Fanfiction - Dip Into My Mind
Title: Dip Into My Mind
Author: Ritsu (crazy_otaku911)
Pairing: Yabu Kouta X Takaki Yuya
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In which one boy has a huge ego and the other isn't quite as dumb as he appears. What happens when they fall in love?
Disclaimer: This work is purely fiction.
Warnings: Minor language, some boy kisses, lots and lots of cheese
A/N: Beta'd by shimizumiki ♥ and written for omoikkiri. Supposed to be 1000 words, ended up with just over 4000. 8D
Yabu had always liked Takaki. Well, not always, but sometimes it felt like that. In a reversal of how hours could flash by in an instant, Yabu felt like the past few months had been his entire life when it came to Takaki Yuya.
When they'd debuted, side by side, Yabu hadn't known Takaki all that well. Sure, Takaki had backdanced for him and been in JJExpress and everything, but Yabu hadn't really hung out with him much. Not like Hikaru and Inoo and some others. That day, he'd stood next to Takaki, wondering how they'd make this work.
One thing that amazed Yabu about Takaki right off the bat was just how dizzying he was. He'd known Takaki to be young and childish and silly, so he hadn't realized how many other sides there were to the other. The boy was dedicated, determined, kind, and on top of that, he was actually a good leader.
He didn't do anything that Yabu associated with leaders. He didn't give directions, he didn't follow them either, but there was just something with the way he could slip into a tangled mess and walk out of it with a smile. He could get Chinen and Inoo to back off from each other's throats. He could get Yuto and Yamada to behave. He could even get Keito to smile and laugh, which was one of the things Yabu found most amazing about him.
It took Yabu a while to realize how much he liked Takaki. More then a friend, more then a comrade...
More then anything, Yabu wanted to call Takaki his own.
~~~
Takaki knew for a fact that people thought of him as 'the cutely stupid one', it was impossible to miss. (No, he wasn't that stupid.) Even if they hadn't said it to his face, it slipped into the tone of voice they used, the way their eyes flicked over him, trying to hide their critical gazes and thoughts.
'Yeah right, like I'd never notice.'
But he could deal with it. In some ways, being the stupid one made his life easier. People seemed to lighten up and back off a little when they were unsure of how much your brain could actually handle. Not that he wasn't stressed, not that there weren't already enough problems, but having a little room to breathe was relieving.
This meant he noticed Yabu's feelings. In fact, he'd probably noticed them before the other had. The random long stares, the touches that linger two seconds too long, the random awkward comments about his hair or his butt. It had been relatively easy to figure it out, but maybe that was only because Takaki was so used to watching Yabu so much.
Though there was barely a month's difference in age, there was a world of difference between the two. Takaki had spent the past few years holding a deep admiration for Yabu, as well as an idol crush. To debut right next to him...well, not even Takaki's wildest dreams hadn't been that creative.
Slowly, Takaki adjusted to the increased exposure of Yabu Kouta and that's when he began to notice the changes in attitude towards him.
He wasn't going to lie, it got his heart pounding, his pulse racing, and his head spinning. But he wasn't a dippy 14 year old fangirl. He'd been through enough to keep it in, keep it to himself.
If there was anything he'd learned in the Jimusho, it was that you had to be careful about when to push and when to step back and let things fall into place.
Pushing his feelings at Yabu might make him open up...or it would just end up in a disaster. Takaki didn't feel like getting dropped for no good reason other than 'things didn't feel right'. If Takaki wanted to have anything beyond slim chances of those feelings staying around...Yabu would be the one admitting it. Takaki wasn't dealing with rejection and humiliation, not again, if he could help it.
Though, he was all for nudging Yabu along. That much he'd do.
~~~
Yabu mulled over the predicament for several weeks. (Hey, he was young, summer love crushes were still drastically important.) He was stuck, unable to figure out what to do next. He couldn't even say it was the next step, because he hadn't even moved yet.
It was silly, embarrassing even...but Yabu had no idea how to tell Takaki how he felt. At all.
The truth of it was...He'd never confessed to a single person in his life. Ever. Everyone had always sought him out for as long as he could remember. He'd always been the pampered darling or the admired elder, he didn't know how to tell someone else how he felt besides the 'yes' or 'no' he was used to giving.
He'd even asked Hikaru about it, but his best friend merely gave him a blank look and said “Uh...tell them?” as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, it was...but Yabu didn't know about the how of it all.
The words didn't come to him at all. He couldn't even remember how others had confessed to him. Besides, he wasn't about to settle for a rip off of someone else's love confession that obviously hadn't worked, because Yabu was currently single. If he was going to tell Takaki, it was going to be the best damn confession there ever was.
But no matter how hard he tried, it just never sounded right. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't even okay in his mind. It bothered him, how he couldn't figure out the right words. He was supposed to be good with words, they were his thing, but all that was happening was a blank page and useless words that got caught in his mouth.
