[fic] The First Time
Title: The First Time
Rating: P, PG-13, R? It's all over the place.
Pairing: Taguchi Junnosuke/Aiba Masaki; implied Jun/Ohno, Sho/Nino, and slight one-sided Sho/Aiba.
Word Count: 3152
Summary: A series of firsts in Aiba and Taguchi's relationship.
Author's Notes: I've always, always loved this pairing. In fact, I think it's my OTP after Sho/Aiba! I wish I had more to say about it, but consider this an attempt at getting down how the two of them would work in a relationship from their point of views, as well as the other members. Also, this takes place over the course of a year and a half/two years, in case anyone wants to know since I didn't make it clear anywhere in the story. Unbeta'd.
The first time they text is done unknowingly.
It was a few days after a chance meeting; really, Ohkura had no idea Yoko was going to go to the same ramen place as he was. He also had no idea that his bandmate would be dining with Aiba Masaki that night, and Yoko's face after seeing Taguchi probably said the same thing. But since colleagues are colleagues and sempais are sempais and kouhais are kouhais, and it wasn't like Aiba and Taguchi weren't friendly people, so they decide to sit together instead, hoping for the best.
They didn't really expect Taguchi and Aiba to get along the way they do, but in retrospect, Ohkura thinks it would be almost impossibly hard for those two to not get along with anybody, let alone each other. But Aiba laughs at all of Taguchi's jokes like they're the most hilarious things he's ever heard and Taguchi is more than fascinated by the experiments that Aiba has done in the past or wants to do in the future and it almost feels like they're two long lost friends, looking to refamiliarize themselves with each other after years of broken contact.
It's why Yoko steals Aiba's phone the next time they hang out and secretly inputs Taguchi's phone number into it and sends him mail, claiming to be Aiba and he would really love to get to know Taguchi better. Taguchi, of course, has no idea how 'Aiba' got his phone number but finds he doesn't mind it much and sends a reply while trying to dodge Ohkura's prying eyes.
Aiba looks at the message in his inbox, a little puzzled at how Taguchi got his phone number, but doesn't really pay it much mind because it is his life and weird things are known to occur from time to time. He reads Taguchi's reply and goes to save the number but finds that he already has it and that puzzles him even more. He ponders this as Yoko stuffs approximately one and three fifths of nikkuman into his mouth, trying to keep from laughing hysterically.
In the meanwhile, Ohkura watches Taguchi save the phone number into his phone, a look of...something on his face. He pokes his side playfully, smiling when Taguchi jumps. "What are you thinking?"
"Me?" Taguchi says, then shrugs. "Nothing."
Ohkura studies him carefully. "Are you lying?"
Taguchi looks at him incredulously. "No! Why would I lie to you?"
"I don't know, something tells me you're harboring some secret crush on our sempai because he laughed at your jokes," Ohkura whistles. Taguchi sputters.
"Not true and you know it. I just didn't know how much fun Aiba-san was. I never really got the chance to sit and get to know him."
Ohkura fakes a pensive look, nodding emphatically. "You know what would help that?"
"What?"
"Asking him out on a date," Ohkura beams.
"I -- Wha -- No."
--------
The first time they go on a date is also the last official date they go on.
Taguchi, for whatever reasons Aiba couldn't even begin to fathom, had some strange notion that a date with someone you like was different from a date with someone that you're trying to impress. Aiba always thought that dates weren't about impressing anybody but having fun together instead and enjoying each other's company. Apparently, Taguchi thought differently.
To Taguchi, a date was dressing to impress. The dater -- Taguchi, in this case, since Aiba was sure he was the dated that night -- was supposed to be suave and sophisticated and was going to take the dated to a nice, suave, sophisticated restaurant where they would have a sophisticated meal, followed by a sophisticated dessert. To Aiba, this sort of date was the kind of date you'd arrange if you were trying to date Matsujun.
The place Taguchi chose wasn't all that dressy, if Aiba was going to be honest, but it was a little more swank than he was used to since he wasn't expecting anything formal to begin with. The menu was in a language he vaguely thought was Italian and decided that he should tell Jun about the place, since if it was in Italian it had to be an Italian restaurant, and Jun liked that sort of thing. He could probably come here and bring Ohno and wax poetic about what fine wine was or whatever it is that Jun did on his dates.
