★

Growing Affections

❈

“Ok…what do you need?” Kame asked tiredly into the phone, starting to take out his notepad from his suit’s pocket to scribble down the items that he supposed to get.

Jin followed from behind and leaned his head over Kame’s shoulder to take a peek at the list, finding it as the most interesting thing ever. Once he saw Kame hung up the phone, he hurried his paces to fall in steps with Kame.

“Your bride?” Jin asked. Kame just nodded as he raised his hand above his head stretching.

“She wants the flower arrangement…AGAIN!” Kame exclaimed tiredly, “now I have to call the shop tomorrow to ask for a new set.”

“Wow,” Jin exclaimed.

“Not just that, she doesn’t like the wedding cake’s design too, so she asks for a new one, and mind you, that cake costs over 100,000 yen,” Kame held up his index finger to show the overprice of the cake.

“100…100,000 YEN?!” Jin repeated louder, “how big is that?”

“I have no idea,” Kame shrugged, “but what I’m worried now is that she said the dress seems like it has shrunk.”

“Uh…doesn’t that mean she is gaining weight?” Jin said bluntly, didn’t see the need to be modest.

“SSsshh…” Kame quickly covered Jin’s mouth, “Don’t you ever and I mean EVER say that in front of her, she would throw a tantrum,” Kame added.

“Um…she is not here, you know,” Jin said pointing to their surroundings.

“Well, you must remember to not say anything at the wedding ceremony,” Kame said hinting.

“Wedding ceremony?” Jin looked at Kame confused.

“I’m inviting you to the wedding,” Kame grinned widely, handing Jin the invitation.

Jin blinked at the pink envelop being shoved into his hand, didn’t know he should accept it, after all they only knew each other for a week and not to mention the intimacy they shared not too long ago, “is it ok?”

“Why it’s not ok?” Kame tilted his head.

“Well, just want to make sure,” Jin shrugged and accepted the invitation.

“I see,” Kame nodded understanding, “well, I would love to see you there and it is absolutely ok,” Kame smiled.

“Cool,” Jin grinned.

“Anyway, do you happen to know a good wine place? Look like she doesn’t like the wine that the planner selected for the wedding,” Kame asked casually as he pulled out his phone and searched on his GPS.

“Hm…not sure if it’s a good place because a friend of mine works at a bar and they are quite famous for their wine collection,” Jin suggested and Kame was more than happy to receive such good suggestion.

“Great! Can we go there now? Or is it too inconvenience?” Kame asked hoping with a positive answer.

“we can go now,” Jin smiled and gave an approved nod.

“Awesome!”

❈

“Akanishi-san!” Jin halted on his step and looked back to where his name was being called. “Let’s go drink tonight!” one of the hosts suggested with a grin.

“Sure, your treat,” Jin grinned back with a playful smirk.

“If only you pay for the first round,” the youngest host voiced out teasingly.

“You brats! You just want free round of drink,” Jin narrowed his eyes at the hosts with a teasing smile. “Fine~ why don’t we ask Tackey senpai and Tsubasa-san?” Jin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The young hosts quickly dashed towards Tsubasa’s office with delight. Jin shook his head at the childish characteristic of the youngsters.

“Don’t teach the youngster bad things, I know you’re good at that,” Tackey tapped Jin’s shoulder causing the young host jumped in surprise.

“Damn! You’re so sneaky,” Jin blurted.

“Anyway, have you seen Kamenashi around?” Tackey asked looking around for said man. Jin frowned lightly at the question.

“Why you ask me?” he wondered to his senpai.

“Aren’t you two close? You’re like joining to the hips or something,” Tackey turned to Jin with a slightly surprise look.

“What make you think so?” the young host had this urge to go on with his integration.

“In the last few days, whenever I see you, I would see him; it only makes sense to think that you two are one of a kind, sort of,” Tackey said unsurely.

Jin gave it a thought and nodded his head, “hmm..yea..anyone would think so…” he had to agree to that, even he himself couldn’t believe that he spent way too much time with Kame in the past few days in helping the soon-to-be groom pleasing his soon-to-be bride.

