Gift fic for ezyls_girl
To: ezyls_girl
From: tinyangl
SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Title: Miscommunication
Pairing/Group: Nishikido Ryo/Mizukawa Asami, Ninomiya Kazunari/Nagasawa Masami, Yamashita Tomohisa, Takizawa Hideaki
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Het? Some cursing and drinking. But mild stuff.
Notes: Written for ezyls_girl for je_holiday. Hopefully this will be a good portrayal of Mizukawa Asami for you, dear recipient. I've never written her before, so hopefully this will be okay. Also, sorry about the blatant Nino/Masami. They're both good friends of Asami so I thought, why not? XD And lastly, I just hope you enjoy. <333 Happy holidays.
Summary: Sometimes words speak louder than action.
Summer 2009
She kisses him hard like she's starved for him-her arms are wrapped around his neck and tug him downwards. Ryo almost stumbles in his attempt to hold her steady. Her lips are slick, probably just glossed, and they slide against his own.
When he finally gets over the initial shock of her barging into his dressing room and just kissing him out of the blue-not that that's entirely new or unwelcome-his hands on her waist tug her so close that not even a molecule of air could possibly be between them. Her body feels small in his grasp, even though he's sure he can't speak when it comes to thinness.
Asami pulls away and Ryo slowly opens his eyes, staring straight at a lop-sided smile that he's been seeing regularly for the past three months. He leans in again and brushes his lips softly against hers. "What was that about?" he asks.
"Just because," she responds with a shrug. "Can't a girl just come in and make out with her co-star?"
Ryo raises an eyebrow. "Is this the kind of treatment you give all your co-stars? And here I thought I was special."
Asami laughs, throws her head back and laughs; he loves her laugh because it always feels real-like it comes from inside of her and not just for appearances. "Don't get ahead of yourself." She whacks him gently on the shoulder. "Besides you know most of the people I've starred with, just ask them."
"Well, Nino did say you guys got along really well." He quirks an eyebrow and her smile has slowly turned into a smirk.
"I'm sure Masami-chan would appreciate that."
"Knowing them, they'd just ask you to join them," he snorts.
Aami pauses, looking thoughtful before shaking her head. "You're probably right."
He grins, leaning in again and pecking her quickly. "It's too bad we can't continue this," he says, leaning his forehead against hers.
For a second, her smile falters, but it's gone so quickly that he's not sure he imagined it or not. "Yeah, too bad." She leans in again and this time, it's more than just a quick peck. It leaves him breathless each time-his hands tighten around her waist and he doesn't ever want to let her go but the calls of the stylist calling his name breaks them apart.
"Let's get back to work," Asami murmurs against his lips. Ryo struggles to open his eyes, but the disappearance of her warmth forces him to. Her arms are down by her side and her smile's fixed on her face again.
"Okay," he sighs. "But next time, we're skipping it all." They would never, but sometimes just saying the words is more than the action itself. She laughs and walks through the door; he follows behind her, noticing the extra skip in her step, but he hides his smile. She turns around, gives him one last exaggerated wink and turns the corner, walking down some corridor. He turns the other.
What Ryo realizes days later is that Asami was kissing him goodbye that afternoon.
Spring 2009
"You've worked with her before," Nino says over drinks.
Ryo's head is already pounding from the amount of alcohol he's consumed so he doesn't really remember how they even got onto the topic of Mizukawa Asami. "Yeah, well. I wasn't exactly the favorite on that set," Ryo slurs, lowering his head onto the counter.
Nino's hand is heavy against his back, pound after pound. Ryo groans after the fifth one so Nino stops, but he doesn't move his hand from Ryo's back. "Well in that case, you're screwed."
Ryo wants to move his head to glare at Nino but he can barely lift it off his arms. He settles for turning it slightly and narrowing his eyes. Nino only laughs, but Ryo always thought Nino was sadistic enough to laugh at people's glares. "Helpful."
"Like you expected otherwise," Nino quips before drinking some water.
"I thought my big brother would help his little brother out."
Nino snorts. "If this was Ryuusei no Kizuna, Taisuke wouldn't be asking Koichi for help with girls."
"That is very true," Ryo agrees, chuckling, but the world swirls violently around him so he shuts his eyes. Nothing changes and Ryo groans.