But the wait staff seemed a little flustered to actually have to utilize their more private section for once and things are a little too formal; stifling, even, and the whole situation is just a little too awkward. Conversation is stilted and pretty much non-existent and it's boring and Aiba's a little disappointed because...well, Taguchi just didn't seem like the type who liked stuffy, classy dates.
Afterwards, as they're meandering the streets of Shibuya, Taguchi sighs a little. "I'm going to kill Kame."
Aiba blinks. "Why?"
"Because -- well, I guess it's partially my fault, too, for being an idiot, but." Taguchi shakes his head. "He suggested that I take you somewhere nicer than usual. I had wanted to take you to my favorite ramen place, but he thought it was a little tacky."
"You told him?" Aiba asks, confused. Taguchi shook his head quickly.
"No! I mean. I was going to, if this went okay, which it didn't, so I don't think there's anything to tell him. I just said that I was going on a date and wondered if a ramen place was suitable for a first date and Kame went on about how ramen is never suitable for dates because dates are romantic." Taguchi says sheepishly, babbling as he swings his arms around.
For the first time that night, Aiba laughed. "Why does this not surprise me at all? Taguchi-kun," he says as they continue to walk down the street. "I don't need to be wooed. Ramen would have been fine." He pauses, wrinkling his nose a little. "Unless you were going to do it just because it was the place we first got to hang out. Then that's...a little."
Taguchi laughs, falling in step next to him. "I just really wanted ramen today."
"Ahhh, so the truth comes out!" Aiba shakes his head. "Let's forget the dates then."
"Eh?" Aiba can almost feel the shocked expression on Taguchi's face, making it even funnier. He smiles.
"If dates have to be romantic and boring, I'd rather not date. Let's hang out instead. Friday night, if you're free," Aiba says without batting an eyelash. Taguchi smiles and nods.
Later, Taguchi tells Kamenashi that he's not dating this mystery person anymore because the date was a bust and Kamenashi almost feels bad that he, essentially, ruined something potentially good for Taguchi, but then his bandmate laughs and tells him that his idea of a date is boring. Suddenly, Kamenashi doesn't feel so guilty anymore, but he does feel a twinge of something whenever someone claps Taguchi on the shoulder and he winces just slightly.
--------
The first time they kiss isn't really the first time they kiss, but it's the first time in front of friends.
Sho watches from the bench as Aiba dribbles the basketball down the concrete pavement, Yoko running after him to try and get the ball away, and Taguchi and Ohkura are running down the same length, Ohkura trying his best to cover Taguchi, in case Aiba wanted to pass. But maybe he forgets that Taguchi is tall, or at least an inch taller, and is naturally skilled at all sports and so when Aiba passes to him, all it takes is a leap for Taguchi to catch it. Sho watches Taguchi toss the ball into the net with incredible ease and high fives Aiba afterwards, ridiculous grins on both their faces.
"You're jealous," Nino smirks.
Sho swats him. "Am not."
Taguchi ducks under Ohkura's flailing arms, guarding the ball, and Nino kicks Sho's ankle a little bit. "I'm not talking about athletic ability."
"Neither am I," Sho replies. Taguchi manages to fake out Ohkura and jets towards the net, dodging inbetween kicking legs and awkward arms.
"Aiba thinks it's going well so far," Nino says absent-mindedly, picking at his fingernails.
"Maybe," Sho shrugs. Taguchi leaps into the air and, to everyone's surprise, manages to dunk the basketball in. He hangs off the rim for a few seconds, disbelief and shock and happiness all welling up on his face and they both watch Aiba dart over and hug Taguchi once he lands safely on the ground. Both pairs of lips are moving quickly and excitedly, too fast for Sho to be able to read them. And maybe, when Aiba was leaning in, he meant to go for the cheek but misses and gets his lips instead. Maybe. But they both look too happy for it to have been the first kiss, so Sho resigns himself in his spot on the bench, posture deflating.
