with a giant grin on his face.
“Kazuya, you’re amazing!”
With adrenaline pumping through his veins and still high over their win, Kame leaps into his arms. Normally, Taguchi is adept at catching him, but Kame’s move is so unexpected that they both go tumbling to the forest floor in the underbrush. Kame feels Taguchi’s arms lock around him tightly before the taller man takes the brunt of the fall.
Kame lifts up his head, only to find his face millimeters away from Taguchi’s. He blinks. Wow, he’s even better looking up-close, he thinks dazedly.
“… ow.”
Taguchi’s eyes flutter open. Kame pulls back, alarmed, and checks Taguchi for injuries. “Don’t move! You might have a concussion!” he barks.
“The only thing that’s bruised is my butt,” Taguchi says. He chuckles but it quickly turns into a groan. “Yeah, that’s gonna need some ice.”
Kame isn’t satisfied with Taguchi’s answer and proceeds to run his hands over Taguchi’s body. “Tell me if anything hurts,” he says. It takes him a few seconds to realize two things; one, Taguchi has gone inordinately still and two, he’s still straddling Taguchi’s waist.
Umm… Kame freezes.
Just before Kame gives in to his instinct to flee, Taguchi’s hands find his hips. Kame sucks in a breath when the taller man’s thumbs start to massage his hipbones. On reflex, he grinds down and swallows the moan that wants to escape his throat.
Taguchi reaches up, palm cupping Kame’s cheek. “Kazuya, I meant what I said,” he breathes.
You make me happy.
Slowly he draws Kame down towards him, and heart racing, Kame lets him. What is he doing?! He’s going to let himself be kissed, in the middle of some damn forest while all dirty and gross. But, the intensity of Taguchi’s eyes drowns out any protest in his head.
“Taguchi-kun!”
“Kamenashi-kun!”
Their mouths pause centimeters away from each other as their juniors’ voices echo beyond the shrubbery they’re hidden under.
“Fuck.”
Kame drops his forehead on Taguchi’s shoulder. He can feel the taller man’s chuckles rumble through his body, and ohmygod, that should not turn him on as much as it does. Kame sits up with a huff, bracing himself with both hands on Taguchi’s chest.
“Let’s not be on the next tabloid cover, yeah?” Kame says nonchalantly. Once he stands, he holds out a helping hand to Taguchi and pulls him up.
Taguchi doesn’t let go.
Kame peers up at him. “Taguchi?”
Taguchi’s grip tightens on his hand, and for one moment, Kame thinks he’s going to pull him in. Instead, after a beat or two, he lifts Kame’s hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to his palm.
Embarrassment floods his face. “Wh-what are you-?”
Taguchi smiles his dumb, perfect smile at him and goes on ahead, leaving Kame to clutch his hand to his chest, fighting off a dumb smile of his own.
-
After that, there’s this weird tension that hangs between them, of all the things still unsaid. Yet there’s no time to resolve anything. He has negotiations for filming not one, but two movies early next year, but even more pressing than that is their upcoming countdown live and fanmeeting.
They’re in meeting after meeting, then rehearsal after rehearsal. Kame is used to such a hectic pace, and welcomes it with open arms. It’s the first time in a while that KAT-TUN work has been on any of their schedules, aside from the stray magazine interview here and there. While they rarely have a moment to themselves, this means that Kame sees Taguchi more in one week than he had the past three months.
Kame readily takes advantage of the situation. They may be in the in-between at the moment, but that doesn’t stop Kame from letting his touch linger whenever he comes in contact with Taguchi, whether it be a hand on his arm or even just a brush of the fingers.
But what really delights Kame is Taguchi reciprocating. The taller man rarely, if ever, touches unless the other person initiates contact first. So it says a lot when Taguchi is the first one to sling an arm around his shoulders or place a supporting hand on his back.
He doesn’t want to jinx it, but… this thing they have might actually have a chance.
-
The high-spirited atmosphere of Kyocera Dome makes Kame feel like he can do anything. He never feels more alive than when performing for the fans, empowered by their passionate cries and waves. It’s been too long since they were last in front of them like this, and he can think of no other place he’d rather be than here with all of them and his group members.
“Well, I wanted to save this until the last minute,” Kame says, taking one long look around the Dome, “but let’s hold hands! Everyone!”
