Yugo and Kento rp [part 1 of 10]
Aug. 6th, 2013 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chromaticThis is another little piece of fiction that yomimashou and I wrote just for fun! It turned out quite long and we liked it a lot, so I figured I'd post it here. Like I said, it was just for fun, so it sort of takes place in our own little idea of the future... At any rate, if you choose to read it, please read the warnings beforehand, and enjoy!
Pairings: Nakajima Kento/Kouchi Yugo, Jesse/Kouchi Yugo, Nakajima Kento/Sato Shori, with side Matsumura Hokuto/Kikuchi Fuma
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit m/m sex, infidelity, OCs (kids)
Words: 94,338
Notes: This rp takes place in a future AU in which gay marriage and adoption have become acceptable in Johnny's and in Japan, and Jesse and Yugo, Kento and Shori, Hokuto and Fuma, and others are married and have adopted children.
Getting older kind of sucked, Kento thought. It wasn't that he was losing his looks or anything like that, and fans still went crazy about his dancing, but it was the expectations that sucked, somehow. Suddenly he had two kids, all his friends were having kids, and everyone was expected to not care about taking care of themselves anymore, to not care about having fun or relaxing or having quality time with their husbands, and with how little sleep Kento had been getting these days, his looks probably were going to start to go if he didn't get a little time to unwind.
Getting older had been great for a while. Looking back, the first few years after Sexy Zone's debut had been rough, with everyone in their group so young and immature and inexperienced, but things had come together eventually, and after their fifth anniversary their popularity had really started to skyrocket. They put out number one single after number one single, playing sold-out concerts in the biggest arenas around Japan, and everything in Kento's life seemed to be on the up and up. Kento had enjoyed watching the rest of his group grow up, as well, starting with Fuma, who had predictably settled down early, moving in with Hokuto and then having their first kid when they were barely past Sexy Zone's tenth anniversary. Kento couldn't begrudge him too much when he seemed so happy, though, and he counted his blessings that Fuma hadn't eloped without telling the management, and that the management didn't let him skip out on tours to be with his kids. (And it was good for him, Kento thought, because he saw how much Fuma still enjoyed performing, and it wasn't healthy for him to think he couldn't survive away from his family for a week.)
Shori had surprised Kento far more than Fuma had, though. He had been such an awkward teenager when they first debuted, in both looks and demeanor, and although his obvious crush on Kento had been cute, Kento hadn't thought much of it. As the years passed, though, Shori had grown out of his teenage awkwardness, but surprisingly not out of his feelings for Kento, and when a surprisingly attractive twenty-year-old Shori had started writing songs for Kento to play on the piano, one thing led to another. What started out as Kento enjoying the way Shori looked up to him grew into something more as they began to collaborate on things like songs and concert planning, and it wasn't long before they weren't just sleeping together, but Shori was writing Kento love poems and asking him on dates and Kento was surprised to find that he liked it. They both took their band and their job seriously, after all, and it was really nice to have someone who shared that point of view and with whom he could enjoy both the planning and the celebratory sex after the fact. Kento had never been a huge fan of all the baggage that came with serious relationships, but he found himself really happy with what he had with Shori, and when they started to talk about moving in together several years later (and getting married, a couple years after that), it seemed almost natural. As much as Kento's eighteen-year-old self never would have believed it, they loved each other, and he had to admit that that was probably a major perk of getting older.
When his friends started to not only settle down with their boyfriends but also to adopt kids, though, Kento was far more skeptical. After all, he liked having fun, he liked having his days off to spend with Shori or with friends, he liked having sex all over their apartment without having to worry about anything. But as he watched Hey! Say! JUMP members raising kids, and especially as he watched Fuma and Hokuto's baby grow into a toddler, he couldn't help but think that he might like to have a baby of his own. Shori really wanted it, too, was always talking in that vague way of his about what they might do if they had a child, and finally, Kento agreed. Taking care of an infant hadn't been easy, of course, but they had done it together, and he would never have imagined that he could find Shori rocking a baby to sleep attractive... but he really was. And of course, as he grew older, Jinsei was perfect, and Kento knew that he and Shori were going to raise him into an amazing person, so even if he had a little--or a lot--less free time, it was worth it.
But then they had adopted their second child, and Kento couldn't be sure, but he thought that was the point when he really started to feel like they were getting older, and not in a fun way. Somehow, where Jinsei had helped Kento and Shori grow even closer, Ryusei seemed to be driving them apart, and Kento didn't understand why. It wasn't like they were really having any big problems or anything, and he still loved Shori and loved their kids, but he never seemed to have time for himself anymore, or for the two of them to spend time alone together like they used to, to write songs or watch their senpai's old concerts or spend a lazy day in bed, and whenever Kento tried to mention something about it, it always seemed to lead to fighting.
Things weren't all bad, of course, and Kento was glad that Sexy Zone was still popular and successful, that he could still tour and record songs and everything else with his husband and his best friends. Right now, they were on the Tokyo leg of their latest tour, and Kento was excited to be back in Tokyo Dome, ready to make their fans happy for another evening. Yugo was supposed to be coming to watch this show, too, and Shori was going to go home to relieve the babysitter so that Kento and Fuma could go out with him after the show. Fuma was still close with Yugo, especially since their kids were friends, but Kento hardly ever saw Yugo anymore between both their schedules, so he was excited to have the chance to catch up. Hokuto had been backstage with Fuma and their sniffling second child before the show, though, and Kento could tell that Fuma was worried, so he hoped that wouldn't infringe on their plans. That was something to worry about after he was done focusing on putting on the best show he could, though, and he grinned at the screaming fans as he ran onto the stage with his bandmates, waving at the crowd and gearing up for another great show.
It was funny, the way things hadn't turned out at all like Yugo had planned, when, fifteen and a little too old, a little too awkward but ambitious nonetheless, he had joined Johnny's with big dreams for the future. Back in those days, with the other members of B.I.Shadow at his side and all the stars in the sky seemingly within their reach, Yugo had dared to hope for a debut, had dared to dream of the day that his voice would be playing in every music store and conbini across Japan, his face would be plastered huge across the billboards in Shibuya crossing, his name would be the one selling out tickets to arenas and topping ratings charts for Monday-nine dramas. It had seemed realistic back then, had seemed likely, even, that with Hokuto and Kento and Fuma, he could make it to stardom just like all the senpai he so admired, just like the kids their age who had nothing on him but a bit of a head start.
But then first Kento and Fuma had been peeled away, debuted as a volleyball support group with three far younger and less experienced kids. Yugo didn't begrudge them, not any of them, really, despite the hurt and the heartbreak and the sheer disappointment, because the management's word was law, and besides, they were talented and hardworking and they deserved the break, even if Yugo didn't understand why it couldn't have been with he and Hokuto. And sure, things had gotten rocky for a while, but the four of them had mended their friendship, and he and Hokuto had simply vowed to work harder than ever until they could join Kento and Fuma in the realm of contracted Johnny's talents.
And things had looked good, at first, had seemed hopeful when Yugo and Hokuto and the four other juniors their age who had also been patiently waiting their turn got cast in a wildly popular drama, got to do promotional events together and to star in a movie as a group and to even hold their own little concert. Yugo learned to love the other Bakaleya guys just as he had B.I.Shadow, learned to appreciate each for his own strong points just as he had with Fuma and Kento. Of course, the loss of the group he'd had by his side for the past two years still hurt, but Hokuto was always there, at least, a constant despite everything that had changed, and to Yugo's surprise, somehow, despite everything that had been torn down around him, he was able to find something new, able to find support and companionship and, more quickly than he imagined possible, love in one of his new groupmates, Lewis Jesse. Jesse had been an awkward kid as long as Yugo could remember, but somehow, by the time he and Yugo were castmates, he had become a warm and caring teenager, even if some of the pubescent awkwardness still lingered. And so Yugo found new friends and a new start, and with the Bakaleya group, his hopes began to resolidify, because someday, it seemed, they really could be something.
But despite the fact that they seemed to be shoe-ins for their age bracket, the competition from behind was what blindsided Yugo when, a year and a half later, Shintaro, Hokuto, and Jesse were debuted not with Yugo, Juri, and Taiga, but with a group of four kouhai, the final incarnation of the junior unit Sexy Boyz. Yugo had always found their unit name a bit off-putting, but he supposed they had the last laugh when they-- along with the two people Yugo had most relied on for support-- were thrust into the limelight in front of Yugo, despite how long he'd waited, despite how hard he'd worked. And he tried, he tried not to be bitter, but it was hard when this was heartbreak number two, when this time, it was a lot harder to overcome and find new hopes for the future.
But Yugo had always been able to put his own problems in the back seat, Yugo had always been one to pretend nothing was wrong in hopes of keeping everyone happy (including himself-- perhaps he could forget, perhaps he could move on), and so he put on a brave face for Jesse and for Hokuto and cheered them on from the sidelines as their debut single naturally topped the charts upon release. It was almost easier to think about their success, because for the months after the debut, Yugo was left in the nebulous realm of juniors with little hope for the future. At first, he had clung to Taiga and to Juri, because really, the three of them had had little other option, but then Juri was siphoned off with Yasui Kentaro and Hagiya Keigo with two of the younger ones who had been left behind by Sexy Boyz and made into a new junior unit, and then Taiga had been pushed to the front-side, featured somewhat consistently if unreliably until, seemingly in his last act of senility, Johnny debuted him as a solo artist, leaving Yugo alone in the dust.
Eventually, things settled; Yugo found himself with the other boys his age who had lost their chance dancing background for Hey! Say! JUMP and occasionally Sexy Zone and Hokuto, Jesse, and Shintaro's group, and it was all right. It was work, anyway, more than enough to pay the bills once college ended and Yugo found himself a full-time Johnny's Junior, and Yugo liked dancing, liked performing. And it wasn't as if he never saw his friends, either; he and Fuma had always been close, and when they weren't able to meet up, they emailed and called, and it keep Yugo's spirits up at the end of even the longest days to know that he always had Fuma to complain to, always had Fuma to cheer him up. And Jesse was always there for Yugo, too, despite being busy with recordings and debut, always provided a shoulder to lean on when Yugo needed support or a warm embrace when Yugo felt like he couldn't go on, and eventually, now that Yugo and Jesse were both through with school, they were able to move in together, to settle down together, sort of, and despite all of his disappointments with work, knowing that he always had Jesse's love and support was more than enough to make him happy. And he loved watching Jesse succeed, too, loved seeing him smile up on stage, on TV, in the rehearsal hall, and even if Yugo's career was maybe a little subpar, knowing Jesse was happy and being able to be happy together was more than he could have asked for, and he knew that it wasn't his place to complain when really, his situation wasn't bad. Not what he had dreamed of in childhood, certainly, but with a loving boyfriend (later husband, once the management allowed it) at home and plenty of smaller juniors who looked up to him, who relied on him to teach them dance moves at work, he knew that he should count his blessings.
