Reisi beamed at the audience before he bowed and left the stage. A career as a singer definitely was not easy. He regularly experienced what it must feel like to go deaf whenever he was recognised in public and his letter box was almost always stuffed full of fanmail. Not to mention the sometimes uncomfortable outfits he had to wear on stage (and occasionally got to keep).
He made his way to the small backstage TV screen looking for only one person. He spotted the dark-haired man leaning against the wall still looking at the screen and he approached him.
Saruhiko turned to face him and smiled. "Hey, you did good," he whispered.
Reisi enveloped Saruhiko in a hug and pressed a small kiss to his forehead. They had to keep their relationship a secret while they were under the scrutiny of the public, in this case, all the backstage attendants. Though, some had probably guessed that they were more than just manager and star from the amount of performance outfits that Reisi insisted be added to Saruhiko's wardrobe; especially when they had to make an appearance at special events. Even today he was wearing a leather jacket that Reisi wore at one of his previous performances.
"Ready for the after-concert interviews?" Reisi asked with a smile.
Saruhiko made a face. If things were different, he would be a singer sharing the stage with Reisi. He had a wonderful singing voice, but he hated crowds and tended to clam up when faced with unfamiliar situations. In essence, he was Reisi's polar opposite. When he decided to step down from training to be a singer to training to be a manager, Reisi had practically snapped him up.
Saruhiko made an irritated noise. "Let's just get this over with and go home."
Reisi chuckled and ruffled his manager's hair to a particularly hard shove. Saruhiko grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the eagerly waiting press, grumbling all the way about how he was always bullied just because he was five years younger than Reisi.
Reisi took all the questions in his stride and proudly told the reporters that the hit song of the night was actually composed by Saruhiko. He'd heard snatches of it being hummed when he was home and sung when Saruhiko thought he wasn't. When he was sent the demo tape, he instantly recognised the voice as Saruhiko's and requested that it be one of the main singles in his new album. He maintains that he'd never seen Saruhiko blush so hard in his life.
He reached out and pulled Saruhiko into the spotlight with him. He figured that since he'd composed the song and written the lyrics, he deserved recognition for it. That and Saruhiko's tortured expression was priceless. He managed to suppress it though and he tried his best to satisfy the press.
They had gotten together mostly on one of Reisi's whims. He'd heard Saruhiko singing one day and went looking for the source of the voice. He was mildly surprised to hear a scruffy teenager singing the most heart-breaking love ballad. He'd gone in to ask for the teenager's name when he noted puffy red eyes and small sniffles. On an impulse, he'd enveloped him in a warm hug and was soon comforting a crying teenager.
They didn't even know each other's names, but they somehow knew that the other was practising and they invariably dropped by each other's studios to listen. It wasn't until Saruhiko's last practice a few weeks later that they introduced themselves. Saruhiko promised Reisi that he would hear him sing again, but only if he became his manager. All Reisi had to do was pull a few strings and he was being introduced to Saruhiko formally as manager and singer. Saruhiko still teases him about that triumphant gleam his eyes had when they were introduced.
Saruhiko moved in with Reisi a few months later when his rent contract for his tiny flat expired. Reisi, of course, took full advantage of this and made sure he pampered Saruhiko as much as he could, even more so when he found out about Saruhiko's unhappy past. He was determined to make sure that Saruhiko was always happy.
The first time they kissed on what was supposed to be a somewhat inconsequential event. Saruhiko had flopped down next to Reisi on the sofa after a full schedule. They sat there for a while, just taking in each other's presence before Saruhiko tugged on one side of Reisi's bangs, forcing him to lean down so he could press their lips together. It was also the first time he said 'I love you', whispered on a soft exhale. Reisi whispered it back later, when they were curled up together in bed.
Reisi complains that Saruhiko is a blanket hog. Saruhiko protests that the reason he hogs the blankets is Reisi's absent-mindedness when it comes to closing the windows at night. His real reason is he wants Reisi to come to him for the warmth he needs. Saruhiko complains that Reisi hugs him or holds his hand too much in public. Reisi protests that this is just another way of seeking warmth especially during the winter. His real reason is he wants to see that light flush creep into Saruhiko's cheeks and that slight light of pride and happiness in his eyes.
Reisi was brought out of his reverie by Saruhiko's hand on his wrist. The interviews were over and they could retreat backstage. Once they were sure they were finally alone in Reisi's dressing room with no stylists hovering over them, Reisi got the kiss he'd been waiting for all night. The soft glimmer of pride in Saruhiko's eyes told Reisi more than he could ever express in words.
"Next time, rather than crediting you for something you composed, I'll make you go out there and sing it yourself," Reisi teased.
"You wouldn't dare," Saruhiko growled half-heartedly. "That stage is yours. I could never steal your spotlight. I'd rather support you from the shadows."
"A duet then. Write me a love song and we'll sing it together the next time I perform." Reisi tried to compromise.
"Fine. I'm feeling the pressure now thanks to you." Saruhiko smiled.
"You're welcome."
Saruhiko sighed. "Remind me why I'm even in love with you."
Reisi merely hummed happily in reply. They basked in each other's embrace for a while longer as the post-concert adrenaline wore off for Reisi. He nuzzled Saruhiko's soft messy hair and Saruhiko tilted his head up for another kiss.
A/N: This is me being a terrible student and writing sporadically in the middle of my exams. (And I have like 3 other WIPs that I keep wanting to write) I wrote this because it'd be the shortest of my WIPs and well, I just dreamt it so all it needed was some polishing and a short break from my history notes.
I'm off to try not to die on my exams! See you guys with other updates soon!