“But if we hold hands now, we’ll be doing it for two minutes,” Nakamaru points out with a laugh.
“We might fall in love.” He may not be standing next to him, but Kame is hyper aware of Taguchi on the other side of the stage. “Two minutes is enough to fall in love.”
The fans squeal at this and Kame winks at the camera. Again, he urges everyone to hold hands and they ring in the New Year with the whole Dome connected together. They all jump the moment the clock hits midnight, and the ensuing cheers are deafening.
Much later when they all disappear backstage to change for the encore, Taguchi sidles up to him with his face only halfway through the hole of the Countdown T-shirt. “Two minutes, huh?” he says, eyebrows waggling.
He sounds decidedly smug, so Kame yanks Taguchi’s T-shirt all the way down. Sure enough, the taller man has a smile so big, it’s a wonder it hasn’t broken his face yet.
Kame strips his shirt off, unaware of Taguchi’s wandering gaze, and rolls his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he retorts. He grabs his own Countdown shirt off a hanger and pulls it on. “It took more than two minutes to fall for you.”
He claps a hand over his mouth just as the words leave him and doesn’t dare look in Taguchi’s direction.
“Kazuya is really cute.”
Face flaming, his head bolts up, scathing retort ready to fly. “Excus-”
A sudden kiss steals his breath away. His mind goes blank for a split-second before everything comes back in perfect clarity just as fast and he pulls back, remembering exactly where they are. He looks around in a panic, only to find that Taguchi has hidden them behind the clothing racks.
Safely sequestered behind the glitter and sequins of their costumes, Kame relaxes the tiniest bit but still pinches Taguchi in the arm for good measure. “Are you crazy?” he hisses over Taguchi’s small ‘ow’.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Taguchi says. “I couldn’t wait.”
If Taguchi were as full of himself as usual, Kame would have no problem kicking his ass. Instead, he’s all innocent and doe-eyed, looking at Kame like he’s the only one that matters. It doesn’t help that Kame’s mouth is still tingling from that brief, sweet kiss.
Taguchi’s warmth lingers on his skin, in his heart, just like it had so many years ago.
Adopting a neutral expression, Kame licks his own lips, brushing his thumb across the bottom. “You call that a kiss?” he asks haughtily.
Taguchi merely runs the back of his knuckles across Kame’s red cheeks, laughter and affection dancing along the curve of his smile.
Kame refuses to give in. “Just wait until later,” he says stubbornly, even as Taguchi’s touch undoes him. “I’ll show you what a real kiss is like.”
Taguchi bows his head to him in deference, but his voice is full of mischief and anticipation as he leans in close, cool breath blowing against Kame’s earlobe. “I look forward to all the things you’ll be teaching me, Kamenashi-sensei.”
Shivering, Kame resists the urge to pull him close and give him his first lesson. Instead, he laces their fingers together and takes a deep breath to steady his patience. “You’re such a cheat,” he murmurs.
Taguchi winks at him and laughs, and the warmth of it sends a now familiar flutter through his heart. Soon, they’ll rush out to greet their fans for the final act, but for now, in the spaces in-between, he squeezes Taguchi’s hand and smiles when he squeezes back.
This time, he’s holding on.
From: krysyuy
Title: Clarity
Pairings/Characters: Kame/Taguchi
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: slash, some angst
Notes: xingphonic, I really hope you enjoy reading this! (∩˃o˂∩)♡
Summary: It takes some time - as in, months and months - before Kame realizes he’s in love with his bandmate.
Taguchi Junnosuke is loud. Kame can hear his booming laugh all the way from the other side of the stage, and while his chatter is incomprehensible, there’s an enthusiastic lilt that speaks of someone prone to being overexcited. He’s never actually talked to the boy, but even without his booming personality, Taguchi’s height alone makes him stand out.
Quashing his envy - he’s still waiting for his growth spurt - Kame sighs, looking around. Jin is off somewhere with Yamapi and all the other kids he knows aren’t scheduled to appear in this episode of Shounen Club. He wishes he were at baseball practice instead. With nothing better to do, he goes through the dance steps for the one number he’ll be backup dancing in.
“Kamenashi Kazuya-kun, right?”