"You're an idiot. Why'd you drink so much anyway?" Nino asks, voice tinged with concern. His hand rubs circles on his back and even though it doesn't really do anything to calm his irritated stomach, Ryo feels a little better.
"Stress," Ryo moans.
Pause. Nino sighs. "Okay, fine. I'll be helpful. Asami-chan's easy-going and talkative. Just talk to her and you'll get along."
"...Still not helpful."
Nino shrugs. "That's the best way. Not my problem you suck with girls."
"You suck," Ryo retorts.
Nino's hand stills against his back as he laughs-Ryo can feel the vibrations of Nino's shaking body though as Nino leans in dangerously close. "Are you asking?" Ryo squints and catches a glimpse of Nino's smirk before he swirls out of focus.
"I hope Masami-chan knows you kiss her with that mouth."
"And then some."
"Vulgar."
Nino's laughter is the last thing he hears that night.
Spring 2008
Ryo is actually excited for his role in Last Friends-it's not often a Johnny's boy can brag that he played a bad guy for an entire series. He did his research, talked to some people and studied his script. Not to mention, he enjoys the chance to test his own acting. But that feeling quickly faded as days and weeks and months went by and the closest he got to the cast members was an occasional lunch together where he got in maybe a word or two.
"And how much are you trying?" Yamapi asks, pushing Ryo's back as Ryo touches his hands to his toes and his nose to his leg.
Ryo grumbles, "I try."
Yamapi laughs. "Masami-chan says otherwise."
"Big mouth," Ryo says under his breath. He can see Yamapi raise an eyebrow from the mirror in front of them, but Ryo ignores it.
"Why do you even care?" Yamapi asks. "You're usually so quiet on drama sets anyway."
Ryo almost stops in his motions, but he keeps going-if he stopped, Yamapi would get suspicious and he couldn't have that. "No real reason," he lies as he finishes his own stretches and lends Yamapi a hand with his stretches.
He can't admit that his eyes unintentionally follow Mizukawa Asami as she moves around the set. That he notices when she's around him, like her presence just begs for people to see her. He's only grateful that a lot of the people on the set seem to be under her "spell" as well.
But Ryo's noticed her for longer than most-he'll just never tell anyone how long.
Summer 2009
The first time they kiss it's hidden in some corridor, only a week and some days after Ryo went back to work for Orthros no Inu. It's dark and secluded and he's pretty sure that something's edge is digging into his back, but Asami's lips are pressing against his lips and her hands are clutching at his pink shirt. Ryo's eyes close as his hands slide to her hips and he pulls her close.
His mind spins and his body goes hot. Ryo's not sure if it's her heartbeat or his that he's feeling, but whoever it belongs to, it pounds furiously between their bodies. Her hands move from clutching his shirt to tangling in his hair, simultaneously tugging him down. Asami even tilts her head, gaining and giving more access; Ryo almost moans into her mouth.
She pulls away to his disappointment some time later and Ryo half-doesn't want to open his eyes out of fear that all he'll see is his white bedroom ceiling. But he does open them. What he sees is her smiling face.
"What was that?" Ryo croaks; he can feel his cheeks warming with embarrassment.
Asami only grins at him. "I thought you needed that after everyone's either been avoiding you or staying at least ten feet away."
"I needed someone to make out with me?" Ryo asks, crossing his arms.
"Human contact," Asami corrects.
"Again, making out?"
Asami laughs. "I won't lie and say I might've taken advantage of the situation." She winks and starts to walk away, but she stops right where their hallway connects with the main one and turns towards him. "Beside I wanted to see for myself if Masami-chan was lying or not."
Ryo blinks. "And?" he asks.
Her eyes twinkle before she answers. "Depends on how many takes you guys had."
He almost swallows under her gaze, but manages to say smoothly-or at least he hopes it was smoothly. "A couple."
She laughs. "Then ask me after a couple more takes." Ryo swears he sees her wink before she disappears around the corner. Only then does he allow himself to breath, putting a hand to his chest. He realizes that his heart never did calm down.
Fall 2009
"Masami-chan, what is going on?"
