fic; distance
Posting four separate fics from the Pin Meme, so sorry for the spam! It's been ages since there's been Pin at this comm! WELCOME BACK BOYS. ♥
Title: Distance
Pairing: Pin friendship
Rating: PG-13
Summary/Prompt: Distance. As in Pi busy with his solo lives, CB2, NEWS and now his new movie. Jin with BANDAGE, BANDAGE LIVE, KAT-TUN, solo lives and now going to prepare for LA lives. And they barely met. I'd love it to be a bittersweet feeling of missing each other. And phone as the only main way for them to communicate or crashing on each other's bed by the end of the day.
Author’s Note: 2998 words. For the Pin Meme Part 2! :D I loved writing this one, despite the rather lame ending, so I hope you enjoy. :3
Dinner tonight? the message reads, Around seven?
Yamapi sighs, sends back: Can’t, filming.
The reply is almost instant: Ah, sorry. Forgot. it says.
Maybe another time?
Sure. :)
Yamapi sighs again, staring at the screen, at the smiley face that doesn’t help even the least to make him feel better. He glances at his watch: 6:30 pm. He heaves another long sigh; there’s still hours left of work.
A staff member calls out then, announcing that break is over. Yamapi slips his phone back into his bag and gets to his feet. It’s time to work, again.
- - -
Jin jabs the key into the lock and with great effort manages to unlock the door with his hands full of takeout. He stumbles through the doorway, kicking off his shoes into the genkan and calling out, “I’m home!”
Silence greets him and Jin frowns, flipping on the lights as he enters the hallway. He was sure Yamapi was supposed to be back by now, had brought dinner for them since it’s been awhile they’ve eaten together, each busy with his own work. But the apartment is empty, and when he looks back in the genkan, he doesn’t see Yamapi’s shoes. He sighs, and heads into the kitchen, dumping the takeout on the counter and his work bag on the floor.
He grabs a beer from the fridge, pulls out a few of the takeout boxes for himself, and rifles through for a sharpie in the drawer. Pulling the cap off with his teeth, he scribbles onto the other boxes: You’d better pay me back for this, Pi. :P
Jin sticks them in the fridge and with his dinner, heads into his room, and blasts music loudly from the speakers as he settles to eat. It’s just too quiet, too lonely otherwise.
- - -
“I’m already here, where are you?” Yamapi says, sliding into a booth at a Starbucks.
“Rehearsals ran late,” Jin answers, sounding out of breath. “Give me ten minutes.”
“I’ve already waited ten minutes,” Yamapi replies. “I have a meeting in half an hour.”
“I’ll be there, don’t worry!” Jin insists happily. “Just one song left to go through, okay?”
“Okay,” Yamapi says and hangs up. He sets his phone on the table and reaches for his coffee, taking a few small sips before sighing with content. He stares out of the window, at the cloudless, sunny day, and watches as a plane flies across the sky, leaving a streak of white in its wake. Once it’s out of his sight, he turns back to his phone; it’s been ten minutes.
He waits five more, and then his phone beeps. Sorry the message from Jin says, Can’t get out it seems. I’ll call you later. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow.
Yamapi bites his lower lip, an unpleasant feeling settling in his stomach. He sits there awhile longer, contemplating a response that he doesn’t know how to articulate probably.
In the end, he silently slides out of the booth, and leaves the building. As he walks down the sidewalk, he types back: Don’t worry about it. :) Tomorrow sounds good.
- - -
Jin’s not sure if he actually misses him. That word has too many connotations, too many implications, too many possible consequences. But it’s been so long since they’ve actively done anything together that he can’t even remember the last time they saw each other. Jin’s solo concerts, maybe. Countdown, at the latest. They’ve both been extremely busy this past year, but it’s not really anything new. This comes with the territory of being popular idols, of having their own solo work, along with group activities.