"I told you so. Jealous." Nino sing-songs. Sho nudges him off the other end of the bench and Nino lays there on the concrete floor, laughing to himself as he folds his hands behind his head. He stops laughing after a few moments, though, and sighs. "You know, I don't like playing second, Sho-san."
"I know. You play first," Sho replies somewhat distractedly as Aiba jumps onto Taguchi's back, piggybacking across the court.
"I'm not talking about baseball."
"...oh."
--------
The first time they fight isn't really a fight; it was just a talk and Aiba likes to leave it alone because it's never been resolved and he still doesn't know how to deal with it.
For the most part, Taguchi was exactly who he came across as; bright, bubbly, slightly idiotic with a smile that could brighten the sky for days. Nothing seemed to faze him in the least, always willing to go with the flow and putting in his own opinion where needed. KAT-TUN was already full up on headstrong members, he had said once, so there wasn't a need for another one.
But every so often, Taguchi slips a little in his demeanor; to the untrained eye, the change is barely noticeable and Aiba himself barely manages to catch it, seeing as he was still getting used to Taguchi's mannerisms. But during those two or three times, Taguchi wouldn't talk as much though he was still attentive and would only eat about half of what he normally ate. In the past, Aiba would ask if he was okay and Taguchi would always smile a little tiredly and nod, reassuring him.
Aiba wonders aloud one time if whatever's on Taguchi's mind is too private to share and Taguchi looks like a little boy caught stealing cookies before dinner. Aiba smiles a little sheepishly, apologizing for being nosy and that if he didn't want to share, it was okay. Taguchi goes a few moments without saying anything, frown on his lips, and Aiba is about to change the subject when Taguchi sighs.
"It's not that I don't want to talk to you about it...I think you might not understand."
Aiba says, "Try me," and the words fly.
He thinks that he may take being in Arashi a little for granted as Taguchi tells him how frustrated he gets sometimes, not being able to express himself properly, having to play up to KAT-TUN's image of sex and rock and roll and sex, not having nearly enough say in what happens with the group. And Aiba realizes that Taguchi was right; he has no idea what that feels like because he never went through any of it, and he hates that he has no words to offer other than, 'it'll be okay,' because that sounds so shallow, even to himself.
Taguchi sags against his chair. "Sometimes, I think about quitting the group and just...I don't know. Doing something else. But then I think about it some more and realize that I could never leave the jimusho. Being an idol is all I know how to do." He raps his knuckles against the wood of the table in front of them once, twice, then stops. "I kind of feel like a brat for even thinking that. I mean, I'm lucky I got to debut at all."
Aiba doesn't say anything, concentrating his gaze on the same table, wishing he could not be so useless, even as a sempai. Taguchi smiles wryly and pays for dinner; they don't speak for a few days not because of what had happened but because of conflicting concert schedules, but it doesn't comfort Aiba any and for once, he realizes that just being happy together doesn't always save the day.
The next time they manage to see each other it's at the jimusho. Aiba titters a little before pushing Taguchi up against the wall of Arashi's dressing room and kissing him firmly, finding no other way to convey what he wants to say because Aiba was never the eloquent one. Taguchi's fingers bury themselves into the fabric of Aiba's waist, and his grip is death-tight and he realizes that Taguchi isn't so eloquent, either.
They break apart and, amidst the jeers and 'ahhhh my eyes!' from Nino, Aiba hugs him close. "The jimusho wouldn't be the same without you. I wouldn't be the same."
It's lame and cliche and doesn't stop Taguchi's future frustrations in the slightest, but it's from the heart and that's all Aiba's ever been able to give.
--------
The first time they have sex is filled with laughter and isn't sexy at all.
Well, it was going completely fine. What was supposed to be a goodnight kiss lead to Junno being pressed up against the back of Aiba's apartment door, his shirt already off and thrown to the side, and Aiba was already working at his pants when he complained that he was too naked in comparison and made short work of Aiba's shirt, throwing it somewhere into the kitchen. Because random articles of clothing hanging off kitchen utensils was funny. Yes.