"Dok-kun!" Masami says in surprise-mock surprise, Ryo's sure. If anything, he almost bets that Asami's sitting right next to her gesturing wildly. "What could you mean?" He can hear this rush of wind on her side, like she's moving quickly to another spot.
He waits a few seconds until it stops to talk. "If there's anything I know about you and Mizukawa, it's that you tell each other everything. So you already know what I'm asking."
The other line is silent for more than is healthy-to the point that Ryo even wonders if she just hung up on him. That is until he hears Masami sigh. "Nishikido-kun, you shouldn't be asking me."
"I'd love to ask Mizukawa," Ryo says-bitterly to his own ears. "But I was under the impression she was avoiding me. Two weeks, Nagasawa."
Masami goes quiet again. "I'm sorry, Dok-kun."
Ryo sighs, combing his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snapping at you." He sighs again. "Just... Can you tell her to call me?"
"I'll pass her the message," Masami says-Ryo doesn't fail to notice that she makes no assurances. He supposes it's the best he can get.
"Thanks," he says before hanging up. He rests his head against his couch-he's not sure where they went wrong.
Summer 2009
"That's not it at all!" Asami giggles, shoving Ryo lightly. He only chuckles, hands shoved into his pockets. He teeters a little off balance, but manages to stay firmly on his feet without embarrassing himself.
"Cozy," Takki comments as he approaches them.
Ryo nods his head in Takki's direction. "Hey."
"Sorry to interrupt Nishikido's attempt at flirting." Ryo sputters in indignation. "But you're needed on set, Asami-chan." Ryo glares at Takki while Asami giggles, shaking her head.
"Thanks, Takizawa-kun," Asami comments as she starts to move towards the set. Ryo doesn't miss that she drags her arm down his, squeezing his wrist lightly before she leaves.
Judging by Takki's raised eyebrow, he doesn't miss it either. "Nice," he comments.
"What?" Ryo says as nonchalantly as he can manage.
"Like nobody can miss you actually talking to someone on set," Takki jokes. "We can all tell how you feel about Asami-chan." Ryo stares at him suspiciously for a long minute before Takki tacks on, "And I've been talking to Pi."
Ryo grumbles which only prompts Takki to laugh and slap a hand against Ryo's back. "As if everyone couldn't tell already." Ryo sighs and resigns himself to the fact that Takki's probably right.
"Ready!" he hears them yell and Ryo raises his eyes to see Asami about to start her scene. She glances in his direction for a second and their eyes catch. She grins at him and Ryo feels his throat tighten, his eyes frozen on her figure.
He hears Takki snort beside him. "Yeah, you've got it bad."
Without meaning to, Ryo nods his head.
Winter 2009
She calls him.
It takes her three months more than he'd like, but Asami finally calls him. Ryo's tempted not to pick it up, but he does.
"Hey," he greets. "It's been a while." Ryo tries to keep the bitterness from his voice, but he's not sure he managed when he doesn't hear anything coming from Asami's end.
"Sorry," he finally hears. "I didn't-I'm sorry."
Ryo exhales harshly-just the sound of her voice is making him less angry and he can't have that. "That's not enough," he breathes. "I need-I need to know why."
"Ryo..." Asami starts. His name sounds strange in her voice-foreign and rough. "Did-did we even have something?"
Ryo almost drops the phone. Instead he just hangs up on her. He stares at the phone in his hands, but she doesn't call back again.
Summer 2009
Ryo thinks he loses a bit of his sanity whenever he's with her. Her kisses drive him crazy and her body flush against him makes him wish that they didn't only do this whenever they were shooting. His lips press against hers again and again-each time, fire shoots through his body and his mind paints images before they actually occur.
His hands slip up the back of her shirt-skin, slightly cold so he drags his hands up them, hoping that maybe he can warm her up. Asami only moans into his mouth and pulls him closer, tugging at the back of his shirt.
They're spinning around his dressing room-or at least that's what his head is leading him to believe-until she falls backwards, presumably onto the couch, and he falls on top of her. But Ryo's so close to the edge that he only falls off the couch with a yelp.
The bump on his head probably is smaller than it feels. Ryo rubs his hand against his head with a groan. Asami stares at him with wide eyes. This lasts for only two more minutes before she bursts into laughter.
