Work Text:
"All right, that should do it." Kyoji breathed out a sigh as the last of the bedsheets were finally hung up to dry. Doing the laundry relaxed him on most days, but this amount he couldn't say he was used to. Because it was an amount worthy of a whole camp of male idols, as 315 Productions had decided to bring them all here for special training. There were still plenty of days left in this excursion and every day Kyoji felt like he was learning something new about being a pro. Of course, I barely knew anything to begin with, so...
Stretching his arms above his head, Kyoji looked around his surroundings. While he handled the sheets, the guys from HighxJoker were handling all the clothes together, but he couldn't see where they ran off to. Maybe they got into some trouble...? But he was sure he'd have heard something if that was the case. Maybe he should go look for them now that things were all tidy here. Just as he considered it, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Kyoji!" He turned around to see a sight for sore eyes. Minori was walking up to him, an easygoing smile across his face and a bundle of various flowers in hand. He didn't look any different from the last time he saw him- which was this morning- but Kyoji couldn't help thinking his partner was even cuter today. No, maybe he was always this cute? Despite his age, he always seemed so soft and... "fluffy". Kyoji couldn't articulate it very well even now, well into their relationship.
"M-Minori-san..." Kyoji mumbled, his cheeks flaring up with color the closer he got.
Unbeknownst to everyone in the office, the two of them were dating each other. In Kyoji's case, he was in love with Minori long before he even realized it. And he probably would've gone on without knowing his feelings, had Minori not confessed to him first. Since then, their relationship changed for the better. And though it wasn't necessarily a secret, things like how to explain it all to everyone, especially Pierre, kept their lips sealed for the moment. Kyoji figured it was also a matter of timing too. They were always so busy every day with various idol activities; he didn't feel like it was the right time to spring something like that. Not yet.
Well, like the very flowers in his hand, Minori approached and filled his vision with beauty. Though he kept them shoved firmly in his pockets, Kyoji's fingers were itching to reach out and touch the man in front of him. One (severe) disadvantage to this training camp was the utter lack of privacy around them. While it made sense, being a camp and all, he would be lying if he said it didn't frustrate him. He was never a touchy-feely person in the first place, but somehow not being able to even hold Minori was getting painful the longer it went on. As the former florist greeted him with a smile, Kyoji was fixated on the soft curve his lips formed.
I wish I could kiss him right now...
"Good work. You're done here already?" Minori's voice gently broke his thoughts up. He nodded, nervously scratching at the side of his neck.
"Yeah... It wasn't that big a deal."
"Ohh, impressive as always, Kyoji." Minori praised him openly all the time, even when he felt like he didn't deserve it. He still couldn't get used to it honestly.
"You think so? It's just laundry though." Leaving that matter aside, he gestured vaguely to the blossoms.
"What are the flowers for?" Minori beamed at the question, gathering the small bouquet in front of him with both hands.
"I found them blooming nearby. I thought they might look good placed in the hall, or maybe Pierre would want to make flower crowns together." The mere mention of the smiling prince brought a small smile of his own to Kyoji's face.
"Haha, I think he'd like both of those things honestly."
"Mm, I think so too. Maybe I should try to split this bouquet up to do both. If I find more flowers, you should join us too!"
"I might have to pass on that..." Creative endeavors were still a struggle for him, though he tried his hardest.
His eyes drifted to the bundle of blossoms. Kyoji wasn't an expert on flowers by any means, especially not compared to an ex-florist. Flowers were pretty for sure, but that was the usual extent of his opinion on them. He never disliked them, but he never particularly loved them either. They decorated his family's household, but they weren't special sitting there. They were just, there. Yet the colors of the ones in Minori's grasp seemed much more enchanting than those drab arrangements. Maybe that was because of the person holding them. Ever since he met Minori and Pierre, his life was much brighter, colorful like the very bouquet in his sight. And ever since he realized he was in love, even just the simple moment of being near Minori like this was like being enveloped in gentle sunshine. He never wanted that feeling to leave, ever.
Noticing Kyoji's attention fixate on the blossoms, Minori smiled up at him.
"Do you like them?" Kyoji immediately averted his eyes, flustered to be caught staring (earning another bell-like laugh from Minori). But he hadn't been staring at just the flowers. There were Minori's slender hands, always warm and supportive when he held them. His frame looked delicate, but he was actually quite strong physically and mentally. With his lips, he was always smiling and speaking words of encouragement, not to mention his singing. And his soft eyes were always looking back at him, watching over him. There were a lot of things about Minori that he wanted to stare at, that he liked.