Somehow, they made it to the bed, floor littered with clothing shed and Aiba relished in how typical it was, how cliche and movie-like. And Junno's good, of course he is, it wouldn't make sense in the grand scheme of the scene if he wasn't, and Aiba rolls his hips, pushes back, taking Junno in deeper with every thrust.
But then Junno pauses mid-thrust and Aiba whines, nosing the other's shoulder to get him moving again. Junno drops a kiss on Aiba's birthmark and giggles to himself. Giggles. Junno is laughing in the middle of sex and Aiba's too horny to ask what's so funny because he doesn't care and he just needs his boyfriend to start moving again or else --
"Ne," Junno says, barely stifling another laugh as he rolls his hips deliciously against Aiba's. "Iriguchi, deguchi, Taguchi desu~!"
"Oh my god, I'm never going to come," Aiba whimpers pitifully, burying his face in the nape of Junno's neck as the other man's body vibrates with chuckles.
That's a lie, of course; Junno may be a master of puns, but Aiba learns firsthand that night that puns aren't the only form of wordplay he's good at.
--------
The first time they move in together is the only time they move because Jun refuses to do this again, and everyone usually takes Jun's lead.
The apartment building is a madhouse because there is no order, none at all, and Jun understands that everyone from both bands want to be there to help out and provide moral support in such a fantastical venture by their respective idiot bandmates, but he would appreciate it very, very much if they actually got things done.
Right now, as Jun stood in the doorway of the bedroom, facing the living room, Ohno and Nino are busy opening all the housewarming gifts, Akanishi is spelling out naughty things with the magnetic poetry on the fridge, Nakamaru and Ueda are watering plants and, thankfully, Kamenashi looks just as exasperated as Jun feels. Especially since all this was going on when none of the actual furniture was in the apartment yet.
"Guys, there are shelves. Who buys shelves for people?" Nino asks while surrounded by wrapping paper, holding up a DIY-kit of off-white shelves. Ohno takes the kit from his hands and looks at it.
"Oh! I think I did. Or, well, they're from my mom." Ohno nods.
"What did you get them?" Nino questions, ripping the box open to start putting it together.
Ohno pauses, letting a few screws fall onto the floor. "A sewing kit."
Jun has to walk back into the bedroom in order to stop himself from screaming. As he rubs at his eyes, he feels a hand land on his shoulder in reassurance. He looks up and is surprised to see Sho, who somehow magicked his way back into the apartment with a few boxes without his noticing.
"You okay?" Sho asks, nudging the boxes out of the way with his foot.
Jun sighs warily. "I wish this wasn't complete pandemonium."
Sho smiles a little bit, leading Jun back out into the living room, where Tanaka and Kamenashi are trying to arrange the rug, couch and loveseat without running over Nino's foot at the same time. "Pandemonium it might be, but did you honestly expect it any other way?"
Before Jun has a chance to reply, there is a loud thump and everyone's attention snaps towards the front door, where Aiba is flown into the air after the moving cart he was sitting on hit a snag in the carpet. He lies on the floor in a crumpled heap, half laughing, half wheezing, and Junno is doubled over the cart, laughing hysterically.
Jun's shoulders sag in defeat and doesn't even bother trying to answer.
--------
The first time they say 'I love you' is in passing one morning as they're both heading out the door, kind of like how they'd say 'good morning' to greet bandmates. It's simple, nothing too special, and both don't even realize they've said it until Junno's at the recording studio and Aiba's on set for VS Arashi. Junno's voice is a little more emotional than what they're used to and Aiba spends all of filming in a quasi-lovestoned daze, failing miserably at the falling pipes and causing Arashi to end their 13-week winning streak.
Junno tells Kamenashi when the recording's over and Kamenashi is absolutely floored that the relationship even lasted this long and says so, though Junno suspects that the smile on the other's face speaks more than just what's being said.
Nino manages to weasel it out of Aiba and spends the rest of the day teasing, picking on, and groping Aiba for added measure and is only silenced when Sho, having had enough, yells at Nino to cut it out and it's not Aiba's fault that Sho hasn't said he loved him yet. Aiba completely ignores this slip up and checks the time because he just wants to go home to the brightest smile he'll ever, ever know.