It’s…lonely, though, Jin can’t help but think. Coming home just when Yamapi leaves, three seconds worth of conversation that ends up being around the lines of “buy milk” or “grab my laundry out of the dryer.” They call each other on the phone, text every chance they get, but it’s not the same as collapsing on the couch after a long day together, watching the news or putting in a stupid movie and leaning against each other as their beers catch up, maybe even falling asleep right there and waking up to crinks in their necks.
It’d be different if they were angry with each other, if they were avoiding one another, because then Jin wouldn’t care if he didn’t see him for awhile. But it’s not like that now, at least not for him. Jin blinks thoughtfully, and frowns. What if that’s the case? Yamapi’s upset with him, for something; Jin doesn’t know what it could be, he hasn’t done anything lately other than work and sleep. But maybe that’s why Yamapi says they can’t meet for lunch - the third time this week; he wonders if Yamapi eats at all, and makes a mental note to call Ryo and find out - Yamapi would never tell him personally.
Before he knows it, Jin’s pulling out his phone and calling Yamapi, listening to the dial tone ring, ring, ring, and ring before finally Yamapi answers.
“What?” he asks and Jin’s frown deepens, not liking the tone.
“Sorry,” he says anyway. “Are you busy?”
“We’re just taking a break, so it’s okay,” Yamapi answers.
“When do you think you’ll be done? Let’s meet afterward, get something to eat. It doesn’t matter what time.”
Yamapi sighs. “Honestly, Jin, the only thing I want to do when I’m done is sleep. I have to be up early tomorrow for NewS stuff. I don’t have the time.”
Jin grits his teeth and says before he can stop himself, “Are you avoiding me?”
The silence afterward has him contemplating hanging up and then bashing his head on the wall. Of course Yamapi wouldn’t be avoiding him, but he just can’t help being a little curious, because if Yamapi’s avoiding him, it just might justify the strange loneliness that Jin’s been feeling lately.
“What?” Yamapi finally questions flatly.
“I-I mean, because. We haven’t hung out for-for weeks, and I just thought that maybe-” Jin stops abruptly when Yamapi’s laughter reaches his ears. He pouts. “What’s so funny?”
“You,” Yamapi answers. “You sound like a girlfriend.”
Jin seethes. “Why the fuck am I the girlfriend?”
“Because you look better in a dress,” Yamapi retorts without missing a beat and Jin, sadly, can’t argue.
They say nothing after that, falling into an awkward silence, and Jin grips his phone tighter in his fingers, trying to think of what to say, ignoring what he wants to say. Before he can come up with something, anything, he can hear someone calling for Yamapi in the background and lets out a sigh.
“Back to work,” Yamapi says, and Jin wonders if he’s imagining the reluctance in his voice. “Later, Jin.”
“Bye,” Jin replies, but the only answer is the dial tone.
- - -
“You know, there’s pathetic, and then there’s pathetic,” Ryo says, “and you’ve just crossed the line.”
Yamapi can’t even bother to reply, just sulks a bit more and pulls his feet up to his chest.
Ryo stares at him for half a minute and then lets out a long-suffering sigh. “So what if he canceled on you?” he asks. “It’s not like he hasn’t done it before.”
“I haven’t seen him in…in weeks. It’s almost been a month,” Yamapi says, pouting.
“The two of you are the worst roommates ever. You live together and you see less of each other than you did when you didn’t.” Ryo rolls his eyes.
“And then he’ll be gone in a month,” Yamapi says so quietly, Ryo almost doesn’t hear it.
“Is that what this is about?” he asks, keeping his voice gentle because he knows not to get into teasing about Jin leaving until he’s actually gone - he learned that the hard way the first time.
Yamapi looks surprised at himself, shakes his head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought of it until I said it.” He gives Ryo helpless eyes and Ryo sighs, pats him on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it so much,” he offers. “You’ll get some time soon.”
Yamapi nods without saying anything and Ryo doesn’t get the chance to comfort him anymore as the door swings open and their manager walks in, starting the meeting. Yamapi straightens up reluctantly, more eager to just continue sulking, when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Discreetly he pulls it out and checks it, tries not to smile from the text Jin’s sent: Sometimes I wish I was in your group.
