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As far as IV was concerned, the whole conversation was stupid and he couldn't wait for the others to get there so he could have an easy out.
“You know, Isshi-senpai's also got really great hair. And it's been black for awhile now, so I'll bet it's nice and soft again.”
“I guess,” he conceded, shrugging and reaching for his notebook. Maybe if he tried to act like he was writing?
“You should try petting it.”
That was just stupid, he wasn't getting dragged back into this ridiculousness.
“Yeah, you're probably right, he probably wouldn't let you anywhere near him anyway.”
“… Ko-kun, what is your obsession with senpai's hair today?” he asked suddenly, not sure he wanted to know, but if it would put an end to this conversation….
“Isshi-senpai is pretty. And with those extensions, his hair is so long right now, how can you not want to run your hands through it?”
Okay, so maybe Ko-ki had a point. The Kagrra vocalist could be a little scary when he was in professional mode, but he was also rather attractive.
“Come on, you should try petting his hair.”
“Why me?” he asked, trying not to whine. He was too old to be whining about stupid shit like this, after all.
“Because you can pull off innocent way better than me. Come on, we can make a bet of it. You get him by the end of the day and I'll be your slave for a week.”
“And if I don't?”
“Then you have to be my slave for a week, but come on, like you're going to lose. Easy slave labor, ne?”
IV sensed a trap, but if this worked…. He could already think of several things he wouldn't mind having Ko-ki do for him.
“End of today as in end of the work day, end of daylight, or midnight?”
“End of the working day, otherwise you could just lie about it,” Ko-ki said with a self-satisfied little nod. “And there has to be a witness.”
“Fair enough. One week. You better be prepared to lose.”
Ko-ki stuck his tongue out at him, narrowly escaping the usual rejoinder at that due to the door opening and admitting their bandmates. Maybe he'd try something at lunch? No, he'd already promised to have lunch with Reno. After practice then. He'd just play up the innocent factor, this would be easy.
“ICCHAMA!!!!!!!!!!”
Isshi turned around just in time to see one of his new kouhai being tackled by another. Two of ViViD's members, if he remembered correctly, he couldn't resist a faint smile at the pout on the bottom man's face. He was going to be late for the interview if he didn't get moving soon, but his curiosity was prodding at him. Izumi would understand, he always did.
“IV-kun and Shin-kun, isn't it?” he asked, offering a hand up.
“Yes sir,” Shin said, accepting his help before turning to pull IV up as well. “Sorry about him, I'm sure senpai has somewhere else he needs to be, we won't keep you any longer.”
IV appeared to be biting back some sort of protest, bowing with his bandmate. Curious. He should probably accept the opening before he was any later to the band interview, and yet … his curiosity had not been satisfied.
“It's all right. Was there something IV-kun needed? I heard you calling for me.”
“I … it's nothing, senpai,” IV mumbled and Isshi could have sworn he saw a hint of color rising in the other man's cheeks. How curious indeed.
“Just once. Just once I'd like to be wrong about you,” Izumi's familiar voice sighed, the disappointed father tone he used whenever Isshi had let himself get sidetracked by something. “Say goodbye to the nice kouhai, demon-sama,” his leader continued, a commanding hand landing on his shoulder. He couldn't be late enough for all this, but there was no point in trying to argue. Though he would have to have a little chat with his leader about undermining his image later.
“If you change your mind, IV-kun, call me. I look forward to seeing your band on stage,” he said, offering the two young men a genuine smile before letting himself be shepherded on to their interview.
“Dude, admit it, you lost.”
“Well I wouldn't have if Shin hadn't tackled me out of nowhere!” IV protested, pouting. “Come on, Ko-ki, you know I'm right.”
“I know nothing of the sort,” the drummer protested.
“Oh come on, just one more day? I'll get him tomorrow, swear.”
“No,” Ko-ki said, shaking his head. “It's no good now, the whole experiment's tainted. Have to come up with something else.”
