Dawn rose quietly, the stones keeping the pair hidden in cool shadows and tucked into each other's warm embrace. A faint cry echoed across the beach, rousing Kyoko from her dreams. She took a deep, languid breath, drinking in his scent as she buried herself back into his shoulder.
The cry grew a form. The form grew syllables. Kyoko sat upright, her hands pressed against Kuon's shoulders.
"Kyoko!" the voice called urgently.
Kyoko looked at Kuon in alarm. He had stirred awake with her movements, blinking his eyes sleepily at her. Her name rang out across the beach again and his eyes widened, his head jerking towards the sound. Telling her all was one thing - she was fairly certain, however, that Kuon was not ready to tell the world.
"Shh," she said, her finger pressed up against his lips. She stood up and brushed herself off. With a smile, she leaned down and pecked him on the forehead before running around the rocks to intercept her seeker.
"Oh! Shoko-san!" Kyoko called out in surprise, waving at her and hurriedly crossing the sand to Shoko's side, striving to put as much distance between them and Kuon's hiding place as possible.
"Kyoko!" Shoko gasped, patting the girl's shoulders with an urgent look on her face. "You're alright!" Kyoko smiled at her, puzzled, before turning bright red with realization. She tried to bow in apology but Shoko caught her and held her upright.
"I'm sorry! I fell asleep on the beach in a nook in the rocks. I was fine! Just enjoying nature. I'm almost never at the beach; I got caught up- I-"
Shoko laughed, releasing Kyoko and stepping back to send a quick message on her phone. She rattled off words as she texted. "Your room was empty and unslept in- I went to find Sho and ask him if he knew, but wouldn't you know the boy's room looked the same! He sent me a ridiculous text around 1 am that he was headed back to Tokyo by himself, but I still couldn't get ahold of you, and he swore up and down you weren't with him." She shook her head. "It's perfectly like him to do as he pleases, when he pleases, and leave me with the minibar bill- but for you!" Shoko turned to Kyoko, her eyes mockingly suspicious but kind. "Don't let him rub off on you, Kyoko-chan."
Kyoko grinned, a short laugh escaping her. "Raiding minibars has never been my style, Shoko-san. I'm very sorry for worrying you." She bowed slightly in sincerity.
"It's fine, it's fine," Shoko said, waving her apology away. "Let's head back to the hotel. You look like you could use a warm shower, and then we'll chase that silly boy back to the city." Kyoko nodded in agreement, looking back over her shoulder only once. She caught sight of a scrawling in the sand and excused herself from Shoko to run back to the rocks, claiming she'd forgotten something.
A handwritten K + K encircled by a heart covered the spot where the two of them had spent the night. Kyoko beamed, biting her lip to contain the urge to laugh with glee. She looked around, trying to spot him, but he was gone. My fairy prince has flown away, she mused, bending down to add her own "forever" beneath their initials before running back to walk alongside Shoko to the hotel.
Sho's night had been spent considerably less comfortably, stuffed into the back of a taxi on his way back to Tokyo. He'd shoved every bottle the minibar held into his coat pockets, thankful for the bounty of concealment places. He'd grabbed an old pair of his leather pants and a jacket with straps and chains and spikes. Stupid choice for trying to sleep in the back of this godforsaken midnight cab, but it fit his mood when he'd gotten out of the shower. He wasn't about to throw on anything that remind him of Tsuruga- too many reasons to think of that prick without echoing his prissy clothing style. No matter how devastatingly handsome Sho looked in it. He tugged a random bottle out from his inner coat pocket and scowled. Rum. Nasty straight. He twisted open the lid and threw it back anyways, biting off a gag. Sho's head lolled against the back of the seat, his eyes focusing and unfocusing lazily at the street lights overhead. They grew in number and intensity until the stream became a blur of neon and white. Tokyo.
Half an hour and three more shots later, the taxi stopped in front of the most expensive apartment building in Omotesando. Sho threw a wad of cash at the driver and shoved himself out of the car, several small empty glass bottles clinking to the floor as his lap disappeared. The driver hollered at him to clean up his mess but Sho ignored him, trying to stand straight and get his jacket situated right on his shoulders. With a honk, the taxi pulled away, leaving Sho standing somewhat unsteadily in the middle of the sidewalk. Nightlife echoed around him, but Sho's eyes focused on the first barrier: swinging doors.
His first attempt to breach them was a disaster. Rubbing his cheek still stinging from impact, Sho reexamined the enemy. He was about to try the rightmost door when the center opened, revealing the concierge.
"Mr. Hirohume's companion," he said respectfully, as he gestured for Sho to enter.
"Mmm," Sho grunted in acknowledgment. Proper respect. Never mind the fact that the ass turned to his compatriot and argued that drunks couldn't be left loitering in front of the building; it was bad for appearances. "11th floor," he drawled, trying to stride forcefully over to the elevators but not quite making it in a straight line.
The concierge pressed the correct button for him and held the door open while Sho fumbled inside, bracing himself for the elevator's rise with both hands on a guardrail. Tricksy things, elevators. He heard a comment from the concierge again, something to the other man about promising to throw him out if he was still in the elevator when it came back down. Sho wouldn't be. He had something to frickin' celebrate.
The doors dinged open and Sho spun himself around, immediately regretting the speed of his action. He stood very still for a moment, trying to stop the spinning room, but threw himself forward with a lurch when the doors binged again and started to close. "Nope! Not throwing Fuwa Sho out, you asses!" he said victoriously as he slid through the opening to stumble onto Koga's hallway. He pumped his fist in triumph, bracing himself against the wall. A song bubbled to his lips as he wove his way down to Koga's door.