Kame misses the next step and turns around, annoyed. The same big smile he had been noticing from afar is now right in front of him. “Yes?” he replies. He’s not sure how Taguchi knows his name or what he would even want with him.
“Hi! It’s nice to finally meet you.” Taguchi sticks out his hand. “I’m Taguchi Junnosuke.”
Kame hesitates, and then shakes his hand. “Hey.”
“It looks like we’ll be dancing in the same number today!” Taguchi says. “I saw you practicing over here and I recognized the steps.”
Kame blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. “You weren’t at rehearsal yesterday.”
“Actually, they just told me like a couple hours ago. I’m a late addition.”
And he had managed to recognize and learn the steps in a couple hours? Kame struggles not to gape at him. Taguchi will probably join the names on the same short list as Jin and Yamapi, of those being carefully watched and groomed by management. If he’s not on there already.
“Did you need something?” Kame asks, his voice coming out sharper than intended.
Taguchi either ignores it or it goes completely over his head. “I thought you might want to practice together,” he replies.
Kame looks around the stage to where all the other Juniors are practicing in their own little groups. “Why me?”
Taguchi shrugs. “I dunno,” he says. “There’s just something about you.”
What does he mean by that? Something tells Kame that even if he refuses, Taguchi would join him anyway. “Let’s start from the top,” he says by way of agreeing.
Taguchi’s smile turns so bright, it’s like he somehow managed to up the wattage. “Roger!” he replies, saluting.
They run through the steps with mistakes here and there, which Kame points out. Taguchi readily follows his instruction without complaint, which is a nice surprise. He’s used to the other boys being more strong-willed and rebellious. After they run through it a few more times, it’s not long before they have it down pat.
“Yes, we are so awesome!” Taguchi exclaims.
They high-five each other and even Kame can’t help but laugh.
“You’re definitely going places,” Taguchi continues. He crosses his arms and nods several times.
“Thanks, I think,” he says with a small smile. “I’m not so sure though.” He still wonders from time to time if he wants this whole idol thing. There are so many other hopefuls and only so many possibilities for a debut.
Taguchi notices his gaze wander to the others. “Everyone’s working hard, huh?” he says in admiration. His tone softens. “Let’s do our best too.”
The sincerity in his words and in his expression makes Kame pause. Taguchi is definitely not like most Juniors, all of whom see this time as a competition. It’s sort of puzzling, but refreshing at the same time.
“Let’s run through it again,” Kame says.
For some reason, Taguchi’s cheerful “sure thing!” renews his spirits. He doesn’t even think about baseball for the rest of the day.
-
When Kame finds out that he’ll be in the same group as Taguchi, the prospect isn’t quite so terrible as he once would have thought.
-
Kame gazes up at the blue, blue sky, letting the wind rustle his hair. The quiet is soothing, so much so that he’ll probably fall asleep at any moment. Luckily he has the agency rooftop all to himself, no seniors or juniors roaming around, but most importantly, no group members.
“… Kazuya?”
Scratch that.
Kame sits up from where he had been leaning against the chain-link fence. “What’s up?” he asks as nonchalantly as possible. This is the first time any of them have spoken to him voluntarily after the Shūji to Akira announcement.
Without further ado, Taguchi plops down beside him, stretching out his legs. He is unusually quiet, but Kame doesn’t have it in him to fill up the silence, not when Taguchi is the one who came to him.
“Here.” Taguchi offers him a canned coffee.
Kame doesn’t take it.
The beverage hangs limply in Taguchi’s grasp. After a second or two, he carefully sets it down between them. “I’m sorry,” he says, eyes downcast. “I didn’t mean to freeze you out -”
Kame laughs, the sound bitter and hollow. “Yeah, you did.”
“I was scared more than I was mad,” Taguchi replies. “You’re debuting without us.”
That familiar wave of frustration rolls through him. “If any of you had bothered listening to me, you’d know -”
“I know you’re doing it for us,” Taguchi interrupts, looking for all the world like an admonished puppy. “Yamamoto-san finally had enough of us acting like idiots. He made sure we listened.”
Kame wonders how their manager handled that. KAT-TUN is hard enough to manage on a good day. And it had been nothing but bad ones for the past several days.
“It’s just, it would be so easy for you to leave us behind,” Taguchi says quietly. “So when we heard about you and Yamapi… well. It didn’t seem that far-fetched.”