Maybe it was just because he didn't handle failure so well, but Yabu's pride flared at this indignity.
Why should he be dealing with this anyways? Why couldn't Takaki just tell him like the rest of the world had?
...Wait, why couldn't he?
Yabu honestly had no idea what Takaki felt for him, but surely it had to be something? He was Yabu Kouta after all.
That was when he decided how things would go. He'd just do a little extra schmoozing and soon enough he'd have Takaki Yuya eating out his hand like the cute little kitten he was.
~~~
The past few weeks had been as close to heaven as Takaki could ever imagine. He'd grown so used to having to push his way into Hikaru, Yabu, and Inoo's hangouts, but that had changed. Yabu was constantly inviting him to join them and if Hikaru complained that he didn't really care for a member of 7 to join them, then Yabu would just shrug, turn back to Takaki, and quietly ask if he'd like to hang out for dinner.
Takaki hadn't said no yet.
There were other slight changes. Yabu was always complimenting his hair, it felt, or maybe the hoodie he wore to work. Not that Yabu hadn't done it before, but the way he said it, he seemed to focus on Takaki for a few moments before smiling and saying it.
It was sappy, but Takaki ate it all up.
He wasn't even trying to play hard to get or cold for the other. He beamed, squealed like a girl on more than one occasion, and hung on the other's arm whenever the opportunity presented itself. He gave the other boy shy smiles and silly teasing and gentle nudges.
Just say it, he'd think to himself as Yabu walked him home. Just say it, I'm waiting...I know. You know. What's stopping you?
But Yabu never said it. Frankly, while Takaki enjoyed the attention, he was getting fed up. How much more interested did he have to appear for the other to say it? He was getting tired of waiting...turning the occasional date down, just because he didn't want Yabu getting the wrong impression.
But he couldn't wait forever. Not even for Yabu.
~~~
Yabu was getting exasperated. He could practically taste the attraction Takaki had for him, but it just didn't seem to go anywhere. Takaki wasn't giving him any ground at all and that confused Yabu. Did Takaki not actually like him? If so, why the willingness and eagerness to spend time with him? He'd even heard about Takaki turning down dates with three different juniors, one of them being his friend, Shoon.
So what was Takaki holding out on him for? He didn't even know what to say. He'd tried explaining to Hikaru, but Hikaru had just laughed and asked “When are you taking him on a real date?”
When he actually tells me that he wants to go on one, Yabu scowled down at his drink. He'd just have to work the words out of Takaki. There was no way he'd be doing the confession here.
Oh well, he had his next move all planned out.
Sometimes Takaki would stay after practice ended, probably so he could hang out with Hashimoto once the other's practice ended as well, but there was no overlap, so Takaki usually ended up staying in JUMP's dressing room.
This is where Yabu laid out his trap.
Yuya's favorite soda in hand, in a glass, not in the can, Yabu walked back into the dressing room, hair still damp from his shower. This was done on purpose, as was the extra button undone on his shirt and the way he was casually lounging on the couch, waiting for Takaki to reappear from his own shower.
A few minutes later, Takaki appeared, clad in his jeans, a towel draped over his head and shoulders, still drying his hair.
Maybe Yabu should stay late a little more often.
Takaki looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin in shock. “Kouta!”
Yabu tried to keep the smug look off his face. He'd told Takaki a few days before that calling him by his first name was perfectly okay...(with the added soft whisper of 'I want you to call me that'.) It was so cute watching the other flail around for a few moments, especially since he'd used 'Kouta'.
“Sorry~” He apologized, looking sheepish. “I decided to stick around, I had a few questions to ask Shoon...” He held up the glass. “Want some?”
Eying him for a moment, Takaki slowly smiled and moved to sit next to him on the couch, plucking the drink from his hands. “Ah...Got'cha.” There was a pause as Takaki took a sip and relaxed a little bit, closing his eyes. Yabu just sat there for a few moments, admiring how cute Takaki looked. He was so caught up, it took him a few moments to realize Takaki had actually asked something.
“What?” He asked quickly, refocusing...back on Takaki.
“What's up with Shoon-kun?” Takaki tilted his head over at him, taking another sip.
“Ah, it's nothing much.” Shrugging in nonchalance, Yabu leaned a little closer, reaching out to tease a lock of the other's messy, damp hair. “I heard he asked you out the other day.”
Takaki wrinkled his nose slightly and shrugged. “Yeah, he did...I don't really like him like that though.”
This Yabu had already known, but he raised his eyebrows in question. “Oh yeah...?” He tugged on a lock. “Then who do you like?” He tried to sound as innocent as possible, but he wanted to hear it. This. This was finally the moment where everything would fall into place.
That was when Takaki dumped his drink on him.
