Work Text:
Ryuseitai's new position in the idol industry is a strange one.
Tetora can speak for it himself, surely they're the only unit where everybody has the same position. It leaves a painful sting in his chest at the thought that he could never properly fulfil his position during his short time as Ryuseitai Red when he had the chance, but it's not something he can change now. Unit leader or not, Ryuseitai were still his friends, and Tetora tried not to let his personal feelings get in the way of the people around him.
He'd pledged to one day surpass Chiaki; maybe no longer as Ryuseitai Red, but he'd certainly surpass him in something .
Apparently, relationships were apparently something Tetora had yet to surpass Chiaki in.
Since the new reformation of Ryuseitai, Shinobu had been pleading with the rest of their unit in bringing back 'team bonding' exercises in order to bridge the uncomfortable gap that had previously been crumbling away at them. If anyone else had asked, the answer would have most likely been along the lines of 'no way', 'I'm busy', or 'maybe another time' if Tetora were being honest; However, it was Shinobu who'd asked, for god's sake, and denying him would have been akin to running over a puppy.
Which is now how Tetora had currently found himself standing in the corner of one of Ensemble Square's many kitchens, a spatula in hand, mixing a bowl that Kanata had handed over to him full of what looked to be a chocolate mixture with half stirred butter in it. He'd been given clear instructions of mixing the consistency until it had turned silky smooth, and under no circumstances to go near the stove.
Tetora continues to move his arm in harsh circular motions, trying his best (to little success) to not spill any of it out of the bowl. It wasn't like they hadn't done this before or anything; he vaguely recalls their cooking in Yumenosaki's canteen for Chocolate Fes, though he can't remember ever trying it…
"Tetora-kun!" He hears Shinobu call. "I have prepared the cases. Have you finished mixing the batter?"
He figures it's probably as good as it's going to get. "Yup. All ready! Do you want me to pour it in?" Tetora doesn't want to sound rude, but he thinks Shinobu may be too short to be able to do the job.
Shinobu smiles gratefully, as if understanding Tetora's insinuation, and leads him over towards the left side of the counter where the tray is. It's nothing special, really, just overly colourful moulds lining the cupcake tray. Tetora figures it can't be too difficult to put the batter into.
Carefully, he lifts the bowl over the tray, and begins slowly pouring the mixture into the first case with as much consistency in each one as he can when Shinobu starts to talk to him. "I really hope everybody is enjoying themselves." He isn't sure why, but Shinobu sounds unsure of himself. He probably doesn't even think Tetora is listening. "I'd hate to have made everyone come if I am the only one having fun."
Tetora blinks, but keeps his eyes on the tray, he doesn't want to spoil their hard work after all. He's never been someone who's good at consolation, but he hopes he can ease Shinobu's worries at least. "Nah, I'm having a good time. It's not often I'm allowed in a kitchen."
Thankfully, an airy, soothing voice cuts in from behind him as Tetora finishes up pouring the last of the batter. "We're all glad to be here, Shinobu. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to bond again."
Shinobu squeaks, and quickly turns his head around, as if caught saying something he wasn't supposed to say. "Shinkai-senpai! You almost gave me a heart attack… " he adds, somewhat bashfully, "but thank you for the reassurance. I'm glad that my worries are simply my imagination." He looks much more at ease, and Tetora is glad that he doesn't have to attempt his solace at Shinobu any longer.
Kanata gives a fond smile and tilts his head, before moving his head to look at Tetora. He feels under inspection, and stiffens a little under the pressure of his seniors' gaze. Tetora has never really been sure of how to address Kanata- He's not scared of him, but…
"You are staring, Tetora." Kanata squints with a smaller smile, but it still has the same fondness to it. "If you have finished, bring the tray over to Chiaki and Midori." Tetora immediately gives a firm nod as if being given a command, picks up the tray, and does a quick one-eighty turn towards the oven.