"Thanks," Ryo dead-pans as he sits up against the table. "I do so like it when people laugh at my pain."
"Then it's good you have me around," Asami smirks. "I'm DoS, remember?"
"Hard to forget," Ryo snorts.
"But we compliment each other, DoM-kun," Asami coos, hopping off the couch to join him on the floor and pressing her lips to his. He smiles against them before pulling her into his arms.
-
Ryo always feels a jolt of excitement whenever he catches her watching him. Unlike him though, Asami doesn't turn away in embarrassment or bashfully acknowledge her attention. She grins and waves at him with large gestures-as if he couldn't see her even though they were a long corridor apart-with many people in between to boot.
But he could find her and sometimes, he feels like Asami could always find him.
The thought always makes his heart pound with possibility.
-
He almost tells her several times.
It's not that Ryo thinks he shouldn't; it's more that they're always inopportune moments when he suddenly realizes that he's never really told her how much he likes her. Then again, Asami hasn't said it either.
He realizes when he's in the shower. Or in the middle of a scene with her when she's talking about something and turns in his direction and stares waiting for his next line. Or when he's been kissing her for a little too long and his head is a little dizzy.
But he doesn't tell her. He doesn't just say the words that he's been thinking for weeks now. I like you. I've liked you for a long time.
Winter 2009
Ryo picks up his phone to call Asami constantly-picks it up, then puts it right back down. Every time he thinks, What can I say? What do I even want to say?
Thankfully, the knock on his door distracts him from having to think about it. Until Ryo opens the door that is. "Mizukawa," he breathes.
She looks different in front of his doorstep-vulnerable and confused. Not at all what he remembers her being. "You weren't calling."
"How-how did you even know where I lived?" he asked.
Asami laughs. "That's what you wonder first?"
"I-Right now, yes."
"Nino. Who got it from Masami who got it from Yamashita-kun." Asami wrinkles her nose. "Although I think Nino has gotten ideas in his head now."
Ryo groans, "Now I'm going to have to move." Asami laughs again and Ryo finds himself smiling until he remembers the circumstances that even bring her to his doorstep. "Um, you should come in," he says, gesturing inside.
She smiles at him before entering his place, toeing off her shoes at the entrance. "It's neater than I expected," she comments.
"I try."
They both sit on the couch side-by-side in this silence. It makes Ryo's hands itch and his mind concocts different scenarios (Asami pushing him down on the couch, Ryo pushing Asami down on the couch, Asami punching him for not calling, Nino bursting through the door and just being annoying)-none of which actually happen.
What actually happens is that Asami murmurs words that he didn't think he'd hear. "I like you." Ryo turns his head towards her, but she's looking down at her hands on her lap. "I don't know why I didn't just say it, but I liked you. What we had-it wasn't just physical for me, but after shooting finished, I realized that's mainly what we did. A lot of making out in dark rooms and hallways. We-"
"Me too," Ryo interrupts-the words spill from his mouth before he actually had time to think of what else he'd say after that. Asami's eyes are on him now, making it even harder for him to think. "I like you too. I have for a long time. It wasn't just physical to me either."
Asami stares at him. For so long that Ryo feels his hands start to itch again. "For how long?" she finally asks.
Ryo blinks. "That's what you ask first?"
"Right now, yes." Ryo can see the hints of a smile that Asami is struggling to stamp down. "So how long?" she asks. This time, she doesn't even bother to hide her smile.
"You suck," Ryo snaps, crossing his arms against his chest.
The widest grin that Ryo has ever seen spreads on Asami's face. "Only if you're asking." She combines this with a waggle of her eyebrows and Ryo groans.
"Well, fuck me," Ryo sighs. It was no wonder she was friends with Nino.
"Only-" Asami starts again, but Ryo covers her mouth with his own.
"Just shut up," he says against her lips.
"Took you long enough."
"You don't even know."
Spring 1999
Ryo will never admit to Subaru that he watched his drama with Nino. He's not even sure himself why he's doing it, until she appears on screen. Half of her hair tied up in a high ponytail, leaning against Nino's character's shoulder and talking about something he's not entirely sure he heard. Asami smiles and Ryo blinks.
His heart skips a beat for the first of many times.