~~~
Yabu staying late in the dressing room definitely tripped something in Takaki's mind. Like he believed that for two seconds. Yabu would never wait in JUMP's dressing room for Shoon. Never mind that Shoon had left an hour ago. (Yes, Takaki knew things like this.)
Another glance over, and Takaki got even more suspicious. Yabu's hair was still wet enough to have random droplets slide down his neck and chest...a chest that was rather exposed as well. It was a little distracting, though Takaki idly thought to himself that it wasn't as effective as it could have been, because Yabu was so freakishly thin. Not that he had any room to talk, but still...
The drink was a nice touch too, he had to admit. He was flattered, knowing that Yabu remembered the exact brand and flavor, but he wasn't falling for it. Or the random touches. Mostly. Mostly it was just driving him insane.
Oh, there it was. Yabu probably thought he was being so subtle too.
That's when he snapped. He was okay with it until he looked up and found the other looking at him so expectantly.
He promptly dumped his drink in the other's face.
For a split second, Yabu just sat there as soda spilled down him, in complete shock. It was only a moment, but Takaki felt a moment of savage pride as he yanked away from the other and stood. Yabu spluttered. “What the fuck?” Yabu shot up and grabbed at Takaki's arm, only to be met with a slap.
“You know what?” Takaki was seething. “Don't fucking get near me if you're going to be like this.” He chucked the cup at Yabu, his eyes filled with a sort of poisonous rage. “I'm not running along with your stupid mind games. I'm not going to just do what your spoiled selfish little princely desires want me to do, Yabu Kouta and I am not cool with you messing around with me like this.” Snarling, Takaki shoved at the other and Yabu stumbled backwards, apparently too shocked to react. “If you have something to say, then say it. But don't expect me to do it all for you.” With each word, he took a step forward, jabbing the other in the chest as he did. “If you think I'm that mindless, that dumb-” Takaki's face twisted in disgust. “Then you are such a waste of time”
With that, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, pausing only to grab his bag and the tshirt he still needed to put on, leaving Yabu in a stupefied daze.
~~~
If Yabu were to describe how he expected the day to end, he would have said something like how he and Takaki would kiss and cuddle and talk for hours on end, maybe after going out to a romantic dinner and holding hands.
He certainly never visualized watching Takaki storm away from him, his cheek still red and his head ringing from the other's rant. Gingerly touching the cheek in question, Yabu also realized that he had scratches on his chest as well as being drenched in soda.
How had this even happened? It should have been perfect and Yabu wasn't sure how it could have ended up worse. Though, to be truthful, a voice in his head that sounded eerily like Hikaru replied that he could have kneed Yabu and then where would he be?
Sinking down onto the couch, Yabu tried to pull his thoughts back together. What had even just happened? Had he really just been slapped and yelled at by Takaki Yuya? That the other had a temper had never occurred to him. He'd never seen it before and Takaki was always so sweet...
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, just thinking, but eventually he came to realize that Takaki was right. He was being selfish and if he really wanted Takaki that much, then he should just say so, not try to push the words out of the other.
Did Takaki even like him anymore?
Burying his face in his hands, he cursed himself over and over again before slowly calming himself down. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to, but what if it was already too late? He prayed it wasn't as he slowly headed back to the shower. He needed to wash away the soda...and maybe wash away his mistakes as well. If only he could.
~~~
Takaki wasn't the type to get angry very easily, but when he did, it ran hot. On the other hand, he also cooled off really fast. It usually took him about fifteen minutes to forget about everything and while he didn't let go of this so easily, he stopped steaming over it maybe an hour later.
Not that there was anything to do about it, he'd screwed it over and Yabu probably hated his guts or thought he was a freak. But what could he do about that? Nothing...so what was he going to do?
There was nothing to do, so he just went on his way and left the subject alone. Yabu didn't seem too interested in talking to him the next day, though that was understandable. In the end, Takaki just let it slide off him. Somewhere inside, it hurt...but he was used to this, he'd slowly just push it away and eventually his feelings would just melt away.
It was maybe a week later when it happened and while he hadn't forgotten, he hadn't expected anything to continue on. Their last encounter had been the last and it was time to move on.
Well, that's what he thought....
~~~
It took several days for Yabu to gather his courage enough to face the other. Maybe it was just because he took the other's words too personally, but he couldn't help but feel like some sort of failure after what had happened.
But he still couldn't give it up. It meant that much to him, he couldn't just walk away and just leave things as the way they were. Besides, he hated jobs done halfway, it was so unprofessional.
He hadn't expected his next chance to come so soon, but suddenly it was there, nearly smacking him in the face, only not literally. They were alone again, in the dressing room. Takaki was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his iPod. Yabu wasn't sure why he was still around, maybe waiting for Hasshi again...but suddenly he realized what he needed to do. This time, he couldn't mess up.
