Yugo and Kento rp [part 3 of 10]
Aug. 6th, 2013 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chromaticAll warnings are the same as in Part 1!
Kento's life fell back into its usual patterns after his night with Yugo, going to work and taking care of his kids and having ups and downs with Shori. He felt guilty sometimes, knowing what he was hiding from Shori, but he tried not to think about it, because what would thinking about it do besides make him feel worse and make it more likely that the secret would come out and ruin everything? More than the guilt, though, Kento was sad to think that he might have ruined things with Yugo, because as more than a week passed with no communication from Yugo, the prospect of losing their meetings and the fun and relaxation and outlet for stress that they had been was feeling harder and harder to deal with. He thought about calling Yugo himself, but Yugo had said that he would call, and so if he hadn't... he probably didn't want to talk to Kento again, at least not yet. Without a night out to look forward to, though, the days and nights he spent taking care of Jinsei and Ryusei felt even longer, and even though he loved his kids, sometimes it really felt like too much to deal with.
So when Jinsei's kindergarten chorus performance was announced for a day when Kento was supposed to be home taking care of Ryusei while Shori had work, Kento really wasn't in the mood to stick with that plan. Ryusei was adorable, sure, and Kento wanted him to be well taken care of, but actually taking care of him, spending whole days at home with no company but a baby who couldn't talk yet or waking up in the night to the sound of him crying was really not something Kento enjoyed, and he really didn't want to be home with the baby rather than see Jinsei sing. Shori had said he would just leave work early to go see Jinsei (and last time they had tried to bring Ryusei along, they had ended up having to keep him outside because he was crying too much), but Kento didn't see why Shori couldn't come home and relieve him of baby duty, instead, so that night after both kids were in bed, he posed that suggestion to Shori. "Why don't you just come home and stay with Ryusei on the day of the chorus thing? I really want to see Jinsei perform..."
Looking back on the past ten years or so, Shori wasn't sure where things had gone wrong. Everything had looked so bright back in the day, when he and Kento had first moved in together. They had so much in common, the two of them; they were both serious about their jobs and cared more than anything about their group, they both were musically talented and interested in taking an active part in creating songs and routines for Sexy Zone. Sure, Shori had been starry-eyed for Kento back when he was nothing but an awkward sixteen year old with lots of ideas and inspiration but not much direction in terms of how to use them. Kento had been practically an idol to him back then, giving more to Sexy Zone than just singing talent and a pretty face, playing the piano and helping choreograph dances, but as both of them had grown older, grown together as bandmates and friends, Shori had realized that rather than an untouchable idol, Kento was someone to learn from, someone doing what Shori hoped to one day accomplish, and so what had once been Shori looking on in awe became Kento showing Shori the ropes, which, in turn became the pair of them collaborating together, making things that were truly theirs. It was the best feeling in the world, as was the kissing and later the sex that came with it, and by the time Sexy Zone was approaching their tenth anniversary, Shori truly felt as if Kento was the one person in the world who really understood him, could see through him and inside him, who knew his hopes and fears and aspirations and feelings. The depth of Kento's feelings for him certainly seemed to match Shori's for Kento, and Shori was overjoyed when they decided to open the next chapter of their lives together.
They had gotten a little apartment together in Shinagawa, bright and roomy and just perfect, Shori thought, perfect for them. They'd put thought into how to decorate the place just like they put thought into the set list for an upcoming concert or the arrangement of a new song, and soon, they began to fill it with wonderful memories, too, parties with all of Sexy Zone or candlelit Christmas dinners for the two of them or lazy days in bed, just talking, writing lyrics, enjoying one another's presence. And things had only gotten more wonderful when they had adopted Jinsei, the most beautiful little creature Shori had ever seen in his life, his baby, their baby. They were great parents, of course; every moment that he spent with Jinsei was a treasure to Shori, and he could tell Kento felt the same way, from the way he looked at Jinsei, from the smile on his face and the laughter in his voice every time he did anything with Jinsei, and Shori knew that their family was perfect.
But when they had decided to have a second child, for some unfathomable reason, things had changed. To Shori, he was just as beautiful as Jinsei had been, as Jinsei was, and even if having two kids was significantly more stressful and difficult than having one had been, Shori was unfazed. Jinsei and Ryusei each had their own unique qualities and attributes, and Shori loved each of them in his own way, differently but equally, with all his heart. But Kento, on the other hand, suddenly seemed to struggle, to buckle under the added pressure of another child, and where, for Jinsei, he patiently woke up in the night to soothe the crying or set aside his own tiredness to rock Jinsei for hours until he finally settled into his nap, for Ryusei, he had no such patience. At first, Shori had been willing to take on extra baby duties, because he understood being tired, he understood being stressed, but when it became obvious that Kento didn't have the same enthusiasm for Ryusei that he had had when Jinsei was a baby, Shori began to feel as if the situation was off-kilter. He tried to talk to Kento about it, assuming that it was nothing that a little prompting wouldn't fix, but to Shori's surprise, for the first time in their relationship, Kento was brusque and unresponsive to Shori's words, his temper flaring up with Shori tried to suggest that his parenting abilities were anything short of perfect, his back turned as he walked out the door, leaving Shori feeling angry and hurt and frustrated and, for the first time since they'd been together, utterly alone.
He had tried to write it off, but that was just the start. Their once warm and welcoming apartment began to feel more and more dark and closed in, more like a prison as Shori seemed to be left alone at home with the baby more and more of the time. But maybe being alone was better when he spent most of his time at home with Kento fighting now, and it just didn't make sense when they had always understood one another, had always been open with one another, no secrets, no misunderstandings. But Shori couldn't read Kento at all now, didn't understand him, and when Kento refused to explain, instead responding defensively to practically anything Shori said to him, what was Shori supposed to do? And he wanted it to end, he wanted things to be right again, but every time he felt that maybe they were making headway, Kento would snap at him again, and he felt as if he was trying to hold on for his life but his fingers were slipping…
But he couldn't think negatively, he told himself time and time again, this was surely the biggest test they'd been put to, but their love was stronger than tiredness and stress, and as soon as Ryusei was a little older, certainly they'd get a little more sleep and perhaps could talk it out like civilized people, and then Shori would understand Kento and Kento would understand Shori again, and then things would be perfect. He held onto the belief, but sometimes, it was really, really hard to try to respond calmly when Kento pushed him. Everyone had always called Kento self-centered, but Shori had never seen it until, suddenly, with Ryusei, it seemed as if Kento believed everything in their family should revolve around him. He should get a break from kid-duty when he was tired. He should get a night out with Shori because he thought they weren't seeing enough of one another. He was going to go out with friends whether Shori liked it or not. And now he should be the one to get to go to Jinsei's chorus concert because he just didn't feel like being alone at home with the baby.
But parenting didn't work like that, and relationships didn't either, and so Shori studied Kento for a long moment, taking in his off-handed expression, as if he expected Shori to just lay down and be walked over. This wasn't about Shori, though, it wasn't that he wanted Kento to suffer or that he was too pig-headed to say yes. It was about the fact that Kento never wanted to be the responsible one, that Kento never wanted to compromise, ever. And so, "I want to see him as well," Shori responded, as calmly and reasonably as he could. "I'll already be out, and I'll be closer to his preschool. We agreed on this yesterday."
Kento sighed, pursing his lips. "I'll have been home with Ryusei all day," he said, and even if deep down he knew that wasn't what it was about, and that taking care of their kids couldn't really be about making it fair or equal, it was hard to remember that when it felt like Kento had no time for himself anymore, and like Shori had no idea what Kento needed or wanted. And this was the sort of thing that would have been no big deal a few months or years ago, but now Kento could already tell that they weren't going to agree, that they weren't going to be able to find a compromise, and he sighed again, not quite meeting Shori's eyes.
Shori tensed, setting his jaw. He didn't understand why Kento had become this way all of a sudden, why having kids suddenly made him act like he was a kid, and he took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool, trying not to impulsively say something that wouldn't help the situation. "And I stayed home with him all day today," he replied as calmly as possible, "That's how being a working parent works. We have to take turns." Kento made it seem as if being with Ryusei was some awful chore, too, and while being with the baby could, admittedly, sometimes be tiring, Shori hated the sinking feeling he was beginning to get that Kento didn't even really like Ryusei. "Ryusei is your son, too, you know," he added, and it was a little more snappish than he should have let it be, but it made him angry, if he were to be really honest, to think that Kento didn't care about their son.
Kento crossed his arms, frowning at Shori's accusatory tone. Shori always seemed to think that Kento wanting time for himself meant that he didn't care about his sons, and that was just ridiculous. Of course he loved his sons, more than he could ever have imagined loving them before having kids, and of course he wanted to give them the best upbringing possible with Shori. But that didn't mean it didn't get to be too much sometimes, and that's what it seemed like Shori was refusing to understand. "I know he's my son," he said back, his tone flat, "And I'm your husband." And often it felt like that was the missing part, these days, Kento thought. The part where they talked and spent time together and understood each other... "Maybe we need a reminder of that these days."
Stiffening, Shori frowned at Kento's words. What was he trying to get at, anyway? One moment they were talking about a scheduling issues, and okay, Kento was being selfish, but these things happened in marriages. Kento was hugely invested in Jinsei becoming a performer, was always so proud when Jinsei was in the spotlight, and even if Shori thought that he was making way too big a deal out of this, he objectively understood where he was coming from. But then all of a sudden he was talking about their marriage, acting as if there was something wrong, and Shori didn't understand and didn't like the sound of Kento's tone. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he thought long and hard about how to respond before finally replying, "Are you trying to guilt me into letting you go? Is that it?"