From: tinyangl
SEASON'S GREETINGS!
Title: Miscommunication
Pairing/Group: Nishikido Ryo/Mizukawa Asami, Ninomiya Kazunari/Nagasawa Masami, Yamashita Tomohisa, Takizawa Hideaki
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Het? Some cursing and drinking. But mild stuff.
Notes: Written for ezyls_girl for je_holiday. Hopefully this will be a good portrayal of Mizukawa Asami for you, dear recipient. I've never written her before, so hopefully this will be okay. Also, sorry about the blatant Nino/Masami. They're both good friends of Asami so I thought, why not? XD And lastly, I just hope you enjoy. <333 Happy holidays.
Summary: Sometimes words speak louder than action.
Summer 2009
She kisses him hard like she's starved for him-her arms are wrapped around his neck and tug him downwards. Ryo almost stumbles in his attempt to hold her steady. Her lips are slick, probably just glossed, and they slide against his own.
When he finally gets over the initial shock of her barging into his dressing room and just kissing him out of the blue-not that that's entirely new or unwelcome-his hands on her waist tug her so close that not even a molecule of air could possibly be between them. Her body feels small in his grasp, even though he's sure he can't speak when it comes to thinness.
Asami pulls away and Ryo slowly opens his eyes, staring straight at a lop-sided smile that he's been seeing regularly for the past three months. He leans in again and brushes his lips softly against hers. "What was that about?" he asks.
"Just because," she responds with a shrug. "Can't a girl just come in and make out with her co-star?"
Ryo raises an eyebrow. "Is this the kind of treatment you give all your co-stars? And here I thought I was special."
Asami laughs, throws her head back and laughs; he loves her laugh because it always feels real-like it comes from inside of her and not just for appearances. "Don't get ahead of yourself." She whacks him gently on the shoulder. "Besides you know most of the people I've starred with, just ask them."
"Well, Nino did say you guys got along really well." He quirks an eyebrow and her smile has slowly turned into a smirk.
"I'm sure Masami-chan would appreciate that."
"Knowing them, they'd just ask you to join them," he snorts.
Aami pauses, looking thoughtful before shaking her head. "You're probably right."
He grins, leaning in again and pecking her quickly. "It's too bad we can't continue this," he says, leaning his forehead against hers.
For a second, her smile falters, but it's gone so quickly that he's not sure he imagined it or not. "Yeah, too bad." She leans in again and this time, it's more than just a quick peck. It leaves him breathless each time-his hands tighten around her waist and he doesn't ever want to let her go but the calls of the stylist calling his name breaks them apart.
"Let's get back to work," Asami murmurs against his lips. Ryo struggles to open his eyes, but the disappearance of her warmth forces him to. Her arms are down by her side and her smile's fixed on her face again.
"Okay," he sighs. "But next time, we're skipping it all." They would never, but sometimes just saying the words is more than the action itself. She laughs and walks through the door; he follows behind her, noticing the extra skip in her step, but he hides his smile. She turns around, gives him one last exaggerated wink and turns the corner, walking down some corridor. He turns the other.
What Ryo realizes days later is that Asami was kissing him goodbye that afternoon.
Spring 2009
"You've worked with her before," Nino says over drinks.
Ryo's head is already pounding from the amount of alcohol he's consumed so he doesn't really remember how they even got onto the topic of Mizukawa Asami. "Yeah, well. I wasn't exactly the favorite on that set," Ryo slurs, lowering his head onto the counter.
Nino's hand is heavy against his back, pound after pound. Ryo groans after the fifth one so Nino stops, but he doesn't move his hand from Ryo's back. "Well in that case, you're screwed."
Ryo wants to move his head to glare at Nino but he can barely lift it off his arms. He settles for turning it slightly and narrowing his eyes. Nino only laughs, but Ryo always thought Nino was sadistic enough to laugh at people's glares. "Helpful."
"Like you expected otherwise," Nino quips before drinking some water.
"I thought my big brother would help his little brother out."
Nino snorts. "If this was Ryuusei no Kizuna, Taisuke wouldn't be asking Koichi for help with girls."
"That is very true," Ryo agrees, chuckling, but the world swirls violently around him so he shuts his eyes. Nothing changes and Ryo groans.