...Except this was still totally embarrassing.
It took him maybe ten minutes to actually just sit down next to Takaki and it was another five or so before he had the nerve to reach out and touch the other's arm, trying to get his attention. Takaki blinked at him in confusion. “Yabu-kun?”
Stab. He'd loved hearing Takaki call him by his fist name...
Chewing on his lower lip, he looked into the other's eyes, trying to make all the words come out. How much he wanted to get to know more about Takaki. About how he was sorry for being such a weirdo. About how he was pretty sure he loved him and he wanted to find out if it was everything it could be.
But between his own nerves and being slightly lost in the other's eyes, he couldn't manage anything but a light stutter.
Tearing his eyes away, he found himself focusing at the magazine on the coffee table. Not that he was really looking at it, it was just something to direct his eyes at as he finally forced the words out.
“I...I just wanted to say. I'm sorry. It...I don't know. Anyways, I just...” He stammered, wanting to hit himself over the head, but now that the words were coming out, they wouldn't stop. “I really like you. A lot. I just...I've never....like. I don't know...how...no, no, not like that, but it's never...been...l-like this before and I just really...don't...I don' t know!” This was so embarrassing. Ugh. “..B-but Yuuyan, I really like you.” He was tripping and tumbling over his words, wanting to hide under a rock but so frozen in place.
The flood of words finally ended and he fell into silence...which he hadn't been expecting. He wasn't looking at Takaki, but he couldn't feel him moving or anything. Just rhythmic breathing, which Yabu supposed was a good thing, he hadn't given the other boy a heart attack...
But there was no reaction at all and after a minute, Yabu couldn't take it anymore and shifted, turning to look back at Takaki.
To his surprise, Takaki didn't look angry, upset, nervous...or anything beyond mild puzzlement. The thing was, he wasn't even looking at Yabu. Instead, his eyes were focused on...What? Yabu tried to follow his gaze to figure out what he was frowning at and all he could see was the magazine on the coffee table.
“...What the hell are you looking at?!”
~~~
Takaki hadn't been sure what Yabu was going to want to talk about when he sat down, but he willingly pulled his headphones out when the other nudged him gently. Waiting expectantly, it seemed like forever before Yabu managed to pull himself together. Instead of talking, he turned away, staring down at...something.
Frowning, Takaki followed his line of sight and then began to wonder why Yabu was staring so intensely at the magazine...or Suzuki Emi, who was on the cover. Curious, Takaki focused on her. She was pretty, as always. Takaki actually really liked how her hair had been done. Her nails were really nicely done too...Takaki sometimes wished he could wear those shades of pink.
“What the hell are you looking at?!”
Takaki snapped back to the real world, realizing sheepishly that he hadn't actually understood a single word Yabu had just said. Smiling sheepishly, he bit his lip, responding apologetically. “Sorry...what?”
~~~
Yabu stared at the other for a few moments. “Did...you...Oh my god.” He smacked his forehead in frustration. How was this possible? Had Takaki really missed his entire confession?
“You.” He growled, glaring over at the other and watching as Takaki shrank back slightly. “You are so fucking frustrating!” He wasn't going through that again. Once was bad enough! How did other people manage to do this over and over again, it was insane!
Takaki flushed and pouted. “Sorry!”
Just staring at him for a few moments, Yabu felt the sudden urge to shoot himself. This was crazy. He was actually upset and yet all it took was a small pout and he felt himself falling all over again.
“I...wish I could hate you.” He finally said, shaking his head in exasperation. “I really wish I could....but...” He reached out and yanked Takaki to him, wrapping his arms around him. “I can't.” Before the other could say a word, he finished it. “I like you, Yuya.” As if needing to confirm this with himself, he finally gave in and pressed his lips to Takaki's.
~~~
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Se--
It took Takaki a few moments to remember how to breathe and by the time he did, it didn't even matter, because there were soft lips on his and they were actually kissing and Takaki stopped breathing all over again.
Somehow, somehow, things have never felt so perfect before.
I like you, Yuya.
It would be stupid and foolish to believe in those words so completely...But Takaki was stupid and foolish, he never denied that. Some things were impossible to let go of and while he'd tried, Yabu had had a part of his heart for so long.
Shyly, tentatively, he leaned into the other's lips, gently asking to take the part of Yabu's heart that he was offering, wanting to keep it forever and hold it close, to hold Yabu close.
There weren't anymore words spoken after that. No foolish declarations or promises to be broken in the future, no playful teasing or jabbing at mistakes or failings.
Just a kiss.
One perfect kiss.
For Takaki, that was more then he could ever have asked for.