Rating: P, PG-13, R? It's all over the place.
Pairing: Taguchi Junnosuke/Aiba Masaki; implied Jun/Ohno, Sho/Nino, and slight one-sided Sho/Aiba.
Word Count: 3152
Summary: A series of firsts in Aiba and Taguchi's relationship.
Author's Notes: I've always, always loved this pairing. In fact, I think it's my OTP after Sho/Aiba! I wish I had more to say about it, but consider this an attempt at getting down how the two of them would work in a relationship from their point of views, as well as the other members. Also, this takes place over the course of a year and a half/two years, in case anyone wants to know since I didn't make it clear anywhere in the story. Unbeta'd.
The first time they text is done unknowingly.
It was a few days after a chance meeting; really, Ohkura had no idea Yoko was going to go to the same ramen place as he was. He also had no idea that his bandmate would be dining with Aiba Masaki that night, and Yoko's face after seeing Taguchi probably said the same thing. But since colleagues are colleagues and sempais are sempais and kouhais are kouhais, and it wasn't like Aiba and Taguchi weren't friendly people, so they decide to sit together instead, hoping for the best.
They didn't really expect Taguchi and Aiba to get along the way they do, but in retrospect, Ohkura thinks it would be almost impossibly hard for those two to not get along with anybody, let alone each other. But Aiba laughs at all of Taguchi's jokes like they're the most hilarious things he's ever heard and Taguchi is more than fascinated by the experiments that Aiba has done in the past or wants to do in the future and it almost feels like they're two long lost friends, looking to refamiliarize themselves with each other after years of broken contact.
It's why Yoko steals Aiba's phone the next time they hang out and secretly inputs Taguchi's phone number into it and sends him mail, claiming to be Aiba and he would really love to get to know Taguchi better. Taguchi, of course, has no idea how 'Aiba' got his phone number but finds he doesn't mind it much and sends a reply while trying to dodge Ohkura's prying eyes.
Aiba looks at the message in his inbox, a little puzzled at how Taguchi got his phone number, but doesn't really pay it much mind because it is his life and weird things are known to occur from time to time. He reads Taguchi's reply and goes to save the number but finds that he already has it and that puzzles him even more. He ponders this as Yoko stuffs approximately one and three fifths of nikkuman into his mouth, trying to keep from laughing hysterically.
In the meanwhile, Ohkura watches Taguchi save the phone number into his phone, a look of...something on his face. He pokes his side playfully, smiling when Taguchi jumps. "What are you thinking?"
"Me?" Taguchi says, then shrugs. "Nothing."
Ohkura studies him carefully. "Are you lying?"
Taguchi looks at him incredulously. "No! Why would I lie to you?"
"I don't know, something tells me you're harboring some secret crush on our sempai because he laughed at your jokes," Ohkura whistles. Taguchi sputters.
"Not true and you know it. I just didn't know how much fun Aiba-san was. I never really got the chance to sit and get to know him."
Ohkura fakes a pensive look, nodding emphatically. "You know what would help that?"
"What?"
"Asking him out on a date," Ohkura beams.
"I -- Wha -- No."
--------
The first time they go on a date is also the last official date they go on.
Taguchi, for whatever reasons Aiba couldn't even begin to fathom, had some strange notion that a date with someone you like was different from a date with someone that you're trying to impress. Aiba always thought that dates weren't about impressing anybody but having fun together instead and enjoying each other's company. Apparently, Taguchi thought differently.
To Taguchi, a date was dressing to impress. The dater -- Taguchi, in this case, since Aiba was sure he was the dated that night -- was supposed to be suave and sophisticated and was going to take the dated to a nice, suave, sophisticated restaurant where they would have a sophisticated meal, followed by a sophisticated dessert. To Aiba, this sort of date was the kind of date you'd arrange if you were trying to date Matsujun.
The place Taguchi chose wasn't all that dressy, if Aiba was going to be honest, but it was a little more swank than he was used to since he wasn't expecting anything formal to begin with. The menu was in a language he vaguely thought was Italian and decided that he should tell Jun about the place, since if it was in Italian it had to be an Italian restaurant, and Jun liked that sort of thing. He could probably come here and bring Ohno and wax poetic about what fine wine was or whatever it is that Jun did on his dates.