"You're an idiot. Why'd you drink so much anyway?" Nino asks, voice tinged with concern. His hand rubs circles on his back and even though it doesn't really do anything to calm his irritated stomach, Ryo feels a little better.
"Stress," Ryo moans.
Pause. Nino sighs. "Okay, fine. I'll be helpful. Asami-chan's easy-going and talkative. Just talk to her and you'll get along."
"...Still not helpful."
Nino shrugs. "That's the best way. Not my problem you suck with girls."
"You suck," Ryo retorts.
Nino's hand stills against his back as he laughs-Ryo can feel the vibrations of Nino's shaking body though as Nino leans in dangerously close. "Are you asking?" Ryo squints and catches a glimpse of Nino's smirk before he swirls out of focus.
"I hope Masami-chan knows you kiss her with that mouth."
"And then some."
"Vulgar."
Nino's laughter is the last thing he hears that night.
Spring 2008
Ryo is actually excited for his role in Last Friends-it's not often a Johnny's boy can brag that he played a bad guy for an entire series. He did his research, talked to some people and studied his script. Not to mention, he enjoys the chance to test his own acting. But that feeling quickly faded as days and weeks and months went by and the closest he got to the cast members was an occasional lunch together where he got in maybe a word or two.
"And how much are you trying?" Yamapi asks, pushing Ryo's back as Ryo touches his hands to his toes and his nose to his leg.
Ryo grumbles, "I try."
Yamapi laughs. "Masami-chan says otherwise."
"Big mouth," Ryo says under his breath. He can see Yamapi raise an eyebrow from the mirror in front of them, but Ryo ignores it.
"Why do you even care?" Yamapi asks. "You're usually so quiet on drama sets anyway."
Ryo almost stops in his motions, but he keeps going-if he stopped, Yamapi would get suspicious and he couldn't have that. "No real reason," he lies as he finishes his own stretches and lends Yamapi a hand with his stretches.
He can't admit that his eyes unintentionally follow Mizukawa Asami as she moves around the set. That he notices when she's around him, like her presence just begs for people to see her. He's only grateful that a lot of the people on the set seem to be under her "spell" as well.
But Ryo's noticed her for longer than most-he'll just never tell anyone how long.
Summer 2009
The first time they kiss it's hidden in some corridor, only a week and some days after Ryo went back to work for Orthros no Inu. It's dark and secluded and he's pretty sure that something's edge is digging into his back, but Asami's lips are pressing against his lips and her hands are clutching at his pink shirt. Ryo's eyes close as his hands slide to her hips and he pulls her close.
His mind spins and his body goes hot. Ryo's not sure if it's her heartbeat or his that he's feeling, but whoever it belongs to, it pounds furiously between their bodies. Her hands move from clutching his shirt to tangling in his hair, simultaneously tugging him down. Asami even tilts her head, gaining and giving more access; Ryo almost moans into her mouth.
She pulls away to his disappointment some time later and Ryo half-doesn't want to open his eyes out of fear that all he'll see is his white bedroom ceiling. But he does open them. What he sees is her smiling face.
"What was that?" Ryo croaks; he can feel his cheeks warming with embarrassment.
Asami only grins at him. "I thought you needed that after everyone's either been avoiding you or staying at least ten feet away."
"I needed someone to make out with me?" Ryo asks, crossing his arms.
"Human contact," Asami corrects.
"Again, making out?"
Asami laughs. "I won't lie and say I might've taken advantage of the situation." She winks and starts to walk away, but she stops right where their hallway connects with the main one and turns towards him. "Beside I wanted to see for myself if Masami-chan was lying or not."
Ryo blinks. "And?" he asks.
Her eyes twinkle before she answers. "Depends on how many takes you guys had."
He almost swallows under her gaze, but manages to say smoothly-or at least he hopes it was smoothly. "A couple."
She laughs. "Then ask me after a couple more takes." Ryo swears he sees her wink before she disappears around the corner. Only then does he allow himself to breath, putting a hand to his chest. He realizes that his heart never did calm down.
Fall 2009
"Masami-chan, what is going on?"