“I heard he is busy planning out the wedding, you sure you two are not crossing any boundaries?” Tackey narrowed his eyes playfully.

“What boundary?” Jin asked back with uncertainty.

“That is only you know…and that’s for me to be suspicious,” Tackey answered with a sleazy smile.

“Ugh! I hate it when you do that,” Jin groaned in annoyance.

“Yea yea…get ready, look like the youngsters have finally pulled Tsubasa out of his office,” Tackey nodded his head towards where the young hosts left earlier and the sight of them reentered the hallway with an annoying Tsubasa in tow. Jin laughed heartily at the dagger glare his boss giving him and only beamed back with a shrug.

❈

“Did you take a look at the revenue?” Kame asked into his phone, waiting impatiently for an answer. “I don’t think there is a need to change anything fo—“ his words were stopped half-way when the other line cut him off. “Say what?” his voice raised slightly at the new information. “No, no, no! we ARE NOT changing the linen color! It is like the fourth time already!!” Kame shouted into the device, feeling the stress have finally caught up to him. “I have a job to keep and no, it’s not my job to attend to your every whine! Of course the wedding is special and must be perfect but perfection is not working in that way of changing your mind at every single details! We don’t have much time, you have to stick to one decision and move onto the next one, I don’t have all day or week to appease you.” Kame heaved out a long sigh and rolled his eyes when the other line began to wail and accused him of being uncaring. Kame counted from one to ten in his head, hoping to calm down his nerve. “Look, I have to get back to work, I’ll call you later or you can call mom, I have had enough of this, bye.” He quickly hung up the phone without waiting for a reply. He grunted out unhappily as tried to suppress his anger.

“Bad day?”

Kame whipped his head around at the sudden voice and smiled up at his senpai, he waved at the amusing man. “Imai-senpai~ what bring you here?”

“Just feel like paying my favorite kouhai a visit at his work place, I hope I’m not disturbing something,” Tsubasa said with an apologetic smile.

“I’m on my break now, we can chat while having lunch,” Kame said as led the way to the cafeteria.

“Still busy with the wedding preparation?” Tsubasa asked casually as they both sat down on a table.

“Don’t remind me,” Kame heaved out a long sigh, feeling his headache coming back to him.

“You know, you should just relax a bit and let the bride be, it’s hard to please an anxious soon-to-be-bride,” Tsubasa chuckled at Kame’s pouting face. One of the flaw in Kame’s perfection is his perfection. Being the perfectionist himself, Kame always tried to make sure that everything is perfectly laid out and going according to his plan, or a plan in general.

“I just don’t want her to turn this into another disaster, remember that one time when she tried a surprise birthday party on me? That was hell,” Kame shivered at the memories while Tsubasa made a face. The older man still remembered that one time when the bride tried to bake a cake but being a kitchen-dummy that she was, the cake was burn and successfully brought three fire trucks to Kame’s apartment, luckily the damage was not severe yet Kame had to move to a new place within a week due to the landlord’s fear of the same thing happens again.

“Right…” Tsubasa finally said unsurely, “but anyway, you can’t just keep doing this until the wedding day, you will be a walking zombie if this continues,” he earnestly said, hoping the kouhai would consider his words.

“If she stops changing her mind every freaking hour, no make it minute, then my life would be easier,” Kame said with a thoughtful expression.

“You should just let her know that,” Tsubasa tried to advice the younger man.

“I’ll see,” Kame shrugged, noting to himself that it would be a great idea to just talk it over with the bride, a person does have his limit and Kame was slowly reaching that line.

“By the way, I’ve heard that you and our number two host are quite close,” Tsubasa said with a teasing smile, Kame arched his brows at the statement.

“He has helped me out a lot lately with the preparation,” Kame answered with aversion.

“The perfectionist let a snob helps him out,” Tsubasa smiled knowingly.

“It’s not what you think,” Kame coughed lightly and looked away in embarrassment.

“You know what I’m thinking?” Tsubasa teased.