And so time went on, and things grew and changed, for better or for worse. Eventually, Yugo's backup unit was disbanded and rearranged to accommodate more juniors whose prospects for debut had dimmed to black, and Yugo was surprised to find himself left out and pushed to the forefront of the older juniors instead. These days, Nakayama Yuma was headlining stage shows like Playzone, and Imai Tsubasa-kun was still doing most of the directing, but Yugo was pleased when he was asked to choreograph the group dances, and was given the third most prominent part, after Yuma and Taiga, who, like Yuma, had little to do as a solo act besides stage work. This became routine, and over time, Yugo's stage and choreography responsibilities grew. It was a nice change, and even as Jesse began to tour nationwide, even as all of his friends grew more and more famous, Yugo found small pleasure in the work he put in behind the scenes.
And there were more small pleasures to come, or rather large pleasures in small packages; just before Yugo turned thirty, he and Jesse were able to adopt a baby boy of their own, and Yugo was sent into a new adventure altogether. Being a dad became the top priority, at least for a few years, and Yugo was grateful that he was able to take time off and make use of his flexible schedule when Jesse had to leave for weeks at a time on tour. He missed work, and of course, he missed Jesse, but watching baby Taira grow was more than enough reward, and seeing him learn to walk, to talk, sending him off to his first day of school and helping him with his first homework assignments were things Yugo wouldn't have wanted to miss for the world.
But as time went on, it became clear that, wanting or not, Jesse was going to miss a significant part of Taira's life. At first Yugo accepted it as something that came along with fame, the constant tours, the late hours, the ever-changing schedule and sorry, work's going to run late, I won't make it for dinners, but as time went on, it began to get old, and Yugo's patience began to weaken. It wasn't that he didn't like being home with his son; he loved Taira more than anything, but somehow, it didn't seem fair that he had to endure his mediocre career and spend most of his time without his husband, who essentially was living Yugo's childhood dream. It wasn't that Yugo blamed him, wasn't that Yugo blamed anyone, of course, but it was hard to kiss Jesse goodbye in the morning knowing that he was off to Kansai for the week with Hokuto and Shintaro to perform in arenas in front of thousands while Yugo would run the same choreography over and over for a few hours before calling it a day, picking Taira up from school, cooking dinner, checking homework, putting Taira to bed, and then spending the evening alone. It was a little dull, yes, and a little monotonous, but more than that, it was lonely, and Yugo hated every time Taira looked up at him with big eyes and asked when is Daddy going to come home? and he found himself getting choked up, as well. For how long it seemed to Yugo, it must have seemed like years to a four, five, six year old, and it made his throat grow tight and his stomach knot to know how much they both suffered when Jesse was gone.
But what was there to be done? This was how things had turned out, this was life, and by now, Yugo was fully aware of how imperfect life could be. Sure, he was a little frustrated with his work situation, sure, his home life was a little hard, but who was he to complain? Jesse was only doing his job, and Yugo knew he loved Taira just as much as Yugo did. And it was hardly Jesse's fault that Yugo had never made it anywhere in Johnny's, was hardly Jesse's fault that Yugo was available to stay home with Taira when Jesse was busy with work. It was a little unfair, yes, but life wasn't fair, and so Yugo swallowed back to the lump in his throat and grit his teeth, because the new and upcoming junior units weren't going to learn their choreography by themselves and Taira certainly couldn't put himself to bed without dinner, and so even if Yugo didn't always like it, he knew what his responsibilities were, and besides, even if they were few and far between, there were the times when Ninomiya Tomoya, that particularly slow child of Ohno-kun and Ninomiya-kun from Arashi's, finally picked up the choreography and gave Yugo an impromptu hug, or when Taira brought home a particularly sweet composition that he wrote in Japanese class about his dad the dance teacher that, along with a few cigarettes and a little alcohol at the end of each day, helped Yugo pull through.
And so life was life, not perfect but not awful either, and Yugo got through the days, the weeks, the months, the years watching Taira grow and hoping that somehow, someday, things would get better. It wasn't, after all, like there was nothing good in his life, and he brightened his spirits by visiting friends, seeing them perform, feeling proud of what they had been able to achieve, even if he hadn't. And so, it was in a pleasant mood that he found his place in the kankeisha seats one particular day for Sexy Zone's current Tokyo Dome concert. They were old as a group, now, but still, they were able to fill the biggest arenas, and Yugo was happy for Kento and Fuma and for their not-so-little-anymore bandmates as he watched the show surrounded by thousands of cheering fans. It was a shame-- he hardly ever saw Kento anymore, ever since Kento had had kids, and even Fuma, with whom he still considered himself quite close, spent much of his time busy touring, and when he was back in Tokyo, he had a brood of three at home at keep him on his toes. Still, Kento and Fuma had promised to go out to dinner with Yugo at the end of the concert, and Hokuto (who was possibly backstage with Fuma and maybe their kids; Yugo had been a little unclear on the plan) was supposed to come along, and they'd make a little reunion out of it. And so, stressful and unpleasant as his life could be sometimes, Yugo was in high spirits as he made his way backstage after the show, thinking that maybe, with a babysitter to be the one alone in his apartment after Taira had been put to bed and with a dinner with the old B.I.Shadow members to look forward to, perhaps today would, at the very least, be a little less lonely.
Kento grinned, wiping the sweat from his face as he high-fived and hugged his bandmates as they left the stage after the encore and pulling Shori into a brief stage adrenaline-filled kiss before they all piled back into their dressing room to get changed. He could tell from one look at Fuma's face and the way he kept checking his phone that Fuma probably wasn't coming out with him and Yugo, though, and he frowned, feeling a little disappointed. Hokuto could take care of their kids for one night perfectly well, even if one of them had a cold, and Fuma needed to give himself a break more often in Kento's opinion. He didn't say anything for the moment, though, just focusing on changing his clothes and fixing his hair until he heard Yugo's knock on the door. "Hey," he greeted Yugo with a smile, opening the door for him to come in. "Did you enjoy the show?"
Yugo grinned as he was met by a sweaty and clearly still adrenaline-high Kento, and he nodded, giving his friend a pat on the back in greeting. "It was great," he replied easily, following Kento into the dressing room and surveying the scene. He had to admit, he felt a little out of place when this was so clearly a space for the five members as a group, but, he reminded himself, he was a friend, a guest, not an intruder. Still, it felt a little odd when he probably hadn't spoken to Kento for more than six months now, and even then, the meeting had been maybe ten minutes, a chance meeting in the hallways of the Myojo photography studios. And Fuma was so busy these days, too, he and Yugo called and messaged almost daily, but the last time Yugo had had a chance to see Fuma face to face was probably two weeks ago now, when Fuma had come by to pick Kensou up from Yugo's at the end of a play date. It was a little sad that when they had all been so close as teenagers, after a few more exchanges with him, Kento was drifting away to finish packing up his things and sort out logistical matters with his husband, and Fuma, it seemed, had barely noticed that Yugo was there. At least they had a dinner date planned, Yugo reminded himself, and he was sure they were tired after a long concert. He couldn't imagine how draining that must be, and so he took a seat off to the side, waiting his turn. He didn't want to be in the way, after all, when he was only a guest here.
Kento could only put off asking Fuma whether he was still coming for so long, and he didn't know if Yugo even knew that Hokuto had already bailed on them, so once he was finished packing up his things and rechecking himself in the mirror, he turned to Fuma, who was absorbed in his phone again. "You're still coming with us, right?" he asked, even though he knew the opposite was probably true.
Fuma had been worrying ever since Hokuto had stopped by to say that he was taking Keiya to the hospital instead of staying to watch the concert, and even though Hokuto had relayed that the doctor had assured him it was only a cold, he knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself out with his friends when he really felt like he should be home taking care of Keiya. He felt bad, since he had really been looking forward to going out with Yugo and Kento, and it had been so long since he'd really gotten to spend time with Yugo, but there was nothing to be done about it... he would just have to make time to see him sometime soon. So when Kento asked what his plans were, looking at him like he already disapproved before Fuma had even answered, he couldn't do much but apologize. "I'm sorry," he said, looking over at Yugo. "Keiya has a cold, and Hokuto is already home with him... I just can't really go out right now."
Yugo rose when Fuma began to talk to him, making his way over to stand beside him and Kento. Fuma looked worried, his phone clasped tightly in one hand as if it might try to escape if he were to loosen his grip, his lips pressed tightly together in worry, and though Yugo felt as if sometimes, Fuma was a little too obsessive about his kids, Yugo could understand the feeling of worry that came along with a sick child. Still, he couldn't help but be disappointed; he had been looking forward to spending time with Fuma and Hokuto, who he saw even less often than Fuma and mostly in passing at Jesse's work events, and he sighed, shrugging and giving Fuma his best supportive smile. "I understand," he replied, nodding despite Kento's sour expression, "I'd feel the same way if it were Taira. So go on home, and I hope he gets well soon." Kento looked as if he had been hoping that Yugo would chew Fuma out, and Yugo couldn't help but smile slightly to himself, because, it seemed, some things never changed. It was disappointing not to be able to go out as a group, but… it had been the longest since he had seen Kento, and maybe it would be good to have a chance just for the two of them to catch up. So, turning to Kento, he offered a lopsided grin and hoped that he would be forgiven for letting Fuma go. "So… I guess it's just you and me, then?"