Kento frowned, sighing. It wasn't even like the one day was such a big deal--it was the fact that it was an accumulation of days, an accumulation of Shori criticizing him, of no sleep and no sex and no quality time that Shori didn't even acknowledge. "No," he said, rolling his eyes a little. "You keep accusing me of things like that, of trying to get out of things, like you think I don't care about our kids or something!" Kento's words came out a bit more forcefully than he'd planned, but he hated Shori's accusatory looks and his tone like he knew better, and he was getting more than a little annoyed.
Kento's raised voice made Shori's heart squeeze in his chest, and, "You'll wake them," he hissed, frustration and anger bubbling inside of him now to the point that it was all threatening to boil over. He just didn't understand, he didn't understand what had gotten into Kento in the past year or two, didn't understand what was making him so selfish, so unable to see reason. At times like these, he barely seemed like the man that Shori had married to begin with, and the surreal awfulness of it all made tears begin to build up in Shori's eyes. "If you really care about them, then stop putting yourself first," he replied, throat tight and voice thick with tears, and maybe he didn't mean that the way it came out, maybe he didn't mean to insinuate that Kento didn't care about their kids, but he just didn't know what to do anymore and he couldn't take it back now.
Shori's accusations hurt more than Kento cared to admit, because how dare he imply that Kento didn't really care about his own sons, that if Kento didn't think Shori's way was always right then he was just selfishly putting himself first. It was hard to keep his voice down when the hurt and anger was making him just want to lash back out, but the last thing he wanted was for the kids to hear them fighting, so he fought to keep his voice under control. "How... how can you imply that I don't care about my own sons?" he said tightly, setting his jaw.
That wasn't what Shori had meant to imply, it really wasn't, and the fact that he had been driven to say such a thing meant that this had gotten out of hand, that this argument was so off track that nothing was going to be accomplished anyway. "I-- I know you do, but if you could just show it every once in a while…" he tried to start, but he was too frustrated to think properly, and he shook his head, putting a hand over his face and trying to take deep breaths. This was stupid, this was all so stupid, and he couldn't deal with it anymore, not right now. They needed to end this before one of them said something they really regretted, or before they woke the children, and so he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll come home on the day of the chorus thing." This wasn't right, this wasn't the way to resolve things when Shori really just felt like he was breaking down because he couldn't bear to have Kento yelling at him anymore, but he didn't know what to do. "That's what you want, right?" he asked tiredly, looking up at Kento. It didn't feel right, none of it felt right, but Shori just didn't know what to do with Kento anymore.
Kento sighed, feeling his anger dissipate, leaving behind something that felt a little like regret, but he wasn't sure where they had gone wrong. It just felt like he and Shori never agreed these days, and it was hard to be happy about getting to see Jinsei perform instead of being stuck at home when it had come at the expense of another fight. They had always gotten along so well, and it was depressing to think that this was what their marriage had come to... But when the fights just kept happening and Shori never seemed to understand where Kento was coming from, it was hard to see any way to change things. Feeling tired and deflated, Kento just nodded, not looking Shori in the eye. "Thanks," he said, wishing that this was something that could be solved with a kiss, like the silly things they'd argued about when they were younger.
Shori wasn't sure whether he was relieved or angered that Kento let it end there, let Shori give him what he wanted when he couldn't take the emotional battery anymore. He didn't want to fight, he never wanted to fight with Kento, and so it was easier this way, because Shori had never been one for slinging poorly-thought-out insults, Shori had always been one for quiet, well-considered opinions and gentle words of criticism only when they were called for, but somehow, Kento had pushed him to this, somehow, they'd pushed each other, he supposed, to this endless cycle of hurt and stubborn refusal to back down, and that was all fine and well for Kento, who had always been so self assured, but Shori knew he'd always be the one to back down, because arguing just wasn't how he functioned, and there was no way he could win. It was like a punch to the gut, but at the same time, he knew anything he said against Kento would only lead to more screaming, and Shori knew he couldn't take it anymore, not tonight, not for the third or fourth night in a row, and so he sighed, rolling his lips together and trying to swallow back the lump in his throat. "I'm going to bed, then," he replied, wishing that there were some way to find solitude and knowing that really, in married life, there simply wasn't. It was awful to think of it that way, it was awful to think of his marriage as a trap, as a forced circumstance of life, but he couldn't help it when this was all they did together anymore, when Kento drove Shori to this state of emotional breakdown day after day after day. Turning towards their bedroom, unable to bring himself to face Kento when his face was hot, his eyes were filling with tears again, he mumbled a quick "Goodnight," before making his escape. After all, he had already rolled over and played dead for Kento once tonight, he wasn't going to let Kento see him cry.
Kento let his face drop into his hands as Shori left the room, clearly on the verge of tears, and he didn't know how to feel. He hated to see Shori so upset, and feeling like he had made Shori so upset, but he hadn't forgotten Shori's words, either, and they still hurt just as much as they had earlier, and Shori's lack of understanding of Kento's point of view was just as frustrating as it always was. He didn't know why he seemed to be the only one having these problems, why his bandmates all seemed to be happily married and raising kids with no problems when he and Shori couldn't stop fighting. And it wasn't that they didn't love each other or their kids, it wasn't like Kento liked making Shori upset... but things seemed to be getting worse and worse, and Kento didn't know how to stop it. Eventually it would get late and Kento would go to bed after Shori was already asleep, and in the morning they would wake up together and pretend that this had never happened, but he knew that it would happen again, and he hated that he didn't know how to fix it.
After his big mistake, his sordid evening with Kento, Yugo didn't know what to do with himself. Taira awoke the next morning none the wiser, bright and cheerful as always as he chattered at Yugo while he got ready for school in the morning, and Jesse called just as always in the evening, blissfully ignorant of the fact that his husband, the father of his child, had slept with another man in his absence. But Yugo knew, and the knowledge burned in his chest, in his throat, all across his skin, and more than once, he considered telling, because how could he continue to lie to the man he loved this way? But he knew telling wouldn't do any good, would only hurt Jesse and Taira and everyone around him, and so he sealed his lips and put on a smile and took what he could on the days Jesse was free to talk.
But more than the days he did get a few moments of phone conversation with Jesse, the problem was the nights Jesse was performing or rehearsing late or simply too busy to call, the nights Yugo was left all alone in the house once Taira had been put to bed at eight. More than once, he considered calling Kento, but the guilt over what they had done was too overwhelming, and even if he practically had to slap his own hand away from the phone, he knew he couldn't. Still, as the first week of Jesse's absence wore on, the loneliness became more and more overwhelming, and alongside it, the guilt, the memory of how things had gone with Kento began to fade. Getting close again, as friends, as former groupmates had been such a good feeling, such a light in the darkness that was Yugo's life that the urge to call got stronger and stronger until one day, he simply couldn't keep it in check anymore. But he and Kento were adults, and Kento was married too, so there was no way they would make the same mistake again, right? Especially if they kept the meetings in public places, if they kept a safe distance and kept off of dangerous topics…
And so, perhaps it was weak of him, or perhaps it was only human, but either way, Yugo wasn't quite sure how to feel, nervous and excited and practically trembling with anticipation as he finally called Kento just over a week after Jesse had left. The phone rang a few times, and for a moment, Yugo was terrified that Kento wouldn't answer, but then there was a click on the other end of the line, and "Hello?" Yugo was asking before he could stop himself, his voice breathless, his heart racing.
When Yugo's name finally appeared on Kento's phone the day after his fight with Shori, his heart leapt, his mind filling with a strange mixture of relief that Yugo wasn't going keep away from him forever, anticipation of the possibility of a night out with Yugo again, and a little nervousness that Yugo might actually be calling to say something much less desirable. But it had to be something good, Kento told himself, Yugo had to be missing their time together, too, even if he wasn't fighting with his husband the way Kento was... But whatever it was, Kento had to answer, and before he could even find his voice to say anything, he heard Yugo greeting him on the other end. "Kouchi," he said, suddenly unsure what to say. "I'm... glad you called."
Kento's voice sounded as if he felt exactly how Yugo felt, and Yugo couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Nakajima," he responded more easily, and though some small part of him could still remember the sound of Kento on his voice, breathless and tight with want, he tried to swallow back the tightness in his throat and block it all from his mind. "I… I was wondering if you weren't too busy to get drinks or something sometime soon. Maybe, like… tomorrow." Okay, that sounded needy, and Yugo felt himself flush, worrying that he had gone too far. Of course, Kento might be generally dissatisfied with his life lately, but he wasn't lonely the way Yugo was, he had a husband to keep him company every day where Yugo had no one, and so he prayed that, at the very least, Kento might be understanding of Yugo's situation. "I mean… if you have some free time… since you're between legs of your tour and all…?" he added hesitantly, bracing himself for disappointment.
"Yeah," Kento answered, too quickly, his breath coming out in a rush of relief. He couldn't really bring himself to care if he sounded a little too eager, though, because Yugo sounded pretty eager, too, and Kento couldn't deny how relieved he was that Yugo had called. "Yeah," he said again, running through his schedule in his head, "Tomorrow sounds great." Shori would be home with the kids, and his dinners with Yugo had become enough of a regular thing that... well, Kento hoped it wouldn't cause a fight. The prospect of having plans with Yugo again made him smile, though, and he was glad that it seemed like they would be able to put their night of bad decision-making behind them and keep being friends.
