Disclaimer: I don't own the guys, but I DO like to play with them, and more importantly, make them play with each other…
Just For A Moment.
Perfect. I'd had an exhausting couple of days so far. Who knew that watching a bunch of snotty kids would be so tiring? The week away from soccer training had been an unwelcome change, and for the past three days I'd been waking up early and being semi-dead for half the morning, and, most of the time I ended up covered in vomit or some other delightful substance. By the end of each day I'm ready to shoot myself. Hell, I'd rather be in school than doing this shit.
And to think, it had all started with that one, innocent card game.
We had been playing cards well into the night, and were all cooked to the gills by then. And, since I can't play cards for fuck (or hold my drink), I had ended up with no money. So, Kase had suggested that we have 'forfeits' instead of playing for money. Naturally, I lost. That's how I ended up here as 'Nursery Nurse Ken' for seven days. That was the deal. Hell on earth is more like it, and I've still got four days to go! But hey, I guess it could have been worse. One guy ended up having to be a drag queen for the week. The rest of the team and I are going to see him when I get off 'work'.
I have to admit, I haven't really been trying these past couple of days. Kids are so demanding. Can't they do anything for themselves? 'He took my toy! He hit my bear! He's eating sand! I need the bathroom! Me, me, me, me, my, my, my, my, I want, I want, I want, I want, now, now, now, now!!!' Jeeze, the little bastards never let up. And the women! I don't know how the rest of the guys dealt with it, but I hated it. It seemed to me that they were all a little too willing to bat their eyelashes at me. And some of them had to be at *least* twenty years older than I was.
But as the week went on, I reluctantly found myself looking forward to the next day's work. I would sit back and watch the kids, who were so free to love and showed their every emotion on those little, dribbly faces. Kinda cute. And I can honestly say that I have never felt so adored in all my life. The first day or two, the kids were wary of me. I can't say I blamed them; I didn't exactly seem happy to be there. But one afternoon we took the kids to the park along with a soccer ball, and I even managed to get the miserable kid who never stopped crying to join in. They all had a great time.
So did I.
The week was over as quickly as it had started and even though it was tiring to watch children all day, trying not to swear at them, I was reluctant to leave at the end of it. Hey if you had to choose between adoring kids and violent soccer players ready to kick you in the balls with their cleats, which would you pick?
On the last day, I left at the usual time, ready to see Hiroshi make an ass out of himself in a dress, when I realised I'd forgotten my wallet. Business as usual. So I went back for it and found in the exact same place I'd left it earlier. Just as I was leaving, a small, unassuming boy crossed my path. Gisuke, I think. I say unassuming, because he looked innocent enough, but this week had shown me differently. It wasn't unusual to see broken toys and crying children in his path, not to mention the stress he caused the women who worked there. Today alone he had swallowed three pieces of lego, a penny and some goldfish food.
I stopped to let him pass so that I didn't step on him. Children had this uncanny knack of getting in your way. He was going to the bathroom to wash something of his hands that looked suspiciously like mushed peas. Just as I was about to turn the doorknob, I heard the sing-song voice of the small boy,
"Ken-kun?"
"Yes?" Aw, crap! I was hoping that he hadn't noticed me and I was *really* hoping that this wasn't going to take too long. I was already late as it was.
"I love you."
"Ken?"
"Hmmmmmm?" I blinked slowly, pulling myself out of my daydream and turning to Aya. I stretched out and he smiled slightly.
"Who's Gisuke?"
"Wha-?!" I'd said that *aloud*?! Oh, man. "I was just, uh, daydreaming. He's one of the kids. Just got a little lost in my thoughts there, I guess."
"Still tired?" he asked wryly.
I blushed, "Yeah, a little." He slid his pale arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin on my shoulder. I could feel him smiling. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but Aya likes to poke fun sometimes. At me, anyway.
I sighed and leaned back into Aya's arms, feeling myself drift off again.
"What were you thinking about?"
"What?"
"Just now. You were on another planet."
The image of a small boy with messy green hands flitted across my consciousness. I turned in Aya's arms and kissed him gently on the lips, letting my tongue brush against his. As I'd given him no warning, he gasped a little. I took full advantage, of course. When I broke the kiss, I could feel the warmth of his hands seeping through my shirt onto my back. I pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"I love you." I whispered. I rested my forehead against his and pulled him tighter to me, content. This was perfect.
In turn, Aya tightened his arms round my waist. His warm breath tickled my ear and what he said made the hairs down my spine prickle, "I love you too, Ken." I could only press a kiss to his pale neck in response. I didn't trust my voice. I was wrong.
This was perfect.