There weren't many steps to making cupcakes, so Midori had suggested pulling straws for who got the more interesting parts of the recipe in order to not cause congestion around one area of the kitchen. Tetora, Shinobu and Kanata had pulled the roles of mixing, sifting and preparing the mixture, whereas Midori and Chiaki had pulled the shorter straws, meaning they'd be in charge of checking on the cupcakes while they were in the oven.
Although not very fair that the three of them had been given the brunt of the work, Tetora figured that fate had its own way of doing things. And if Tetora had to take the lead, then so be it. He'd be the best leader possible, even when it came to baking.
Now that he's thinking about it, Tetora had heard radio silence from the two of them for the entirety of this baking session. He'd truthfully expected to hear Midori spewing insults Chiaki's way the entire time, or some kind of complaints about being in Chiaki's vicinity for so long. But Tetora hadn't heard a single thing. Of course he hadn't been paying attention to what was going on around him; if the cupcakes were to be edible, he had to put his full concentration into what he was doing- that was what Niki had told him, at least.
Chiaki had been focused on looking at a sheet of paper to the side of the counter, seemingly trying to copy the instructions of it, and pressing the buttons of the electrical oven thoughtfully.
"This oven doesn't go up to twenty minutes." He squints at the oven, bewildered. "What kind of oven doesn't cook longer than twenty minutes?"
Midori walks over from what he was doing to peek over at him. He looks over to the paper on the counter, and then back at the oven, frowning.
"You idiot… You input twenty hours , not twenty minutes . Of course nothing is going to cook for twenty hours." Midori clicks his tongue, "here, let me do it…" Midori lightly nudges Chiaki out of the way with his shoulder, and resets it to the correct time Chiaki had originally intended.
Chiaki chuckles, and walks back to read the paper, seemingly grateful. "Thanks, Takamine!I know I can always rely on you."
Midori seems to pause for a minute, and just when Tetora thinks that he's going to bash Chiaki's head in or finally throw an insult, he sees Midori's gaze linger downward for a moment, before approaching Chiaki again from behind.
Tetora almost felt like he'd walked into something he wasn't supposed to see.
"Your apron is undone…" Midori grasps the strings hanging from Chiaki's apron, and suddenly moves himself completely against Chiaki's back, wrapping it around Chiaki's torso, before tying a knot around the front. Even when the job is done, he surprisingly keeps his arms wrapped around Chiaki's waist. It looks like they're both pretty comfortable, and their position begins to look more like a behind hug. Tetora swears he sees Chiaki lean back, melting into Midori's embrace, but he can't be sure.
Tetora stares, dumbfounded, his senior doesn't even look surprised, like this is normal to him, and instead reciprocates by placing his hands to rest on his wrists, and Midori whispers something into Chiaki's ear, before placing a kiss below his jaw.
Tetora almost drops the tray.
Chiaki sputters for a moment, and quickly pushes away Midori, seemingly flustered by whatever he said, and Tetora quickly seizes the opportunity before Midori is able to get his hands back onto Chiaki. He doesn't know if either of them have even noticed him staring yet, or if they simply have no shame.
Either way, Tetora coughs awkwardly, sure his face is beet red. "Um, guys, the mixture is ready to be baked." He tries to sound nonchalant, but the crack in his voice is obvious.
The pair briskly turn their heads over to Tetora, and it's Midori who walks up to Tetora, taking the tray off of him, seemingly unaffected by the events Tetora had just witnessed. "Thanks, I'll put it in now. Twenty minutes, right?"
Tetora coughs again, reminded of the earlier events. "Y-yeah. Twenty minutes."
Chiaki quickly shuffles his feet to follow Midori back to the oven, and Tetora snaps his head back towards Kanata. He's seemingly kept Shinobu in deep conversation, distracting him from the disgustingly domestic horror that Tetora had just been forced to witness. Kanata glances back over to Tetora, and simply offers an exaggeratedly sweet smile, but even Tetora can see the sly, knowingness behind it.
That fucker knew . Tetora bites the inside of his cheek.
Kanata looks back to Shinobu, and says to the both of them, maybe a little too late to take back Tetora's new found trauma, "I think Chiaki and Midori have the rest handled, let's go to the pond while they bake."