When Kento responded, Yugo practically laughed-- it was amazing, really, how much knowing he had someone to depend on lifted his spirits, and already, he was feeling so much less isolated and alone. "Then-- I'll choose the place?" he stuttered, almost at a lost for words after being so afraid Kento would turn him down. "What… sort of food do you want…? Or… drinks?" He sounded like an idiot, he realized, but he was practically shaking his was so relieved, and after a moment, he couldn't hold back a laugh. "No matter where we go… I'm really looking forward to it," he admitted, and heck, what did it matter if Kento knew? They were friends, weren't they? Why shouldn't Yugo want to spend time with Kento?
Kento's smile widened at how happy Yugo sounded, and he laughed a little at how worried he had been. "Me too," he said, "So wherever you want to go is fine." He already couldn't wait for tomorrow, and he knew they were going to have a good time. And maybe it was silly to be looking forward to dinner with a friend this much, but Kento was always the first to assert that friends and nights out were important, so really, there was nothing wrong with looking forward to it. "I can't wait," he told Yugo, grinning to himself.
When Kento laughed, Yugo couldn't help but laugh a little more, too, happy that Kento was happy at the prospect of more time spent together. He had been making way too big a deal out of their dirty little secret, he told himself; clearly, Kento had put it out of his mind, and Yugo needed to do the same. Thus assuaged, he wanted to draw out their phone conversation as long as possible, but after they had worked out the details, eventually, they had to say goodnight. As soon as they had hung up, though, it felt as if it had been forever since they had spoken, and so, it was with great anticipation that Yugo awaited their first dinner date in far too long.
He felt bad calling Reon-kun on such short notice, however, but luckily, Kensou was always looking for a play date with Taira, and since Fuma, like Kento, was at a break in concerts, he was more than happy to take Taira for an evening. And so Yugo found himself kissing Taira goodbye the following evening before waving to Fuma with a vague smile. Really, it just felt like he was going through the motions; his mind was already an hour ahead, already with Kento, staving off the loneliness for the first time in so long. His hands were practically trembling in anticipation as he started up the car again--he had needed a cigarette so badly all afternoon, but of course, he couldn't, not around Taira-- but by the time he got to the restaurant, a small, secluded Italian place he'd been to with Jesse a few times before they'd had Taira, he was all smiles. Upon entering the restaurant, he could see Kento already there, seated off to the side at a private, two-person table, and Yugo waved in greeting, already too eager to forget his problems for the next few hours. "Hey," he greeted, grinning sheepishly as he seated himself across from Kento. "How's it going?"
The next day felt like it went by at a snail's pace, but finally it came time to meet Yugo, and Kento had a smile on his face as he got them a table at the restaurant Yugo had chosen. Yugo arrived not long after, and Kento waved him over, smiling as Yugo sat down across from him. Yugo looked just as happy to see Kento as Kento was to see him, and Kento was so glad that Yugo had finally called. "Okay," he answered, shrugging a little. "Pretty nice place... we've gotten classier since we were teenagers, huh," he commented, thinking back to their frequent trips to fast food restaurants and the like after rehearsals.
Yugo laughed, nodding. "I really like this place," he explained, and I used to come here with Jesse, he started to say, before the words caught in his throat and he stumbled, coughing awkwardly to cover for it. What was wrong with him? He and Kento were just friends, after all, nothing more, and last time had never happened, so there was no need for him to go and get all worked up. What was wrong with talking about his husband to his friends? It was stupid, and he took a deep breath, pushing all of that mess out of his mind. He was here to relax, here to feel better after a week of loneliness, and he wasn't going to let any stupid mistakes from the past get in his way. Grinning back at Kento, he cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, should I have chosen Saizeriya or something instead?" he asked teasingly, and there, that was normal, this was normal, and everything was going to be fine.
"No way," Kento said, making an affronted face at Yugo. "Like I said, we've gotten classier since we were teenagers." It was already nice to be joking around with Yugo again, Kento thought, picking up the menu and flipping it open. "So what's good here, then? A nice wine to take the edge off a long week?" The week had certainly felt long to Kento, at least, and he was sure Yugo's problems must not have evaporated since they'd last talked, either, especially since Jesse's band was now more than a week into their tour. Worrying that his friendship with Yugo was ruined hadn't made it feel any shorter, either, and it had seemed like Yugo felt similarly when they talked on the phone, so they were probably both in need of a nice glass of wine.
"You read my mind," Yugo replied with a laugh, opening the wine list. It had been a long week, all right, long and lonely, and Yugo definitely wasn't arguing with something to take the edge off. It was a dangerous way to think, he reminded himself; he had to be responsible, had to drive home after this and to be a good dad after that, but… well, this was supposed to be his reprieve, and he ought to enjoy it right? "Red or white?" he asked, looking down at the list before looking up at Kento again, unable to hold back another laugh. "It is pretty funny, huh? Going from 100-yen burgers and soda to this." It was good to think of it this way again, to remember being friends and to know that they were friends again, and at this rate, he hoped, their mistake from last time would be completely wiped from his mind.
Kento laughed too, shrugging. "Gotta enjoy the perks of adulthood, right?" That came out a little more negative sounding than Kento had meant it, or maybe he only heard it that way because of his current complaints about adulthood, but he shrugged it off, flipping through his menu. "Italian is probably white, right?" The menu was full of delicious-looking dishes, and Kento was looking forward to his evening out with Yugo more and more, a much-needed evening of good food, good wine, and good conversation, and he smiled across the table at Yugo. "Got any food recommendations?"
Yugo glanced over the menu as well, considering the options. He wasn't a connoisseur of Italian food, and some of the specific names of pastas didn't seem particularly familiar. Laughing embarrassedly, he shrugged. "Not really… I haven't been here since we had Taira," he explained, giving an apologetic grin. "They've probably changed their menu since then… You know, being a dad means you don't get out very much…" He tried to laugh it off, but the truth stung a little to say, really… Yugo had given up a lot to take on being a dad, and while he was lucky that his job left him wiggle room to be able to pick Taira up from school, feed him dinner, attend his school events, take him to the playground or the pool every once in a while, it didn't seem fair, somehow, that he'd had to give up everything while Jesse was probably out with his bandmates at an uchiage right now. Not that Yugo didn't want to spend all the time he could with Taira, or that he really could blame Jesse for being successful at his job, but still… it stung a little, to remember that this was the first time he had treated himself to something nice in quite a long time. "Maybe… maybe we can each get something different and share a little," he suggested, trying to take his mind off his problems-- he ought to enjoy his time out with Kento, after all-- but it was hard.
"Don't I know it," Kento agreed, sighing and smiling a little in sympathy. He knew Yugo must have it even worse than he did in terms of not getting out much, because even though Yugo only had one kid, he was taking on almost all the work of parenting himself while his husband was the one with a career, and that had to be hard to deal with. They were out together now, though, and Kento wanted to enjoy it while they could... but it seemed to be bothering Yugo a lot, as much as he was trying to laugh it off. Still, Kento hoped that a little food and wine would help Yugo relax more, and he nodded, looking back at the menu. "What about this one?" he suggested, pointing to a pasta dish with sausage and vegetables.
Yugo glanced at the dish Kento was pointing at, nodding. "Sounds good," he replied agreeably, looking down the list and trying to find something else good. "Maybe I'll get a cheese pasta, then, or something?" Thus decided, he turned back to the wine list, adding, "So… we should pick a white, then, too?" But it was hard to concentrate when now that he had started on the train of thought, some part of him couldn't stop thinking about the unfairness of the situation, the unfairness of the fact that Jesse got to enjoy traveling and performing and eating good food and hanging out with Hokuto and Shintaro while Yugo was left all alone at home drudging through his mediocre job and cleaning up after a messy six-year-old. And it wasn't the same for Yuma and Fuma, who were debuted, who had careers of their own… only Yugo was left all alone day after day, night after night… And it was stupid to pity himself, he knew, stupid and selfish, but he had been bolstering himself up for the past ten years or so, and maybe he just didn't have any strength left.
But now really, really wasn't the time to be wallowing in self-pity when he was finally getting a much-needed reprieve from the loneliness, and so he tried to put on a happy face. "What do you think goes with sausage and cheese?" he asked with a laugh, wondering if Kento would judge him for his lack of knowledge about wine. But it wasn't exactly like Yugo drank fancy drinks much anymore; by the time Taiga was in bed on a regular day, Yugo needed a drink, all right, but it certainly wasn't white wine that he was using to distract himself from the loneliness and help him get to sleep alone in bed.
Kento frowned, noticing how tense Yugo seemed now that the topic of not getting out much had come up, but that was silly, he thought, because if Yugo didn't have much time to himself, he should at least get to enjoy the time he did have. "You definitely need some wine," Kento said, nodding in emphasis. "This is dads' night out, you have to enjoy it!" He scanned down the list of whites thoughtfully, looking for something that looked good. He wasn't a wine expert by any manner of means, but he liked to enjoy the finer things in life, and he knew what kinds of wine he liked, at least. Choosing one that seemed like it would be good with their pasta, Kento looked back up at Yugo. "I'll even choose the wine for you, you can just relax and enjoy it~" he said, grinning.
Yugo laughed, nodding agreeably. "Sorry, sorry," he replied, waving dismissively at Kento. "You're right… what's the point of having a night out if I'm stressing the whole time?" This was stupid; he was here with Kento now, and he needed to enjoy his break in the loneliness while he could. And so, smiling, he added, "Thanks for taking care of me~" in a teasing tone, and there, that felt right, that felt normal. It was up to Yugo to make sure he took advantage of seeing Kento now that they finally had time together again, and while he wasn't used to taking care of himself, he was sure that he could manage somehow.