Kento shrugged, putting a hand on his hip. "We'll be having fun without them, right?" he said to Yugo. It was Fuma's loss, he supposed, and he hadn't seen Yugo in ages, so it really would be fun to have the chance to catch up. "Are you hungry? Since it's just you and me, you have to tell me everything you thought about the concert~" A glance around the dressing room confirmed that it was probably fine for him to leave, and he wiggled his fingers at Fuma before turning to gather his things. "I hope the kid feels better," he said. "And make sure you get some rest before you come back here tomorrow!" He couldn't really be mad at Fuma for being worried about his kid, even if he definitely thought Fuma was making the wrong choice, and he couldn't be too annoyed when he was still going to get an evening out for himself. Waving goodbye to the rest of his bandmates and telling Shori he would probably be late, he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and turned back to Yugo. "Let's go~"
Yugo couldn't help but laugh at Kento's attitude, at the way he handled himself and everyone around him, because somehow, even when he had been at the brunt of Kento's selfish flamboyance, there had always been something appealing about it, something warm and charismatic that drew Yugo in, and he bade the rest of Sexy Zone goodbye as well, excusing himself with one last wish for Keiya to get well soon to Fuma. He was sad to leave Fuma behind, but somehow, there was something energizing about the idea of catching up with Kento after so long, one on one. After all, Fuma and Hokuto had always made an effort to keep in touch with Yugo, but somehow, over the years, Kento had fallen away, and while it hadn't necessarily been bothering Yugo over the past years, being in Kento's presence again was reminding him that it was high time they remedy that.
The autumn evening air was brisk as they headed out from Tokyo Dome, deliberating on where to head until Kento suggested an izakaya that he knew in the area with secluded rooms-- something important to someone like Kento, someone really famous. But Yugo was married to someone famous, and so the thought barely even caused a sting as he agreed willingly, following Kento until they were nestled away in the back of the restaurant with drinks and dinner to warm them up. Heaving a sigh of relief at the knowledge that he was finally getting a chance to relax-- Jesse was going to be in some new drama or other and had been shipping out to Shizuoka to film every day for the past week, and Taira had been getting over the tail end of an early cold, leaving Yugo with plenty of stress and very little time to himself over the past week. But now Taira had finally stopped coughing and was home with Imai Reon (the kid was responsible, and Yugo felt bad for him, now that his friends had debuted without him), and Yugo smiled across the table at Kento, looking forward to the rest of the evening. "You guys put on a great show," he commented earnestly, smiling at Kento over his drink. "You and Fuma were both amazing, of course. It's a shame Hokuto missed it."
With Yugo smiling across the table at him in their little room in the back of the izakaya, Kento suddenly felt like it had been way too long since they had done this, and he smiled back, sipping his cocktail and slouching down in his seat. His smile widened at Yugo's compliment, though, and he nodded in agreement. "It is too bad... I thought he was finally going to have some free time to enjoy himself," he said, sighing a little. "But you had a good time, right?" he asked, grinning at Yugo and pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I may be the oldest, but I still put the sexy in Sexy Zone, right~?" He really did hope Yugo had enjoyed himself, because that was the whole point of his job, in the end, and if Yugo's life as a parent was anything like Kento's experience, he needed some time to unwind.
Sometimes it was amazing to Yugo how little Kento had changed since they were teenagers, and he laughed, shaking his head. "Naturally," he replied, raising an eyebrow and reaching across the table to snatch a karaage. Still, despite how ridiculous he was and how highly he thought of himself, when it came down to it, Kento was a quality entertainer who worked hard to give the audience a good show, and Yugo knew it. He had always been dedicated to the job, and it really was good to see him still enjoying it even now, surrounded by the band with whom he had clearly grown very close. "Your piano solo was written by Shori-kun, wasn't it?" he asked after a moment, smiling at Kento. It seemed really like something else entirely to be able to work with the person you loved more than anything, a pleasure Yugo had only been able to enjoy for a brief period when he was too young to appreciate it, and he was sure Kento must feel very lucky to have someone like Shori-kun. They had been so sweet when they were younger, when Yugo still saw Kento a little bit more frequently, and Yugo wished he had been able to get to know Shori-kun a little better. "It seemed suited to you," he added. He wasn't really a connoisseur of concerts when he hadn't been in one in years now, not since his backdancing days, but he had enjoyed the show, and that was what mattered, right?
Kento nodded, smiling a little. Even if they were fighting a lot these days, Kento still loved the songs Shori wrote for him, and working together had always been one of the best parts of their relationship. "I like it," he agreed. "It's... nice to be able to work on songs together, even now." Now that we have kids and everyone else has kids and there's hardly time for anything anymore was the unspoken afterthought, but Kento just sipped more of his drink, putting it out of his mind for the moment. "Fuma's solo was good too, right? As long as the fans don't figure out that it's blatantly about his kids," he said wryly, rolling his eyes a little.
There was just something about Kento, about the way he said things so blatantly, the way he had never been afraid to call things like they were that was refreshing to Yugo, and he couldn't help but laugh again at the comment about Fuma. "I have to imagine it's less obvious to people who aren't us," he replied, shrugging. "Somehow you guys have managed to ride all these years on fanservice between the two of you when Fuma's clearly never had eyes for anyone but Hokuto." Thinking back to the magazine photoshoots, the interviews, the making of video of their one and only single together, Fuma and Hokuto's puppy love had been adorable, and to this day, Yugo was a bit perplexed as to the basis for the probably hundreds of FumaKen fans out there. "I guess the fans think you're so irresistible even Fuma can't control himself~?" he teased, knowing that Kento would take it only partially jokingly and chuckling at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. It felt good, to really laugh again after god knew how long-- Yugo smiled plenty, at cute things Taira did or at the success of the littler juniors finally learning their choreography, but laughing was something else entirely. There really was something about Kento, he supposed, and he wondered why he'd let it be so long since the last time they spent time together. They had been such good friends once, and only now was Yugo beginning to remember.
"Oh, you know it~" Kento said, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning at Yugo. All the fanservice he did with Fuma did feel a little silly sometimes after so many years of being friends, and quite a few years of being married to other people, too, but anything to make the fans scream, right? "The fans knew I was irresistible right from the start~" he said, thinking back to when they had recorded their single together as B.I.Shadow. They had been so young, and he had barely known Yugo at all so soon after their group was thrown together, but he had nothing but good memories of how excited they were, of how they had all hit it off from the start, of how he and Yugo had made fun of Fuma and Hokuto's ridiculous crushes on each other... "My attractiveness was enough to distract from their grossness even then?" he suggested, laughing and reaching across the table to grab a French fry.
Yugo sighed fondly, shaking his head. Some things about Kento really hadn't changed since they were kids, and he shrugged. "I guess you were okay to look at," he replied as nonchalantly as possible, hoping to draw a reaction from Kento. It felt natural, really, almost too natural for two people who had barely spoken in six months, but Yugo hardly even felt it, just a half hour into the conversation. It felt as if they'd been close this whole time, felt like second nature, and after weeks of stress and fatigue… well, Yugo definitely wasn't going to ask questions. He had known Kento for a very long time, after all, he clarified to himself, and Kento's words made him remember just how well he had known Kento, way back in the day. He had forgotten almost entirely the little tryst (or whatever it had been) that he'd had with Kento back when he was sixteen and naive, and sure, maybe he'd had some teen angst about it and shed a few tears, but now, as an adult, all of his memories with Kento were good ones, like looking through a photo album of the happiest years of his life. They had had so much fun, the four of them together, and Yugo couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I don't know if you were attractive enough to work those awful yellow things we used to wear, though," he commented, quirking an eyebrow at Kento. "I'm fairly certain I was the only one who could pull those off~"
Kento pouted at Yugo, falling easily back into their old bantering. "You certainly thought I was more than okay~" he reminded Yugo, smirking as he thought back to what they used to do together in B.I.Shadow's dressing room (much to Fuma and Hokuto's dismay). They had certainly been young and immature and inexperienced, but it had been a lot of fun, and though he didn't think about it all that often anymore, he definitely looked back fondly on his times with Yugo. "But we totally looked adorable in those costumes, I don't know what you're talking about," he argued, crossing his arms but not succeeding in keeping the smile from his face.
"I guess ma~ybe," Yugo replied, feigning deep thought. "I suppose that we were probably the cutest ones on Shounen Club, back in the day." Which was definitely true-- even if they'd faded away, for a time, B.I.Shadow were hugely popular, and Yugo smiled fondly at the memory of performing their own songs, just the four of them, for a huge crowd and TV cameras and their senpai and everything. And then they'd all tumble back to their dressing room, laughter in their voices and stars in their eyes, and they'd go out to dinner despite the fact that they ought to do home and do homework, despite the fact that they had school the next day. And there were the Hey! Say! JUMP concerts, and Summary, and when Yugo thought back now, for the first time in a long time, he was suddenly enveloped in a warmth that he had almost completely forgotten. Compared to the long nights alone and tiring days of double-duty as a dance teacher and a dad, those memories were a welcome change, and Yugo sipped his beer thoughtfully, unable to keep a smile from his lips. "Those were the days," he murmured almost to himself, lost in the recollection of happier times, "…I miss it."
Yugo's sudden seriousness and his nostalgic expression made Kento pause, and he nodded, his grin fading into a smaller smile. He loved his band, of course, so he didn't think about it much, and he loved his family, too, but when he thought back to when they were B.I.Shadow he had to admit that he did miss it. They had been so carefree and idealistic back then, the four of them, and he could still remember the feeling of being onstage with Yugo and Fuma and Hokuto, believing they could do anything. Of course, being onstage with his band now was still amazing, and spending time with his kids was great in a different way from anything he would have imagined back then, but... he definitely missed it. "We had a lot less to worry about back then, huh?" he said, sighing a little and watching Yugo across the table. "We should actually have that reunion sometime when Fuma and Hokuto won't bail on us."
Kento's voice drew Yugo out of his thoughts, and he smiled across the table, nodding. "It's hard to get them away from their kids these days," he commented, but he knew they could do it somehow. And it would be good to spend some time together, all four of them, focus on the good things they had right now rather than the past. Besides, now that they all had kids, it seemed like maybe they all were back on a common page, despite the fact that Yugo's path in life had fallen away from Kento's and Fuma's and Hokuto's road to stardom. "Maybe we could even have a play date. I'm sure Taira would love to see more of Jinsei." But more than vague plans for the future (because when had that ever panned out for Yugo, honestly?) he wanted to make sure that he and Kento didn't fall out of touch again, because even more than his weekly phone calls with Fuma, even more than getting drinks after work occasionally with Taiga or being invited along to parties with Jesse's band, somehow, this dinner with Kento was making him feel happier than he had in a long time, and even after six months (or more, really) being with Kento felt comfortable, felt natural, felt right, and Yugo didn't want to lose that again. And so, he grinned, tossing the last gyoza onto Kento's plate playfully and asking, "Do you want to do this again next weekend or something? I've had a really good time."