Kame is so, so tired. “Why don’t you believe me when I say I don’t want that?”
“You shine so bright, Kazuya. You don’t even realize it,” Taguchi says with his gaze focused on his lap, fingers curling to stop a nervous twitch. But he raises his head for what he says next, his voice strong and clear and full of regret. “I should have believed in you. I’m sorry.”
Taguchi really means it. The knot in Kame’s chest loosens ever so slightly. Relief pulls at his walls, allowing the exhaustion he had kept at bay for the past few days to catch up to him. He slumps against the taller boy’s shoulder and blearily picks up the canned drink.
“Thanks for the coffee,” he says, yawning. He closes his eyes.
Before he drifts off, he swears he feels a hand settle over his head, a warm and comforting weight.
“… anytime.”
-
The others had been loud with their disapproval, but knowing their personalities, Kame had expected it. No, it’s the silence that spoke far louder than anything they threw at him.
Kame doesn’t know why Taguchi’s reaction had been the one to cut the deepest.
-
“When you’re drinking with somebody, don’t you hold each other’s hands?” Kame demonstrates by taking Koki’s hand in his as he looks around the studio.
Mori Izumi, a model and their current guest for Cartoon KAT-TUN, looks at him questioningly. “Don’t you do that because you fancy that person?” she asks.
Kame scratches his head. “I do this even with guys…”
A beat of silence. Then the other members jump out of their seats and away from him, making a ruckus.
“No way!”
“Say that again. What did you say just now?!”
Kame is genuinely puzzled by their reactions. Starting to feel a little lost, he says, “Even with guys, I hold hands when we share an idea… like ‘oh, I agree with you!’”
“Umm…….”
“You really don’t?” Kame asks, scrunching his eyebrows. “Let me explain!” He scoots over to Taguchi, who is the only one aside from their guest who hadn’t jumped up in shock.
He looks at Taguchi, and the familiar smile that greets him makes Kame relax. “I’m talking, and I go… ‘Isn’t that so?’” He moves to grab Taguchi’s hand in a gesture of friendly agreement, and Taguchi meets him halfway. “Don’t you do this?”
“You keep holding his hand?!” Nakamaru says with wide eyes. “Never.”
The others shrink back, like they just can’t believe it and Kame blinks at them owlishly. “Never?” he repeats.
They all nod vehemently and Kame wonders if he’s been committing some horrible faux pas this entire time. The others start talking amongst themselves while Kame reflects on his actions. There’s a small squeeze to his hand and with a start, Kame realizes he has yet to let go of Taguchi. More embarrassed and self-conscious than he normally would be, Kame releases him.
However, Taguchi keeps holding on. Kame looks up. Something about Taguchi’s smile is softer this time, soothing. In that moment, Kame feels such a surge of affection that he has to turn away. Taguchi squeezes his hand once more and this time, he is the one to let go.
The disappointment that presses against his chest takes him off guard and he almost grabs Taguchi back on instinct alone. Catching himself, he curls his fingers into a fist on his knee and concentrates on the conversation still going on around him.
It’s not until later that Kame notices that Taguchi had been able to reassure him without saying a single word.
-
It takes some time - as in, months and months - before Kame realizes he’s in love with his bandmate.
He’s not all too thrilled about it, even though it solves the mystery of why he’s always feeding him and stealing glances at him. Why he’s never far from his thoughts even if they haven’t seen each other in a while.
The thing is, he hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to love. Oh, he’s fallen in love before. It’s easy to fall, to be consumed by the promise of something that makes him imagine all sorts of possible what-ifs and what-could-bes.
But like most things, love is fleeting. He has never been able to make it stay, no matter how hard he tries. He has romanced and been romanced, but they have always ended as almost happy endings and never anything more. Sometimes he thinks it’s because he holds on too tight, only for it to slip through his fingers like water.
He’s not afraid of loving Taguchi. He’s afraid of losing him.
-
Years pass and Kame lets his feelings fall by the wayside. There are too many other things to focus on, to worry about. His own future, KAT-TUN’s future.
Still, it doesn’t stop him from spending more time with Taguchi. Instead of rejecting Taguchi’s invitations to go out to eat, Kame accepts. This evolves into Kame coming over for video game nights in Taguchi’s condo, and then even tagging along to see Taguchi’s billiard games.