Sure enough, over the course of the evening, Yugo was able to relax, listening to Kento's anecdotes about his kids and telling a few of his own about Taira and the little juniors at work, and while it was stupid and mindless, it was fun. By the time they had finished their dinners and the bottle of wine, it was beginning to get late, but Yugo, now that he had finally been able to relax, didn't want to go home just yet. "Shall we take a look at the desert menu?" he asked with a smile, holding the small booklet out to Kento and hoping he was feeling as reluctant to leave as Yugo.
Kento was happy to see Yugo really start to relax as the evening wore on, and by the time they were finished eating, he was really enjoying himself. Yugo was great company, of course, and Kento enjoyed seeing him take time for himself to relax and have a good time. So when Yugo suggested dessert, Kento was happy to have a reason to stay a little longer, even though he was already quite full from dinner. "Definitely," he said, taking the menu from Yugo and perusing the selection. "I'm pretty full, do you want to share something? I bet they have really good tiramisu here..." Kento smiled back at Yugo, hoping he would agree, because he really didn't want to go home yet.
"Sure," Yugo replied easily, because being with Kento was easy, because agreeing with Kento was easy, and he smiled back before flagging down a waiter to place their dessert order. Soon, their tiramisu arrived, as well, with two forks (and Yugo tried hard not to think what the waiter must be thinking about their relationship, because it didn't matter what other people thought as long as Yugo was not thinking it), and it was, indeed, really good, or at least, a good enough excuse for them to keep talking for the next hour and to avoid going home. But far sooner than Yugo wished, they were the only ones in the restaurant, and a glance at his watch told him that if he wanted to get Taira home at anywhere near a reasonable hour, he needed to get going. Still, the thought of leaving was like a sudden weight on his shoulders, and his heart felt tight in his chest as he finally bolstered up the will power to say, "Well… it's getting late… and I need to go fetch Taira from Fuma's…"
Kento sighed, the idea of going back home to his life and his problems sounding completely unappealing in comparison to the good time he was having with Yugo. Yugo sounded reluctant to leave, too, and Kento couldn't blame him when he'd be going home to a sleepy child and an empty house and an empty bed. "You could ask Fuma to keep Taira overnight," he suggested, the words coming out of his mouth almost as soon as he thought of them. "It would be fun for Taira to have a sleepover, right? He knows them, so he won't be lonely..." And maybe staying out longer wasn't exactly the most responsible thing for Kento to do, but it was their night out, and Kento really didn't want it to be over yet.
Yugo's eyes widened at Kento's words, and he bit his lip, thinking. His automatic reaction was to say no, that wasn't the responsible thing to do, that wasn't the good-dad thing to do, but… the more he thought about it… well, Taira loved spending time with Kensou, and he wasn't the sort of child who would fret and worry if his dad changed plans on him. And Fuma… whenever Hokuto was away, Fuma always wanted more children in the house, so really, he'd be doing Fuma a favor, right? And it was already past Taira's regular bed time, so picking him up would really only disturb his sleep cycle and make him grumpy and uncooperative tomorrow… so… it was actually really in everyone's best interest for him to let Taira stay the night, right?
And so, after another moment, he nodded to Kento slowly, pulling his phone from his bag and rising, mumbling a quick apology before ducking outside to make the call. Fuma was friendly and receptive on the other end, telling Yugo he was more than happy to keep Taira and that Kensou would be thrilled, and that it would give Fuma something nice to do in the morning now that he had a guest for whom to make a fancy breakfast, and so by the time Fuma was telling him to have fun and bidding him a good night, Yugo's guilt had essentially melted away. Returning to the restaurant, he offered Kento a sheepish smile. "Well, I'm free for the rest of the night," he confirmed, unable to keep from grinning a little. "Do… you need to call Shori-kun?"
Kento grinned back at Yugo, happy that Yugo would be free for a little longer and glad that Yugo looked so happy about it. His smile faded a little at Yugo's question, though, and he knew that Shori wouldn't be too happy about Kento staying out later... But what could he do about that, he asked himself, and what would Shori really be missing out on by Kento not coming back before bedtime? The kids were already fed and in bed by now, and with the way things had been lately it wasn't like he and Shori would be having nice conversation or enjoying each other's company in bed or anything like that. But still, Kento didn't really want to face Shori's disapproving tone on the phone, so he just shrugged, pulling his out phone. "I'll just text him that I'll be a little later," he told Yugo, trying to put his problems back out of his mind.
Yugo watched Kento tap out a quick message to his husband, his mood slightly dampened by Kento's reaction. It made him worry, to see Kento so clearly unhappy in his home situation… but this was supposed to be an escape from that sort of thing, he told himself, and he didn't want Kento worrying about how lonely Yugo was, right? And so, as Kento put his phone away again, Yugo glanced around the restaurant, realizing that if they stayed too much longer, they were going to be closing the place down. "So… where to now?" he asked hesitantly with a laugh. He didn't want to part just yet, not when all that was waiting for him was loneliness once Kento had gone home, but at the same time, he knew it would be irresponsible to go to a bar, or anyplace he might do anything reckless. Besides… well, Kento was a famous person, so they had to stay undercover, right?
Kento tilted his head thoughtfully, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and contemplating where they should go next. Yugo's house was the most obvious choice, since there was no risk of getting spotted by the paparazzi and they could just relax and chat for as long as they wanted, without even the possibility of kids waking up, but Kento wasn't sure if Yugo would like that idea after what had happened last time, and he figured it was probably best to avoid the subject for now. Kento knew a few good places for hanging out later in the evening, though, so he was sure they could find something good. "I know a nice izakaya not too far? And some smaller bars, too, I think," he suggested, not sure what Yugo had in mind.
Yugo nodded slowly at Kento's suggestions, considering them. There were, of course, always izakayas and bars, but then again, they had to drive home, and of course, eventually, izakayas and bars closed, too, and then where would they be? Yugo didn't want another impending deadline after this one, and so, before even really thinking about it, he found himself blurting, "Why don't you just come back to my place?" Hearing his own voice, he shocked himself; after last time, could he possibly think this was a good idea? But last time-- he was going to forget about last time, and clearly, Kento had already forgotten about it, too. So what was wrong then? Where was the fault in two friends spending time together at one of their places? There was nothing wrong with that, Yugo told himself, and so he shrugged, offering Kento a hesitant smile and hoping he wouldn't think it was too forward of Yugo.
Kento grinned, laughing a little when Yugo suggested the very thing he had been avoiding saying. "Sure," he agreed, "That sounds great." He was glad that Yugo didn't seem to be dwelling too much on what they had done the last time, and he was happy for the chance to be able to hang out for longer, without worrying about being spotted or overstaying their welcome at another restaurant. "Should we go, then?" he asked, picking up the check from their table and heading to the front to pay. They had come in separate cars, of course, so once they had finished paying, Kento turned back to Yugo, putting on his hat and giving Yugo a smile. "See you at your place, then?"
"See you," Yugo replied with a grin, giving a little wave before turning back to his own car. He was relieved to see Kento respond positively to the suggestion, and so it was only with pleasant anticipation that he pulled out of the parking lot, heading home. The drive felt longer than usual, but finally, he made it home, pulling into the parking garage and waiting for Kento by the elevator. Once they were back inside, Yugo hastily tried to clean up again, shoving Taira's toys off to the side of the living room and laughing embarrassedly as he led Kento in. "Sorry about the mess…" he trailed, hoping Kento could understand, that surely he was in the same sort of situation. "Can I get you something to drink? Or… anything?" Yugo was almost hesitant to offer Kento a seat on the couch after last time, but… well, they were forgetting about last time, right? So that was stupid.
"Don't worry about it," Kento said, shaking his head at Yugo's apologies. "Believe me, I know how it is with kids..." Yugo's place was really pretty neat, which was impressive considering how much he was taking on basically on his own, and Kento was certainly used to living with kids' toys everywhere these days. "Something to drink sounds great," he said, following Yugo into the kitchen. He was glad that Yugo was willing to have him over again, and it would be nice to be able to relax in a kid-free apartment for an evening, he thought. "Thanks for letting me impose on you again~" he said, smiling at Yugo.
Yugo smiled back, glad that Kento seemed to be at ease. "No prob," he replied easily, laughing a little at the situation. "You're hardly imposing when my place is a mess and otherwise, I was going to spend the evening by myself, anyway." But that sounded pathetic, and he bit his tongue, internally scolding himself to think before he spoke. He had messed everything up between them once, after all, he couldn't afford to do it again. "What sounds good? Beer? Whiskey? Gin?" Embarrassingly, the sudden influx of alcohol since the last time Kento had been here spoke of the mental state Yugo had been in in the interim, but he hoped Kento wouldn't notice. "I have some soda and juice to use as mixers, even, if that's appealing to you?"
Yugo seemed to have a much wider selection of drinks than he'd had last time, or maybe he was just in the mood for something different, and Kento grinned, shrugging a little. "Might as well enjoy my night out~" he answered, stepping up next to Yugo in front of the fridge. "What can we mix up with gin?" Kento was always a fan of a good cocktail, whether it was mixed up at a fancy bar or just made with juice from his fridge, and it would be fun to drink something different from their usual beer for a change. Pouring the juices and soda Yugo got out into two glasses, along with a fairly generous amount of gin, Kento handed one to Yugo before picking up the other, clinking their glasses together. "Nakajima's super delicious sparkling gin cocktails," he proclaimed, trying a sip of his.