_________________________________
A/N: I'm not sure what to think about this. So long. O_o and very very cheesy. But! Enjoy~ :3 Feedback is always appreciated~
Author: Ritsu (crazy_otaku911)
Pairing: Yabu Kouta X Takaki Yuya
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In which one boy has a huge ego and the other isn't quite as dumb as he appears. What happens when they fall in love?
Disclaimer: This work is purely fiction.
Warnings: Minor language, some boy kisses, lots and lots of cheese
A/N: Beta'd by shimizumiki ♥ and written for omoikkiri. Supposed to be 1000 words, ended up with just over 4000. 8D
Yabu had always liked Takaki. Well, not always, but sometimes it felt like that. In a reversal of how hours could flash by in an instant, Yabu felt like the past few months had been his entire life when it came to Takaki Yuya.
When they'd debuted, side by side, Yabu hadn't known Takaki all that well. Sure, Takaki had backdanced for him and been in JJExpress and everything, but Yabu hadn't really hung out with him much. Not like Hikaru and Inoo and some others. That day, he'd stood next to Takaki, wondering how they'd make this work.
One thing that amazed Yabu about Takaki right off the bat was just how dizzying he was. He'd known Takaki to be young and childish and silly, so he hadn't realized how many other sides there were to the other. The boy was dedicated, determined, kind, and on top of that, he was actually a good leader.
He didn't do anything that Yabu associated with leaders. He didn't give directions, he didn't follow them either, but there was just something with the way he could slip into a tangled mess and walk out of it with a smile. He could get Chinen and Inoo to back off from each other's throats. He could get Yuto and Yamada to behave. He could even get Keito to smile and laugh, which was one of the things Yabu found most amazing about him.
It took Yabu a while to realize how much he liked Takaki. More then a friend, more then a comrade...
More then anything, Yabu wanted to call Takaki his own.
~~~
Takaki knew for a fact that people thought of him as 'the cutely stupid one', it was impossible to miss. (No, he wasn't that stupid.) Even if they hadn't said it to his face, it slipped into the tone of voice they used, the way their eyes flicked over him, trying to hide their critical gazes and thoughts.
'Yeah right, like I'd never notice.'
But he could deal with it. In some ways, being the stupid one made his life easier. People seemed to lighten up and back off a little when they were unsure of how much your brain could actually handle. Not that he wasn't stressed, not that there weren't already enough problems, but having a little room to breathe was relieving.
This meant he noticed Yabu's feelings. In fact, he'd probably noticed them before the other had. The random long stares, the touches that linger two seconds too long, the random awkward comments about his hair or his butt. It had been relatively easy to figure it out, but maybe that was only because Takaki was so used to watching Yabu so much.
Though there was barely a month's difference in age, there was a world of difference between the two. Takaki had spent the past few years holding a deep admiration for Yabu, as well as an idol crush. To debut right next to him...well, not even Takaki's wildest dreams hadn't been that creative.
Slowly, Takaki adjusted to the increased exposure of Yabu Kouta and that's when he began to notice the changes in attitude towards him.
He wasn't going to lie, it got his heart pounding, his pulse racing, and his head spinning. But he wasn't a dippy 14 year old fangirl. He'd been through enough to keep it in, keep it to himself.
If there was anything he'd learned in the Jimusho, it was that you had to be careful about when to push and when to step back and let things fall into place.
Pushing his feelings at Yabu might make him open up...or it would just end up in a disaster. Takaki didn't feel like getting dropped for no good reason other than 'things didn't feel right'. If Takaki wanted to have anything beyond slim chances of those feelings staying around...Yabu would be the one admitting it. Takaki wasn't dealing with rejection and humiliation, not again, if he could help it.
Though, he was all for nudging Yabu along. That much he'd do.
~~~
Yabu mulled over the predicament for several weeks. (Hey, he was young, summer love crushes were still drastically important.) He was stuck, unable to figure out what to do next. He couldn't even say it was the next step, because he hadn't even moved yet.
It was silly, embarrassing even...but Yabu had no idea how to tell Takaki how he felt. At all.
The truth of it was...He'd never confessed to a single person in his life. Ever. Everyone had always sought him out for as long as he could remember. He'd always been the pampered darling or the admired elder, he didn't know how to tell someone else how he felt besides the 'yes' or 'no' he was used to giving.
He'd even asked Hikaru about it, but his best friend merely gave him a blank look and said “Uh...tell them?” as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which, it was...but Yabu didn't know about the how of it all.
The words didn't come to him at all. He couldn't even remember how others had confessed to him. Besides, he wasn't about to settle for a rip off of someone else's love confession that obviously hadn't worked, because Yabu was currently single. If he was going to tell Takaki, it was going to be the best damn confession there ever was.
But no matter how hard he tried, it just never sounded right. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't even okay in his mind. It bothered him, how he couldn't figure out the right words. He was supposed to be good with words, they were his thing, but all that was happening was a blank page and useless words that got caught in his mouth.