"Kyoji?"
"... I like you," Kyoji muttered shyly. Before Minori could react, he was already leaning in, intending to close the gap between them with his lips.
"Ah, wait-"
Kyoji felt Minori's breath brush against his cheek when a chorus of voices suddenly resounded from a distance. They both jumped away from each other instantly. So that's where the HighxJoker boys ran off to... But it seemed like they were coming back, and quickly.
"Shiki-kun, I'm telling you to cut it out already!" Was that Jun?
"C'mooon, Jun-chi! It would be hyper mega max awesome if you wore this at the next live! Guaranteed!"
"You guys, watch where you're running!"
"Ah, Jun..."
"Whoa! Watch out, you two!"
The two members of Beit watched dumbfounded as Jun and Shiki came speeding through, the other three of HighxJoker bringing up the rear. Shiki was wielding a couple of accessories, one in each hand. One was a stern-looking pair of glasses. The other was a cute headband with... cat ears? Were there things like that just lying around this camp? Maybe the former groups that practiced here left them behind. But it didn't seem like either of the two boys knew where they were running to, as Jun's attempt to flee his pursuer was sending them straight into a row of sheets Kyoji put up.
"Ah, be careful-" Minori started, but it was too late. The sudden faceful of cloth threw Jun off completely and Shiki, unable to apply the brakes in time, collided with him in that moment of confusion. With them, a few bedsheets were yanked off as they grasped for anything tangible to hang onto, the rest springing out of their clothespins and flying off to the grass. All that work... Kyoji thought with sorrow as the rest of HighxJoker soon came onto the scene.
Caught up in the loss of his efforts, he didn't notice until he heard Minori very audibly go, "Oh," beside him. One sheet had flung far into the air, floating over to where they stood. It fluttered down, as if from the heavens, to drape over Minori's head like a...
Honestly, "ghost" would've been his first thought, but with those flowers clutched to Minori's chest, Kyoji could only think that he looked like a bride. And it seemed like the others had the same thought, collectively growing quiet as they stared up at the two of them standing side by side like that. Aside from the groans of Jun and Shiki on the ground, nobody could utter a word about what they looked like right now. After all, a white "veil", a bouquet of flowers...
Only Natsuki's quiet voice finally broke the silence.
"... Marriage?"
--
Afterwards Hayato apologized profusely to the both of them, his face turning red every time he glanced at Minori. Kyoji redid the sheets, with Jun and Shiki's assistance. The rest of that day passed by without any other troubles. But by the next day, word spread of a "hyper mega max marriage" in 315 Productions... sort of. Thankfully for Kyoji's sake, no one really seemed to take it seriously, nor had the heart to fully explain its meaning to Pierre. And Minori just laughed it off as well, though Kyoji sensed a slight tinge of... sadness? When he played it off to the older idols as just a silly coincidence.
It really was just a coincidence that happened all at once. But even after camp ended and they all returned to the city, Kyoji couldn't rid his head of the sight of Minori like that.
Flowers, and a white "veil"...
That was just part of the equation most people think of when they think of a "bride", right...?
Kyoji never put much thought into marrying himself. If he had remained in his household, he probably would've eventually been arranged with someone for the sake of a business move. His family didn't think much of him in the first place, but they could still use him for the Takajo name alone. He would've been bound to someone that maybe he couldn't even stand, just to benefit the family. Just to be another pawn in their plans.
He was really fortunate to have met someone like Minori, honestly. Kyoji sighed as he readjusted his seat on his sofa, the faint sound of the shower running in the background.
Today was an off-day for everyone to recover from the trip. While Pierre was spending it with the guys from HighxJoker and W, Minori came over to Kyoji's apartment with groceries. It was a lowkey off-day for them; Minori made dinner and they talked about various things from the excursion. Kyoji noticed his boyfriend's excitement go up every time he mentioned something about the other idols, or looked at the photos of the trip on his phone. Afterwards, Kyoji went to take a bath. When he came out, Minori took his turn. Now Kyoji was just sitting around, trying to distract himself with a handheld game. But it didn't work; he couldn't focus. He kept thinking back on it, the sight burned into his brain.
Minori as a... bride. His bride? Or would it still count as being a groom? He had no idea. He didn't know why he was dwelling on it so much. Marriage was such a far away concept to him, but he was still going in circles in his head, over and over. Thinking. Trying not to think. Wondering what Minori's expression would be like if he proposed with a ring. He'd cry, probably... But he'd be smiling too.