Part 4
Kento's life fell back into its usual patterns after his night with Yugo, going to work and taking care of his kids and having ups and downs with Shori. He felt guilty sometimes, knowing what he was hiding from Shori, but he tried not to think about it, because what would thinking about it do besides make him feel worse and make it more likely that the secret would come out and ruin everything? More than the guilt, though, Kento was sad to think that he might have ruined things with Yugo, because as more than a week passed with no communication from Yugo, the prospect of losing their meetings and the fun and relaxation and outlet for stress that they had been was feeling harder and harder to deal with. He thought about calling Yugo himself, but Yugo had said that he would call, and so if he hadn't... he probably didn't want to talk to Kento again, at least not yet. Without a night out to look forward to, though, the days and nights he spent taking care of Jinsei and Ryusei felt even longer, and even though he loved his kids, sometimes it really felt like too much to deal with.
So when Jinsei's kindergarten chorus performance was announced for a day when Kento was supposed to be home taking care of Ryusei while Shori had work, Kento really wasn't in the mood to stick with that plan. Ryusei was adorable, sure, and Kento wanted him to be well taken care of, but actually taking care of him, spending whole days at home with no company but a baby who couldn't talk yet or waking up in the night to the sound of him crying was really not something Kento enjoyed, and he really didn't want to be home with the baby rather than see Jinsei sing. Shori had said he would just leave work early to go see Jinsei (and last time they had tried to bring Ryusei along, they had ended up having to keep him outside because he was crying too much), but Kento didn't see why Shori couldn't come home and relieve him of baby duty, instead, so that night after both kids were in bed, he posed that suggestion to Shori. "Why don't you just come home and stay with Ryusei on the day of the chorus thing? I really want to see Jinsei perform..."
Looking back on the past ten years or so, Shori wasn't sure where things had gone wrong. Everything had looked so bright back in the day, when he and Kento had first moved in together. They had so much in common, the two of them; they were both serious about their jobs and cared more than anything about their group, they both were musically talented and interested in taking an active part in creating songs and routines for Sexy Zone. Sure, Shori had been starry-eyed for Kento back when he was nothing but an awkward sixteen year old with lots of ideas and inspiration but not much direction in terms of how to use them. Kento had been practically an idol to him back then, giving more to Sexy Zone than just singing talent and a pretty face, playing the piano and helping choreograph dances, but as both of them had grown older, grown together as bandmates and friends, Shori had realized that rather than an untouchable idol, Kento was someone to learn from, someone doing what Shori hoped to one day accomplish, and so what had once been Shori looking on in awe became Kento showing Shori the ropes, which, in turn became the pair of them collaborating together, making things that were truly theirs. It was the best feeling in the world, as was the kissing and later the sex that came with it, and by the time Sexy Zone was approaching their tenth anniversary, Shori truly felt as if Kento was the one person in the world who really understood him, could see through him and inside him, who knew his hopes and fears and aspirations and feelings. The depth of Kento's feelings for him certainly seemed to match Shori's for Kento, and Shori was overjoyed when they decided to open the next chapter of their lives together.
They had gotten a little apartment together in Shinagawa, bright and roomy and just perfect, Shori thought, perfect for them. They'd put thought into how to decorate the place just like they put thought into the set list for an upcoming concert or the arrangement of a new song, and soon, they began to fill it with wonderful memories, too, parties with all of Sexy Zone or candlelit Christmas dinners for the two of them or lazy days in bed, just talking, writing lyrics, enjoying one another's presence. And things had only gotten more wonderful when they had adopted Jinsei, the most beautiful little creature Shori had ever seen in his life, his baby, their baby. They were great parents, of course; every moment that he spent with Jinsei was a treasure to Shori, and he could tell Kento felt the same way, from the way he looked at Jinsei, from the smile on his face and the laughter in his voice every time he did anything with Jinsei, and Shori knew that their family was perfect.
But when they had decided to have a second child, for some unfathomable reason, things had changed. To Shori, he was just as beautiful as Jinsei had been, as Jinsei was, and even if having two kids was significantly more stressful and difficult than having one had been, Shori was unfazed. Jinsei and Ryusei each had their own unique qualities and attributes, and Shori loved each of them in his own way, differently but equally, with all his heart. But Kento, on the other hand, suddenly seemed to struggle, to buckle under the added pressure of another child, and where, for Jinsei, he patiently woke up in the night to soothe the crying or set aside his own tiredness to rock Jinsei for hours until he finally settled into his nap, for Ryusei, he had no such patience. At first, Shori had been willing to take on extra baby duties, because he understood being tired, he understood being stressed, but when it became obvious that Kento didn't have the same enthusiasm for Ryusei that he had had when Jinsei was a baby, Shori began to feel as if the situation was off-kilter. He tried to talk to Kento about it, assuming that it was nothing that a little prompting wouldn't fix, but to Shori's surprise, for the first time in their relationship, Kento was brusque and unresponsive to Shori's words, his temper flaring up with Shori tried to suggest that his parenting abilities were anything short of perfect, his back turned as he walked out the door, leaving Shori feeling angry and hurt and frustrated and, for the first time since they'd been together, utterly alone.
He had tried to write it off, but that was just the start. Their once warm and welcoming apartment began to feel more and more dark and closed in, more like a prison as Shori seemed to be left alone at home with the baby more and more of the time. But maybe being alone was better when he spent most of his time at home with Kento fighting now, and it just didn't make sense when they had always understood one another, had always been open with one another, no secrets, no misunderstandings. But Shori couldn't read Kento at all now, didn't understand him, and when Kento refused to explain, instead responding defensively to practically anything Shori said to him, what was Shori supposed to do? And he wanted it to end, he wanted things to be right again, but every time he felt that maybe they were making headway, Kento would snap at him again, and he felt as if he was trying to hold on for his life but his fingers were slipping…
But he couldn't think negatively, he told himself time and time again, this was surely the biggest test they'd been put to, but their love was stronger than tiredness and stress, and as soon as Ryusei was a little older, certainly they'd get a little more sleep and perhaps could talk it out like civilized people, and then Shori would understand Kento and Kento would understand Shori again, and then things would be perfect. He held onto the belief, but sometimes, it was really, really hard to try to respond calmly when Kento pushed him. Everyone had always called Kento self-centered, but Shori had never seen it until, suddenly, with Ryusei, it seemed as if Kento believed everything in their family should revolve around him. He should get a break from kid-duty when he was tired. He should get a night out with Shori because he thought they weren't seeing enough of one another. He was going to go out with friends whether Shori liked it or not. And now he should be the one to get to go to Jinsei's chorus concert because he just didn't feel like being alone at home with the baby.
But parenting didn't work like that, and relationships didn't either, and so Shori studied Kento for a long moment, taking in his off-handed expression, as if he expected Shori to just lay down and be walked over. This wasn't about Shori, though, it wasn't that he wanted Kento to suffer or that he was too pig-headed to say yes. It was about the fact that Kento never wanted to be the responsible one, that Kento never wanted to compromise, ever. And so, "I want to see him as well," Shori responded, as calmly and reasonably as he could. "I'll already be out, and I'll be closer to his preschool. We agreed on this yesterday."
Kento sighed, pursing his lips. "I'll have been home with Ryusei all day," he said, and even if deep down he knew that wasn't what it was about, and that taking care of their kids couldn't really be about making it fair or equal, it was hard to remember that when it felt like Kento had no time for himself anymore, and like Shori had no idea what Kento needed or wanted. And this was the sort of thing that would have been no big deal a few months or years ago, but now Kento could already tell that they weren't going to agree, that they weren't going to be able to find a compromise, and he sighed again, not quite meeting Shori's eyes.
Shori tensed, setting his jaw. He didn't understand why Kento had become this way all of a sudden, why having kids suddenly made him act like he was a kid, and he took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool, trying not to impulsively say something that wouldn't help the situation. "And I stayed home with him all day today," he replied as calmly as possible, "That's how being a working parent works. We have to take turns." Kento made it seem as if being with Ryusei was some awful chore, too, and while being with the baby could, admittedly, sometimes be tiring, Shori hated the sinking feeling he was beginning to get that Kento didn't even really like Ryusei. "Ryusei is your son, too, you know," he added, and it was a little more snappish than he should have let it be, but it made him angry, if he were to be really honest, to think that Kento didn't care about their son.
Kento crossed his arms, frowning at Shori's accusatory tone. Shori always seemed to think that Kento wanting time for himself meant that he didn't care about his sons, and that was just ridiculous. Of course he loved his sons, more than he could ever have imagined loving them before having kids, and of course he wanted to give them the best upbringing possible with Shori. But that didn't mean it didn't get to be too much sometimes, and that's what it seemed like Shori was refusing to understand. "I know he's my son," he said back, his tone flat, "And I'm your husband." And often it felt like that was the missing part, these days, Kento thought. The part where they talked and spent time together and understood each other... "Maybe we need a reminder of that these days."
Stiffening, Shori frowned at Kento's words. What was he trying to get at, anyway? One moment they were talking about a scheduling issues, and okay, Kento was being selfish, but these things happened in marriages. Kento was hugely invested in Jinsei becoming a performer, was always so proud when Jinsei was in the spotlight, and even if Shori thought that he was making way too big a deal out of this, he objectively understood where he was coming from. But then all of a sudden he was talking about their marriage, acting as if there was something wrong, and Shori didn't understand and didn't like the sound of Kento's tone. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he thought long and hard about how to respond before finally replying, "Are you trying to guilt me into letting you go? Is that it?"