Maybe it was just because he didn't handle failure so well, but Yabu's pride flared at this indignity.
Why should he be dealing with this anyways? Why couldn't Takaki just tell him like the rest of the world had?
...Wait, why couldn't he?
Yabu honestly had no idea what Takaki felt for him, but surely it had to be something? He was Yabu Kouta after all.
That was when he decided how things would go. He'd just do a little extra schmoozing and soon enough he'd have Takaki Yuya eating out his hand like the cute little kitten he was.
~~~
The past few weeks had been as close to heaven as Takaki could ever imagine. He'd grown so used to having to push his way into Hikaru, Yabu, and Inoo's hangouts, but that had changed. Yabu was constantly inviting him to join them and if Hikaru complained that he didn't really care for a member of 7 to join them, then Yabu would just shrug, turn back to Takaki, and quietly ask if he'd like to hang out for dinner.
Takaki hadn't said no yet.
There were other slight changes. Yabu was always complimenting his hair, it felt, or maybe the hoodie he wore to work. Not that Yabu hadn't done it before, but the way he said it, he seemed to focus on Takaki for a few moments before smiling and saying it.
It was sappy, but Takaki ate it all up.
He wasn't even trying to play hard to get or cold for the other. He beamed, squealed like a girl on more than one occasion, and hung on the other's arm whenever the opportunity presented itself. He gave the other boy shy smiles and silly teasing and gentle nudges.
Just say it, he'd think to himself as Yabu walked him home. Just say it, I'm waiting...I know. You know. What's stopping you?
But Yabu never said it. Frankly, while Takaki enjoyed the attention, he was getting fed up. How much more interested did he have to appear for the other to say it? He was getting tired of waiting...turning the occasional date down, just because he didn't want Yabu getting the wrong impression.
But he couldn't wait forever. Not even for Yabu.
~~~
Yabu was getting exasperated. He could practically taste the attraction Takaki had for him, but it just didn't seem to go anywhere. Takaki wasn't giving him any ground at all and that confused Yabu. Did Takaki not actually like him? If so, why the willingness and eagerness to spend time with him? He'd even heard about Takaki turning down dates with three different juniors, one of them being his friend, Shoon.
So what was Takaki holding out on him for? He didn't even know what to say. He'd tried explaining to Hikaru, but Hikaru had just laughed and asked “When are you taking him on a real date?”
When he actually tells me that he wants to go on one, Yabu scowled down at his drink. He'd just have to work the words out of Takaki. There was no way he'd be doing the confession here.
Oh well, he had his next move all planned out.
Sometimes Takaki would stay after practice ended, probably so he could hang out with Hashimoto once the other's practice ended as well, but there was no overlap, so Takaki usually ended up staying in JUMP's dressing room.
This is where Yabu laid out his trap.
Yuya's favorite soda in hand, in a glass, not in the can, Yabu walked back into the dressing room, hair still damp from his shower. This was done on purpose, as was the extra button undone on his shirt and the way he was casually lounging on the couch, waiting for Takaki to reappear from his own shower.
A few minutes later, Takaki appeared, clad in his jeans, a towel draped over his head and shoulders, still drying his hair.
Maybe Yabu should stay late a little more often.
Takaki looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin in shock. “Kouta!”
Yabu tried to keep the smug look off his face. He'd told Takaki a few days before that calling him by his first name was perfectly okay...(with the added soft whisper of 'I want you to call me that'.) It was so cute watching the other flail around for a few moments, especially since he'd used 'Kouta'.
“Sorry~” He apologized, looking sheepish. “I decided to stick around, I had a few questions to ask Shoon...” He held up the glass. “Want some?”
Eying him for a moment, Takaki slowly smiled and moved to sit next to him on the couch, plucking the drink from his hands. “Ah...Got'cha.” There was a pause as Takaki took a sip and relaxed a little bit, closing his eyes. Yabu just sat there for a few moments, admiring how cute Takaki looked. He was so caught up, it took him a few moments to realize Takaki had actually asked something.
“What?” He asked quickly, refocusing...back on Takaki.
“What's up with Shoon-kun?” Takaki tilted his head over at him, taking another sip.
“Ah, it's nothing much.” Shrugging in nonchalance, Yabu leaned a little closer, reaching out to tease a lock of the other's messy, damp hair. “I heard he asked you out the other day.”
Takaki wrinkled his nose slightly and shrugged. “Yeah, he did...I don't really like him like that though.”
This Yabu had already known, but he raised his eyebrows in question. “Oh yeah...?” He tugged on a lock. “Then who do you like?” He tried to sound as innocent as possible, but he wanted to hear it. This. This was finally the moment where everything would fall into place.
That was when Takaki dumped his drink on him.