This subsequently turns into Kame dragging Taguchi to wine tasting bars and taking him on shopping trips. Eventually Kame invites him over so he can cook for him whenever their schedules allow. Kame doesn’t say anything, but Taguchi surprises him one day by showing up when he’s at the batting cages. They spend the rest of the afternoon practicing and Kame is pleased that Taguchi’s pitching has improved since the last time he tried to teach him.
On one of their now routine outings, which don’t happen as often as Kame would like, Taguchi manages to convince him to go to karaoke. He makes him sing Samurai Love Attack and they both end up jumping around the room screaming ‘L-O-V-E!’. Kame wants to blame the drinks, but he has work the next day and has limited himself to a couple beers. Taguchi has no such restriction and by the end of the night, he’s tipsy but still kind of, sort of coherent.
“Kazuya~”
Kame glances next to him. Taguchi is leaning back in the passenger seat, humming to himself with his eyes closed. Kame smiles. “Hmm?”
“Are you happy?”
At the next stoplight, he looks over again, making sure to keep his face blank. “Why do you ask?” he replies.
Taguchi gazes at him sleepily. “I want you to be happy.”
Kame laughs. “You can be sweet when you want to be, huh,” he says. He pats the taller man on the head. “Don’t worry, Taguchi. I’m happy.”
Taguchi doesn’t reply. Kame turns his eyes back to the road and there’s silence the rest of the drive to Taguchi’s condominium. However, he can feel his bandmate staring holes in the side of his head.
“Here’s your stop,” Kame says as he parks in the front. “You can make it to your place okay? Taguchi?”
Taguchi is still staring at him. “I don’t believe you. I see it here.” He picks up where the conversation had left off, brushing his fingertips along the corners of Kame’s eyes. “You make me happy.”
Kame stops breathing.
Taguchi’s gaze drops to Kame’s lips and stays there. “There’s just something about you,” he whispers.
“I dunno. There’s just something about you.”
The words of Taguchi’s younger self rings in his head. “You’re drunk,” he says tersely. “Go to bed, sleep it off.”
Taguchi pouts, but moves to do as he’s told.
Kame captures his wrist just as Taguchi is halfway out the passenger door. “Taguchi, I…”
He lets his sentence trail off and Taguchi tilts his head in an adorably puzzled way. “Kazuya?”
You make me happy, too.
“… ‘s nothing.” Kame forces a smile. “See you when I see you.”
He lets go.
-
They don’t see each other much after that, not due to any awkwardness, but because of their own individual work schedules. It drives Kame crazy.
It’s proof just how bad Kame’s got it when he accepts Nakamaru’s invitation to go survival gaming after he hears that Taguchi is going too. But he’s not going through this alone and subsequently drags Ueda into it on the pretense of group bonding. Nakamaru is understandably shocked and elated, even if Ueda is only doing it because he heard that it’s the latest trend among girls nowadays.
Being a hardcore survival game enthusiast, Nakamaru takes it upon himself to forward Kame and Ueda all the information they need to know, and then some. Everything they need for the game - from camouflage outfits to kneepads to holsters - they borrow from him. There’s actually a rental option at the facility, but Nakamaru insists that they don’t waste their money. The clothes may not fit perfectly, but the effect of having the full on gear is pretty badass. Nakamaru and Taguchi lend each of them one of their airsoft guns, so both Kame and Ueda have two total on them.
Nakamaru gathers them plus some Hey! Say! JUMP members and Shuuichi staff for a group total of twelve. From Nakamaru’s information packet, it seems there are a variety of different survival games, but the one they’re participating in is outdoors. The game is capture-the-flag and whoever hits the buzzer underneath the opposing team’s flag wins.
Kame is so focused on checking his gear that he doesn’t hear someone come up behind him. He jumps when they lay a hand on his shoulder. He spins around to find Taguchi chuckling. It’s the first time Kame has seen the taller man since their karaoke night weeks ago and he drinks in the sight before him greedily. Taguchi too is decked out in full survival game gear, though his mask is currently pushing back his hair. Kame just wants to leap on him and never let go.
Instead, he says, “… Hey. Long time, no see.” Smooth, very smooth.