Kento frowned, sighing. It wasn't even like the one day was such a big deal--it was the fact that it was an accumulation of days, an accumulation of Shori criticizing him, of no sleep and no sex and no quality time that Shori didn't even acknowledge. "No," he said, rolling his eyes a little. "You keep accusing me of things like that, of trying to get out of things, like you think I don't care about our kids or something!" Kento's words came out a bit more forcefully than he'd planned, but he hated Shori's accusatory looks and his tone like he knew better, and he was getting more than a little annoyed.
Kento's raised voice made Shori's heart squeeze in his chest, and, "You'll wake them," he hissed, frustration and anger bubbling inside of him now to the point that it was all threatening to boil over. He just didn't understand, he didn't understand what had gotten into Kento in the past year or two, didn't understand what was making him so selfish, so unable to see reason. At times like these, he barely seemed like the man that Shori had married to begin with, and the surreal awfulness of it all made tears begin to build up in Shori's eyes. "If you really care about them, then stop putting yourself first," he replied, throat tight and voice thick with tears, and maybe he didn't mean that the way it came out, maybe he didn't mean to insinuate that Kento didn't care about their kids, but he just didn't know what to do anymore and he couldn't take it back now.
Shori's accusations hurt more than Kento cared to admit, because how dare he imply that Kento didn't really care about his own sons, that if Kento didn't think Shori's way was always right then he was just selfishly putting himself first. It was hard to keep his voice down when the hurt and anger was making him just want to lash back out, but the last thing he wanted was for the kids to hear them fighting, so he fought to keep his voice under control. "How... how can you imply that I don't care about my own sons?" he said tightly, setting his jaw.
That wasn't what Shori had meant to imply, it really wasn't, and the fact that he had been driven to say such a thing meant that this had gotten out of hand, that this argument was so off track that nothing was going to be accomplished anyway. "I-- I know you do, but if you could just show it every once in a while…" he tried to start, but he was too frustrated to think properly, and he shook his head, putting a hand over his face and trying to take deep breaths. This was stupid, this was all so stupid, and he couldn't deal with it anymore, not right now. They needed to end this before one of them said something they really regretted, or before they woke the children, and so he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll come home on the day of the chorus thing." This wasn't right, this wasn't the way to resolve things when Shori really just felt like he was breaking down because he couldn't bear to have Kento yelling at him anymore, but he didn't know what to do. "That's what you want, right?" he asked tiredly, looking up at Kento. It didn't feel right, none of it felt right, but Shori just didn't know what to do with Kento anymore.
Kento sighed, feeling his anger dissipate, leaving behind something that felt a little like regret, but he wasn't sure where they had gone wrong. It just felt like he and Shori never agreed these days, and it was hard to be happy about getting to see Jinsei perform instead of being stuck at home when it had come at the expense of another fight. They had always gotten along so well, and it was depressing to think that this was what their marriage had come to... But when the fights just kept happening and Shori never seemed to understand where Kento was coming from, it was hard to see any way to change things. Feeling tired and deflated, Kento just nodded, not looking Shori in the eye. "Thanks," he said, wishing that this was something that could be solved with a kiss, like the silly things they'd argued about when they were younger.
Shori wasn't sure whether he was relieved or angered that Kento let it end there, let Shori give him what he wanted when he couldn't take the emotional battery anymore. He didn't want to fight, he never wanted to fight with Kento, and so it was easier this way, because Shori had never been one for slinging poorly-thought-out insults, Shori had always been one for quiet, well-considered opinions and gentle words of criticism only when they were called for, but somehow, Kento had pushed him to this, somehow, they'd pushed each other, he supposed, to this endless cycle of hurt and stubborn refusal to back down, and that was all fine and well for Kento, who had always been so self assured, but Shori knew he'd always be the one to back down, because arguing just wasn't how he functioned, and there was no way he could win. It was like a punch to the gut, but at the same time, he knew anything he said against Kento would only lead to more screaming, and Shori knew he couldn't take it anymore, not tonight, not for the third or fourth night in a row, and so he sighed, rolling his lips together and trying to swallow back the lump in his throat. "I'm going to bed, then," he replied, wishing that there were some way to find solitude and knowing that really, in married life, there simply wasn't. It was awful to think of it that way, it was awful to think of his marriage as a trap, as a forced circumstance of life, but he couldn't help it when this was all they did together anymore, when Kento drove Shori to this state of emotional breakdown day after day after day. Turning towards their bedroom, unable to bring himself to face Kento when his face was hot, his eyes were filling with tears again, he mumbled a quick "Goodnight," before making his escape. After all, he had already rolled over and played dead for Kento once tonight, he wasn't going to let Kento see him cry.
Kento let his face drop into his hands as Shori left the room, clearly on the verge of tears, and he didn't know how to feel. He hated to see Shori so upset, and feeling like he had made Shori so upset, but he hadn't forgotten Shori's words, either, and they still hurt just as much as they had earlier, and Shori's lack of understanding of Kento's point of view was just as frustrating as it always was. He didn't know why he seemed to be the only one having these problems, why his bandmates all seemed to be happily married and raising kids with no problems when he and Shori couldn't stop fighting. And it wasn't that they didn't love each other or their kids, it wasn't like Kento liked making Shori upset... but things seemed to be getting worse and worse, and Kento didn't know how to stop it. Eventually it would get late and Kento would go to bed after Shori was already asleep, and in the morning they would wake up together and pretend that this had never happened, but he knew that it would happen again, and he hated that he didn't know how to fix it.
After his big mistake, his sordid evening with Kento, Yugo didn't know what to do with himself. Taira awoke the next morning none the wiser, bright and cheerful as always as he chattered at Yugo while he got ready for school in the morning, and Jesse called just as always in the evening, blissfully ignorant of the fact that his husband, the father of his child, had slept with another man in his absence. But Yugo knew, and the knowledge burned in his chest, in his throat, all across his skin, and more than once, he considered telling, because how could he continue to lie to the man he loved this way? But he knew telling wouldn't do any good, would only hurt Jesse and Taira and everyone around him, and so he sealed his lips and put on a smile and took what he could on the days Jesse was free to talk.
But more than the days he did get a few moments of phone conversation with Jesse, the problem was the nights Jesse was performing or rehearsing late or simply too busy to call, the nights Yugo was left all alone in the house once Taira had been put to bed at eight. More than once, he considered calling Kento, but the guilt over what they had done was too overwhelming, and even if he practically had to slap his own hand away from the phone, he knew he couldn't. Still, as the first week of Jesse's absence wore on, the loneliness became more and more overwhelming, and alongside it, the guilt, the memory of how things had gone with Kento began to fade. Getting close again, as friends, as former groupmates had been such a good feeling, such a light in the darkness that was Yugo's life that the urge to call got stronger and stronger until one day, he simply couldn't keep it in check anymore. But he and Kento were adults, and Kento was married too, so there was no way they would make the same mistake again, right? Especially if they kept the meetings in public places, if they kept a safe distance and kept off of dangerous topics…
And so, perhaps it was weak of him, or perhaps it was only human, but either way, Yugo wasn't quite sure how to feel, nervous and excited and practically trembling with anticipation as he finally called Kento just over a week after Jesse had left. The phone rang a few times, and for a moment, Yugo was terrified that Kento wouldn't answer, but then there was a click on the other end of the line, and "Hello?" Yugo was asking before he could stop himself, his voice breathless, his heart racing.
When Yugo's name finally appeared on Kento's phone the day after his fight with Shori, his heart leapt, his mind filling with a strange mixture of relief that Yugo wasn't going keep away from him forever, anticipation of the possibility of a night out with Yugo again, and a little nervousness that Yugo might actually be calling to say something much less desirable. But it had to be something good, Kento told himself, Yugo had to be missing their time together, too, even if he wasn't fighting with his husband the way Kento was... But whatever it was, Kento had to answer, and before he could even find his voice to say anything, he heard Yugo greeting him on the other end. "Kouchi," he said, suddenly unsure what to say. "I'm... glad you called."
Kento's voice sounded as if he felt exactly how Yugo felt, and Yugo couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Nakajima," he responded more easily, and though some small part of him could still remember the sound of Kento on his voice, breathless and tight with want, he tried to swallow back the tightness in his throat and block it all from his mind. "I… I was wondering if you weren't too busy to get drinks or something sometime soon. Maybe, like… tomorrow." Okay, that sounded needy, and Yugo felt himself flush, worrying that he had gone too far. Of course, Kento might be generally dissatisfied with his life lately, but he wasn't lonely the way Yugo was, he had a husband to keep him company every day where Yugo had no one, and so he prayed that, at the very least, Kento might be understanding of Yugo's situation. "I mean… if you have some free time… since you're between legs of your tour and all…?" he added hesitantly, bracing himself for disappointment.
"Yeah," Kento answered, too quickly, his breath coming out in a rush of relief. He couldn't really bring himself to care if he sounded a little too eager, though, because Yugo sounded pretty eager, too, and Kento couldn't deny how relieved he was that Yugo had called. "Yeah," he said again, running through his schedule in his head, "Tomorrow sounds great." Shori would be home with the kids, and his dinners with Yugo had become enough of a regular thing that... well, Kento hoped it wouldn't cause a fight. The prospect of having plans with Yugo again made him smile, though, and he was glad that it seemed like they would be able to put their night of bad decision-making behind them and keep being friends.