"Kensou and Jinsei don't get along so well," Kento said, laughing, "But I'm sure Jinsei wouldn't mind a little time away from his younger brother for a play date with Taira..." Yugo's second offer was more interesting to Kento, though, because he was having a really good time with Yugo, and honestly when he thought about it, he wasn't sure why they had stopped hanging out. That could definitely be remedied, though, and he nodded in agreement, picking up the gyoza with his chopsticks. "Sure," he said, "Our Tokyo shows will be done by then, so next weekend should work." He paused, chewing the gyoza thoughtfully and taking another sip of his drink. "As lame at it sounds, this is more fun than I've had in a long time."
Yugo laughed when Kento mentioned Jinsei; the boy, as far as Yugo could tell, was a lot like his father, and he could see how he and Fuma and Hokuto's ever-serious first wouldn't fit together well. Still, just a play date between their kids would be nice; Taira hadn't had much chance to get to know Jinsei since Yugo barely saw Kento anymore, and they were about the same age. "I guess having a little brother must be rough, huh?" Yugo replied with a laugh, nodding. "We'll have to find a time, then." As Kento responded to his other invitation, however, Yugo's smile grew, and he nodded. "Me too," he agreed, suddenly feeling warm all over again, more than just from the beer or the restaurant's heaters, "So it's a date, then?"
Kento nodded, smiling back at Yugo. "We all need a night out sometimes, right?" he said, raising his glass before finishing the last of his drink. "And now we can actually go out for drinks, that's one advantage over back when we were kids!" He was definitely looking forward to going out with Yugo again, but right now he was having such a good time that he didn't really feel like leaving yet, either. Glancing at the time on his phone, he commented, "It's not that late yet, right? Want to do another round?"
Yugo glanced at his phone as well. It was already ten, and he had told Reon-kun that he would certainly be home before midnight… but, well, Taira was certainly already in bed, and he was sure Reon-kun could find some way to entertain himself for a little longer. Maybe it wasn't the most responsible thing to do (Yugo usually prided himself on being the responsible dad, the one who was always punctual and had thought ahead), but the feeling of warmth and happiness that inexplicably was coming from spending time with Kento again. And so, grinning, he nodded, already reaching for the buzzer with a, "Sounds good."
In the long run, Yugo didn't end up making it home by midnight, but both Taira and the babysitter were fine, and Yugo made sure he paid Reon-kun plenty extra for the time he was forced to wait. He still made it home before Jesse, at any rate, who had been filming night scenes and, as a result, not been getting home until one or two am. It felt like a lot less time to wait, though, when he had been out with Kento earlier, and with plans for next weekend already in mind, somehow, all the evenings alone during the week felt so much longer and lonelier. By the time the next Saturday had rolled around, Yugo practically felt like the anticipation was going to kill him, but somehow, it made it that much better to see Kento, to have real human contact for the hours that they were together, reminiscing about the past and chatting about what had come around after. It wasn't just that Kento was any person to fill the void that Jesse had left, however; despite that he hadn't really thought to actively miss Kento in the previous few years, there was something about being together that just felt right, felt like something was clicking in Yugo that hadn't clicked in a long time. But he and Kento had been quite close back in B.I.Shadow, and Yugo figured it was just because he felt the need to make up for lost time with one of his best friends from childhood. Besides, he certainly wasn't going to think too hard on it when Kento was clearly enjoying their time together as much as Yugo was.
After the second meeting, they made plans for a third, and then a fourth. It was something nice for Yugo to look forward to at the end of the week, and he certainly needed it; Jesse had barely finished filming when his band began to gear up to head out on tour. They were headed first to Hokkaido before it got too cold, and were to spend just shy of three weeks in Hokkaido and Tohoku-- a longer period of time than usual, and while Jesse was proud to announce this to Yugo with the implication that it meant that they were still just as popular as ever even as they got older, Yugo had a lot of difficulty finding it in his heart to be happy when it meant that he would have to endure longer at home all alone.
But at least he had his meetings with Kento now to look forward to, and so it was with his bravest of faces that he sent Jesse off to the airport to head off to Hokkaido. However, it seemed fate wanted Yugo's life to be anything but easy, because as Saturday evening approached, Reon-kun called to say that there had been a change in plans in his work schedule and that he wouldn't be able to watch Taira, after all. But when he called Kento to inform him of the bad news, Kento had been undeterred, saying he'd simply meet Yugo at Yugo's place instead, and so it was with a smile that, a few hours later, he welcomed Kento into his genkan, scooping Taira into his arms to keep him from getting under foot. "Hey," he greeted, hitching Taira up on his hip and attempting to kick the clutter of work shoes and children's' sneakers out of Kento's way-- his and Jesse's apartment had been kind of a mess ever since they had had Taira, but honestly, right now, Yugo couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't going to spend the evening by himself, and currently, that was the best feeling in the world.
Kento had been pleasantly surprised when his second evening out with Yugo turned into a third and a fourth, and suddenly he had meetings with Yugo to look forward to on a weekly basis after years of only seeing each other every few months. And he did look forward to them a lot, because somehow with Yugo, things felt easy, like they could just fall right back into being friends as if no time had passed, and like they didn't have a million other things to be worrying about. They could just drink and reminisce and talk about whatever was on their minds, and Kento didn't have to think about his latest fight with Shori or anything else he didn't want to think about. So when Yugo called to say that his babysitter had fallen through, Kento really didn't want to just stay home after he had been looking forward to seeing Yugo again all week, so knowing that Jesse was out of town on tour anyway (he'd been hearing it from Fuma for the past several days), he had suggested they spend the evening together at Yugo's house instead.
When Kento arrived, he was greeted at the door by both Yugo and Taira, and he smiled, telling Yugo hello and ruffling Taira's hair. "Do you remember me~?" he asked, thinking that Taira had definitely been a lot younger the last time he'd seen him. "You've gotten so big~"
Taira seemed to be taken aback by a strange man appearing in his house and ruffling his hair uninvited, and Yugo laughed, hitching him up again (he was getting so big, it was hard to hold him like this anymore, a thought that made Yugo probably more emotional than he should be) and nodding towards Kento. "This is Nakajima-san, don't you remember?" he prompted, meeting his son's inquisitive gaze, "Jinsei's dad? You remember him, don't you?" At that, at least some sort of recognition seemed to register in Taira's mind, and he nodded, smiling as well and saying hello to Kento before Yugo set him down again, patting him on the back as encouragement towards his bedroom. "Go finish getting ready for bed and I'll come tuck you in," he instructed, watching fondly as Taira nodded before teetering off towards the bathroom in his giraffe-and-zebra-print pajamas to brush his teeth. "He really has gotten big," he sighed to Kento was a smile once Taira was out of sight, but he knew now wasn't the time to be waxing eloquent about how cute his kid was, and he clapped his hands together, clearing his head. "Well, come on in, sorry the place is a mess… do you want something to drink?" he offered, leading Kento into the living room and gesturing to the couch. "I can't promise we have much, but I think there's beer, apple juice, and milk, at the very least."
Kento could see the emotions clearly on Yugo's face as he sent Taira off to get ready for bed, and he could understand the feeling himself, as strange as it still felt to realize that. "They grow up so fast, don't they... Jinsei will be starting elementary school in the spring, and he's going to have his first dance recital this year..." Kento trailed off with a laugh, shaking his head at how ridiculous he sounded. "Taira is adorable, though," he told Yugo as he sat down on the couch, crossing his legs. "Beer sounds great," he said, "But I can wait if you need to go take care of him... I just thought that a lack of a babysitter shouldn't force us to cancel our plans, right?"
"Of course," Yugo replied with a warm smile, not eager to admit just how glad he was that they didn't have to cancel but wanting to show his happiness to have Kento here all the same. Knowing it would take Taira some time to finish his routine, Yugo hovered in the doorway for the moment, his smile softening at the thought of his son. "They do," he agreed, nodding slowly. "You'll have to let us know how the dance recital is… who knows, maybe I could even come, and bring Taira. He's been talking about how he wants to learn how to dance." It had been a long time since Yugo had last seen Jinsei, however, and he had only seen Kento's second, Ryusei, Yugo thought he remembered his name was, in passing, and it was crazy to think how much time had gone by now that Kento had two kids and Taira was already in school. "Elementary school is something else entirely," he added with a laugh. "Taira was so excited to have his first real English lesson… he tells me the teacher was very impressed with how much he already knows." It was cute, how Taira was so proud of being able to say "cat" and "blue" in another language-- but not just any language, of course, the language his daddy spoke. The thought made Yugo's heart squeeze in his chest; Jesse had been so eager to teach Taira English when they'd first been talking about having kids, but he'd been so busy once Taira was old enough to talk that that had fallen away; now Taira went to kids' English classes at an eikaiwa once a week and Yugo was left struggling to decipher the worksheets that he brought home, instead.
But before he could stew for too long on the issue, there was a cry of "Papa!!" from down the hall, and Yugo excused himself to find Taira in his bedroom, where he proudly showed off to Yugo that he had picked out clothes for tomorrow all by himself before climbing into bed. Yugo fondly told him that he was such a big boy now before kissing him goodnight, smiling to himself about nothing, really, except for the fact that he loved his son too much for words. Still, as he closed Taira's bedroom door behind him, the loneliness already was beginning to set in, the knowledge that Taira was being put to bed by only one parent every night, and the fact that the only other person who lived with Yugo was a six-year-old whose bedtime was eight pm. Still, it was best not to think about those things now, especially since he wasn't alone-- Kento was here, and Yugo could at least enjoy himself, could at least stave off the loneliness for another few hours. And so, he swung by the kitchen, grabbing two beers from the refrigerator before sitting tiredly beside Kento on the couch. "Sorry to keep you waiting~" he chimed more energetically than he felt, handing one of the cans to his companion, "He should be all set for the night now."