“Hey, Kazuya,” Taguchi replies with a grin. His expression doesn’t give away whether or not he remembers what he said the other night. “Since this is your first time, you wanna stick with me?”
Yuto and Keito run up to them with shining eyes before Kame can pounce and say yes.
“Kamenashi-kun!”
“Taguchi-kun!”
Yuto somehow manages to look like an eager little kid even though he now towers over Kame easily. “Do you wanna pair up? I’m still a beginner but I’ll help you out with anything!”
“Taguchi-kun, may I tag along with you?” The admiration is plain on Keito’s face as he stares up at the taller man. “I’ve never played before.”
There’s no way they can turn them down, not when their juniors are looking at them so expectantly. “Catch ya later?” Taguchi says, shrugging. Then he slings an arm around Keito’s neck and gives his hair an affectionate ruffle. “What’s new with you?”
Kame watches them go, a bit disappointed, but nevertheless turns to Yuto with a grin. The last time he had seen his adorable junior was when they finished wrapping episode two of Tokyo Bandwagon. “How’s it going, short stuff?” he asks.
Yuto brightens and, with a shy smile, says, “I just wanted to say thank you again for taking care of me during filming.” He gives a small bow.
“Of course! I was happy to,” Kame replies. He looks Yuto up and down. The Hey! Say! JUMP member is set with his own camouflage outfit and weaponry. “This time you can teach me a thing or two, what do you say?”
“Sure!” Yuto says, straightening his back. “First off, it’ll be tempting to run, but it’s better to crawl or you can get taken out quick.”
Yuto proceeds to give Kame all sorts of survival game tips, a lot of which Nakamaru covered in his packet, though Kame doesn’t have the heart to tell his junior that. When the whistle blows signaling the start of the game, Kame follows Yuto’s lead. After a bit of maneuvering, they crawl under a thick set of bushes and proceed to take out any enemies that try to sneak past. Yuto bags one on his first try, but it takes Kame four times before he gets a hit.
After that, they abandon their bush to make their way closer to where the enemy’s flag should be. Kame feels quite proud of his shot, but of course that’s when he gets hit in the back. It’s nothing more than a little pinch, but boy, does it piss him off. Kame heads towards the Safe Zone to wait out the end of round one, leaving behind an apologetic Yuto, though the HSJ member certainly has nothing to be sorry for.
When he gets to the neutral area where the other killed players go, he sees Ueda sitting on a bench with a terrifyingly blank face. He snags the spot beside him. With one glance, an understanding passes between them.
Like hell they’re going to lose again.
However, a few rounds later, Kame and Ueda are still shot out of the game faster than they would have liked. By then, their competitive streak takes over completely and they listen with rapt attention to Nakamaru’s instructions as he lays out a plan to win the tiebreaker.
“I want two teams to stay back and protect our flag, another two to create a distraction, and the others head around to capture the enemy flag,” Nakamaru says. He then proceeds to pair off the group. “Taguchi, you’re with Kame. Ueda, with me.”
Taguchi suddenly appears next to him, like he was just waiting for the go-ahead. “I’ve got your back,” he says, nudging him in the side playfully.
Kame bumps fists with him. “Let’s do this.”
They’re one of the teams designated to capture the flag, so when the whistle blows, they head into enemy territory. They keep low to the ground as they hurry along, running and ducking behind bushes, trees and woodpiles. Once it becomes clear they’re getting close to the flag, they start to crawl along the floor and hide in the underbrush to gauge how many enemies there are.
“One, two, three… four.” Kame clucks his tongue in annoyance. Only one is out in the open, but Kame spots the other three hiding in various vantage points. Their camo clothes make it hard to spot them, but Kame has spent half of his life on the lookout for paparazzi. This is child’s play in comparison. Unfortunately, his aim with a gun is not as sharp.
“You got a shot?” Kame whispers.
Taguchi looks through the scope of his airsoft rifle. “Yeah,” he replies, “but if I take it, the others are going to scatter.”
“Where the hell is Nakamaru?”
As if on cue, gunfire erupts from the opposite side of where they are. It’s a ways away from the flag, but still sounds near enough to make the enemies nervous. Two leave to scope out the situation, while the other leaves his hiding spot to check in with the lone person guarding the flag.