"Dok-kun!" Masami says in surprise-mock surprise, Ryo's sure. If anything, he almost bets that Asami's sitting right next to her gesturing wildly. "What could you mean?" He can hear this rush of wind on her side, like she's moving quickly to another spot.
He waits a few seconds until it stops to talk. "If there's anything I know about you and Mizukawa, it's that you tell each other everything. So you already know what I'm asking."
The other line is silent for more than is healthy-to the point that Ryo even wonders if she just hung up on him. That is until he hears Masami sigh. "Nishikido-kun, you shouldn't be asking me."
"I'd love to ask Mizukawa," Ryo says-bitterly to his own ears. "But I was under the impression she was avoiding me. Two weeks, Nagasawa."
Masami goes quiet again. "I'm sorry, Dok-kun."
Ryo sighs, combing his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snapping at you." He sighs again. "Just... Can you tell her to call me?"
"I'll pass her the message," Masami says-Ryo doesn't fail to notice that she makes no assurances. He supposes it's the best he can get.
"Thanks," he says before hanging up. He rests his head against his couch-he's not sure where they went wrong.
Summer 2009
"That's not it at all!" Asami giggles, shoving Ryo lightly. He only chuckles, hands shoved into his pockets. He teeters a little off balance, but manages to stay firmly on his feet without embarrassing himself.
"Cozy," Takki comments as he approaches them.
Ryo nods his head in Takki's direction. "Hey."
"Sorry to interrupt Nishikido's attempt at flirting." Ryo sputters in indignation. "But you're needed on set, Asami-chan." Ryo glares at Takki while Asami giggles, shaking her head.
"Thanks, Takizawa-kun," Asami comments as she starts to move towards the set. Ryo doesn't miss that she drags her arm down his, squeezing his wrist lightly before she leaves.
Judging by Takki's raised eyebrow, he doesn't miss it either. "Nice," he comments.
"What?" Ryo says as nonchalantly as he can manage.
"Like nobody can miss you actually talking to someone on set," Takki jokes. "We can all tell how you feel about Asami-chan." Ryo stares at him suspiciously for a long minute before Takki tacks on, "And I've been talking to Pi."
Ryo grumbles which only prompts Takki to laugh and slap a hand against Ryo's back. "As if everyone couldn't tell already." Ryo sighs and resigns himself to the fact that Takki's probably right.
"Ready!" he hears them yell and Ryo raises his eyes to see Asami about to start her scene. She glances in his direction for a second and their eyes catch. She grins at him and Ryo feels his throat tighten, his eyes frozen on her figure.
He hears Takki snort beside him. "Yeah, you've got it bad."
Without meaning to, Ryo nods his head.
Winter 2009
She calls him.
It takes her three months more than he'd like, but Asami finally calls him. Ryo's tempted not to pick it up, but he does.
"Hey," he greets. "It's been a while." Ryo tries to keep the bitterness from his voice, but he's not sure he managed when he doesn't hear anything coming from Asami's end.
"Sorry," he finally hears. "I didn't-I'm sorry."
Ryo exhales harshly-just the sound of her voice is making him less angry and he can't have that. "That's not enough," he breathes. "I need-I need to know why."
"Ryo..." Asami starts. His name sounds strange in her voice-foreign and rough. "Did-did we even have something?"
Ryo almost drops the phone. Instead he just hangs up on her. He stares at the phone in his hands, but she doesn't call back again.
Summer 2009
Ryo thinks he loses a bit of his sanity whenever he's with her. Her kisses drive him crazy and her body flush against him makes him wish that they didn't only do this whenever they were shooting. His lips press against hers again and again-each time, fire shoots through his body and his mind paints images before they actually occur.
His hands slip up the back of her shirt-skin, slightly cold so he drags his hands up them, hoping that maybe he can warm her up. Asami only moans into his mouth and pulls him closer, tugging at the back of his shirt.
They're spinning around his dressing room-or at least that's what his head is leading him to believe-until she falls backwards, presumably onto the couch, and he falls on top of her. But Ryo's so close to the edge that he only falls off the couch with a yelp.
The bump on his head probably is smaller than it feels. Ryo rubs his hand against his head with a groan. Asami stares at him with wide eyes. This lasts for only two more minutes before she bursts into laughter.