Part 2
yomimashou and I wrote just for fun! It turned out quite long and we liked it a lot, so I figured I'd post it here. Like I said, it was just for fun, so it sort of takes place in our own little idea of the future... At any rate, if you choose to read it, please read the warnings beforehand, and enjoy!Pairings: Nakajima Kento/Kouchi Yugo, Jesse/Kouchi Yugo, Nakajima Kento/Sato Shori, with side Matsumura Hokuto/Kikuchi Fuma
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit m/m sex, infidelity, OCs (kids)
Words: 94,338
Notes: This rp takes place in a future AU in which gay marriage and adoption have become acceptable in Johnny's and in Japan, and Jesse and Yugo, Kento and Shori, Hokuto and Fuma, and others are married and have adopted children.
Getting older kind of sucked, Kento thought. It wasn't that he was losing his looks or anything like that, and fans still went crazy about his dancing, but it was the expectations that sucked, somehow. Suddenly he had two kids, all his friends were having kids, and everyone was expected to not care about taking care of themselves anymore, to not care about having fun or relaxing or having quality time with their husbands, and with how little sleep Kento had been getting these days, his looks probably were going to start to go if he didn't get a little time to unwind.
Getting older had been great for a while. Looking back, the first few years after Sexy Zone's debut had been rough, with everyone in their group so young and immature and inexperienced, but things had come together eventually, and after their fifth anniversary their popularity had really started to skyrocket. They put out number one single after number one single, playing sold-out concerts in the biggest arenas around Japan, and everything in Kento's life seemed to be on the up and up. Kento had enjoyed watching the rest of his group grow up, as well, starting with Fuma, who had predictably settled down early, moving in with Hokuto and then having their first kid when they were barely past Sexy Zone's tenth anniversary. Kento couldn't begrudge him too much when he seemed so happy, though, and he counted his blessings that Fuma hadn't eloped without telling the management, and that the management didn't let him skip out on tours to be with his kids. (And it was good for him, Kento thought, because he saw how much Fuma still enjoyed performing, and it wasn't healthy for him to think he couldn't survive away from his family for a week.)
Shori had surprised Kento far more than Fuma had, though. He had been such an awkward teenager when they first debuted, in both looks and demeanor, and although his obvious crush on Kento had been cute, Kento hadn't thought much of it. As the years passed, though, Shori had grown out of his teenage awkwardness, but surprisingly not out of his feelings for Kento, and when a surprisingly attractive twenty-year-old Shori had started writing songs for Kento to play on the piano, one thing led to another. What started out as Kento enjoying the way Shori looked up to him grew into something more as they began to collaborate on things like songs and concert planning, and it wasn't long before they weren't just sleeping together, but Shori was writing Kento love poems and asking him on dates and Kento was surprised to find that he liked it. They both took their band and their job seriously, after all, and it was really nice to have someone who shared that point of view and with whom he could enjoy both the planning and the celebratory sex after the fact. Kento had never been a huge fan of all the baggage that came with serious relationships, but he found himself really happy with what he had with Shori, and when they started to talk about moving in together several years later (and getting married, a couple years after that), it seemed almost natural. As much as Kento's eighteen-year-old self never would have believed it, they loved each other, and he had to admit that that was probably a major perk of getting older.
When his friends started to not only settle down with their boyfriends but also to adopt kids, though, Kento was far more skeptical. After all, he liked having fun, he liked having his days off to spend with Shori or with friends, he liked having sex all over their apartment without having to worry about anything. But as he watched Hey! Say! JUMP members raising kids, and especially as he watched Fuma and Hokuto's baby grow into a toddler, he couldn't help but think that he might like to have a baby of his own. Shori really wanted it, too, was always talking in that vague way of his about what they might do if they had a child, and finally, Kento agreed. Taking care of an infant hadn't been easy, of course, but they had done it together, and he would never have imagined that he could find Shori rocking a baby to sleep attractive... but he really was. And of course, as he grew older, Jinsei was perfect, and Kento knew that he and Shori were going to raise him into an amazing person, so even if he had a little--or a lot--less free time, it was worth it.
But then they had adopted their second child, and Kento couldn't be sure, but he thought that was the point when he really started to feel like they were getting older, and not in a fun way. Somehow, where Jinsei had helped Kento and Shori grow even closer, Ryusei seemed to be driving them apart, and Kento didn't understand why. It wasn't like they were really having any big problems or anything, and he still loved Shori and loved their kids, but he never seemed to have time for himself anymore, or for the two of them to spend time alone together like they used to, to write songs or watch their senpai's old concerts or spend a lazy day in bed, and whenever Kento tried to mention something about it, it always seemed to lead to fighting.
Things weren't all bad, of course, and Kento was glad that Sexy Zone was still popular and successful, that he could still tour and record songs and everything else with his husband and his best friends. Right now, they were on the Tokyo leg of their latest tour, and Kento was excited to be back in Tokyo Dome, ready to make their fans happy for another evening. Yugo was supposed to be coming to watch this show, too, and Shori was going to go home to relieve the babysitter so that Kento and Fuma could go out with him after the show. Fuma was still close with Yugo, especially since their kids were friends, but Kento hardly ever saw Yugo anymore between both their schedules, so he was excited to have the chance to catch up. Hokuto had been backstage with Fuma and their sniffling second child before the show, though, and Kento could tell that Fuma was worried, so he hoped that wouldn't infringe on their plans. That was something to worry about after he was done focusing on putting on the best show he could, though, and he grinned at the screaming fans as he ran onto the stage with his bandmates, waving at the crowd and gearing up for another great show.
It was funny, the way things hadn't turned out at all like Yugo had planned, when, fifteen and a little too old, a little too awkward but ambitious nonetheless, he had joined Johnny's with big dreams for the future. Back in those days, with the other members of B.I.Shadow at his side and all the stars in the sky seemingly within their reach, Yugo had dared to hope for a debut, had dared to dream of the day that his voice would be playing in every music store and conbini across Japan, his face would be plastered huge across the billboards in Shibuya crossing, his name would be the one selling out tickets to arenas and topping ratings charts for Monday-nine dramas. It had seemed realistic back then, had seemed likely, even, that with Hokuto and Kento and Fuma, he could make it to stardom just like all the senpai he so admired, just like the kids their age who had nothing on him but a bit of a head start.
But then first Kento and Fuma had been peeled away, debuted as a volleyball support group with three far younger and less experienced kids. Yugo didn't begrudge them, not any of them, really, despite the hurt and the heartbreak and the sheer disappointment, because the management's word was law, and besides, they were talented and hardworking and they deserved the break, even if Yugo didn't understand why it couldn't have been with he and Hokuto. And sure, things had gotten rocky for a while, but the four of them had mended their friendship, and he and Hokuto had simply vowed to work harder than ever until they could join Kento and Fuma in the realm of contracted Johnny's talents.
And things had looked good, at first, had seemed hopeful when Yugo and Hokuto and the four other juniors their age who had also been patiently waiting their turn got cast in a wildly popular drama, got to do promotional events together and to star in a movie as a group and to even hold their own little concert. Yugo learned to love the other Bakaleya guys just as he had B.I.Shadow, learned to appreciate each for his own strong points just as he had with Fuma and Kento. Of course, the loss of the group he'd had by his side for the past two years still hurt, but Hokuto was always there, at least, a constant despite everything that had changed, and to Yugo's surprise, somehow, despite everything that had been torn down around him, he was able to find something new, able to find support and companionship and, more quickly than he imagined possible, love in one of his new groupmates, Lewis Jesse. Jesse had been an awkward kid as long as Yugo could remember, but somehow, by the time he and Yugo were castmates, he had become a warm and caring teenager, even if some of the pubescent awkwardness still lingered. And so Yugo found new friends and a new start, and with the Bakaleya group, his hopes began to resolidify, because someday, it seemed, they really could be something.
But despite the fact that they seemed to be shoe-ins for their age bracket, the competition from behind was what blindsided Yugo when, a year and a half later, Shintaro, Hokuto, and Jesse were debuted not with Yugo, Juri, and Taiga, but with a group of four kouhai, the final incarnation of the junior unit Sexy Boyz. Yugo had always found their unit name a bit off-putting, but he supposed they had the last laugh when they-- along with the two people Yugo had most relied on for support-- were thrust into the limelight in front of Yugo, despite how long he'd waited, despite how hard he'd worked. And he tried, he tried not to be bitter, but it was hard when this was heartbreak number two, when this time, it was a lot harder to overcome and find new hopes for the future.
But Yugo had always been able to put his own problems in the back seat, Yugo had always been one to pretend nothing was wrong in hopes of keeping everyone happy (including himself-- perhaps he could forget, perhaps he could move on), and so he put on a brave face for Jesse and for Hokuto and cheered them on from the sidelines as their debut single naturally topped the charts upon release. It was almost easier to think about their success, because for the months after the debut, Yugo was left in the nebulous realm of juniors with little hope for the future. At first, he had clung to Taiga and to Juri, because really, the three of them had had little other option, but then Juri was siphoned off with Yasui Kentaro and Hagiya Keigo with two of the younger ones who had been left behind by Sexy Boyz and made into a new junior unit, and then Taiga had been pushed to the front-side, featured somewhat consistently if unreliably until, seemingly in his last act of senility, Johnny debuted him as a solo artist, leaving Yugo alone in the dust.
Eventually, things settled; Yugo found himself with the other boys his age who had lost their chance dancing background for Hey! Say! JUMP and occasionally Sexy Zone and Hokuto, Jesse, and Shintaro's group, and it was all right. It was work, anyway, more than enough to pay the bills once college ended and Yugo found himself a full-time Johnny's Junior, and Yugo liked dancing, liked performing. And it wasn't as if he never saw his friends, either; he and Fuma had always been close, and when they weren't able to meet up, they emailed and called, and it keep Yugo's spirits up at the end of even the longest days to know that he always had Fuma to complain to, always had Fuma to cheer him up. And Jesse was always there for Yugo, too, despite being busy with recordings and debut, always provided a shoulder to lean on when Yugo needed support or a warm embrace when Yugo felt like he couldn't go on, and eventually, now that Yugo and Jesse were both through with school, they were able to move in together, to settle down together, sort of, and despite all of his disappointments with work, knowing that he always had Jesse's love and support was more than enough to make him happy. And he loved watching Jesse succeed, too, loved seeing him smile up on stage, on TV, in the rehearsal hall, and even if Yugo's career was maybe a little subpar, knowing Jesse was happy and being able to be happy together was more than he could have asked for, and he knew that it wasn't his place to complain when really, his situation wasn't bad. Not what he had dreamed of in childhood, certainly, but with a loving boyfriend (later husband, once the management allowed it) at home and plenty of smaller juniors who looked up to him, who relied on him to teach them dance moves at work, he knew that he should count his blessings.