Tetora makes an oath that day, the only fair punishment in exchange for his experience, to make sure Midori never lives that down.
–
It's a cold day, but that has never deterred Kanata from facing his closest confidant, the water. The water listened to him without answering back, it had been that way since birth when no one else would hear him, and Kanata had grown to accept it. Naturally, being that he couldn't swim, it was also his biggest enemy; but he's sure that if the water had wanted to take him, it would have done so by now.
And so, as usual, he doesn't resist immersing himself in his favourite pond in the grounds behind the ES building. Kanata shivers as his body adjusts to the temperature, and he moves himself to lie on his back, relishing the feeling of the water absorbing into his pores and his skin being rehydrated once again.
It's relaxing– he doesn't get much time like this anymore, so when he's able to, he makes the most of it, and looks up at the midday sky. Clouds are made of water, and Kanata wonders if he might be able to float up with the vapour if he tries hard enough. He's always wanted to see the earth from above.
Just when he thinks he can see a clownfish within one of the clouds, the pond whispers to Kanata that someone is calling for him.
Gently, he lifts his head to see Chiaki smiling down at him, teeth and all, waving a hello to him. Kanata raises his hand back, and waves his own hand left to right in a similar but slower motion. "Good afternoon, Chiaki."
"Good afternoon, Kanata! It's great weather today, isn't it?" Chiaki says, sounding giddy, as if the weather isn't actually what he's referring to. Kanata humours him momentarily, and decides to circle back around to find out the source of Chiaki's happiness.
"Yes, it's the perfect day to lie in the water. Would you like to join me?"
Chiaki immediately shakes his head, and crouches down to Kanata's level. "How many times have I told you not to go into the water at this time of year? You could get seriously sick." He adds, a lighter look in his eyes again, "And plus, today I'm going out, so I can't get my clothes wet."
Kanata almost rolls his eyes; Chiaki goes out every day, but from his tone sounding more excited than usual, this is probably why he's more on edge today. "Where is Chiaki going?" He asks.
As if he'd been waiting for the question, Chiaki smiles brightly again. "Midori– I mean, Takamine is taking me out tonight. But I might've gotten ready a little too early…"
Kanata chuckles, deciding to blissfully ignore Chiaki's slipup. "I see, I hope you have a fun time. Is it just you two?"
Chiaki nods, "Yup! I mean…" he bites his lip thoughtfully, "I mean, unless anybody else wants to come, but then that's not really a date–"
Kanata cuts him off to spare him the embarrassment of realising he's speaking aloud, "No, it's okay." He splashes his arms a little back and forth, feeling the water reverberate around him. “You two are very close, aren't you?”
Chiaki freezes momentarily, as if he'd been caught red handed, but swallows it down, and smiles again. "Obviously I'd be close to my junior. I'm close to everyone in Ryuseitai, a small outing is nothing!" It's a weak excuse, and if Kanata didn't know any better, he'd probably make Chiaki suffer a little.
He guesses he doesn't know any better, then. "I'm sure Midori wouldn't be very happy to hear your date is a small outing."
" Kanata ! I-it's not a date – we're not dating !" Chiaki sputters quietly in a weak whisper, and Kanata knows he's won. It wasn't like he was evil, per say, but he'd consider this payback for the earlier scolding; no one tells him when he can or can't puka.
Unhesitatingly, he brings a finger up, and flicks water into Chiaki's face. "Chiaki is a bad liar. I thought you'd be honest with me after I was to you." He adds, "The both of you aren't very subtle about it anyway. It's okay to 'spill' it." He consciously leaves out I need fuel to tease the both of you with , hoping he'd said enough to convince his closest friend to open up a little. Chiaki always talked too much, but never actually said much when he was hiding something, after all, so speaking to someone might help. Or at least, that's what Kanata's years of knowing Chiaki had told him.
