Chapter14
Tegoshi had slept like a baby in Ryo’s arms the whole night. Not even one second he had moved away a bit.
Ryo had to wake him up in the morning so they won’t miss the can to the airport. The next concert was the day after tomorrow, so they had two days off. It was already planned for them to stay over night in a hotel, but they could fill their free time as they wished.
After breakfast they headed off to the airport. This time Tegoshi sat in the front row with the pretence to chat with Massu and Shige, so Kei-chan ended up in the middle between Ryo and Yamapi. The trip only lasted for 20 minutes, but the atmosphere again was icy-cold. Ryo knew Tegoshi’s condition had something to do with Yamapi, after he’d seen the nervous gazes Tegoshi had thrown at Yamapi during breakfast. Though they had promised each other to not pick a quarrel Ryo couldn’t help but accuse Yamapi for being this terrible to Tegoshi.
Poor Kei-chan didn’t know that there was something cooking, when he asked whether they should play a game together. Yamapi and Ryo scotched his idea without batting an eye, before he could take his question back.
When they arrived at the airport Koyama took refuge to his Shige-chan, away those gloomy guys.
“Ne…what did you do to him?” Ryo asked when everybody was out of ear-shot.
Yamapi didn’t even savoured him a gaze. “I did nothing to him.” He answered with an icy-cold voice.
“Of course you did! Holy crap, otherwise he wouldn’t have clung to me that much the whole night.”
“He did what?”
Ryo was about to snap back when he paused a second. Then he grinned his killer-smile. Yamapi’s disbelieving, furious and shocked face was a great satisfaction. “He snuggled up to me.”, Ryo finally answered with pleasure. He spoke the words full of consideration and malicious joy. “He seemed pretty upset so I was responsive of his pleas of holding him.” Nobody said teeny-tiny lies aren’t allowed.
Yamapi didn’t reply. He’d thought his confession would give him some points back, but instead ot that Ryo had scored even more. He so had hoped to win back a bit of Tegoshi.
Luckily they didn’t have to wait long for their flight so no awkward conversation between Ryo, Yamapi and Tegoshi could come up. Though Koyama already sensed problems with his member-ai-antennae.
Their flight took nearly an hour and this time Ryo sat between Koyama and Massu; and Shige ended up between Tegoshi and Yamapi. He tried his best to chat with them, but both blocked his passionate efforts to start a conversation. So Shige had to give up and he really wished to just leave this seat to go to the row in front of him where Koyama happily talked with Ryo and Massu.
It was when Shige stood up to go to the toilet, when Yamapi leaned over and poked Tegoshi’s arm gently. The little one twitched and looked at him with his big round puppy-eyes. “Ne, Tesshi…” Yamapi’s face was full of sadness. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to hurt or confuse or insult you. Or whatever my words did to you.” His serious voice and gaze didn’t let Tegoshi doubt his regrets. He suddenly felt sorry for making Yamapi worry about him that much. His face softened and he stretched out his arm to place his warm fingers at Yamapi’s cheeks. “You’re the one who’s hurt now, aren’t you?” Tegoshi asked and gently stroked Yamapi’s fair skin. “You don’t need to.”
“But…” Yamapi took a deep breath. He suffered from Tegoshi’s sudden so loving affection towards him. “But Ryo told me-“
“What did he told you?”
“That you were totally confused and upset this night. And I feel guilty, because I want you to be happy…but I caused the completely opposite.” Yamapi’s disarming forthrightness made Tegoshi’s heartbeat go faster. “Oh, Pi-chan.”, he sighed and didn’t know what else to say. He just let down his fingers from Yamapi’s cheek and gently grabbed whose hand.
“Are you mad at me?”
Tegoshi shook his head, a little smile on his lips. He heard Yamapi breathe out in relief. They stayed like this, nobody made a movement, until Shige came back. And when he finally again said down between them, Yamapi could see that Tegoshi bit his lip with a cute smile and looked at his hands, as if he couldn’t believe they were holding Yamapi’s ones. And Yamapi got the feeling that he had scored a tiny point back to his side.
They decided to eat outside of the hotel this evening. They were in Osaka, starting today for 5 days and had a lot of free time. Ryo was rather happy to be ‘home’. He had missed his beloved Osaka so much and had already made his plans to show Tegoshi his favourite places. He never once before had done this though they had often stayed here in Osaka as NEWS.
“Will we meet up at 8pm at the station and then look for a good restaurant?” Koyama asked when they were out of the airport. “Shige and I would like to go around and look here and there for some nice things.”