“Senpai!” Kame whined.

“I was just kidding but I’m glad you let someone help you out, plus he is good at providing an awesome stress reliever,” Tsubasa laughed out loud at Kame’s spurting out his drink at the statement. “Ooooo, our Kazu-chan is thinking naughty thing.” Kame pouted as glaring at his senpai who found a new amusement in the kouhai’s embarrassment. 

❈

“Lately they have been talking about us,” Kame pointed his chin at Tackey and Tsubasa who whispering in each other’s ear. Jin looked up from a magazine on his lap and looked at where Kame hinting at.

“Not just them, even the other hosts have also been wondering about us,” Jin said pointing his thumb to the back where curious eyes and whispers coming from.

“Are we a hot topic now?” Kame turned to look at Jin, unintentionally tilted his head to the side.

“I guess we are,” Jin shrugged and stretched out his legs which gently kicked Kame’s legs on the way.

“As long as they don’t make us out to be so scandalous, I can handle the curious stares,” Kame laughed and Jin just rolled his eyes.

“I totally believe that their minds are more on the dark side than innocent,” Jin turned around and caused the other hosts to look away as if they were being caught red handed. “See what I mean?” Jin laughed genuinely.

“Ok so we are scandalous,” Kame finally gave in to the general public’s view.

“No worries, I’ll talk to them,” Jin reassured Kame, hoping the younger man would feel at ease.

“That would only heighten their suspicion, it’s best to let it be for now,” Kame advised and Jin nodded finding the explanation was true enough.

“Attention!” Tsubasa’s voice booming through the hall successfully grabbed everyone’s attention. He cleared his throat before continued, “according to this month’s profit, I thank everyone for a hard work and of course the ranking is still the same, much to some of your displease,” he took one glance around the room, everyone seemed to not bother with the no-change ranking, “Anyway, due to the excessive amount we made last month, our number one has suggested a three-day vacation for everyone,” the crowd started to whistle in joy and Tsubasa couldn’t hide his amusing smile, “as for where, I leave it up to you, so let me know in three days where you all want to spend your vacation,” the boss concluded and then headed back to his office with Tackey in tow. Leaving the all too cheery crowd behind with Jin and Kame who seemed to be the only ones indifferent about this; even with a vacation, Kame knew that there is no way he is able to escape the bride’s wrath.

“Is there a place you want to go?” Jin nudging Kame’s side successfully pulled the younger man out of his train of thoughts.

“No idea, anywhere is fine as long as I’m physically away from the soon-to-be bride for a few days, running errands for her was wearing me out,” Kame lazily answered.

“The others are planning on onsen, which is a good place in this cold weather, yet again not everyone likes onsen, there are still some special cases,” Jin informed.

“I have nothing against it really, like I said I just want to be away from these hectic errands,” Kame knew he was being pathetic and desperated yet that was the only way to get away from the wedding. He would do anything to have it out of his mind even if it would only for one hour, that would be enough to keep his sane.

“I see the devil has driven you nut,” Jin chuckled at the other’s distressed tone.

“More than you ever know,” Kame dreaded his torment.

Jin patted Kame’s back understandingly and turned back to the crowd behind them, “Onsen sounds good guys,” he announced and the crowded whistled in jolly.

 ❈

The night chill penetrated through the skin even with a thick layer of coat, making the passer by huddled up in their coats seeking for warm. Kame was not an exception, the cold made his fingers numb and his nose turned white from too much exposure to the chill. He almost cursed himself for forgetting his second coat at home, and this reminded him that it was the bride that made him forgetting his coat.

“Maybe I should listen to Imai-senpai and let her handle the wedding alone; maybe this vacation is a good excuse,” he mumbled under his breath as he made his way towards the coffee shop nears his apartment. It was better to find a shelter at the coffee shop under this harsh weather, he wouldn’t like it if he got sick a day before the trip; that would be pitiful.

After he received his order and found a table, he quickly pulled out his phone and swiped his fingers across the screen to send a message.