Chiaki bites his lip, contemplating, and looks around to check his surroundings. Then, he turns back to Kanata, looking down at his shoes. Kanata swirls his finger in the water, and pulls himself through the water to sit cross legged opposite Chiaki.
"Fine, fine. It's true, we're d-dating. But we didn't want to get into a scandal, so we've been trying to keep it quiet." His gaze looks over to Kanata's, apologetic. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. I should've, I really should've. I'm such a bad best friend…"
Ah, he looks genuinely hurt. Did Kanata not just say they weren't subtle? He already knew. Still, he offers a soft smile, and brings his dripping hand up to pet Chiaki's head. "Please don't be upset. Hero's must keep a smile on their face, remember?" Kanata understands why Chiaki hadn't told him, after all. Not everything has to be revealed to him, no matter how much the small voice still stuck at the back of his head nagged him so. He reminds himself he doesn't need to know; he's not a god anymore. He's Kanata. A human. Chiaki's closest confident.
"Right…" Chiaki coughs, and brushes off his knees before standing. He raises his hand to brush the water out of his hair, a thankful glint in his eyes. All of a sudden, his phone begins to ring, and Chiaki jumps, reaching for his pocket. "Ah, I didn't realise how long I'd spent with you! Sorry, I've gotta go now, bye Kanata!"
Kanata wiggles his fingers as a goodbye, as Chiaki wanders off back into the ES building. Slowly, he uncrosses his legs, and allows the water to catch his fall as he sinks back into the shallow pond.
He's glad Ryuseitai is happy.
He's glad Chiaki and Midori are happy.
The water drowns out the rest of his thoughts as he's engulfed once again, closing his eyes with a warm smile present on his face, content.
—
Ryuseitai's bonding sessions have been on the incline recently, and Shinobu couldn't be happier. Sure, it had taken a little push from himself, but every ninja knows how to get their true intentions to slip past their opponents. He'd missed his unit and everything it had been, so being able to watch movies again like this was a godsend to Shinobu.
The five of them had been in Tetora's dorm room, and to bypass the trouble of picking a movie, Shinobu had figured it was only courtesy to allow Tetora the final choice.
"Are you serious? This movie looks ancient, there's no way I'm watching this." Midori clicks his tongue at the movie cover laid on the coffee table in front of him as Tetora inserts the CD into the reader.
Tetora clicks his tongue, as if completely disinterested in Midori's opinion. "Oh yeah? Well I'm sure everyone would much rather watch your movies made for three year olds."
Midori tuts, and flops himself back onto the couch next to Chiaki. "At least my three year old shows have a better budget than whatever that shit is." He rolls his head to the side, resting it against Chiaki's shoulder in what Shinobu figures is by accident. "Who would even want to see people fight? It's not entertaining at all."
Chiaki coughs, "Well, actually–"
Midori cuts him off. "Don't prove his point."
Shinobu chuckles at the quarrel; he's glad that everybody is in good spirits. Despite the fact that Tetora is shooting a glare that Shinobu can't read towards the two of them, it's similar to the days they spent in the AV room, playful and…
His heart feels warm at the fact that he can know what having a friend group feels like.
Chucking, he walks back towards the couch, blankets in hand, and places them down onto the coffee table. "What movie did you pick, Tetora-kun?"
Tetora draws his glare away, and lets out a small hm? before turning towards Shinobu. "Ah, right, I should have told you. It's a karate movie Taishou recommended to me in my first year. It's really good, I swear! Not just because it's to do with Karate, or anything."
"Yeah, sure. Ow– what the hell, Morisawa-senpai?!" Midori pulls his head away from Chiaki's shoulder as he lightly smacks it.
"It was Nagumo's choice for this movie, so you have to accept it, Takamine! When it's your turn, then you can choose a cute animated movie, Okay?" Chiaki scolds him, but there's a fondness to it that Shinobu hadn't recognised before.
Speaking of which, Shinobu thinks that it must be his heightened senses from his recent training which make him can't help but notice how Midori and Chiaki have gotten extremely close recently. Midori would have never been caught dead being physical with Chiaki during high school. And Chiaki hadn't even reacted to it either. Even before this, Midori's attitude had definitely improved too. He was smiling more, attending practice more, he even complimented people more.