No, you don’t, Yamapi sends back. NewS is too group-y for you.
Probably, Jin writes, but they’d accept the current situation better than my group does.
Yamapi ponders the reply; because of everything that’s been going on, he hasn’t had the chance to really talk to Jin about his upcoming L.A. concerts. Jin discussed it with him over quick phone calls and texts whenever they could, and Yamapi gave him all the support and advice he could, but he doesn’t know how Jin feels about it now that the decision has been made, that the fans and the public have been informed.
He sighs, glances up around the room, making sure no one is noticing his distraction, and replies, Then we should switch groups for awhile or something. It could be fun.
What kind of fun would that be? Jin says. I wouldn’t want to join NewS if you weren’t there.
Yamapi’s hearts jumps in his chest, and he stares for a long time at the message, warmth spreading up and down his spine. After a few minutes of considering the sappy reply, he goes with: Well, KAT-TUN would be pretty fun even without you, I think.
Some best friend you are, Jin answers, and Yamapi can hear the pout in his words. You can have them, then.
He stifles a laugh with a cough, but thankfully only Ryo glances at him knowingly, and Yamapi avoids his gaze until he finally looks away. He sighs and writes back, They’re really not all that bad, you know.
A whole minute goes past before Jin sends, I know.
Yamapi smiles and says, Then stop messaging me and listen to your meeting; that’s where you are right now, aren’t you?
I could tell you the same thing, Jin says, and then follows it with another text, When are you done?
Probably by ten, Yamapi answers, you?
Same! See you at home, then!
Excited, Yamapi replies, Yup! Just six hours to go!
But six hours later and Yamapi’s day is not even close to ending; the meeting ran late, and the photo-shoot location was changed last minute to be in the opposite side of the city. Yamapi makes it there an hour after the meeting time, but after that he spends hours filming for the movie, messing up more than usual as his mind is elsewhere.
By the time he makes it home, it’s close to midnight and he’s exhausted. He stumbles through the dark genkan and hallway, creeping up to Jin’s room. He knocks, uncertain if Jin is even back yet or if he’s already gone to bed. After receiving no response, he opens the door to peer inside, and finds Jin passed face-down out on the bed, still in his work clothes, his phone clutched in one hand.
Yamapi sighs, shuffling inside and falling onto the other half of the mattress. Jin shifts closer, and Yamapi’s arm naturally falls over Jin’s waist. His eyes fall shut and he’s asleep just as his head meets the pillow.
- - -
“You snore,” Yamapi says. “And you steal the blankets.”
“I don’t snore!” Jin exclaims, scandalized. “And they were my blankets in the first place. You could’ve slept in your bed.”
“Was too tired,” Yamapi mumbles, and Jin smirks slowly.
“Aw, Pi, if you wanted to sleep with me that badly, all you had to do was ask,” he says into the phone, and can imagine Yamapi glaring at him in return.
Yamapi lets out a sigh, and Jin knows he’s shaking his head at him, and says, “Bakanishi.”
Jin grins, and feels warmth in his chest; it’s been awhile since he’s heard Yamapi call him that. With a laugh, he says, “Are you filming right now?”
“No, photo shoot,” Yamapi answers. “I’m filming in an hour, though.”
“How’s it going?” Jin says, lying back on the couch in the apartment. It’s still early and he doesn’t have to be anywhere until after lunch.
“Good, I guess. Tiring,” Yamapi says. “What about you? Preparation for the lives going okay? You should probably work on your English some more, so you know, it actually sounds like English.”
Jin narrows his eyes at the ceiling. “Hey, I can speak amazing English,” he says defensively and Yamapi laughs. “I can!” he insists, and pouts because Yamapi laughs harder. “Shut up,” he mumbles in the end, and adds, “Prep is going okay. There’s not a lot to do, really. The set list is basically the same, and I won’t meet the new dancers, or see the theater, until I get there in May.”