But the wait staff seemed a little flustered to actually have to utilize their more private section for once and things are a little too formal; stifling, even, and the whole situation is just a little too awkward. Conversation is stilted and pretty much non-existent and it's boring and Aiba's a little disappointed because...well, Taguchi just didn't seem like the type who liked stuffy, classy dates.
Afterwards, as they're meandering the streets of Shibuya, Taguchi sighs a little. "I'm going to kill Kame."
Aiba blinks. "Why?"
"Because -- well, I guess it's partially my fault, too, for being an idiot, but." Taguchi shakes his head. "He suggested that I take you somewhere nicer than usual. I had wanted to take you to my favorite ramen place, but he thought it was a little tacky."
"You told him?" Aiba asks, confused. Taguchi shook his head quickly.
"No! I mean. I was going to, if this went okay, which it didn't, so I don't think there's anything to tell him. I just said that I was going on a date and wondered if a ramen place was suitable for a first date and Kame went on about how ramen is never suitable for dates because dates are romantic." Taguchi says sheepishly, babbling as he swings his arms around.
For the first time that night, Aiba laughed. "Why does this not surprise me at all? Taguchi-kun," he says as they continue to walk down the street. "I don't need to be wooed. Ramen would have been fine." He pauses, wrinkling his nose a little. "Unless you were going to do it just because it was the place we first got to hang out. Then that's...a little."
Taguchi laughs, falling in step next to him. "I just really wanted ramen today."
"Ahhh, so the truth comes out!" Aiba shakes his head. "Let's forget the dates then."
"Eh?" Aiba can almost feel the shocked expression on Taguchi's face, making it even funnier. He smiles.
"If dates have to be romantic and boring, I'd rather not date. Let's hang out instead. Friday night, if you're free," Aiba says without batting an eyelash. Taguchi smiles and nods.
Later, Taguchi tells Kamenashi that he's not dating this mystery person anymore because the date was a bust and Kamenashi almost feels bad that he, essentially, ruined something potentially good for Taguchi, but then his bandmate laughs and tells him that his idea of a date is boring. Suddenly, Kamenashi doesn't feel so guilty anymore, but he does feel a twinge of something whenever someone claps Taguchi on the shoulder and he winces just slightly.
--------
The first time they kiss isn't really the first time they kiss, but it's the first time in front of friends.
Sho watches from the bench as Aiba dribbles the basketball down the concrete pavement, Yoko running after him to try and get the ball away, and Taguchi and Ohkura are running down the same length, Ohkura trying his best to cover Taguchi, in case Aiba wanted to pass. But maybe he forgets that Taguchi is tall, or at least an inch taller, and is naturally skilled at all sports and so when Aiba passes to him, all it takes is a leap for Taguchi to catch it. Sho watches Taguchi toss the ball into the net with incredible ease and high fives Aiba afterwards, ridiculous grins on both their faces.
"You're jealous," Nino smirks.
Sho swats him. "Am not."
Taguchi ducks under Ohkura's flailing arms, guarding the ball, and Nino kicks Sho's ankle a little bit. "I'm not talking about athletic ability."
"Neither am I," Sho replies. Taguchi manages to fake out Ohkura and jets towards the net, dodging inbetween kicking legs and awkward arms.
"Aiba thinks it's going well so far," Nino says absent-mindedly, picking at his fingernails.
"Maybe," Sho shrugs. Taguchi leaps into the air and, to everyone's surprise, manages to dunk the basketball in. He hangs off the rim for a few seconds, disbelief and shock and happiness all welling up on his face and they both watch Aiba dart over and hug Taguchi once he lands safely on the ground. Both pairs of lips are moving quickly and excitedly, too fast for Sho to be able to read them. And maybe, when Aiba was leaning in, he meant to go for the cheek but misses and gets his lips instead. Maybe. But they both look too happy for it to have been the first kiss, so Sho resigns himself in his spot on the bench, posture deflating.