Well… most of the compliments were towards Chiaki, but a happy Midori was better than a depressed one, so Shinobu would take it nonetheless.
Shinobu offers a smile towards them, and takes a seat next to Midori on the couch, leaving the remainder of the room for Tetora, and Kanata when he returns with the popcorn.
After about twenty minutes, Kanata returns with a bowl of popcorn, explaining how he couldn't figure out how to use a microwave and had to call over a passerby to help him, and soon enough, the lights were dimmed to illuminate the screen with everybody just about fitting into the small couch; it was a tight fit, but Shinobu was small, and it was nice being close to his friends like this, so he doesn't complain.
The movie isn't horrible, so Tetora wasn't wrong in that regard. However, Midori also wasn't far off the mark in saying that the scenes were tacky and the budget was definitely low.
Shinobu yawns, trying to rid his desire to sleep, and looks around to the rest of Ryuseitai; Tetora is still just as interested in the movie as when it had first started, and Kanata was toying with the popcorn in the bowl, stacking it into a rather impressive tower, obviously disinterested in the movie.
Suddenly, Shinobu hears some quiet conversation, and turns his attention to his right.
Midori is speaking to Chiaki, Shinobu vaguely realises. Perhaps somewhat bored of the movie himself and wanting to increase his ninja capabilities, he strains his ears to hear their conversation. It wasn't eavesdropping, it was just training , training He swore of it!
"These moves are just as lame as the ones in your sentai shows."
Shinobu can barely hear their whispers over the movie, but at least Chiaki's is a little more audible in the strength of his voice. "Even my Sentai shows are better than this," he adds, "don't tell Nagumo that though."
Midori chuckles quietly, "Hmm, maybe. But I think he deserves to know." Then, to Shinobu's surprise, he puts an arm around Chiaki's shoulder, pulling him to rest against his chest, and rests his own head against the top of Chiaki's, buried in his hair. "You always find a way to bring your interests into things, don't you? It's cute."
Chiaki simply hums against him, and moves Midori's right hand to lay on his lap, before intertwining his own fingers between them. It's an intimate act, and Shinobu thinks the two of them must have been spending more time together then he had originally thought to be able to be comfortable in doing something like that.
Shinobu groggily turns his attention back towards the television, feeling as if he'd pried too much, however he could still hear remnants of their conversation.
He hears Chiaki whisper, "Do you want to go back to my dorm after this? My roommate's are out. "
He feels Midori stiffen a little, "Sure…" a teasing laugh makes its way out of his mouth before he continues. "Is watching movies with everyone else not good enough for you?"
"No, it's nice, but…" Chiaki lowers his voice in an attempt to sound discreet, "It's not the same. I like it when I'm the only thing you look at."
Shinobu yawns, his head feeling lighter as he begins to feel more tired. He isn't sure if he's hearing things at this point, but Midori seems to answer something back. He doesn't quite catch it, and instead leans his head back and allows himself to fall unconscious, giving into his sleep as it takes him.
"My eyes have never left you, Chiaki."
–
+1
Midori bites his tongue as he taps his foot impatiently against the carpeted floor. He knows he shouldn't be nervous, but he wants everything to be perfect for Chiaki. He's been working so hard recently on the new show he's been cast for, one of his biggest roles yet, and Midori couldn't be more proud of him. Actually, proud would be an understatement , if he was being honest. No words could describe how happy he was for Chiaki.
And so, Midori clutches his hands around the handle of a paper bag, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he might be able to put those words into a gift. Thankfully, Makoto and Adonis had made his job easier of surprising Chiaki by both being absent for the rest of the night, so Midori knew to be prepared for the only other option who could walk through the door.