And so time went on, and things grew and changed, for better or for worse. Eventually, Yugo's backup unit was disbanded and rearranged to accommodate more juniors whose prospects for debut had dimmed to black, and Yugo was surprised to find himself left out and pushed to the forefront of the older juniors instead. These days, Nakayama Yuma was headlining stage shows like Playzone, and Imai Tsubasa-kun was still doing most of the directing, but Yugo was pleased when he was asked to choreograph the group dances, and was given the third most prominent part, after Yuma and Taiga, who, like Yuma, had little to do as a solo act besides stage work. This became routine, and over time, Yugo's stage and choreography responsibilities grew. It was a nice change, and even as Jesse began to tour nationwide, even as all of his friends grew more and more famous, Yugo found small pleasure in the work he put in behind the scenes.
And there were more small pleasures to come, or rather large pleasures in small packages; just before Yugo turned thirty, he and Jesse were able to adopt a baby boy of their own, and Yugo was sent into a new adventure altogether. Being a dad became the top priority, at least for a few years, and Yugo was grateful that he was able to take time off and make use of his flexible schedule when Jesse had to leave for weeks at a time on tour. He missed work, and of course, he missed Jesse, but watching baby Taira grow was more than enough reward, and seeing him learn to walk, to talk, sending him off to his first day of school and helping him with his first homework assignments were things Yugo wouldn't have wanted to miss for the world.
But as time went on, it became clear that, wanting or not, Jesse was going to miss a significant part of Taira's life. At first Yugo accepted it as something that came along with fame, the constant tours, the late hours, the ever-changing schedule and sorry, work's going to run late, I won't make it for dinners, but as time went on, it began to get old, and Yugo's patience began to weaken. It wasn't that he didn't like being home with his son; he loved Taira more than anything, but somehow, it didn't seem fair that he had to endure his mediocre career and spend most of his time without his husband, who essentially was living Yugo's childhood dream. It wasn't that Yugo blamed him, wasn't that Yugo blamed anyone, of course, but it was hard to kiss Jesse goodbye in the morning knowing that he was off to Kansai for the week with Hokuto and Shintaro to perform in arenas in front of thousands while Yugo would run the same choreography over and over for a few hours before calling it a day, picking Taira up from school, cooking dinner, checking homework, putting Taira to bed, and then spending the evening alone. It was a little dull, yes, and a little monotonous, but more than that, it was lonely, and Yugo hated every time Taira looked up at him with big eyes and asked when is Daddy going to come home? and he found himself getting choked up, as well. For how long it seemed to Yugo, it must have seemed like years to a four, five, six year old, and it made his throat grow tight and his stomach knot to know how much they both suffered when Jesse was gone.
But what was there to be done? This was how things had turned out, this was life, and by now, Yugo was fully aware of how imperfect life could be. Sure, he was a little frustrated with his work situation, sure, his home life was a little hard, but who was he to complain? Jesse was only doing his job, and Yugo knew he loved Taira just as much as Yugo did. And it was hardly Jesse's fault that Yugo had never made it anywhere in Johnny's, was hardly Jesse's fault that Yugo was available to stay home with Taira when Jesse was busy with work. It was a little unfair, yes, but life wasn't fair, and so Yugo swallowed back to the lump in his throat and grit his teeth, because the new and upcoming junior units weren't going to learn their choreography by themselves and Taira certainly couldn't put himself to bed without dinner, and so even if Yugo didn't always like it, he knew what his responsibilities were, and besides, even if they were few and far between, there were the times when Ninomiya Tomoya, that particularly slow child of Ohno-kun and Ninomiya-kun from Arashi's, finally picked up the choreography and gave Yugo an impromptu hug, or when Taira brought home a particularly sweet composition that he wrote in Japanese class about his dad the dance teacher that, along with a few cigarettes and a little alcohol at the end of each day, helped Yugo pull through.
And so life was life, not perfect but not awful either, and Yugo got through the days, the weeks, the months, the years watching Taira grow and hoping that somehow, someday, things would get better. It wasn't, after all, like there was nothing good in his life, and he brightened his spirits by visiting friends, seeing them perform, feeling proud of what they had been able to achieve, even if he hadn't. And so, it was in a pleasant mood that he found his place in the kankeisha seats one particular day for Sexy Zone's current Tokyo Dome concert. They were old as a group, now, but still, they were able to fill the biggest arenas, and Yugo was happy for Kento and Fuma and for their not-so-little-anymore bandmates as he watched the show surrounded by thousands of cheering fans. It was a shame-- he hardly ever saw Kento anymore, ever since Kento had had kids, and even Fuma, with whom he still considered himself quite close, spent much of his time busy touring, and when he was back in Tokyo, he had a brood of three at home at keep him on his toes. Still, Kento and Fuma had promised to go out to dinner with Yugo at the end of the concert, and Hokuto (who was possibly backstage with Fuma and maybe their kids; Yugo had been a little unclear on the plan) was supposed to come along, and they'd make a little reunion out of it. And so, stressful and unpleasant as his life could be sometimes, Yugo was in high spirits as he made his way backstage after the show, thinking that maybe, with a babysitter to be the one alone in his apartment after Taira had been put to bed and with a dinner with the old B.I.Shadow members to look forward to, perhaps today would, at the very least, be a little less lonely.
Kento grinned, wiping the sweat from his face as he high-fived and hugged his bandmates as they left the stage after the encore and pulling Shori into a brief stage adrenaline-filled kiss before they all piled back into their dressing room to get changed. He could tell from one look at Fuma's face and the way he kept checking his phone that Fuma probably wasn't coming out with him and Yugo, though, and he frowned, feeling a little disappointed. Hokuto could take care of their kids for one night perfectly well, even if one of them had a cold, and Fuma needed to give himself a break more often in Kento's opinion. He didn't say anything for the moment, though, just focusing on changing his clothes and fixing his hair until he heard Yugo's knock on the door. "Hey," he greeted Yugo with a smile, opening the door for him to come in. "Did you enjoy the show?"
Yugo grinned as he was met by a sweaty and clearly still adrenaline-high Kento, and he nodded, giving his friend a pat on the back in greeting. "It was great," he replied easily, following Kento into the dressing room and surveying the scene. He had to admit, he felt a little out of place when this was so clearly a space for the five members as a group, but, he reminded himself, he was a friend, a guest, not an intruder. Still, it felt a little odd when he probably hadn't spoken to Kento for more than six months now, and even then, the meeting had been maybe ten minutes, a chance meeting in the hallways of the Myojo photography studios. And Fuma was so busy these days, too, he and Yugo called and messaged almost daily, but the last time Yugo had had a chance to see Fuma face to face was probably two weeks ago now, when Fuma had come by to pick Kensou up from Yugo's at the end of a play date. It was a little sad that when they had all been so close as teenagers, after a few more exchanges with him, Kento was drifting away to finish packing up his things and sort out logistical matters with his husband, and Fuma, it seemed, had barely noticed that Yugo was there. At least they had a dinner date planned, Yugo reminded himself, and he was sure they were tired after a long concert. He couldn't imagine how draining that must be, and so he took a seat off to the side, waiting his turn. He didn't want to be in the way, after all, when he was only a guest here.
Kento could only put off asking Fuma whether he was still coming for so long, and he didn't know if Yugo even knew that Hokuto had already bailed on them, so once he was finished packing up his things and rechecking himself in the mirror, he turned to Fuma, who was absorbed in his phone again. "You're still coming with us, right?" he asked, even though he knew the opposite was probably true.
Fuma had been worrying ever since Hokuto had stopped by to say that he was taking Keiya to the hospital instead of staying to watch the concert, and even though Hokuto had relayed that the doctor had assured him it was only a cold, he knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself out with his friends when he really felt like he should be home taking care of Keiya. He felt bad, since he had really been looking forward to going out with Yugo and Kento, and it had been so long since he'd really gotten to spend time with Yugo, but there was nothing to be done about it... he would just have to make time to see him sometime soon. So when Kento asked what his plans were, looking at him like he already disapproved before Fuma had even answered, he couldn't do much but apologize. "I'm sorry," he said, looking over at Yugo. "Keiya has a cold, and Hokuto is already home with him... I just can't really go out right now."
Yugo rose when Fuma began to talk to him, making his way over to stand beside him and Kento. Fuma looked worried, his phone clasped tightly in one hand as if it might try to escape if he were to loosen his grip, his lips pressed tightly together in worry, and though Yugo felt as if sometimes, Fuma was a little too obsessive about his kids, Yugo could understand the feeling of worry that came along with a sick child. Still, he couldn't help but be disappointed; he had been looking forward to spending time with Fuma and Hokuto, who he saw even less often than Fuma and mostly in passing at Jesse's work events, and he sighed, shrugging and giving Fuma his best supportive smile. "I understand," he replied, nodding despite Kento's sour expression, "I'd feel the same way if it were Taira. So go on home, and I hope he gets well soon." Kento looked as if he had been hoping that Yugo would chew Fuma out, and Yugo couldn't help but smile slightly to himself, because, it seemed, some things never changed. It was disappointing not to be able to go out as a group, but… it had been the longest since he had seen Kento, and maybe it would be good to have a chance just for the two of them to catch up. So, turning to Kento, he offered a lopsided grin and hoped that he would be forgiven for letting Fuma go. "So… I guess it's just you and me, then?"