When Kento responded, Yugo practically laughed-- it was amazing, really, how much knowing he had someone to depend on lifted his spirits, and already, he was feeling so much less isolated and alone. "Then-- I'll choose the place?" he stuttered, almost at a lost for words after being so afraid Kento would turn him down. "What… sort of food do you want…? Or… drinks?" He sounded like an idiot, he realized, but he was practically shaking his was so relieved, and after a moment, he couldn't hold back a laugh. "No matter where we go… I'm really looking forward to it," he admitted, and heck, what did it matter if Kento knew? They were friends, weren't they? Why shouldn't Yugo want to spend time with Kento?
Kento's smile widened at how happy Yugo sounded, and he laughed a little at how worried he had been. "Me too," he said, "So wherever you want to go is fine." He already couldn't wait for tomorrow, and he knew they were going to have a good time. And maybe it was silly to be looking forward to dinner with a friend this much, but Kento was always the first to assert that friends and nights out were important, so really, there was nothing wrong with looking forward to it. "I can't wait," he told Yugo, grinning to himself.
When Kento laughed, Yugo couldn't help but laugh a little more, too, happy that Kento was happy at the prospect of more time spent together. He had been making way too big a deal out of their dirty little secret, he told himself; clearly, Kento had put it out of his mind, and Yugo needed to do the same. Thus assuaged, he wanted to draw out their phone conversation as long as possible, but after they had worked out the details, eventually, they had to say goodnight. As soon as they had hung up, though, it felt as if it had been forever since they had spoken, and so, it was with great anticipation that Yugo awaited their first dinner date in far too long.
He felt bad calling Reon-kun on such short notice, however, but luckily, Kensou was always looking for a play date with Taira, and since Fuma, like Kento, was at a break in concerts, he was more than happy to take Taira for an evening. And so Yugo found himself kissing Taira goodbye the following evening before waving to Fuma with a vague smile. Really, it just felt like he was going through the motions; his mind was already an hour ahead, already with Kento, staving off the loneliness for the first time in so long. His hands were practically trembling in anticipation as he started up the car again--he had needed a cigarette so badly all afternoon, but of course, he couldn't, not around Taira-- but by the time he got to the restaurant, a small, secluded Italian place he'd been to with Jesse a few times before they'd had Taira, he was all smiles. Upon entering the restaurant, he could see Kento already there, seated off to the side at a private, two-person table, and Yugo waved in greeting, already too eager to forget his problems for the next few hours. "Hey," he greeted, grinning sheepishly as he seated himself across from Kento. "How's it going?"
The next day felt like it went by at a snail's pace, but finally it came time to meet Yugo, and Kento had a smile on his face as he got them a table at the restaurant Yugo had chosen. Yugo arrived not long after, and Kento waved him over, smiling as Yugo sat down across from him. Yugo looked just as happy to see Kento as Kento was to see him, and Kento was so glad that Yugo had finally called. "Okay," he answered, shrugging a little. "Pretty nice place... we've gotten classier since we were teenagers, huh," he commented, thinking back to their frequent trips to fast food restaurants and the like after rehearsals.
Yugo laughed, nodding. "I really like this place," he explained, and I used to come here with Jesse, he started to say, before the words caught in his throat and he stumbled, coughing awkwardly to cover for it. What was wrong with him? He and Kento were just friends, after all, nothing more, and last time had never happened, so there was no need for him to go and get all worked up. What was wrong with talking about his husband to his friends? It was stupid, and he took a deep breath, pushing all of that mess out of his mind. He was here to relax, here to feel better after a week of loneliness, and he wasn't going to let any stupid mistakes from the past get in his way. Grinning back at Kento, he cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry, should I have chosen Saizeriya or something instead?" he asked teasingly, and there, that was normal, this was normal, and everything was going to be fine.
"No way," Kento said, making an affronted face at Yugo. "Like I said, we've gotten classier since we were teenagers." It was already nice to be joking around with Yugo again, Kento thought, picking up the menu and flipping it open. "So what's good here, then? A nice wine to take the edge off a long week?" The week had certainly felt long to Kento, at least, and he was sure Yugo's problems must not have evaporated since they'd last talked, either, especially since Jesse's band was now more than a week into their tour. Worrying that his friendship with Yugo was ruined hadn't made it feel any shorter, either, and it had seemed like Yugo felt similarly when they talked on the phone, so they were probably both in need of a nice glass of wine.
"You read my mind," Yugo replied with a laugh, opening the wine list. It had been a long week, all right, long and lonely, and Yugo definitely wasn't arguing with something to take the edge off. It was a dangerous way to think, he reminded himself; he had to be responsible, had to drive home after this and to be a good dad after that, but… well, this was supposed to be his reprieve, and he ought to enjoy it right? "Red or white?" he asked, looking down at the list before looking up at Kento again, unable to hold back another laugh. "It is pretty funny, huh? Going from 100-yen burgers and soda to this." It was good to think of it this way again, to remember being friends and to know that they were friends again, and at this rate, he hoped, their mistake from last time would be completely wiped from his mind.
Kento laughed too, shrugging. "Gotta enjoy the perks of adulthood, right?" That came out a little more negative sounding than Kento had meant it, or maybe he only heard it that way because of his current complaints about adulthood, but he shrugged it off, flipping through his menu. "Italian is probably white, right?" The menu was full of delicious-looking dishes, and Kento was looking forward to his evening out with Yugo more and more, a much-needed evening of good food, good wine, and good conversation, and he smiled across the table at Yugo. "Got any food recommendations?"
Yugo glanced over the menu as well, considering the options. He wasn't a connoisseur of Italian food, and some of the specific names of pastas didn't seem particularly familiar. Laughing embarrassedly, he shrugged. "Not really… I haven't been here since we had Taira," he explained, giving an apologetic grin. "They've probably changed their menu since then… You know, being a dad means you don't get out very much…" He tried to laugh it off, but the truth stung a little to say, really… Yugo had given up a lot to take on being a dad, and while he was lucky that his job left him wiggle room to be able to pick Taira up from school, feed him dinner, attend his school events, take him to the playground or the pool every once in a while, it didn't seem fair, somehow, that he'd had to give up everything while Jesse was probably out with his bandmates at an uchiage right now. Not that Yugo didn't want to spend all the time he could with Taira, or that he really could blame Jesse for being successful at his job, but still… it stung a little, to remember that this was the first time he had treated himself to something nice in quite a long time. "Maybe… maybe we can each get something different and share a little," he suggested, trying to take his mind off his problems-- he ought to enjoy his time out with Kento, after all-- but it was hard.
"Don't I know it," Kento agreed, sighing and smiling a little in sympathy. He knew Yugo must have it even worse than he did in terms of not getting out much, because even though Yugo only had one kid, he was taking on almost all the work of parenting himself while his husband was the one with a career, and that had to be hard to deal with. They were out together now, though, and Kento wanted to enjoy it while they could... but it seemed to be bothering Yugo a lot, as much as he was trying to laugh it off. Still, Kento hoped that a little food and wine would help Yugo relax more, and he nodded, looking back at the menu. "What about this one?" he suggested, pointing to a pasta dish with sausage and vegetables.
Yugo glanced at the dish Kento was pointing at, nodding. "Sounds good," he replied agreeably, looking down the list and trying to find something else good. "Maybe I'll get a cheese pasta, then, or something?" Thus decided, he turned back to the wine list, adding, "So… we should pick a white, then, too?" But it was hard to concentrate when now that he had started on the train of thought, some part of him couldn't stop thinking about the unfairness of the situation, the unfairness of the fact that Jesse got to enjoy traveling and performing and eating good food and hanging out with Hokuto and Shintaro while Yugo was left all alone at home drudging through his mediocre job and cleaning up after a messy six-year-old. And it wasn't the same for Yuma and Fuma, who were debuted, who had careers of their own… only Yugo was left all alone day after day, night after night… And it was stupid to pity himself, he knew, stupid and selfish, but he had been bolstering himself up for the past ten years or so, and maybe he just didn't have any strength left.
But now really, really wasn't the time to be wallowing in self-pity when he was finally getting a much-needed reprieve from the loneliness, and so he tried to put on a happy face. "What do you think goes with sausage and cheese?" he asked with a laugh, wondering if Kento would judge him for his lack of knowledge about wine. But it wasn't exactly like Yugo drank fancy drinks much anymore; by the time Taiga was in bed on a regular day, Yugo needed a drink, all right, but it certainly wasn't white wine that he was using to distract himself from the loneliness and help him get to sleep alone in bed.
Kento frowned, noticing how tense Yugo seemed now that the topic of not getting out much had come up, but that was silly, he thought, because if Yugo didn't have much time to himself, he should at least get to enjoy the time he did have. "You definitely need some wine," Kento said, nodding in emphasis. "This is dads' night out, you have to enjoy it!" He scanned down the list of whites thoughtfully, looking for something that looked good. He wasn't a wine expert by any manner of means, but he liked to enjoy the finer things in life, and he knew what kinds of wine he liked, at least. Choosing one that seemed like it would be good with their pasta, Kento looked back up at Yugo. "I'll even choose the wine for you, you can just relax and enjoy it~" he said, grinning.
Yugo laughed, nodding agreeably. "Sorry, sorry," he replied, waving dismissively at Kento. "You're right… what's the point of having a night out if I'm stressing the whole time?" This was stupid; he was here with Kento now, and he needed to enjoy his break in the loneliness while he could. And so, smiling, he added, "Thanks for taking care of me~" in a teasing tone, and there, that felt right, that felt normal. It was up to Yugo to make sure he took advantage of seeing Kento now that they finally had time together again, and while he wasn't used to taking care of himself, he was sure that he could manage somehow.