Yamapi makes a soft humming noise in response and Jin frowns. Before he can ask what’s wrong, Yamapi says, “A month, huh? And then you’ll be gone.”
Jin sits up instantly and his grip tightens around his phone. He chews on the corner of his lip and stares down at his lap. The phrase “bad timing” has never been more applicable than right now, Jin thinks. Not only with KAT-TUN’s Asia Tour, but because the last month he has in Japan before he flies out to L.A. he’s too busy to spend with his best friend. He takes a deep breath and says, hoping he sounds as happy as he’s trying to portray, “Hey, don’t sound so depressed! It worked out last time, right?”
He knows it doesn’t work when Yamapi’s response takes almost two whole minutes. “I suppose,” he says quietly, then chuckles. “At least we know you’re coming back this time.”
“I was always coming back,” Jin says. “You’d die without me.”
Now Yamapi laughs wholeheartedly. “So you came back for me, huh?” he teases. “I didn’t know you felt that way, Jin.”
“Hey, you were the one who climbed into bed with me.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t push me away.”
A moment’s pause and then they both fall into laughter, and Jin feels a simmer of happiness igniting through his veins. When they calm down a few minutes later, Jin’s grinning widely and doesn’t feel ridiculous in declaring, “The first same day we have off, we’re spending together. I don’t care what we do, just as along as it’s the two of us.”
He can practically feel Yamapi’s smile, his rare genuine smile, radiating through the phone as he replies, “Good. It’s a date.”
Jin laughs. “I knew you loved me, Pi,” he says before hanging up.
- - -
It’s halfway into April before that day comes, and Yamapi has never been more excited for anything. He wonders if it’s strange, if it’s uncommon for him to want to see Jin - a male friend - so badly, if it’s weird for him to have missed him so much. It’s not like they hadn’t had any contact over the past month or so, but still, the random phone calls and texts are just. Not the same. Yamapi’s not sure how to explain it, but the prospect of actually seeing Jin, and being with him, has him working harder the week up until that Friday.
Thursday night, Jin climbs into his bed; it’s past midnight when the older man returns, and waking Yamapi up with his cursing when he trips over shoes in the genkan. He doesn’t expect Jin to come into his room, but he doesn’t care either, moving over and letting Jin collapse beside him.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Jin mumbles sleepily, his hair in his face.
“Yes, but don’t worry about it,” Yamapi replies. “Sleep, so we can be energized for tomorrow.”
Jin groans his response and Yamapi smiles as he closes his eyes and lets sleep claim them both.
In the end, they sleep half of Friday away, and Jin steals all of Yamapi’s blankets. Yamapi kicks him off the bed, and Jin pulls him down when Yamapi’s busy laughing, and what results is a tussle that practically rolls them into the kitchen. They spend the day doing nothing other than lounging across the couch, eating and playing video games, watching stupid TV dramas and old samurai movies, kicking back cans of beer.
It’s the best day off Yamapi’s spent in ages, feeling completely content with everything, with Jin pressed up against his side, almost snuggling up with him as they watch and make fun of Kame’s latest drama, with Jin’s laughter in his ear. But a few moments later, Yamapi reaches his fingers over to swipe along Jin’s collarbone because Jin’s elbow is in digging straight through his ribs. Jin screeches and falls off the couch, and Yamapi’s grinning widely when he turns to glare at him.
“What the fuck was that for?” Jin demands.
“Shh,” Yamapi hisses, putting on a straight face and turning back to the T.V. “I want to see what’s happening with Kyohei and Sunako.”
Jin grumbles as he climbs back onto the couch, this time sprawling over Yamapi’s legs, and smirking when Yamapi winces slightly under his weight. Yamapi just pokes him in the back of the head, and Jin mutters, “Jerk,” under his breath, and Yamapi laughs with a kind of pleasure that he only ever gets around his best friend.
Tomorrow they both go back to their busy schedules, but it’s worth it for this one day, Yamapi thinks. Even though he might miss Jin when they’re apart - though he’d never give Jin the satisfaction of knowing that - it only makes the time they get to spend together all the more special.