~~~
Yabu staying late in the dressing room definitely tripped something in Takaki's mind. Like he believed that for two seconds. Yabu would never wait in JUMP's dressing room for Shoon. Never mind that Shoon had left an hour ago. (Yes, Takaki knew things like this.)
Another glance over, and Takaki got even more suspicious. Yabu's hair was still wet enough to have random droplets slide down his neck and chest...a chest that was rather exposed as well. It was a little distracting, though Takaki idly thought to himself that it wasn't as effective as it could have been, because Yabu was so freakishly thin. Not that he had any room to talk, but still...
The drink was a nice touch too, he had to admit. He was flattered, knowing that Yabu remembered the exact brand and flavor, but he wasn't falling for it. Or the random touches. Mostly. Mostly it was just driving him insane.
Oh, there it was. Yabu probably thought he was being so subtle too.
That's when he snapped. He was okay with it until he looked up and found the other looking at him so expectantly.
He promptly dumped his drink in the other's face.
For a split second, Yabu just sat there as soda spilled down him, in complete shock. It was only a moment, but Takaki felt a moment of savage pride as he yanked away from the other and stood. Yabu spluttered. “What the fuck?” Yabu shot up and grabbed at Takaki's arm, only to be met with a slap.
“You know what?” Takaki was seething. “Don't fucking get near me if you're going to be like this.” He chucked the cup at Yabu, his eyes filled with a sort of poisonous rage. “I'm not running along with your stupid mind games. I'm not going to just do what your spoiled selfish little princely desires want me to do, Yabu Kouta and I am not cool with you messing around with me like this.” Snarling, Takaki shoved at the other and Yabu stumbled backwards, apparently too shocked to react. “If you have something to say, then say it. But don't expect me to do it all for you.” With each word, he took a step forward, jabbing the other in the chest as he did. “If you think I'm that mindless, that dumb-” Takaki's face twisted in disgust. “Then you are such a waste of time”
With that, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the room, pausing only to grab his bag and the tshirt he still needed to put on, leaving Yabu in a stupefied daze.
~~~
If Yabu were to describe how he expected the day to end, he would have said something like how he and Takaki would kiss and cuddle and talk for hours on end, maybe after going out to a romantic dinner and holding hands.
He certainly never visualized watching Takaki storm away from him, his cheek still red and his head ringing from the other's rant. Gingerly touching the cheek in question, Yabu also realized that he had scratches on his chest as well as being drenched in soda.
How had this even happened? It should have been perfect and Yabu wasn't sure how it could have ended up worse. Though, to be truthful, a voice in his head that sounded eerily like Hikaru replied that he could have kneed Yabu and then where would he be?
Sinking down onto the couch, Yabu tried to pull his thoughts back together. What had even just happened? Had he really just been slapped and yelled at by Takaki Yuya? That the other had a temper had never occurred to him. He'd never seen it before and Takaki was always so sweet...
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, just thinking, but eventually he came to realize that Takaki was right. He was being selfish and if he really wanted Takaki that much, then he should just say so, not try to push the words out of the other.
Did Takaki even like him anymore?
Burying his face in his hands, he cursed himself over and over again before slowly calming himself down. He knew what he needed to do. He needed to, but what if it was already too late? He prayed it wasn't as he slowly headed back to the shower. He needed to wash away the soda...and maybe wash away his mistakes as well. If only he could.
~~~
Takaki wasn't the type to get angry very easily, but when he did, it ran hot. On the other hand, he also cooled off really fast. It usually took him about fifteen minutes to forget about everything and while he didn't let go of this so easily, he stopped steaming over it maybe an hour later.
Not that there was anything to do about it, he'd screwed it over and Yabu probably hated his guts or thought he was a freak. But what could he do about that? Nothing...so what was he going to do?
There was nothing to do, so he just went on his way and left the subject alone. Yabu didn't seem too interested in talking to him the next day, though that was understandable. In the end, Takaki just let it slide off him. Somewhere inside, it hurt...but he was used to this, he'd slowly just push it away and eventually his feelings would just melt away.
It was maybe a week later when it happened and while he hadn't forgotten, he hadn't expected anything to continue on. Their last encounter had been the last and it was time to move on.
Well, that's what he thought....
~~~
It took several days for Yabu to gather his courage enough to face the other. Maybe it was just because he took the other's words too personally, but he couldn't help but feel like some sort of failure after what had happened.
But he still couldn't give it up. It meant that much to him, he couldn't just walk away and just leave things as the way they were. Besides, he hated jobs done halfway, it was so unprofessional.
He hadn't expected his next chance to come so soon, but suddenly it was there, nearly smacking him in the face, only not literally. They were alone again, in the dressing room. Takaki was sitting on the couch, fiddling with his iPod. Yabu wasn't sure why he was still around, maybe waiting for Hasshi again...but suddenly he realized what he needed to do. This time, he couldn't mess up.