"Thanks," Ryo dead-pans as he sits up against the table. "I do so like it when people laugh at my pain."
"Then it's good you have me around," Asami smirks. "I'm DoS, remember?"
"Hard to forget," Ryo snorts.
"But we compliment each other, DoM-kun," Asami coos, hopping off the couch to join him on the floor and pressing her lips to his. He smiles against them before pulling her into his arms.
-
Ryo always feels a jolt of excitement whenever he catches her watching him. Unlike him though, Asami doesn't turn away in embarrassment or bashfully acknowledge her attention. She grins and waves at him with large gestures-as if he couldn't see her even though they were a long corridor apart-with many people in between to boot.
But he could find her and sometimes, he feels like Asami could always find him.
The thought always makes his heart pound with possibility.
-
He almost tells her several times.
It's not that Ryo thinks he shouldn't; it's more that they're always inopportune moments when he suddenly realizes that he's never really told her how much he likes her. Then again, Asami hasn't said it either.
He realizes when he's in the shower. Or in the middle of a scene with her when she's talking about something and turns in his direction and stares waiting for his next line. Or when he's been kissing her for a little too long and his head is a little dizzy.
But he doesn't tell her. He doesn't just say the words that he's been thinking for weeks now. I like you. I've liked you for a long time.
Winter 2009
Ryo picks up his phone to call Asami constantly-picks it up, then puts it right back down. Every time he thinks, What can I say? What do I even want to say?
Thankfully, the knock on his door distracts him from having to think about it. Until Ryo opens the door that is. "Mizukawa," he breathes.
She looks different in front of his doorstep-vulnerable and confused. Not at all what he remembers her being. "You weren't calling."
"How-how did you even know where I lived?" he asked.
Asami laughs. "That's what you wonder first?"
"I-Right now, yes."
"Nino. Who got it from Masami who got it from Yamashita-kun." Asami wrinkles her nose. "Although I think Nino has gotten ideas in his head now."
Ryo groans, "Now I'm going to have to move." Asami laughs again and Ryo finds himself smiling until he remembers the circumstances that even bring her to his doorstep. "Um, you should come in," he says, gesturing inside.
She smiles at him before entering his place, toeing off her shoes at the entrance. "It's neater than I expected," she comments.
"I try."
They both sit on the couch side-by-side in this silence. It makes Ryo's hands itch and his mind concocts different scenarios (Asami pushing him down on the couch, Ryo pushing Asami down on the couch, Asami punching him for not calling, Nino bursting through the door and just being annoying)-none of which actually happen.
What actually happens is that Asami murmurs words that he didn't think he'd hear. "I like you." Ryo turns his head towards her, but she's looking down at her hands on her lap. "I don't know why I didn't just say it, but I liked you. What we had-it wasn't just physical for me, but after shooting finished, I realized that's mainly what we did. A lot of making out in dark rooms and hallways. We-"
"Me too," Ryo interrupts-the words spill from his mouth before he actually had time to think of what else he'd say after that. Asami's eyes are on him now, making it even harder for him to think. "I like you too. I have for a long time. It wasn't just physical to me either."
Asami stares at him. For so long that Ryo feels his hands start to itch again. "For how long?" she finally asks.
Ryo blinks. "That's what you ask first?"
"Right now, yes." Ryo can see the hints of a smile that Asami is struggling to stamp down. "So how long?" she asks. This time, she doesn't even bother to hide her smile.
"You suck," Ryo snaps, crossing his arms against his chest.
The widest grin that Ryo has ever seen spreads on Asami's face. "Only if you're asking." She combines this with a waggle of her eyebrows and Ryo groans.
"Well, fuck me," Ryo sighs. It was no wonder she was friends with Nino.
"Only-" Asami starts again, but Ryo covers her mouth with his own.
"Just shut up," he says against her lips.
"Took you long enough."
"You don't even know."
Spring 1999
Ryo will never admit to Subaru that he watched his drama with Nino. He's not even sure himself why he's doing it, until she appears on screen. Half of her hair tied up in a high ponytail, leaning against Nino's character's shoulder and talking about something he's not entirely sure he heard. Asami smiles and Ryo blinks.
His heart skips a beat for the first of many times.