“And shots.” Shige added and held up his camera with a happy grin.
“I wanna go shopping!” Massu said, and both Ryo and Yamapi looked at Tegoshi, who wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to do. He stayed silent while Koyama and Shige already left. “Mmmh…” he made and gave a shrug. Ryo grinned and opened his mouth, but Yamapi was faster. “We’ve already made plans for the thing, deshou?”
“Which thing?” Ryo asked with narrowed eyebrows as he noticed Tegoshi’s surprised face when Yamapi had said that.
“Secret. Ne, Tesshi?”
Tegoshi just nodded innocently and didn’t know why, but it made him happy that Yamapi wanted to spend his time with him.
“Perfect!” Massu patted Ryo’s back. “So you can come with me and show me the best shopping malls!”
“As if you would buy your clothes in a normal shop.” Ryo mumbled gloomy and was dragged away by a happy Massu.
“So” Yamapi smiled and clapped his hands together. “What do you want to do?”
Tegoshi curiously looked at him. “Did you plan this?”
“I though of doing this last night, but I didn’t know if I would really try it, nor that it would work.”
“You’re far more evil than I thought.” Tegoshi laughed jokingly. Yamapi’s sudden serious face made him shut up.
“You don’t even know rudimentary how evil I really am.”
Silence. A sheepishly Tegoshi. And then Yamapi burst out into laughter. “You’re face is prizeless!” He chuckled and the tousled through Tegoshi’s hair with a peaceful smile. “Don’t look so scared. I swear, I’m the nicest person you know. At least I’m the nicest when it comes to you.” He poked Tegoshi’s blushed nose gently.
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Tegoshi shook his head, Yamapi chuckled. “You’re far too innocent, Tesshi. I’ve already told you why.” Yamapi looked deeply into Tegoshi’s puppy eyes. “Because I really like you. And I feel much better now it’s out.” Yamapi said happily. His smiling face made Tegoshi feel good, though the reason why rose a sting of unease inside him. Stupid you! Tegoshi scolded himself. Shouldn’t you be happy as well? The thing you so wished finally came true and you’re so…unsure…HE said he loves me. I so longed for this day to come true. But why can’t I smile about it with my whole heart? I really want Yamapi to be with me. I love him…Don’t I…?
“Come on.” Yamapi said and pulled Tegoshi out of his burdensome thoughts. “Let’s go.” He grabbed Tegoshi’s hand and went ahead. Tegoshi uncertainly followed, looking at their intertwined fingers. The warmth of Yamapi’s hand felt food. It really did.
They went through the city without any special place they wanted to go to. Just when Tegoshi wondered whether they would start to talk some time, Yamapi screamed and jumped, let go of his hand and hopped away. Tegoshi stood there, blinking in surprise and stared at the empty space in front of him where Yamapi has been just a second ago.
“Woah, Bloody Mary’s Shit!! Look at this!”
Tegoshi turned around and found Yamapi standing in front of a candy-shop. “Cotton Candy!!” he shouted with shining, twinkling eyes and a bright childish smile. “I love it!”
Tegoshi chuckled. He has never seen Yamapi so happy before.
“Oh no…” Yamapi let out a sudden whimper. “Yabai…”
“What is it?”
Yamapi turned around to look at Tegoshi. His face was a heartbreakingly pout. “No money…Would have been too good it I would’ve gotten some.” He sighed.
“Aww~!” Tegoshi made, got out his purse and went to the candy-shop. “Two Cotton Candy’s please.”
“Hai, just a moment, ne~”
“Eh?” Yamapi watched Tegoshi in disbelief. “You really don’t need to do that. It shouldn’t mean that I want you to buy me some.”
“But I want to - Oh, thanks a lot.” Tegoshi took the Cotton Candy from the shop-owner and gave one to Yamapi, who didn’t know what else to say instead of an honest: “Thank you.”
“Mh-mh.” Tegoshi shook his head. “I just wanted to see your smiling face.” He blushed a bit and took a huge bite from his own fluffy cotton candy.” “Mmmh~ Delicious~”
Yamapi had to laugh. “Wait a moment, you have…” Gently he wiped a away some of the cotton candy on Tegoshi’s cheeks it off his fingers. Tegoshi blushed again. There it is, He thought happily. My excited heartbeat when he looks at me like this. Ah~ I’ve missed it.
And then, out of a sudden desire, Tegoshi reached out his free hand and shove it into Yamapi’s one, who looked at him with tiny surprise.
But then he smiled his warm smile and intertwined there fingers. They ate their cotton candy in silence. There was no need to say a thing.