"I told you so. Jealous." Nino sing-songs. Sho nudges him off the other end of the bench and Nino lays there on the concrete floor, laughing to himself as he folds his hands behind his head. He stops laughing after a few moments, though, and sighs. "You know, I don't like playing second, Sho-san."
"I know. You play first," Sho replies somewhat distractedly as Aiba jumps onto Taguchi's back, piggybacking across the court.
"I'm not talking about baseball."
"...oh."
--------
The first time they fight isn't really a fight; it was just a talk and Aiba likes to leave it alone because it's never been resolved and he still doesn't know how to deal with it.
For the most part, Taguchi was exactly who he came across as; bright, bubbly, slightly idiotic with a smile that could brighten the sky for days. Nothing seemed to faze him in the least, always willing to go with the flow and putting in his own opinion where needed. KAT-TUN was already full up on headstrong members, he had said once, so there wasn't a need for another one.
But every so often, Taguchi slips a little in his demeanor; to the untrained eye, the change is barely noticeable and Aiba himself barely manages to catch it, seeing as he was still getting used to Taguchi's mannerisms. But during those two or three times, Taguchi wouldn't talk as much though he was still attentive and would only eat about half of what he normally ate. In the past, Aiba would ask if he was okay and Taguchi would always smile a little tiredly and nod, reassuring him.
Aiba wonders aloud one time if whatever's on Taguchi's mind is too private to share and Taguchi looks like a little boy caught stealing cookies before dinner. Aiba smiles a little sheepishly, apologizing for being nosy and that if he didn't want to share, it was okay. Taguchi goes a few moments without saying anything, frown on his lips, and Aiba is about to change the subject when Taguchi sighs.
"It's not that I don't want to talk to you about it...I think you might not understand."
Aiba says, "Try me," and the words fly.
He thinks that he may take being in Arashi a little for granted as Taguchi tells him how frustrated he gets sometimes, not being able to express himself properly, having to play up to KAT-TUN's image of sex and rock and roll and sex, not having nearly enough say in what happens with the group. And Aiba realizes that Taguchi was right; he has no idea what that feels like because he never went through any of it, and he hates that he has no words to offer other than, 'it'll be okay,' because that sounds so shallow, even to himself.
Taguchi sags against his chair. "Sometimes, I think about quitting the group and just...I don't know. Doing something else. But then I think about it some more and realize that I could never leave the jimusho. Being an idol is all I know how to do." He raps his knuckles against the wood of the table in front of them once, twice, then stops. "I kind of feel like a brat for even thinking that. I mean, I'm lucky I got to debut at all."
Aiba doesn't say anything, concentrating his gaze on the same table, wishing he could not be so useless, even as a sempai. Taguchi smiles wryly and pays for dinner; they don't speak for a few days not because of what had happened but because of conflicting concert schedules, but it doesn't comfort Aiba any and for once, he realizes that just being happy together doesn't always save the day.
The next time they manage to see each other it's at the jimusho. Aiba titters a little before pushing Taguchi up against the wall of Arashi's dressing room and kissing him firmly, finding no other way to convey what he wants to say because Aiba was never the eloquent one. Taguchi's fingers bury themselves into the fabric of Aiba's waist, and his grip is death-tight and he realizes that Taguchi isn't so eloquent, either.
They break apart and, amidst the jeers and 'ahhhh my eyes!' from Nino, Aiba hugs him close. "The jimusho wouldn't be the same without you. I wouldn't be the same."
It's lame and cliche and doesn't stop Taguchi's future frustrations in the slightest, but it's from the heart and that's all Aiba's ever been able to give.
--------
The first time they have sex is filled with laughter and isn't sexy at all.
Well, it was going completely fine. What was supposed to be a goodnight kiss lead to Junno being pressed up against the back of Aiba's apartment door, his shirt already off and thrown to the side, and Aiba was already working at his pants when he complained that he was too naked in comparison and made short work of Aiba's shirt, throwing it somewhere into the kitchen. Because random articles of clothing hanging off kitchen utensils was funny. Yes.