After another view minutes of pacing near the television, the handle of Chiaki's dorm room pushes down as the door opens, and Midori quickly hides the bag behind the couch before it's spotted. Chiaki looks exhausted, his face lacking its usual plastered on smile he keeps on for everyone but Midori. It's obvious Chiaki hadn't expected anyone else to be present by the way he jumps, but once he recognises it's Midori, his face automatically morphs into a genuine, warm smile.
Midori's heart warms up as he pulls Chiaki into a short but tender kiss, his hand combing through his soft, brunette hair. "Mm… I missed you. Welcome back."
Chiaki chuckles, smiling into the kiss before tackling Midori into a warm embrace. He can feel Chiaki's chest moving against his, and in that moment Midori completely forgot about the world around them; Chiaki's genuine soft smile, his loving heart… There was no sweeter dosage than Chiaki. "I missed you too," he replies to Midori, "I'm glad you're finally taking advantage of the extra key I gave you."
His gaze burns through Midori, no longer one that sears and burns in exaggerated strength, but one which is inviting and homely and everything Midori could ever wish for embodied into a person, striking every tender nerve in his body. It leaves him breathless, so he wordlessly takes Chiaki's hand, and leads him over to the couch, rubbing small circles into his palm once they sit down.
Chiaki chuckles earnestly, his cheeks flustered from the affection, but he doesn't pull his hand away. Midori knows he likes it anyway. "Did you have a good day today? You look pretty tired…"
"It was… Productive. I had a lot of paperwork to do for the role, but it's going along as smoothly as I'd hoped!" Chiaki smiles, and takes Midori's hand fully in his, wrapping their fingers together in a way that wasn't unfamiliar to the both of them; Midori notices it to be a soothing gesture directed towards him this time based on the firm grip of it, and so he brings their joined hands together to kiss Chiaki's knuckles.
"I'm glad." Midori adds, unsure of how to bring the subject up any other way, "I brought you something." He watches as Chiaki tilts his head, curious and adorable, and Midori can't resist reaching behind the sofa, pulling out the small paper bag. Silently, he hands it over to Chiaki, disentangling their fingers so he can open it.
It's anticipating, waiting for Chiaki's reaction, but Midori knows it'll be worth it.
Chiaki stares into the inside of the bag for a minute, pupils blown wide and lips slightly parted before they drag back up to Midori. "Y-you… how did you get this?" He bites his lip, looking back down at the bag again, before reaching into it carefully, and taking out a figurine box. Chiaki handles it with such care, as if the smallest amount of pressure on the box will make it crumble beneath his fingers. Midori can't help but feel like he's witnessing a rare emotion from Chiaki, one that he'll cherish until the day he dies, kept away with all of his most precious memories.
"I know you were working really hard to save up for a certain collectible, and you've been doing incredible in your work recently, so…" Ah, Midori brings a hand to his face. He needs Chiaki to know how incredibly proud of him he is, but he just can't find the words…
"Midori…" Chiaki puts the bag to the side, and launches himself at Midori, wrapping his arms around his neck. "I didn't think anyone was listening when I was talking about that. Thank you… I love it." He kisses Midori's cheek, and sinks himself further into another hug. "Mmm.. 'love you."
Midori swallows, and immediately buries his head in Chiaki's shoulder. How could anyone not listen to Chiaki? He speaks with so much passion and ambition, Midori hangs onto every word no matter how mundane it is. He'll listen to Chiaki's voice any day when no one else will.
"I love you too…" Midori mumbles, "I'm glad you're mine."
Chiaki's breath hitches, and he speaks into Midori's hair. "How can you just say that… my heart can't take it you know..?!" He takes a deep breath, and falls silent in Midori's arms, simply enjoying Midori's touch. He was always so gentle…
Midori moves them against the pillows of the couch, allowing Chiaki to rest on top of him as he peppers kisses into his hair, affirming to him that he can finally rest after the long day. He hopes Chiaki won't worry about trying to find a gift in return for the one he'd gifted.
Well… at least he won't need to worry at the moment.
Because with Chiaki's breath evened out, hand gripped weakly against Midori's shirt, he feels like he could fight any battle thrown his way.
He hopes Chiaki feels the same way in his dreams.