"We are the champions, my friends," he sang loudly, his roughly American accent thick and slurred. "We'll keep on fighting- oh yeah!" He shouted, interrupting himself. "Toooo the end!" Sho tried to do an air guitar but tripped when he went to kick out dramatically on the second chord. "No time for losers, 'cuz we are the- hmm… the…" The next lyrics escaped him. He stopped, puzzled, strumming his air guitar. A hand grabbed his elbow and drug him sideways, forcing a surprised yelp out of him.
"Champions, you ridiculous twat," Koga finished for him, closing the door to his apartment after them. "Now tell me what you're doing caterwauling outside my apartment at 2:30 in the morning."
"Not a cat nor a whale," Sho said, wagging his finger at Koga while stumbling toward the kitchen. "But Fuwa Sho! And I'm here to congratulate you!" Sho spun, throwing his arms wide.
Koga frowned at him, making Sho laugh. "You're the…" he circled his finger in the air, looking for the word. "Twaaaaat." The room was still spinning, though he was pretty sure he'd stopped. "Stop moving," he said, walking toward Koga. "Stop moving so much so I can congrash- congrats- say yes, good boy." He tried to hug Koga but Koga side-stepped him. His strong arms grabbed Sho around his chest just before he fell into the wall, holding him upright. "That'll do," Sho said, leaning his head back against Koga's shoulder. He rolled his face to the side lazily, looking up at Koga. "Ah-whoops, nope," he said, blushing. "Too close."
Sho pushed Koga's arms off him and felt his way over to the fridge. Distraction needed.
"What are you looking for?" Koga said, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Sho amble around the kitchen.
"Puuuuuuding," Sho drawled, imitating Koga's drunk voice. "I know Shoko left some. Pretty sure *hic* you don't like it." A sudden thought struck Sho and he shot upright, turning to face Koga with shock on his face. "You didn't throw it away, did you! You wouldn't!" The quick rise and turn was too much for his drunken balance and Sho staggered. Koga stepped forward and steadied him.
"I should just let you fall and knock yourself out," he muttered, holding Sho up against the counter. He bent to the side and pulled a pudding out of the fridge, one arm still holding Sho upright. Sho's eyes followed his movements, a pleased smile on his face. Koga waved the pudding at Sho and sat it on the counter behind him, releasing his grip. He earned a scowl from Koga and felt his smile grow.
He was standing so close. Sho could feel his heart pounding. Koga started to step away- he couldn't let him, not yet- Sho's arms rose on their own accord, grabbing Koga and whirling him back to face him.
It was the same distance as on set that morning. He was mere inches away. Sho's hand clenched around Koga's arm as he watched Koga's lips slowly lose the shape of a frown and become softer, parting, just like his were.
"Shit, no-" Sho suddenly pushed Koga back, turning around to face the counter. His heart beat against his rib cage. He didn't just show Koga that face, did he? Sho ran his fingers through his hair, remembering the blatant desire the entire cast had seen painted on his features on camera. If Koga saw too, he'd… what? He'd- Sho grabbed the pudding and turned, pasting a smile back on his face. Koga was staring at him curiously, his hands calm by his side.
Ripping the top off the pudding as fast as he could, Sho scooped it straight out of the container and popped a big spoonful in his mouth. "Mmmmm," he said, closing his eyes in genuine bliss as the soft strawberry goodness melted on his tongue. "Pudding." Koga laughed and Sho's eyes shot back open to watch. "I like your face," he heard himself say. He took another bite of pudding, then waved his spoon at Koga who reacted with a look of disgust at the unclean utensil in his face. "Even that one, ah-yup. My favorite though is the smile." Sho pushed past Koga into the living room to plop on the couch with his pudding. He needed to stop talking.
"Pudding is life. Life is pudding," he hummed to himself. If his mouth must talk, let it be about pudding. All the pudding. Sho hummed louder. Koga followed him, still silent, his head cocked as if he was watching an interesting show. "You know," Sho said, tapping his spoon on his mouth, a thought striking him. "Tsuruga-" he stopped, pivoting to look up at Koga. "Shit, Kogs, why are you still standing. Don't be a dick." He grabbed for Koga, catching his hand and yanking, forcing him to sit on the couch.
Too close. Think about pudding. Sho held his spoon out to Koga. "Pudding?"
Koga shook his head, grimacing. "You were saying something about Tsuruga," he reminded Sho.
"No, I was saying something about you being a dick. And pudding."
Koga rolled his eyes at him, making as if he were about to stand up again. Sho shoved the spoon into his own mouth and grabbed at Koga's arm, holding him down. "Sfit," he mumbled around the spoon. Koga sat, earning a nod of approval from Sho.
"No wait, get me beer," Sho said, shoving Koga back up. Move him away. Koga growled at him. "I like that expression too," Sho said, losing his filter again as he chuckled at Koga's scowl. He leaned back on the couch, finishing off his pudding. Koga stalked into the kitchen. "Tsuruga won't make you smile," he called after Koga. He didn't even care anymore. The pudding was gone.
The clanking of beer bottle retrieval stopped as Koga froze.
"He's too scary," Sho muttered, licking his empty spoon. Clanking resumed and Koga reappeared, his eyes averted. Sho reached his hand out for the incoming beer. Koga handed him an open one, keeping one for himself. He sat back down next to Sho, studying his beer silently before throwing his head back and chugging the entire bottle.
Sho took a sip of his own to calm himself, intensely aware of Koga's proximity. He needed more pudding.
"I'm not scary," he said quietly, then downed the rest of his drink.