Sure enough, over the course of the evening, Yugo was able to relax, listening to Kento's anecdotes about his kids and telling a few of his own about Taira and the little juniors at work, and while it was stupid and mindless, it was fun. By the time they had finished their dinners and the bottle of wine, it was beginning to get late, but Yugo, now that he had finally been able to relax, didn't want to go home just yet. "Shall we take a look at the desert menu?" he asked with a smile, holding the small booklet out to Kento and hoping he was feeling as reluctant to leave as Yugo.
Kento was happy to see Yugo really start to relax as the evening wore on, and by the time they were finished eating, he was really enjoying himself. Yugo was great company, of course, and Kento enjoyed seeing him take time for himself to relax and have a good time. So when Yugo suggested dessert, Kento was happy to have a reason to stay a little longer, even though he was already quite full from dinner. "Definitely," he said, taking the menu from Yugo and perusing the selection. "I'm pretty full, do you want to share something? I bet they have really good tiramisu here..." Kento smiled back at Yugo, hoping he would agree, because he really didn't want to go home yet.
"Sure," Yugo replied easily, because being with Kento was easy, because agreeing with Kento was easy, and he smiled back before flagging down a waiter to place their dessert order. Soon, their tiramisu arrived, as well, with two forks (and Yugo tried hard not to think what the waiter must be thinking about their relationship, because it didn't matter what other people thought as long as Yugo was not thinking it), and it was, indeed, really good, or at least, a good enough excuse for them to keep talking for the next hour and to avoid going home. But far sooner than Yugo wished, they were the only ones in the restaurant, and a glance at his watch told him that if he wanted to get Taira home at anywhere near a reasonable hour, he needed to get going. Still, the thought of leaving was like a sudden weight on his shoulders, and his heart felt tight in his chest as he finally bolstered up the will power to say, "Well… it's getting late… and I need to go fetch Taira from Fuma's…"
Kento sighed, the idea of going back home to his life and his problems sounding completely unappealing in comparison to the good time he was having with Yugo. Yugo sounded reluctant to leave, too, and Kento couldn't blame him when he'd be going home to a sleepy child and an empty house and an empty bed. "You could ask Fuma to keep Taira overnight," he suggested, the words coming out of his mouth almost as soon as he thought of them. "It would be fun for Taira to have a sleepover, right? He knows them, so he won't be lonely..." And maybe staying out longer wasn't exactly the most responsible thing for Kento to do, but it was their night out, and Kento really didn't want it to be over yet.
Yugo's eyes widened at Kento's words, and he bit his lip, thinking. His automatic reaction was to say no, that wasn't the responsible thing to do, that wasn't the good-dad thing to do, but… the more he thought about it… well, Taira loved spending time with Kensou, and he wasn't the sort of child who would fret and worry if his dad changed plans on him. And Fuma… whenever Hokuto was away, Fuma always wanted more children in the house, so really, he'd be doing Fuma a favor, right? And it was already past Taira's regular bed time, so picking him up would really only disturb his sleep cycle and make him grumpy and uncooperative tomorrow… so… it was actually really in everyone's best interest for him to let Taira stay the night, right?
And so, after another moment, he nodded to Kento slowly, pulling his phone from his bag and rising, mumbling a quick apology before ducking outside to make the call. Fuma was friendly and receptive on the other end, telling Yugo he was more than happy to keep Taira and that Kensou would be thrilled, and that it would give Fuma something nice to do in the morning now that he had a guest for whom to make a fancy breakfast, and so by the time Fuma was telling him to have fun and bidding him a good night, Yugo's guilt had essentially melted away. Returning to the restaurant, he offered Kento a sheepish smile. "Well, I'm free for the rest of the night," he confirmed, unable to keep from grinning a little. "Do… you need to call Shori-kun?"
Kento grinned back at Yugo, happy that Yugo would be free for a little longer and glad that Yugo looked so happy about it. His smile faded a little at Yugo's question, though, and he knew that Shori wouldn't be too happy about Kento staying out later... But what could he do about that, he asked himself, and what would Shori really be missing out on by Kento not coming back before bedtime? The kids were already fed and in bed by now, and with the way things had been lately it wasn't like he and Shori would be having nice conversation or enjoying each other's company in bed or anything like that. But still, Kento didn't really want to face Shori's disapproving tone on the phone, so he just shrugged, pulling his out phone. "I'll just text him that I'll be a little later," he told Yugo, trying to put his problems back out of his mind.
Yugo watched Kento tap out a quick message to his husband, his mood slightly dampened by Kento's reaction. It made him worry, to see Kento so clearly unhappy in his home situation… but this was supposed to be an escape from that sort of thing, he told himself, and he didn't want Kento worrying about how lonely Yugo was, right? And so, as Kento put his phone away again, Yugo glanced around the restaurant, realizing that if they stayed too much longer, they were going to be closing the place down. "So… where to now?" he asked hesitantly with a laugh. He didn't want to part just yet, not when all that was waiting for him was loneliness once Kento had gone home, but at the same time, he knew it would be irresponsible to go to a bar, or anyplace he might do anything reckless. Besides… well, Kento was a famous person, so they had to stay undercover, right?
Kento tilted his head thoughtfully, pushing his bangs out of his eyes and contemplating where they should go next. Yugo's house was the most obvious choice, since there was no risk of getting spotted by the paparazzi and they could just relax and chat for as long as they wanted, without even the possibility of kids waking up, but Kento wasn't sure if Yugo would like that idea after what had happened last time, and he figured it was probably best to avoid the subject for now. Kento knew a few good places for hanging out later in the evening, though, so he was sure they could find something good. "I know a nice izakaya not too far? And some smaller bars, too, I think," he suggested, not sure what Yugo had in mind.
Yugo nodded slowly at Kento's suggestions, considering them. There were, of course, always izakayas and bars, but then again, they had to drive home, and of course, eventually, izakayas and bars closed, too, and then where would they be? Yugo didn't want another impending deadline after this one, and so, before even really thinking about it, he found himself blurting, "Why don't you just come back to my place?" Hearing his own voice, he shocked himself; after last time, could he possibly think this was a good idea? But last time-- he was going to forget about last time, and clearly, Kento had already forgotten about it, too. So what was wrong then? Where was the fault in two friends spending time together at one of their places? There was nothing wrong with that, Yugo told himself, and so he shrugged, offering Kento a hesitant smile and hoping he wouldn't think it was too forward of Yugo.
Kento grinned, laughing a little when Yugo suggested the very thing he had been avoiding saying. "Sure," he agreed, "That sounds great." He was glad that Yugo didn't seem to be dwelling too much on what they had done the last time, and he was happy for the chance to be able to hang out for longer, without worrying about being spotted or overstaying their welcome at another restaurant. "Should we go, then?" he asked, picking up the check from their table and heading to the front to pay. They had come in separate cars, of course, so once they had finished paying, Kento turned back to Yugo, putting on his hat and giving Yugo a smile. "See you at your place, then?"
"See you," Yugo replied with a grin, giving a little wave before turning back to his own car. He was relieved to see Kento respond positively to the suggestion, and so it was only with pleasant anticipation that he pulled out of the parking lot, heading home. The drive felt longer than usual, but finally, he made it home, pulling into the parking garage and waiting for Kento by the elevator. Once they were back inside, Yugo hastily tried to clean up again, shoving Taira's toys off to the side of the living room and laughing embarrassedly as he led Kento in. "Sorry about the mess…" he trailed, hoping Kento could understand, that surely he was in the same sort of situation. "Can I get you something to drink? Or… anything?" Yugo was almost hesitant to offer Kento a seat on the couch after last time, but… well, they were forgetting about last time, right? So that was stupid.
"Don't worry about it," Kento said, shaking his head at Yugo's apologies. "Believe me, I know how it is with kids..." Yugo's place was really pretty neat, which was impressive considering how much he was taking on basically on his own, and Kento was certainly used to living with kids' toys everywhere these days. "Something to drink sounds great," he said, following Yugo into the kitchen. He was glad that Yugo was willing to have him over again, and it would be nice to be able to relax in a kid-free apartment for an evening, he thought. "Thanks for letting me impose on you again~" he said, smiling at Yugo.
Yugo smiled back, glad that Kento seemed to be at ease. "No prob," he replied easily, laughing a little at the situation. "You're hardly imposing when my place is a mess and otherwise, I was going to spend the evening by myself, anyway." But that sounded pathetic, and he bit his tongue, internally scolding himself to think before he spoke. He had messed everything up between them once, after all, he couldn't afford to do it again. "What sounds good? Beer? Whiskey? Gin?" Embarrassingly, the sudden influx of alcohol since the last time Kento had been here spoke of the mental state Yugo had been in in the interim, but he hoped Kento wouldn't notice. "I have some soda and juice to use as mixers, even, if that's appealing to you?"
Yugo seemed to have a much wider selection of drinks than he'd had last time, or maybe he was just in the mood for something different, and Kento grinned, shrugging a little. "Might as well enjoy my night out~" he answered, stepping up next to Yugo in front of the fridge. "What can we mix up with gin?" Kento was always a fan of a good cocktail, whether it was mixed up at a fancy bar or just made with juice from his fridge, and it would be fun to drink something different from their usual beer for a change. Pouring the juices and soda Yugo got out into two glasses, along with a fairly generous amount of gin, Kento handed one to Yugo before picking up the other, clinking their glasses together. "Nakajima's super delicious sparkling gin cocktails," he proclaimed, trying a sip of his.
Part 4