---
To: the annoying Princess
Text: I’ll be leaving on a vacation tomorrow. I have left the contact information on your desk, you should be able to contact those in case you want to make some changes.
---

Within a blink of an eye, a reply came.

---
From: the annoying Princess
Text: OMG! Are you kidding me? How am I going to handle things by myself? T.T
---

Kame heaved out a sigh, he knew this would come.

---
To: the annoying Princess
Text: Of course you can do it! You’ve been doing so for the last 20 years of your life. I just need a break. (X.X)
---

Placing the phone back onto the table, Kame held up the cup of his chai tea to his lips, letting the warm enter his nostrils and have it warming up the coldness on the tip of his nose. First sip had Kame smile, second sip had him leaning back on the chair in relax, third sip warmed up his inner organs, and fourth sip had him completely smitten by the scene of chai tazo. By the fifth sip, his peace was disturbed by a light vibrate. Placing the cup down, Kame opened and read the new message with a frown.

---
From: the annoying Princess
Text: I’ll be miserable without you Kazu-chan~~ In my 20 years of living, this is my FIRST time being a bride! And it will not be repeated! Well in some cases, but I know for sure not in my case! So please, just please at least let me text you when I have to choose between two things? I don’t think I can pick anything by myself, you know how indecisive I can be *pouts*
---

Kame knew it! There was no way that the bride would let him off on a vacation, well at least under this condition, he would have some times for himself. Only assisting the bride in choosing a certain thing is not a too bad condition. He could live with that.

---
To: the annoying Princess
Text: there’s no way you would let me sleep tonight if I keep on declining this right? Alright~ I will help with picking, but you must contact them by yourself *being serious!*
---

Kame unconsciously made a serious face as he typed the last two words and pressed send. Unbeknown to him, there was someone already standing right in front of him with an amusing grin at his childish facial. Once the message was sent, Kame put his phone back on the table and picked up his cup of chai tea to continue his coffee time when the figure’s presence entered his vision.

“What brought you here?” Kame asked with some coffee still in his mouth, feeling the sweet warm liquid almost being spat out by him. “Ah! Excuse me,” he apologized and dapped his lips with a napkin.

“I live around here,” Jin made a movement with his finger and made himself comfortable sharing a table with Kame.

“Ah right! The first time we met, we were in the park nearby,” Kame slapped his forehead for being stupid. The incident of his little fluffy baby knocked the older man rolling down the path was still fresh in his mind, not to mention that memories had caused him grinning like a madman whenever he looked back to it.

“You didn’t bring your little monster with you today,” Jin made a little statement and Kame frowned upon the new nickname of his lovely furry friend.

“She is not a monster, just a bit too playful,” Kame corrected the other and Jin waved up his hand on the air as a peace seeker. Kame smiled at the gesture and looked at Jin’s hand, “are you not ordering anything?”

“They’re making it,” Jin pointed towards the bar and Kame nodded understanding. “Talking about your monster—“

“She is NOT a monster,” Kame hardened his tone at Jin’s teasing. “and her name is Ran,” he added.

“Ok,” Jin rolled his eyes playfully, “Ran-chan~” he dragged the name on to appease Kame which caused the other let out a light laugh, “Ran-chan must be really lonely because you are working two jobs now; not to mention the wedding preparation on the sides, you rarely have time to take her out to play like before, right?”

Jin’s words were like a thunder knocking down on his sense, “I’m such a horrible parent,” Kame pouted at the realization. “She must be really lonely and maybe have already developed a hate towards me, since each time I went home, I would head straight to my room and sleep the night away,” Kame sounded even more horrifying at his parenting skill towards his pet.

“Yea yea, I get that, my Pin also turns into that stage sometimes too when I forgot to pet him before bed time,” Jin laughed at his puppy’s childishness. “Anyway, coming back to what I was trying to say,” Jin tried to bring Kame’s attention back, “I was thinking let our pets be friends. So the times we are not at home, they can accompany each other either at your or my place.”