Somehow, they made it to the bed, floor littered with clothing shed and Aiba relished in how typical it was, how cliche and movie-like. And Junno's good, of course he is, it wouldn't make sense in the grand scheme of the scene if he wasn't, and Aiba rolls his hips, pushes back, taking Junno in deeper with every thrust.
But then Junno pauses mid-thrust and Aiba whines, nosing the other's shoulder to get him moving again. Junno drops a kiss on Aiba's birthmark and giggles to himself. Giggles. Junno is laughing in the middle of sex and Aiba's too horny to ask what's so funny because he doesn't care and he just needs his boyfriend to start moving again or else --
"Ne," Junno says, barely stifling another laugh as he rolls his hips deliciously against Aiba's. "Iriguchi, deguchi, Taguchi desu~!"
"Oh my god, I'm never going to come," Aiba whimpers pitifully, burying his face in the nape of Junno's neck as the other man's body vibrates with chuckles.
That's a lie, of course; Junno may be a master of puns, but Aiba learns firsthand that night that puns aren't the only form of wordplay he's good at.
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The first time they move in together is the only time they move because Jun refuses to do this again, and everyone usually takes Jun's lead.
The apartment building is a madhouse because there is no order, none at all, and Jun understands that everyone from both bands want to be there to help out and provide moral support in such a fantastical venture by their respective idiot bandmates, but he would appreciate it very, very much if they actually got things done.
Right now, as Jun stood in the doorway of the bedroom, facing the living room, Ohno and Nino are busy opening all the housewarming gifts, Akanishi is spelling out naughty things with the magnetic poetry on the fridge, Nakamaru and Ueda are watering plants and, thankfully, Kamenashi looks just as exasperated as Jun feels. Especially since all this was going on when none of the actual furniture was in the apartment yet.
"Guys, there are shelves. Who buys shelves for people?" Nino asks while surrounded by wrapping paper, holding up a DIY-kit of off-white shelves. Ohno takes the kit from his hands and looks at it.
"Oh! I think I did. Or, well, they're from my mom." Ohno nods.
"What did you get them?" Nino questions, ripping the box open to start putting it together.
Ohno pauses, letting a few screws fall onto the floor. "A sewing kit."
Jun has to walk back into the bedroom in order to stop himself from screaming. As he rubs at his eyes, he feels a hand land on his shoulder in reassurance. He looks up and is surprised to see Sho, who somehow magicked his way back into the apartment with a few boxes without his noticing.
"You okay?" Sho asks, nudging the boxes out of the way with his foot.
Jun sighs warily. "I wish this wasn't complete pandemonium."
Sho smiles a little bit, leading Jun back out into the living room, where Tanaka and Kamenashi are trying to arrange the rug, couch and loveseat without running over Nino's foot at the same time. "Pandemonium it might be, but did you honestly expect it any other way?"
Before Jun has a chance to reply, there is a loud thump and everyone's attention snaps towards the front door, where Aiba is flown into the air after the moving cart he was sitting on hit a snag in the carpet. He lies on the floor in a crumpled heap, half laughing, half wheezing, and Junno is doubled over the cart, laughing hysterically.
Jun's shoulders sag in defeat and doesn't even bother trying to answer.
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The first time they say 'I love you' is in passing one morning as they're both heading out the door, kind of like how they'd say 'good morning' to greet bandmates. It's simple, nothing too special, and both don't even realize they've said it until Junno's at the recording studio and Aiba's on set for VS Arashi. Junno's voice is a little more emotional than what they're used to and Aiba spends all of filming in a quasi-lovestoned daze, failing miserably at the falling pipes and causing Arashi to end their 13-week winning streak.
Junno tells Kamenashi when the recording's over and Kamenashi is absolutely floored that the relationship even lasted this long and says so, though Junno suspects that the smile on the other's face speaks more than just what's being said.
Nino manages to weasel it out of Aiba and spends the rest of the day teasing, picking on, and groping Aiba for added measure and is only silenced when Sho, having had enough, yells at Nino to cut it out and it's not Aiba's fault that Sho hasn't said he loved him yet. Aiba completely ignores this slip up and checks the time because he just wants to go home to the brightest smile he'll ever, ever know.