Kento shrugged, putting a hand on his hip. "We'll be having fun without them, right?" he said to Yugo. It was Fuma's loss, he supposed, and he hadn't seen Yugo in ages, so it really would be fun to have the chance to catch up. "Are you hungry? Since it's just you and me, you have to tell me everything you thought about the concert~" A glance around the dressing room confirmed that it was probably fine for him to leave, and he wiggled his fingers at Fuma before turning to gather his things. "I hope the kid feels better," he said. "And make sure you get some rest before you come back here tomorrow!" He couldn't really be mad at Fuma for being worried about his kid, even if he definitely thought Fuma was making the wrong choice, and he couldn't be too annoyed when he was still going to get an evening out for himself. Waving goodbye to the rest of his bandmates and telling Shori he would probably be late, he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and turned back to Yugo. "Let's go~"
Yugo couldn't help but laugh at Kento's attitude, at the way he handled himself and everyone around him, because somehow, even when he had been at the brunt of Kento's selfish flamboyance, there had always been something appealing about it, something warm and charismatic that drew Yugo in, and he bade the rest of Sexy Zone goodbye as well, excusing himself with one last wish for Keiya to get well soon to Fuma. He was sad to leave Fuma behind, but somehow, there was something energizing about the idea of catching up with Kento after so long, one on one. After all, Fuma and Hokuto had always made an effort to keep in touch with Yugo, but somehow, over the years, Kento had fallen away, and while it hadn't necessarily been bothering Yugo over the past years, being in Kento's presence again was reminding him that it was high time they remedy that.
The autumn evening air was brisk as they headed out from Tokyo Dome, deliberating on where to head until Kento suggested an izakaya that he knew in the area with secluded rooms-- something important to someone like Kento, someone really famous. But Yugo was married to someone famous, and so the thought barely even caused a sting as he agreed willingly, following Kento until they were nestled away in the back of the restaurant with drinks and dinner to warm them up. Heaving a sigh of relief at the knowledge that he was finally getting a chance to relax-- Jesse was going to be in some new drama or other and had been shipping out to Shizuoka to film every day for the past week, and Taira had been getting over the tail end of an early cold, leaving Yugo with plenty of stress and very little time to himself over the past week. But now Taira had finally stopped coughing and was home with Imai Reon (the kid was responsible, and Yugo felt bad for him, now that his friends had debuted without him), and Yugo smiled across the table at Kento, looking forward to the rest of the evening. "You guys put on a great show," he commented earnestly, smiling at Kento over his drink. "You and Fuma were both amazing, of course. It's a shame Hokuto missed it."
With Yugo smiling across the table at him in their little room in the back of the izakaya, Kento suddenly felt like it had been way too long since they had done this, and he smiled back, sipping his cocktail and slouching down in his seat. His smile widened at Yugo's compliment, though, and he nodded in agreement. "It is too bad... I thought he was finally going to have some free time to enjoy himself," he said, sighing a little. "But you had a good time, right?" he asked, grinning at Yugo and pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I may be the oldest, but I still put the sexy in Sexy Zone, right~?" He really did hope Yugo had enjoyed himself, because that was the whole point of his job, in the end, and if Yugo's life as a parent was anything like Kento's experience, he needed some time to unwind.
Sometimes it was amazing to Yugo how little Kento had changed since they were teenagers, and he laughed, shaking his head. "Naturally," he replied, raising an eyebrow and reaching across the table to snatch a karaage. Still, despite how ridiculous he was and how highly he thought of himself, when it came down to it, Kento was a quality entertainer who worked hard to give the audience a good show, and Yugo knew it. He had always been dedicated to the job, and it really was good to see him still enjoying it even now, surrounded by the band with whom he had clearly grown very close. "Your piano solo was written by Shori-kun, wasn't it?" he asked after a moment, smiling at Kento. It seemed really like something else entirely to be able to work with the person you loved more than anything, a pleasure Yugo had only been able to enjoy for a brief period when he was too young to appreciate it, and he was sure Kento must feel very lucky to have someone like Shori-kun. They had been so sweet when they were younger, when Yugo still saw Kento a little bit more frequently, and Yugo wished he had been able to get to know Shori-kun a little better. "It seemed suited to you," he added. He wasn't really a connoisseur of concerts when he hadn't been in one in years now, not since his backdancing days, but he had enjoyed the show, and that was what mattered, right?
Kento nodded, smiling a little. Even if they were fighting a lot these days, Kento still loved the songs Shori wrote for him, and working together had always been one of the best parts of their relationship. "I like it," he agreed. "It's... nice to be able to work on songs together, even now." Now that we have kids and everyone else has kids and there's hardly time for anything anymore was the unspoken afterthought, but Kento just sipped more of his drink, putting it out of his mind for the moment. "Fuma's solo was good too, right? As long as the fans don't figure out that it's blatantly about his kids," he said wryly, rolling his eyes a little.
There was just something about Kento, about the way he said things so blatantly, the way he had never been afraid to call things like they were that was refreshing to Yugo, and he couldn't help but laugh again at the comment about Fuma. "I have to imagine it's less obvious to people who aren't us," he replied, shrugging. "Somehow you guys have managed to ride all these years on fanservice between the two of you when Fuma's clearly never had eyes for anyone but Hokuto." Thinking back to the magazine photoshoots, the interviews, the making of video of their one and only single together, Fuma and Hokuto's puppy love had been adorable, and to this day, Yugo was a bit perplexed as to the basis for the probably hundreds of FumaKen fans out there. "I guess the fans think you're so irresistible even Fuma can't control himself~?" he teased, knowing that Kento would take it only partially jokingly and chuckling at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. It felt good, to really laugh again after god knew how long-- Yugo smiled plenty, at cute things Taira did or at the success of the littler juniors finally learning their choreography, but laughing was something else entirely. There really was something about Kento, he supposed, and he wondered why he'd let it be so long since the last time they spent time together. They had been such good friends once, and only now was Yugo beginning to remember.
"Oh, you know it~" Kento said, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning at Yugo. All the fanservice he did with Fuma did feel a little silly sometimes after so many years of being friends, and quite a few years of being married to other people, too, but anything to make the fans scream, right? "The fans knew I was irresistible right from the start~" he said, thinking back to when they had recorded their single together as B.I.Shadow. They had been so young, and he had barely known Yugo at all so soon after their group was thrown together, but he had nothing but good memories of how excited they were, of how they had all hit it off from the start, of how he and Yugo had made fun of Fuma and Hokuto's ridiculous crushes on each other... "My attractiveness was enough to distract from their grossness even then?" he suggested, laughing and reaching across the table to grab a French fry.
Yugo sighed fondly, shaking his head. Some things about Kento really hadn't changed since they were kids, and he shrugged. "I guess you were okay to look at," he replied as nonchalantly as possible, hoping to draw a reaction from Kento. It felt natural, really, almost too natural for two people who had barely spoken in six months, but Yugo hardly even felt it, just a half hour into the conversation. It felt as if they'd been close this whole time, felt like second nature, and after weeks of stress and fatigue… well, Yugo definitely wasn't going to ask questions. He had known Kento for a very long time, after all, he clarified to himself, and Kento's words made him remember just how well he had known Kento, way back in the day. He had forgotten almost entirely the little tryst (or whatever it had been) that he'd had with Kento back when he was sixteen and naive, and sure, maybe he'd had some teen angst about it and shed a few tears, but now, as an adult, all of his memories with Kento were good ones, like looking through a photo album of the happiest years of his life. They had had so much fun, the four of them together, and Yugo couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I don't know if you were attractive enough to work those awful yellow things we used to wear, though," he commented, quirking an eyebrow at Kento. "I'm fairly certain I was the only one who could pull those off~"
Kento pouted at Yugo, falling easily back into their old bantering. "You certainly thought I was more than okay~" he reminded Yugo, smirking as he thought back to what they used to do together in B.I.Shadow's dressing room (much to Fuma and Hokuto's dismay). They had certainly been young and immature and inexperienced, but it had been a lot of fun, and though he didn't think about it all that often anymore, he definitely looked back fondly on his times with Yugo. "But we totally looked adorable in those costumes, I don't know what you're talking about," he argued, crossing his arms but not succeeding in keeping the smile from his face.
"I guess ma~ybe," Yugo replied, feigning deep thought. "I suppose that we were probably the cutest ones on Shounen Club, back in the day." Which was definitely true-- even if they'd faded away, for a time, B.I.Shadow were hugely popular, and Yugo smiled fondly at the memory of performing their own songs, just the four of them, for a huge crowd and TV cameras and their senpai and everything. And then they'd all tumble back to their dressing room, laughter in their voices and stars in their eyes, and they'd go out to dinner despite the fact that they ought to do home and do homework, despite the fact that they had school the next day. And there were the Hey! Say! JUMP concerts, and Summary, and when Yugo thought back now, for the first time in a long time, he was suddenly enveloped in a warmth that he had almost completely forgotten. Compared to the long nights alone and tiring days of double-duty as a dance teacher and a dad, those memories were a welcome change, and Yugo sipped his beer thoughtfully, unable to keep a smile from his lips. "Those were the days," he murmured almost to himself, lost in the recollection of happier times, "…I miss it."
Yugo's sudden seriousness and his nostalgic expression made Kento pause, and he nodded, his grin fading into a smaller smile. He loved his band, of course, so he didn't think about it much, and he loved his family, too, but when he thought back to when they were B.I.Shadow he had to admit that he did miss it. They had been so carefree and idealistic back then, the four of them, and he could still remember the feeling of being onstage with Yugo and Fuma and Hokuto, believing they could do anything. Of course, being onstage with his band now was still amazing, and spending time with his kids was great in a different way from anything he would have imagined back then, but... he definitely missed it. "We had a lot less to worry about back then, huh?" he said, sighing a little and watching Yugo across the table. "We should actually have that reunion sometime when Fuma and Hokuto won't bail on us."
Kento's voice drew Yugo out of his thoughts, and he smiled across the table, nodding. "It's hard to get them away from their kids these days," he commented, but he knew they could do it somehow. And it would be good to spend some time together, all four of them, focus on the good things they had right now rather than the past. Besides, now that they all had kids, it seemed like maybe they all were back on a common page, despite the fact that Yugo's path in life had fallen away from Kento's and Fuma's and Hokuto's road to stardom. "Maybe we could even have a play date. I'm sure Taira would love to see more of Jinsei." But more than vague plans for the future (because when had that ever panned out for Yugo, honestly?) he wanted to make sure that he and Kento didn't fall out of touch again, because even more than his weekly phone calls with Fuma, even more than getting drinks after work occasionally with Taiga or being invited along to parties with Jesse's band, somehow, this dinner with Kento was making him feel happier than he had in a long time, and even after six months (or more, really) being with Kento felt comfortable, felt natural, felt right, and Yugo didn't want to lose that again. And so, he grinned, tossing the last gyoza onto Kento's plate playfully and asking, "Do you want to do this again next weekend or something? I've had a really good time."