Jin studied Kame’s expression carefully and the younger man’s face lit up immediately at the explanation. Kame quickly agreed with Jin’s suggestion, it was always good to have company than none when the pets are to wait for their parents to be back. Kame was not sure if autism happens to pets, but that would be a great way to keep his pets happy. Even if the pets don’t get along, they at least have someone to fight with, makes their wait more interesting and fun.

 “I see that some crazy weird stuff crossing your mind,” Jin narrowed his eyes doubtfully at Kame and the younger man just burst out laughing.

“I was thinking if our pets don’t get along, they at least have someone to bark at than the four cold silent walls in my apartment,” Jin couldn’t hold his laughter at Kame’s words, that was true in all crazy senses, but that was such an adorable thought.

❈

“I have one question,” Kame raised up his hand among the noisy crowd, Tsubasa titled his head to have a directed eye contact with the younger man. Having the boss’s attention, Kame continued, “why we are rooming together?” Kame pointed his finger back and forth between him and Jin. The noisy crowd stopped their little complaint and turned to look at the rumor couple. He felt it was necessary for him to voice out his opinion because the moment they stepped into the ryokan, his lovely senpai announced that they only reserve four rooms. Obviously one room was for the boss and number one host. The other two rooms were being shared among the other hosts; however, Kame and Jin were to place in a same room. It was not that he didn’t want to room with Jin but there was no reason for him and Jin to have a room for themselves while the others were sharing the two rooms among the ten of them.

“We can’t room more than five people in a room, as a rule from this ryokan, plus I didn’t think that there would be three cancelled in the last minute due to their health, so it’s better that you two should share a room, and I don’t think these guys are complaining, right?” Tsubasa looked at the young hosts and everyone obediently nodded their head at the boss’s words. Tackey just rolled his eyes at the glint of mischievous in Tsubasa’s eyes. Kame heaved out a sigh of defeat and dutifully followed the room assignment.

“What are you planning?” Tackey nudged his boss’s side when they were back to their room. Tsubasa just grinned without answering. “I don’t like to be in the dark you know,” Tackey made his point clear and Tsubasa saw that it was better to let the other man in on this. He moved forward from his spot and hugged Tackey in his embrace.

“Don’t you think my kouhai and your precious kouhai are just perfect for each other?” Tsubasa asked in low whisper, gently tugging a lock of hair out of his lover’s face.

“Are you playing matchmaker?” Tackey questioned uncertainly. Tsubasa just smiled knowingly and released his lover from his hold and moved to where his luggage at and started to unpack.

♠

Meanwhile…

♠

Kame flopped down on his bed, rolling around with happiness. Finally, he had a vacation for himself. Jin watched the young administrator with amusement; it was like watching a little kid on his first trip to onsen. Leaving his bag on the floor, Jin walked towards the balcony and slid it open, totally amazed by the fresh scent in front of him.

“Imai-san must have spent quite generously for this trip, we have the best rooms in the inn,” Jin commented looking at Kame’s half-opened eyes.

“It’s so like Tsubasa-senpai, always take the best of the best,” Kame replied still eye closed.

“You must be super tired,” Jin commented casually. Kame just nodded.

“Can I skip dinner? I don’t feel like eating,” Kame asked pleadingly, not feeling up for dinner at any moment.

“Take a nap. I’ll bring you something to eat when you’re up from your nap.” Jin offered with a gentle smile and Kame nodded in agreement. The younger man turned over on his bed and within second he was deep in sleep, puffing small snore as he let the tiredness wash over him.

“Must be tired from the preparation and others stuff in the club,” Jin chuckled to himself at seeing Kame sleeping like a baby in his made cocoon.

A soft knock was heard at the door and Jin carefully stood up and opened the door quietly, trying his best to not disturb the sleeping man. He was surprise to see his boss is at the door. Tsubasa made a hand gesture in which Jin understood that the older man was asking about Kame, Jin replied back with a sleeping hand gesture and the other man nodded.

“Dinner is set,” his boss said in a soft whisper, “I’ll ask the kitchen to leave something for him,” Tsubasa added and Jin nodded and then made his way out of the door to follow his boss to the main dining hall in the inn.