Taguchi tracks them with his rifle. “Ready to run?” he asks.
Kame gets off his knees to crouch on the forest floor. “Just cover me,” he replies, taking out his pistol.
The click of the airsoft rifle goes off once, then twice. The enemy doesn’t even have time to curse before Kame is sprinting for the flag. As Kame draws near, he sees that one enemy is already heading towards the Safe Zone; however, the other has managed to stay alive. The enemy notices him and hurriedly raises his weapon, but Kame is now only a few feet away, and if he can just make it to the buzzer-
A click, click, click sounds off again from behind him and the enemy is taken out right as Kame’s palm slams down on the buzzer. The bzzzt goes off three times in rapid succession, a signal to the other players.
Pulling off his mask, Kame pumps his fist in the air as cheers erupt from different points in the forest. The last enemy Taguchi had taken down gives him a handshake, and then heads back to base. Kame is hot, sweaty and tired, but the thrill of victory has his spirits soaring. He rushes back to where Taguchi is to see the taller man waiting for him with a giant grin on his face.
“Kazuya, you’re amazing!”
With adrenaline pumping through his veins and still high over their win, Kame leaps into his arms. Normally, Taguchi is adept at catching him, but Kame’s move is so unexpected that they both go tumbling to the forest floor in the underbrush. Kame feels Taguchi’s arms lock around him tightly before the taller man takes the brunt of the fall.
Kame lifts up his head, only to find his face millimeters away from Taguchi’s. He blinks. Wow, he’s even better looking up-close, he thinks dazedly.
“… ow.”
Taguchi’s eyes flutter open. Kame pulls back, alarmed, and checks Taguchi for injuries. “Don’t move! You might have a concussion!” he barks.
“The only thing that’s bruised is my butt,” Taguchi says. He chuckles but it quickly turns into a groan. “Yeah, that’s gonna need some ice.”
Kame isn’t satisfied with Taguchi’s answer and proceeds to run his hands over Taguchi’s body. “Tell me if anything hurts,” he says. It takes him a few seconds to realize two things; one, Taguchi has gone inordinately still and two, he’s still straddling Taguchi’s waist.
Umm… Kame freezes.
Just before Kame gives in to his instinct to flee, Taguchi’s hands find his hips. Kame sucks in a breath when the taller man’s thumbs start to massage his hipbones. On reflex, he grinds down and swallows the moan that wants to escape his throat.
Taguchi reaches up, palm cupping Kame’s cheek. “Kazuya, I meant what I said,” he breathes.
You make me happy.
Slowly he draws Kame down towards him, and heart racing, Kame lets him. What is he doing?! He’s going to let himself be kissed, in the middle of some damn forest while all dirty and gross. But, the intensity of Taguchi’s eyes drowns out any protest in his head.
“Taguchi-kun!”
“Kamenashi-kun!”
Their mouths pause centimeters away from each other as their juniors’ voices echo beyond the shrubbery they’re hidden under.
“Fuck.”
Kame drops his forehead on Taguchi’s shoulder. He can feel the taller man’s chuckles rumble through his body, and ohmygod, that should not turn him on as much as it does. Kame sits up with a huff, bracing himself with both hands on Taguchi’s chest.
“Let’s not be on the next tabloid cover, yeah?” Kame says nonchalantly. Once he stands, he holds out a helping hand to Taguchi and pulls him up.
Taguchi doesn’t let go.
Kame peers up at him. “Taguchi?”
Taguchi’s grip tightens on his hand, and for one moment, Kame thinks he’s going to pull him in. Instead, after a beat or two, he lifts Kame’s hand to his mouth and presses a kiss to his palm.
Embarrassment floods his face. “Wh-what are you-?”
Taguchi smiles his dumb, perfect smile at him and goes on ahead, leaving Kame to clutch his hand to his chest, fighting off a dumb smile of his own.
-
After that, there’s this weird tension that hangs between them, of all the things still unsaid. Yet there’s no time to resolve anything. He has negotiations for filming not one, but two movies early next year, but even more pressing than that is their upcoming countdown live and fanmeeting.
They’re in meeting after meeting, then rehearsal after rehearsal. Kame is used to such a hectic pace, and welcomes it with open arms. It’s the first time in a while that KAT-TUN work has been on any of their schedules, aside from the stray magazine interview here and there. While they rarely have a moment to themselves, this means that Kame sees Taguchi more in one week than he had the past three months.