...Except this was still totally embarrassing.
It took him maybe ten minutes to actually just sit down next to Takaki and it was another five or so before he had the nerve to reach out and touch the other's arm, trying to get his attention. Takaki blinked at him in confusion. “Yabu-kun?”
Stab. He'd loved hearing Takaki call him by his fist name...
Chewing on his lower lip, he looked into the other's eyes, trying to make all the words come out. How much he wanted to get to know more about Takaki. About how he was sorry for being such a weirdo. About how he was pretty sure he loved him and he wanted to find out if it was everything it could be.
But between his own nerves and being slightly lost in the other's eyes, he couldn't manage anything but a light stutter.
Tearing his eyes away, he found himself focusing at the magazine on the coffee table. Not that he was really looking at it, it was just something to direct his eyes at as he finally forced the words out.
“I...I just wanted to say. I'm sorry. It...I don't know. Anyways, I just...” He stammered, wanting to hit himself over the head, but now that the words were coming out, they wouldn't stop. “I really like you. A lot. I just...I've never....like. I don't know...how...no, no, not like that, but it's never...been...l-like this before and I just really...don't...I don' t know!” This was so embarrassing. Ugh. “..B-but Yuuyan, I really like you.” He was tripping and tumbling over his words, wanting to hide under a rock but so frozen in place.
The flood of words finally ended and he fell into silence...which he hadn't been expecting. He wasn't looking at Takaki, but he couldn't feel him moving or anything. Just rhythmic breathing, which Yabu supposed was a good thing, he hadn't given the other boy a heart attack...
But there was no reaction at all and after a minute, Yabu couldn't take it anymore and shifted, turning to look back at Takaki.
To his surprise, Takaki didn't look angry, upset, nervous...or anything beyond mild puzzlement. The thing was, he wasn't even looking at Yabu. Instead, his eyes were focused on...What? Yabu tried to follow his gaze to figure out what he was frowning at and all he could see was the magazine on the coffee table.
“...What the hell are you looking at?!”
~~~
Takaki hadn't been sure what Yabu was going to want to talk about when he sat down, but he willingly pulled his headphones out when the other nudged him gently. Waiting expectantly, it seemed like forever before Yabu managed to pull himself together. Instead of talking, he turned away, staring down at...something.
Frowning, Takaki followed his line of sight and then began to wonder why Yabu was staring so intensely at the magazine...or Suzuki Emi, who was on the cover. Curious, Takaki focused on her. She was pretty, as always. Takaki actually really liked how her hair had been done. Her nails were really nicely done too...Takaki sometimes wished he could wear those shades of pink.
“What the hell are you looking at?!”
Takaki snapped back to the real world, realizing sheepishly that he hadn't actually understood a single word Yabu had just said. Smiling sheepishly, he bit his lip, responding apologetically. “Sorry...what?”
~~~
Yabu stared at the other for a few moments. “Did...you...Oh my god.” He smacked his forehead in frustration. How was this possible? Had Takaki really missed his entire confession?
“You.” He growled, glaring over at the other and watching as Takaki shrank back slightly. “You are so fucking frustrating!” He wasn't going through that again. Once was bad enough! How did other people manage to do this over and over again, it was insane!
Takaki flushed and pouted. “Sorry!”
Just staring at him for a few moments, Yabu felt the sudden urge to shoot himself. This was crazy. He was actually upset and yet all it took was a small pout and he felt himself falling all over again.
“I...wish I could hate you.” He finally said, shaking his head in exasperation. “I really wish I could....but...” He reached out and yanked Takaki to him, wrapping his arms around him. “I can't.” Before the other could say a word, he finished it. “I like you, Yuya.” As if needing to confirm this with himself, he finally gave in and pressed his lips to Takaki's.
~~~
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Se--
It took Takaki a few moments to remember how to breathe and by the time he did, it didn't even matter, because there were soft lips on his and they were actually kissing and Takaki stopped breathing all over again.
Somehow, somehow, things have never felt so perfect before.
I like you, Yuya.
It would be stupid and foolish to believe in those words so completely...But Takaki was stupid and foolish, he never denied that. Some things were impossible to let go of and while he'd tried, Yabu had had a part of his heart for so long.
Shyly, tentatively, he leaned into the other's lips, gently asking to take the part of Yabu's heart that he was offering, wanting to keep it forever and hold it close, to hold Yabu close.
There weren't anymore words spoken after that. No foolish declarations or promises to be broken in the future, no playful teasing or jabbing at mistakes or failings.
Just a kiss.
One perfect kiss.
For Takaki, that was more then he could ever have asked for.
_________________________________
A/N: I'm not sure what to think about this. So long. O_o and very very cheesy. But! Enjoy~ :3 Feedback is always appreciated~