Title: Distance
Pairing: Pin friendship
Rating: PG-13
Summary/Prompt: Distance. As in Pi busy with his solo lives, CB2, NEWS and now his new movie. Jin with BANDAGE, BANDAGE LIVE, KAT-TUN, solo lives and now going to prepare for LA lives. And they barely met. I'd love it to be a bittersweet feeling of missing each other. And phone as the only main way for them to communicate or crashing on each other's bed by the end of the day.
Author’s Note: 2998 words. For the Pin Meme Part 2! :D I loved writing this one, despite the rather lame ending, so I hope you enjoy. :3
Dinner tonight? the message reads, Around seven?
Yamapi sighs, sends back: Can’t, filming.
The reply is almost instant: Ah, sorry. Forgot. it says.
Maybe another time?
Sure. :)
Yamapi sighs again, staring at the screen, at the smiley face that doesn’t help even the least to make him feel better. He glances at his watch: 6:30 pm. He heaves another long sigh; there’s still hours left of work.
A staff member calls out then, announcing that break is over. Yamapi slips his phone back into his bag and gets to his feet. It’s time to work, again.
- - -
Jin jabs the key into the lock and with great effort manages to unlock the door with his hands full of takeout. He stumbles through the doorway, kicking off his shoes into the genkan and calling out, “I’m home!”
Silence greets him and Jin frowns, flipping on the lights as he enters the hallway. He was sure Yamapi was supposed to be back by now, had brought dinner for them since it’s been awhile they’ve eaten together, each busy with his own work. But the apartment is empty, and when he looks back in the genkan, he doesn’t see Yamapi’s shoes. He sighs, and heads into the kitchen, dumping the takeout on the counter and his work bag on the floor.
He grabs a beer from the fridge, pulls out a few of the takeout boxes for himself, and rifles through for a sharpie in the drawer. Pulling the cap off with his teeth, he scribbles onto the other boxes: You’d better pay me back for this, Pi. :P
Jin sticks them in the fridge and with his dinner, heads into his room, and blasts music loudly from the speakers as he settles to eat. It’s just too quiet, too lonely otherwise.
- - -
“I’m already here, where are you?” Yamapi says, sliding into a booth at a Starbucks.
“Rehearsals ran late,” Jin answers, sounding out of breath. “Give me ten minutes.”
“I’ve already waited ten minutes,” Yamapi replies. “I have a meeting in half an hour.”
“I’ll be there, don’t worry!” Jin insists happily. “Just one song left to go through, okay?”
“Okay,” Yamapi says and hangs up. He sets his phone on the table and reaches for his coffee, taking a few small sips before sighing with content. He stares out of the window, at the cloudless, sunny day, and watches as a plane flies across the sky, leaving a streak of white in its wake. Once it’s out of his sight, he turns back to his phone; it’s been ten minutes.
He waits five more, and then his phone beeps. Sorry the message from Jin says, Can’t get out it seems. I’ll call you later. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow.
Yamapi bites his lower lip, an unpleasant feeling settling in his stomach. He sits there awhile longer, contemplating a response that he doesn’t know how to articulate probably.
In the end, he silently slides out of the booth, and leaves the building. As he walks down the sidewalk, he types back: Don’t worry about it. :) Tomorrow sounds good.
- - -
Jin’s not sure if he actually misses him. That word has too many connotations, too many implications, too many possible consequences. But it’s been so long since they’ve actively done anything together that he can’t even remember the last time they saw each other. Jin’s solo concerts, maybe. Countdown, at the latest. They’ve both been extremely busy this past year, but it’s not really anything new. This comes with the territory of being popular idols, of having their own solo work, along with group activities.
It’s…lonely, though, Jin can’t help but think. Coming home just when Yamapi leaves, three seconds worth of conversation that ends up being around the lines of “buy milk” or “grab my laundry out of the dryer.” They call each other on the phone, text every chance they get, but it’s not the same as collapsing on the couch after a long day together, watching the news or putting in a stupid movie and leaning against each other as their beers catch up, maybe even falling asleep right there and waking up to crinks in their necks.