Kame readily takes advantage of the situation. They may be in the in-between at the moment, but that doesn’t stop Kame from letting his touch linger whenever he comes in contact with Taguchi, whether it be a hand on his arm or even just a brush of the fingers.
But what really delights Kame is Taguchi reciprocating. The taller man rarely, if ever, touches unless the other person initiates contact first. So it says a lot when Taguchi is the first one to sling an arm around his shoulders or place a supporting hand on his back.
He doesn’t want to jinx it, but… this thing they have might actually have a chance.
-
The high-spirited atmosphere of Kyocera Dome makes Kame feel like he can do anything. He never feels more alive than when performing for the fans, empowered by their passionate cries and waves. It’s been too long since they were last in front of them like this, and he can think of no other place he’d rather be than here with all of them and his group members.
“Well, I wanted to save this until the last minute,” Kame says, taking one long look around the Dome, “but let’s hold hands! Everyone!”
“But if we hold hands now, we’ll be doing it for two minutes,” Nakamaru points out with a laugh.
“We might fall in love.” He may not be standing next to him, but Kame is hyper aware of Taguchi on the other side of the stage. “Two minutes is enough to fall in love.”
The fans squeal at this and Kame winks at the camera. Again, he urges everyone to hold hands and they ring in the New Year with the whole Dome connected together. They all jump the moment the clock hits midnight, and the ensuing cheers are deafening.
Much later when they all disappear backstage to change for the encore, Taguchi sidles up to him with his face only halfway through the hole of the Countdown T-shirt. “Two minutes, huh?” he says, eyebrows waggling.
He sounds decidedly smug, so Kame yanks Taguchi’s T-shirt all the way down. Sure enough, the taller man has a smile so big, it’s a wonder it hasn’t broken his face yet.
Kame strips his shirt off, unaware of Taguchi’s wandering gaze, and rolls his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he retorts. He grabs his own Countdown shirt off a hanger and pulls it on. “It took more than two minutes to fall for you.”
He claps a hand over his mouth just as the words leave him and doesn’t dare look in Taguchi’s direction.
“Kazuya is really cute.”
Face flaming, his head bolts up, scathing retort ready to fly. “Excus-”
A sudden kiss steals his breath away. His mind goes blank for a split-second before everything comes back in perfect clarity just as fast and he pulls back, remembering exactly where they are. He looks around in a panic, only to find that Taguchi has hidden them behind the clothing racks.
Safely sequestered behind the glitter and sequins of their costumes, Kame relaxes the tiniest bit but still pinches Taguchi in the arm for good measure. “Are you crazy?” he hisses over Taguchi’s small ‘ow’.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Taguchi says. “I couldn’t wait.”
If Taguchi were as full of himself as usual, Kame would have no problem kicking his ass. Instead, he’s all innocent and doe-eyed, looking at Kame like he’s the only one that matters. It doesn’t help that Kame’s mouth is still tingling from that brief, sweet kiss.
Taguchi’s warmth lingers on his skin, in his heart, just like it had so many years ago.
Adopting a neutral expression, Kame licks his own lips, brushing his thumb across the bottom. “You call that a kiss?” he asks haughtily.
Taguchi merely runs the back of his knuckles across Kame’s red cheeks, laughter and affection dancing along the curve of his smile.
Kame refuses to give in. “Just wait until later,” he says stubbornly, even as Taguchi’s touch undoes him. “I’ll show you what a real kiss is like.”
Taguchi bows his head to him in deference, but his voice is full of mischief and anticipation as he leans in close, cool breath blowing against Kame’s earlobe. “I look forward to all the things you’ll be teaching me, Kamenashi-sensei.”
Shivering, Kame resists the urge to pull him close and give him his first lesson. Instead, he laces their fingers together and takes a deep breath to steady his patience. “You’re such a cheat,” he murmurs.
Taguchi winks at him and laughs, and the warmth of it sends a now familiar flutter through his heart. Soon, they’ll rush out to greet their fans for the final act, but for now, in the spaces in-between, he squeezes Taguchi’s hand and smiles when he squeezes back.
This time, he’s holding on.