Suspender Monster

By

Chibijem

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.

"Tokiya! We're going to be late." Nanami Haruka called up the stairs.

"Hai, hai. I'm coming." Ichinose Tokiya replied, rushing down the stairs of his apartment which was quickly becoming theirs. He was fastening the cufflinks to his dress shirt as he came before his lover and musical partner. "Gomen ne, I could not find these," he inclined his head to his wrists.

Haruka took his tuxedo jacket and held it open for him to slip into. She settled the tailored garment over his broad shoulders. She had to stand on tiptoe even in her high heels. "Mou! Why do you have to be so tall?" She asked exasperatedly.

Tokiya's deep laugher filled the room as he turned away from the mirror. "Why must you be so short?" He countered, mirth in his steel eyes as he bent to kiss his love. "We do fit well together when it counts," he teased then gazed at her. "You look so beautiful." He pushed a lock of orange hair behind a tiny ear.

"Hmmmm, you're biased." Starish's composer smiled as she straightened his bow tie.

"Am not. It's true." The unofficial leader of the group argued. "Even if I were, I have every right to be."

"You just want to get lucky again." Haruka laid her small hands on her lover's lapels, rubbing the material and feeling Tokiya's heartbeat.

"Can I help it if you insisted on saving water and sharing my shower?"

"Uh huh…..I said just to shower. You had other ideas." The composer pulled at the lapels of her love's jacket.

"You inspire me. Anyway I don't remember hearing any complaining. I do remember other sounds…." The singer tilted his head in thought.

"Tokiya!" Haruka giggled as she placed a hand over his mouth. "We are really going to be late." She told him as she reached out and tugged his hand as the doorbell buzzed. "Hai, we're coming." She opened the door to Jinguji Ren and Hijirikawa Masato. "Gomen nasai," she said quickly as Tokiya closed to door behind them and secured the alarm.

"My, my Lady. What a nice blush you have." The saxophonist teased.

"Jinguji," the dark-haired pianist warned.

"I was just noticing…."

"Stop now, before I have to hurt you." Steely blue eyes met bright blue as Tokiya glared at Starish's resident Romeo.

"Minna…." Haruka sighed. This was a normal occurrence but she was happy just the same. The group she had founded had grown closer during all the trials and tribulations they had faced to be where they were now.

"Hai, koibito." Tokiya held out his elbow and placed his warm hand atop his love's as they all went down to the waiting car.

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An hour later, they met the rest of the group, Shibuya Tomochika, Hyuga-sensei, Tsukimiya-sensei and Quartet Night at the awards venue. "Haruka!" Tomo-chan called out and hugged her.

"Ano, aren't you covering the ceremony?"

"I am but it will not stop me from greeting you, Starish and the rest." The television personality replied, giving out hugs to the seven members. "You all look terrific. You clean up rather well." She laughed noticing the way Aijima Cecil, Kurusu Syo and Ittoki Otoya were pulling at the formal neckwear.

"Arigato." Syo replied, grudgingly.

"We didn't have much choice." Otoya added.

"This type of function demanded it." Cecil said. "Or so I am told." He finished.

"Is this not the best?" Shinomiya Natsuki gazed around at the milling crowd and doing his own star-gazing.

"Try to control yourself," Masato said, seeing the wide-eyed staring get even larger on the bespectacled blonde.

"I never thought we would be mingling with the likes," their composer was doing a bit of gawking of her own, seeing so many celebrities around.

"Minna-san, I would say we have arrived." Ren laughed, eyes bright.

"Mmmmmmm," Tokiya was reminiscing about his days as Hayato when he was first thrown into this world of entertainment. "It was never like this." He mused.

"This is better, ne?" His saving grace asked, running her hand down his back. "You are not alone."

The dark head nodded as he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to soft lips. "Much better."

"Okay, you two. Enough of that. I can hear the screams all over the country now." Tomochika said in teasing rebuke. "This is a live broadcast."

Ninety minutes later, found Starish and their composer backstage readying for the group to perform their nominated song. Haruka took them in, admiring the way the new stage clothes looked; she was especially intrigued with the suspenders each member was wearing. As their normal pre-performance routine took place she gave each singer's suspenders a quick tug, each of them laughing.

"Better watch out, Icchi," Ren called out to the raven haired former and current idol. "She's really into our gear." The orange haired saxophonist warned with a laugh.

"Jinguji-san!" The musical prodigy cried out.

"If you like them so much, we can get you a pair of your very own." Tokiya told her as he came up to her, last as usual. He was holding onto the accessory, taking heed of his friend's warning.

"I like them on all of you. I'm too short."

"Kurusu-san wears them just fine." He countered as he leaned down, peering into much loved eyes.

"Perhaps," Haruka replied as she laid her tiny hands on her lover's broad shoulders, distracting him. "But maybe I just like doing this." She finished, giving Tokiya's pair a harder tug, laughing.

The singer grimaced when the elastic bands sprang back to impact his chest. "Itai….." he rubbed at the abused muscles. He raised steely eyes to meet sun-kissed ones. "I will get you for that, koibito." He warned, pressing a hard kiss to her waiting lips as the stage manager tapped his foot.

"Promises, promises, anata." Haruka's eyes sparkled with amusement.

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Several hours later, Tokiya set his awards on the entry table of his apartment as Haruka closed the door behind them and set the alarm. "What a night." He mused, studying the statuettes. Each member of Starish had won in their respective categories, including Haruka for her composing. Additionally, they had won for Best Group Vocals and Best Group. "I'm going to need a place for them." He sat on the couch and sighed.

"It's going to have to be a big space." Haruka settled next to him, snuggling. "Saotome-sama seemed to know tonight was just the start."

"Mmmmmmm," Tokiya rubbed his chin against his lady love's silky locks. He raised a hand and rubbed his chest, letting out a pained gasp.

"Anata?"

"Just tender." He smiled down into concerned eyes. "You don't know your own strength." He laughed.

"Gomen nasai….."

"Iie, I will think of something to pay you back…."

Haruka stood and held out a hand. "How about a start," she began, tugging her companion to his feet.

Tokiya quickly pulled the suspender straps off his shoulders, leaving them dangling near his trim waist. He caught the look of disappointment in his love's eyes. "You have turned into a monster."

"You are taking away my fun, anata." She cooed, laying her hands on his broad chest.

"Your fun, my pain." The singer leaned down and pressed a swift kiss to Haruka's lips. "I should still get you a pair of your own, then you can be our target." He teased; the other members of Starish had all mentioned the sting of the contact to their person after their composer's actions. "You really don't know your own strength."

Haruka's eyes turned down, then she lifted her sun kissed eyes to meet steel blue. "I can still do this." She replied as she grasped the accessory surrounding her lover's waist and pulled him behind her.

"Haruka," Tokiya chuckled behind her. "You don't really need to do this. I will follow you anywhere."

"Anywhere, ne?" She turned to him as they entered the bedroom.

"Always." He closed the door behind them.

FIN