It’d be different if they were angry with each other, if they were avoiding one another, because then Jin wouldn’t care if he didn’t see him for awhile. But it’s not like that now, at least not for him. Jin blinks thoughtfully, and frowns. What if that’s the case? Yamapi’s upset with him, for something; Jin doesn’t know what it could be, he hasn’t done anything lately other than work and sleep. But maybe that’s why Yamapi says they can’t meet for lunch - the third time this week; he wonders if Yamapi eats at all, and makes a mental note to call Ryo and find out - Yamapi would never tell him personally.
Before he knows it, Jin’s pulling out his phone and calling Yamapi, listening to the dial tone ring, ring, ring, and ring before finally Yamapi answers.
“What?” he asks and Jin’s frown deepens, not liking the tone.
“Sorry,” he says anyway. “Are you busy?”
“We’re just taking a break, so it’s okay,” Yamapi answers.
“When do you think you’ll be done? Let’s meet afterward, get something to eat. It doesn’t matter what time.”
Yamapi sighs. “Honestly, Jin, the only thing I want to do when I’m done is sleep. I have to be up early tomorrow for NewS stuff. I don’t have the time.”
Jin grits his teeth and says before he can stop himself, “Are you avoiding me?”
The silence afterward has him contemplating hanging up and then bashing his head on the wall. Of course Yamapi wouldn’t be avoiding him, but he just can’t help being a little curious, because if Yamapi’s avoiding him, it just might justify the strange loneliness that Jin’s been feeling lately.
“What?” Yamapi finally questions flatly.
“I-I mean, because. We haven’t hung out for-for weeks, and I just thought that maybe-” Jin stops abruptly when Yamapi’s laughter reaches his ears. He pouts. “What’s so funny?”
“You,” Yamapi answers. “You sound like a girlfriend.”
Jin seethes. “Why the fuck am I the girlfriend?”
“Because you look better in a dress,” Yamapi retorts without missing a beat and Jin, sadly, can’t argue.
They say nothing after that, falling into an awkward silence, and Jin grips his phone tighter in his fingers, trying to think of what to say, ignoring what he wants to say. Before he can come up with something, anything, he can hear someone calling for Yamapi in the background and lets out a sigh.
“Back to work,” Yamapi says, and Jin wonders if he’s imagining the reluctance in his voice. “Later, Jin.”
“Bye,” Jin replies, but the only answer is the dial tone.
- - -
“You know, there’s pathetic, and then there’s pathetic,” Ryo says, “and you’ve just crossed the line.”
Yamapi can’t even bother to reply, just sulks a bit more and pulls his feet up to his chest.
Ryo stares at him for half a minute and then lets out a long-suffering sigh. “So what if he canceled on you?” he asks. “It’s not like he hasn’t done it before.”
“I haven’t seen him in…in weeks. It’s almost been a month,” Yamapi says, pouting.
“The two of you are the worst roommates ever. You live together and you see less of each other than you did when you didn’t.” Ryo rolls his eyes.
“And then he’ll be gone in a month,” Yamapi says so quietly, Ryo almost doesn’t hear it.
“Is that what this is about?” he asks, keeping his voice gentle because he knows not to get into teasing about Jin leaving until he’s actually gone - he learned that the hard way the first time.
Yamapi looks surprised at himself, shakes his head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought of it until I said it.” He gives Ryo helpless eyes and Ryo sighs, pats him on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it so much,” he offers. “You’ll get some time soon.”
Yamapi nods without saying anything and Ryo doesn’t get the chance to comfort him anymore as the door swings open and their manager walks in, starting the meeting. Yamapi straightens up reluctantly, more eager to just continue sulking, when he feels his phone buzz in his pocket. Discreetly he pulls it out and checks it, tries not to smile from the text Jin’s sent: Sometimes I wish I was in your group.