“You seem to really care about my kouhai,” Tsubasa commented with a soft smile.

“I just can’t ignore it, there’s just something about him that screams ‘taking care of me, please’,” Jin said with a chuckle.

“That is true, I still remember when we were in High School, he had always been a bully target,” Tsubasa snickered at the memories, “but don’t let that petite body fool you, he can break a bone,” the older man added and Jin quickly took note of that.

“I’ve never thought of him as a weakling, even though he has this fatigue look, I know he is stronger than he is being given credit for,” Jin stated surely.

“Good that you know that, now I don’t have to worry about you being an idiot and offend my kouhai,” Tsubasa said with a relief, “take care of him, he needs someone to rely on, he has been the one being relied on for too long that he had forgotten that he needs something, or someone, to rely on.”

Jin just looked at Tsubasa’s back as the older man walked faster towards the dining room, he was taken by surprise by his words, it seemed as if his boss just giving him permission to court Kame. He felt goose pumps running all over his body, it was not like he disliked it but isn’t that Kame was to be married in a few weeks? Things are starting to get weirder by seconds.

By the time Jin returned to the room, Kame was on the phone and he could tell by the tone that the younger man was not feeling pleasant at all.

“I’m on my vacation and like HUNDRED MILES away from Tokyo, there is no way I can come back within tonight to fix that for you, just call Kota-san, he can help you,” Kame harshly said into the piece of device.

Jin could hear a whining and pleading sound coming from the other lines, and Kame’s expression turned sour at that.

“I’m not your personal servant, or maid, or butler, whatever. Just fix your own problem and please stop with the superstition, nothing is going to go wrong with the wedding,” Kame replied tiredly, feeling no energy left to argue with the bride. He suddenly turned around and cracked a small smile at seeing Jin was back. “Look, I have to go, talk to you later,” Kame hastily finished the call and put his phone back to his pocket.

“Hey, you are back,” Kame said with a small grin.

“Tsubasa-san asked the kitchen to save your dinner, you want me to ask them to bring it here?” Jin smiled back as he informed and Kame nodded his head, rubbing his growling stomach with pleading eyes.

“That would be so awesome right now,” Kame said with affirmative and Jin just chuckled at the young man. He made his way to the phone and dialed the reception.

“Thank you for always looking out for me, I don’t know what I will do without you,” Kame said with gratitude. Jin only smiled in return and assured the other that Kame would be fine.

❈

Since he had been sleeping pretty much all day, Kame didn’t feel any ounce of sleep left in his body, so he decided to stare at the moon and the stars in the sky. Somehow that feels just relaxing and really great. He left the door to the balcony slight open to let the night breeze enter the humid room.

“My head is ready to burst,” Kame mumbled to himself as his mind wandered back to the amount of work in Tokyo and of course, a wedding is waiting for him too.

He thought about his busy life lately, what was with neglecting his puppy and where has his relaxing weekends gone to? And again, he narrowed his eyes at the imaginary wedding that going to happen in a few weeks…or days…he had lost count of time. He felt like giving up everything and just run away. Wait! I AM running away. Kame chuckled to himself at his silly thought. This vacation sure was his escapade.

He inhaled in deeply and leaned back on his hand, letting the breeze brush over his fair complex and slightly longer fringe, it feels great as he noted. He turned his head slightly to the side and Jin’s sleeping form entered his field of vision. A smile unconsciously adorned his feature. He studied the older male with careful eyes, the way Jin scrunched up his nose in his sleep as if something unpleasant appeared in his dream and how Jin’s mouth puffed out small snore in the middle of it. Kame swore he could watch the sleeping man all night without feeling bored.

He knew he had a thing for same gender, but he never knew he had this great attraction towards men, or is it man? Because only Jin had made him feel this secured and depending. No one had ever made him feel this feeble and vulnerable in a long time. Somehow he feels like he can just take a risk. For once, he wanted to be selfish and childish by wanting what he might not be able to have, yet that doesn’t feel wrong at all.

❈