"Kensou and Jinsei don't get along so well," Kento said, laughing, "But I'm sure Jinsei wouldn't mind a little time away from his younger brother for a play date with Taira..." Yugo's second offer was more interesting to Kento, though, because he was having a really good time with Yugo, and honestly when he thought about it, he wasn't sure why they had stopped hanging out. That could definitely be remedied, though, and he nodded in agreement, picking up the gyoza with his chopsticks. "Sure," he said, "Our Tokyo shows will be done by then, so next weekend should work." He paused, chewing the gyoza thoughtfully and taking another sip of his drink. "As lame at it sounds, this is more fun than I've had in a long time."
Yugo laughed when Kento mentioned Jinsei; the boy, as far as Yugo could tell, was a lot like his father, and he could see how he and Fuma and Hokuto's ever-serious first wouldn't fit together well. Still, just a play date between their kids would be nice; Taira hadn't had much chance to get to know Jinsei since Yugo barely saw Kento anymore, and they were about the same age. "I guess having a little brother must be rough, huh?" Yugo replied with a laugh, nodding. "We'll have to find a time, then." As Kento responded to his other invitation, however, Yugo's smile grew, and he nodded. "Me too," he agreed, suddenly feeling warm all over again, more than just from the beer or the restaurant's heaters, "So it's a date, then?"
Kento nodded, smiling back at Yugo. "We all need a night out sometimes, right?" he said, raising his glass before finishing the last of his drink. "And now we can actually go out for drinks, that's one advantage over back when we were kids!" He was definitely looking forward to going out with Yugo again, but right now he was having such a good time that he didn't really feel like leaving yet, either. Glancing at the time on his phone, he commented, "It's not that late yet, right? Want to do another round?"
Yugo glanced at his phone as well. It was already ten, and he had told Reon-kun that he would certainly be home before midnight… but, well, Taira was certainly already in bed, and he was sure Reon-kun could find some way to entertain himself for a little longer. Maybe it wasn't the most responsible thing to do (Yugo usually prided himself on being the responsible dad, the one who was always punctual and had thought ahead), but the feeling of warmth and happiness that inexplicably was coming from spending time with Kento again. And so, grinning, he nodded, already reaching for the buzzer with a, "Sounds good."
In the long run, Yugo didn't end up making it home by midnight, but both Taira and the babysitter were fine, and Yugo made sure he paid Reon-kun plenty extra for the time he was forced to wait. He still made it home before Jesse, at any rate, who had been filming night scenes and, as a result, not been getting home until one or two am. It felt like a lot less time to wait, though, when he had been out with Kento earlier, and with plans for next weekend already in mind, somehow, all the evenings alone during the week felt so much longer and lonelier. By the time the next Saturday had rolled around, Yugo practically felt like the anticipation was going to kill him, but somehow, it made it that much better to see Kento, to have real human contact for the hours that they were together, reminiscing about the past and chatting about what had come around after. It wasn't just that Kento was any person to fill the void that Jesse had left, however; despite that he hadn't really thought to actively miss Kento in the previous few years, there was something about being together that just felt right, felt like something was clicking in Yugo that hadn't clicked in a long time. But he and Kento had been quite close back in B.I.Shadow, and Yugo figured it was just because he felt the need to make up for lost time with one of his best friends from childhood. Besides, he certainly wasn't going to think too hard on it when Kento was clearly enjoying their time together as much as Yugo was.
After the second meeting, they made plans for a third, and then a fourth. It was something nice for Yugo to look forward to at the end of the week, and he certainly needed it; Jesse had barely finished filming when his band began to gear up to head out on tour. They were headed first to Hokkaido before it got too cold, and were to spend just shy of three weeks in Hokkaido and Tohoku-- a longer period of time than usual, and while Jesse was proud to announce this to Yugo with the implication that it meant that they were still just as popular as ever even as they got older, Yugo had a lot of difficulty finding it in his heart to be happy when it meant that he would have to endure longer at home all alone.
But at least he had his meetings with Kento now to look forward to, and so it was with his bravest of faces that he sent Jesse off to the airport to head off to Hokkaido. However, it seemed fate wanted Yugo's life to be anything but easy, because as Saturday evening approached, Reon-kun called to say that there had been a change in plans in his work schedule and that he wouldn't be able to watch Taira, after all. But when he called Kento to inform him of the bad news, Kento had been undeterred, saying he'd simply meet Yugo at Yugo's place instead, and so it was with a smile that, a few hours later, he welcomed Kento into his genkan, scooping Taira into his arms to keep him from getting under foot. "Hey," he greeted, hitching Taira up on his hip and attempting to kick the clutter of work shoes and children's' sneakers out of Kento's way-- his and Jesse's apartment had been kind of a mess ever since they had had Taira, but honestly, right now, Yugo couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't going to spend the evening by himself, and currently, that was the best feeling in the world.
Kento had been pleasantly surprised when his second evening out with Yugo turned into a third and a fourth, and suddenly he had meetings with Yugo to look forward to on a weekly basis after years of only seeing each other every few months. And he did look forward to them a lot, because somehow with Yugo, things felt easy, like they could just fall right back into being friends as if no time had passed, and like they didn't have a million other things to be worrying about. They could just drink and reminisce and talk about whatever was on their minds, and Kento didn't have to think about his latest fight with Shori or anything else he didn't want to think about. So when Yugo called to say that his babysitter had fallen through, Kento really didn't want to just stay home after he had been looking forward to seeing Yugo again all week, so knowing that Jesse was out of town on tour anyway (he'd been hearing it from Fuma for the past several days), he had suggested they spend the evening together at Yugo's house instead.
When Kento arrived, he was greeted at the door by both Yugo and Taira, and he smiled, telling Yugo hello and ruffling Taira's hair. "Do you remember me~?" he asked, thinking that Taira had definitely been a lot younger the last time he'd seen him. "You've gotten so big~"
Taira seemed to be taken aback by a strange man appearing in his house and ruffling his hair uninvited, and Yugo laughed, hitching him up again (he was getting so big, it was hard to hold him like this anymore, a thought that made Yugo probably more emotional than he should be) and nodding towards Kento. "This is Nakajima-san, don't you remember?" he prompted, meeting his son's inquisitive gaze, "Jinsei's dad? You remember him, don't you?" At that, at least some sort of recognition seemed to register in Taira's mind, and he nodded, smiling as well and saying hello to Kento before Yugo set him down again, patting him on the back as encouragement towards his bedroom. "Go finish getting ready for bed and I'll come tuck you in," he instructed, watching fondly as Taira nodded before teetering off towards the bathroom in his giraffe-and-zebra-print pajamas to brush his teeth. "He really has gotten big," he sighed to Kento was a smile once Taira was out of sight, but he knew now wasn't the time to be waxing eloquent about how cute his kid was, and he clapped his hands together, clearing his head. "Well, come on in, sorry the place is a mess… do you want something to drink?" he offered, leading Kento into the living room and gesturing to the couch. "I can't promise we have much, but I think there's beer, apple juice, and milk, at the very least."
Kento could see the emotions clearly on Yugo's face as he sent Taira off to get ready for bed, and he could understand the feeling himself, as strange as it still felt to realize that. "They grow up so fast, don't they... Jinsei will be starting elementary school in the spring, and he's going to have his first dance recital this year..." Kento trailed off with a laugh, shaking his head at how ridiculous he sounded. "Taira is adorable, though," he told Yugo as he sat down on the couch, crossing his legs. "Beer sounds great," he said, "But I can wait if you need to go take care of him... I just thought that a lack of a babysitter shouldn't force us to cancel our plans, right?"
"Of course," Yugo replied with a warm smile, not eager to admit just how glad he was that they didn't have to cancel but wanting to show his happiness to have Kento here all the same. Knowing it would take Taira some time to finish his routine, Yugo hovered in the doorway for the moment, his smile softening at the thought of his son. "They do," he agreed, nodding slowly. "You'll have to let us know how the dance recital is… who knows, maybe I could even come, and bring Taira. He's been talking about how he wants to learn how to dance." It had been a long time since Yugo had last seen Jinsei, however, and he had only seen Kento's second, Ryusei, Yugo thought he remembered his name was, in passing, and it was crazy to think how much time had gone by now that Kento had two kids and Taira was already in school. "Elementary school is something else entirely," he added with a laugh. "Taira was so excited to have his first real English lesson… he tells me the teacher was very impressed with how much he already knows." It was cute, how Taira was so proud of being able to say "cat" and "blue" in another language-- but not just any language, of course, the language his daddy spoke. The thought made Yugo's heart squeeze in his chest; Jesse had been so eager to teach Taira English when they'd first been talking about having kids, but he'd been so busy once Taira was old enough to talk that that had fallen away; now Taira went to kids' English classes at an eikaiwa once a week and Yugo was left struggling to decipher the worksheets that he brought home, instead.
But before he could stew for too long on the issue, there was a cry of "Papa!!" from down the hall, and Yugo excused himself to find Taira in his bedroom, where he proudly showed off to Yugo that he had picked out clothes for tomorrow all by himself before climbing into bed. Yugo fondly told him that he was such a big boy now before kissing him goodnight, smiling to himself about nothing, really, except for the fact that he loved his son too much for words. Still, as he closed Taira's bedroom door behind him, the loneliness already was beginning to set in, the knowledge that Taira was being put to bed by only one parent every night, and the fact that the only other person who lived with Yugo was a six-year-old whose bedtime was eight pm. Still, it was best not to think about those things now, especially since he wasn't alone-- Kento was here, and Yugo could at least enjoy himself, could at least stave off the loneliness for another few hours. And so, he swung by the kitchen, grabbing two beers from the refrigerator before sitting tiredly beside Kento on the couch. "Sorry to keep you waiting~" he chimed more energetically than he felt, handing one of the cans to his companion, "He should be all set for the night now."
Part 2