No, you don’t, Yamapi sends back. NewS is too group-y for you.
Probably, Jin writes, but they’d accept the current situation better than my group does.
Yamapi ponders the reply; because of everything that’s been going on, he hasn’t had the chance to really talk to Jin about his upcoming L.A. concerts. Jin discussed it with him over quick phone calls and texts whenever they could, and Yamapi gave him all the support and advice he could, but he doesn’t know how Jin feels about it now that the decision has been made, that the fans and the public have been informed.
He sighs, glances up around the room, making sure no one is noticing his distraction, and replies, Then we should switch groups for awhile or something. It could be fun.
What kind of fun would that be? Jin says. I wouldn’t want to join NewS if you weren’t there.
Yamapi’s hearts jumps in his chest, and he stares for a long time at the message, warmth spreading up and down his spine. After a few minutes of considering the sappy reply, he goes with: Well, KAT-TUN would be pretty fun even without you, I think.
Some best friend you are, Jin answers, and Yamapi can hear the pout in his words. You can have them, then.
He stifles a laugh with a cough, but thankfully only Ryo glances at him knowingly, and Yamapi avoids his gaze until he finally looks away. He sighs and writes back, They’re really not all that bad, you know.
A whole minute goes past before Jin sends, I know.
Yamapi smiles and says, Then stop messaging me and listen to your meeting; that’s where you are right now, aren’t you?
I could tell you the same thing, Jin says, and then follows it with another text, When are you done?
Probably by ten, Yamapi answers, you?
Same! See you at home, then!
Excited, Yamapi replies, Yup! Just six hours to go!
But six hours later and Yamapi’s day is not even close to ending; the meeting ran late, and the photo-shoot location was changed last minute to be in the opposite side of the city. Yamapi makes it there an hour after the meeting time, but after that he spends hours filming for the movie, messing up more than usual as his mind is elsewhere.
By the time he makes it home, it’s close to midnight and he’s exhausted. He stumbles through the dark genkan and hallway, creeping up to Jin’s room. He knocks, uncertain if Jin is even back yet or if he’s already gone to bed. After receiving no response, he opens the door to peer inside, and finds Jin passed face-down out on the bed, still in his work clothes, his phone clutched in one hand.
Yamapi sighs, shuffling inside and falling onto the other half of the mattress. Jin shifts closer, and Yamapi’s arm naturally falls over Jin’s waist. His eyes fall shut and he’s asleep just as his head meets the pillow.
- - -
“You snore,” Yamapi says. “And you steal the blankets.”
“I don’t snore!” Jin exclaims, scandalized. “And they were my blankets in the first place. You could’ve slept in your bed.”
“Was too tired,” Yamapi mumbles, and Jin smirks slowly.
“Aw, Pi, if you wanted to sleep with me that badly, all you had to do was ask,” he says into the phone, and can imagine Yamapi glaring at him in return.
Yamapi lets out a sigh, and Jin knows he’s shaking his head at him, and says, “Bakanishi.”
Jin grins, and feels warmth in his chest; it’s been awhile since he’s heard Yamapi call him that. With a laugh, he says, “Are you filming right now?”
“No, photo shoot,” Yamapi answers. “I’m filming in an hour, though.”
“How’s it going?” Jin says, lying back on the couch in the apartment. It’s still early and he doesn’t have to be anywhere until after lunch.
“Good, I guess. Tiring,” Yamapi says. “What about you? Preparation for the lives going okay? You should probably work on your English some more, so you know, it actually sounds like English.”
Jin narrows his eyes at the ceiling. “Hey, I can speak amazing English,” he says defensively and Yamapi laughs. “I can!” he insists, and pouts because Yamapi laughs harder. “Shut up,” he mumbles in the end, and adds, “Prep is going okay. There’s not a lot to do, really. The set list is basically the same, and I won’t meet the new dancers, or see the theater, until I get there in May.”
Yamapi makes a soft humming noise in response and Jin frowns. Before he can ask what’s wrong, Yamapi says, “A month, huh? And then you’ll be gone.”