Kyoji thought he kind of wanted to see it. He then put his handheld down and slumped into his seat with a strained sigh. He was getting way, way too ahead of himself.
"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed..."
"Why's that?"
"Er, Minori-san...!" Kyoji gave a start as the other man suddenly appeared in the room, his skin still warm and fresh from bathing. He had some clothes he kept at Kyoji's for occasions like these, so he was wearing them all while patting his long hair dry with a white towel.
White... Kyoji's face felt hot again, the glimpse he had at training camp coming back once again. Neither of them really mentioned it since it happened, but he couldn't just pretend it didn't either. Minori moved to sit with him on the sofa, dropping a sweet kiss on his burning cheek as he settled down beside him.
"Are you playing a new game?"
"N-No... Still the same one."
"I see... And it embarrassed you?"
"Not, exactly..." He let out weak laugh. "I guess I was just thinking."
"About?"
"About you," he almost blurted out. Though that wasn't far from the truth either. Gently he eased the towel out of Minori's hands, pulling it over his lover's head until it resembled a small veil. The older man simply gazed back at him with those soft brown eyes of his, quietly questioning this sudden gesture. Kyoji's own eyes flickered back and forth nervously, wondering why he just did that himself. He just wanted to see what it looked like again, maybe, possibly, though the fabric was totally different... His fingers fidgeted with the ends of the towel, still somewhat damp.
"I was thinking about what happened at camp. If we actually did, you know, get m-married... One day, I guess? What it would be like, or something. Er, I was just thinking theoretically though..."
"Oh... I see, I see." The more he stumbled over his words, the more Minori's eyes changed from curious to just twinkling at him in amusement. He never should've brought this topic up again.
"But if you joined the Takajo family, I don't know... I wouldn't want them to take advantage of you." Kyoji scratched the back of his neck, realizing he just made the topic randomly deep too. Awkward. "They would just hurt you, so I wouldn't be able to stand it."
"Ahaha... You're so kind, Kyoji. That's why I love you," Minori cooed. Kyoji simply shrank into his shoulders, his face completely flushed. Okay, he was all for dropping the subject forever now, until the other man brought up his own question.
"Then would you become a Watanabe?" Kyoji paused at that thought.
"I guess that's possible. I'm not that attached to the Takajo name." But it was just Minori in his family now, wasn't it? He still didn't talk about his past that much, but he remembered him saying that his parents and his uncle passed away a long time ago. That left Minori by himself all this time, long before they even met. Sometimes he forgot that Minori had been alone.
"Hmm, its true that its been only me for a while, but I'm not lonely." Kyoji jumped to the older man's amusement. Did he just say all that out loud? Minori simply laughed and shook his head.
"You're so easy to read, Kyoji. It was all over your face what you were thinking."
"I-Is that so...?" Was he truly that transparent? Minori's smile only widened as he reached down for the younger man's hands. He lifted them to his lips, kissing the knuckles.
"I have you and Pierre, and everyone else at the office. It's more than I could've ever asked for." Kyoji stared at their joined hands, before pulling his away to cup Minori's cheeks in his palms. The other man gladly leaned and rubbed his head into that intimate touch, his long bangs and the edge of the towel tickling Kyoji's skin.
"Yeah, I feel the same way... I left my real family, but I have a new one with you guys. I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as I have that."
Though while he still had the training camp incident in mind, he recalled briefly the time when Minori was talking to the older idols about it. He handled it casually enough, but Kyoji thought he'd seen some pain in his eyes back then.
"... Hey, Minori-san, were you sad that time when you were talking to Tendo-san and the others?" This time, Minori hesitated; Kyoji could feel his skin clearly freeze between his hands. The older man soon renewed his smile, but his expression was a little less steady as his eyes drifted off to the side.
"I just... wanted to tell them about how much I really loved you. That's all."
"Minori-san..."
"But I will someday. So be ready for that. And then we can get married for real, okay?" He fired back with an easy wink. Kyoji laughed before letting his hands drop back to the white towel draped over his lover's head like a wedding veil.
It's true, they didn't have to rush into letting the others know right away. They could do it once they felt the time was right. Whether joined in marriage or not, as long as they always had each other, it would be all right.
"Yeah."
Giving a small tug on both ends of the towel, Kyoji drew Minori in for a kiss.
"I love you, Kyoji," Minori whispered once their lips parted.
"I love you too, Minori-san."