Jin sits up instantly and his grip tightens around his phone. He chews on the corner of his lip and stares down at his lap. The phrase “bad timing” has never been more applicable than right now, Jin thinks. Not only with KAT-TUN’s Asia Tour, but because the last month he has in Japan before he flies out to L.A. he’s too busy to spend with his best friend. He takes a deep breath and says, hoping he sounds as happy as he’s trying to portray, “Hey, don’t sound so depressed! It worked out last time, right?”
He knows it doesn’t work when Yamapi’s response takes almost two whole minutes. “I suppose,” he says quietly, then chuckles. “At least we know you’re coming back this time.”
“I was always coming back,” Jin says. “You’d die without me.”
Now Yamapi laughs wholeheartedly. “So you came back for me, huh?” he teases. “I didn’t know you felt that way, Jin.”
“Hey, you were the one who climbed into bed with me.”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t push me away.”
A moment’s pause and then they both fall into laughter, and Jin feels a simmer of happiness igniting through his veins. When they calm down a few minutes later, Jin’s grinning widely and doesn’t feel ridiculous in declaring, “The first same day we have off, we’re spending together. I don’t care what we do, just as along as it’s the two of us.”
He can practically feel Yamapi’s smile, his rare genuine smile, radiating through the phone as he replies, “Good. It’s a date.”
Jin laughs. “I knew you loved me, Pi,” he says before hanging up.
- - -
It’s halfway into April before that day comes, and Yamapi has never been more excited for anything. He wonders if it’s strange, if it’s uncommon for him to want to see Jin - a male friend - so badly, if it’s weird for him to have missed him so much. It’s not like they hadn’t had any contact over the past month or so, but still, the random phone calls and texts are just. Not the same. Yamapi’s not sure how to explain it, but the prospect of actually seeing Jin, and being with him, has him working harder the week up until that Friday.
Thursday night, Jin climbs into his bed; it’s past midnight when the older man returns, and waking Yamapi up with his cursing when he trips over shoes in the genkan. He doesn’t expect Jin to come into his room, but he doesn’t care either, moving over and letting Jin collapse beside him.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Jin mumbles sleepily, his hair in his face.
“Yes, but don’t worry about it,” Yamapi replies. “Sleep, so we can be energized for tomorrow.”
Jin groans his response and Yamapi smiles as he closes his eyes and lets sleep claim them both.
In the end, they sleep half of Friday away, and Jin steals all of Yamapi’s blankets. Yamapi kicks him off the bed, and Jin pulls him down when Yamapi’s busy laughing, and what results is a tussle that practically rolls them into the kitchen. They spend the day doing nothing other than lounging across the couch, eating and playing video games, watching stupid TV dramas and old samurai movies, kicking back cans of beer.
It’s the best day off Yamapi’s spent in ages, feeling completely content with everything, with Jin pressed up against his side, almost snuggling up with him as they watch and make fun of Kame’s latest drama, with Jin’s laughter in his ear. But a few moments later, Yamapi reaches his fingers over to swipe along Jin’s collarbone because Jin’s elbow is in digging straight through his ribs. Jin screeches and falls off the couch, and Yamapi’s grinning widely when he turns to glare at him.
“What the fuck was that for?” Jin demands.
“Shh,” Yamapi hisses, putting on a straight face and turning back to the T.V. “I want to see what’s happening with Kyohei and Sunako.”
Jin grumbles as he climbs back onto the couch, this time sprawling over Yamapi’s legs, and smirking when Yamapi winces slightly under his weight. Yamapi just pokes him in the back of the head, and Jin mutters, “Jerk,” under his breath, and Yamapi laughs with a kind of pleasure that he only ever gets around his best friend.
Tomorrow they both go back to their busy schedules, but it’s worth it for this one day, Yamapi thinks. Even though he might miss Jin when they’re apart - though he’d never give Jin the satisfaction of knowing that - it only makes the time they get to spend together all the more special.