That sounded pretty stupid to IV, but if it got him out of being Ko-ki's slave, he could live with it. “Okay, so what's the new bet? Petting one of the other senpai?”
“Nope!” A look of pure evil. Great. “You have to find out how many times and where exactly Rui-senpai is pierced. I'll set us up a lunch for next week or something.”
Like that wasn't completely suspicious, but it was too late for him to back out now.
"So, Rui-san, tell us about yourself?"
Rui glanced sidelong at the blond sitting suddenly much closer, feeling a little uneasy about the way he was being studied. Which was ridiculous and he knew it. It was just IV and Ko-ki of ViViD, kouhai and labelmates, no reason to feel uneasy with them. Especially not with a chuckling Byou on his other side.
"Um, well, I, um, I'm not sure what you want to know? I've been in several bands before, but I'm really looking forward to working with SCREW. Everyone at PSC has been really great, um…."
"No, no," IV huffed, shaking his head, "tell us about YOU."
"IV…."
"What? We're allowed to be curious, ne?" IV said, sticking his tongue out at Byou for a second before turning those intensely curious eyes back on Rui. Maybe too curious, especially when Rui felt himself being pulled closer to his vocalist.
"You don't have to tell them anything," Byou whispered, lips brushing against his ear in a way that felt entirely too intimate for being in front of other people. "If you want me to get rid of them…."
He shook his head slightly, not wanting to be rude. He was still new to SCREW, to the label, of course curiosity was only natural.
"Oi, there you are. Sorry if they've been bothering you, Byou-senpai, Rui-senpai. Come on, you two, Reno's looking for you."
“Mou, you don't have to make it sound like we've been avoiding him or something,” IV said, pouting. Rui smothered a smile as he watched as that pout completely failed to phase the one who had come looking for them.
“Now, IV.”
The younger bassist huffed and muttered something as he left the room, a snickering Ko-ki trailing behind him. The guitarist that had come looking for them (Rui thought his name was Ryou, but he wasn't sure) offered another apology before bowing and leaving as well. He was safe.
Byou chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. Well, safe from prying questions, anyway.
IV wanted to swipe that smug look off Ko-ki's face, now that it was just the two of them while their bandmates had a smoke break.
“You know the work day isn't over yet, so you can stop gloating,” he grumbled.
“Not for us, but you saw how Byou-senpai was being all protective of Rui-senpai. They're long gone by now.”
“… that is so not fair. Even if you're right, what was I supposed to do, blow off the summons just to ask him about his piercings? Do you know what Reno would do to me if I did that?”
“You're such a whiner when you're losing,” Ko-ki retorted. “But fine, if you want to re-roll … get your hands on Shin-kun's new hair.”
“EH?? Wait, we go from piercings back to hair?”
“It's either that or you can be my slave for two weeks starting right now~”
“Fine, but this time I get at least two whole days.”
“Fine by me. Two days.”
This was another trap, it had to be - and damn him for letting himself get sucked into them time and again - but if all he had to do was run fingers through his senpai's hair extensions, well … how hard could that be?
“Please?”
“No.”
Shin closed his eyes and bit back a sigh. Maybe if he pretended hard enough, his bandmate would go away?
“Please, senpai?”
No such luck. “No,” he said for what seemed like the millionth time.
“Pleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaseeeeee, senpaiiiiiiiii?”
“No,” Shin growled, glowering at his bandmate. How the costume lady hadn't thrown out IV yet, he didn't know, but he was really tired of this line of questions.
“Mou, you don't have to look at me like that. I promise not to pull them out, senpai!”
“No,” he repeated. “My answer isn't going to magically change just because you keep asking, IV-kun. Stop whining.”
“Reeenooo! Shin-senpai's being mean to me! Reeeenooooooo!”
Shin sighed, forcing himself not to slump while the costume lady was still wielding straight pins. IV had been pestering him about his extensions almost since he'd had them added. He really didn't get the attraction, they were just braided extensions, not all that different from the extensions IV himself had worn in the past. It wasn't like they were really that different just for being attached to his head. And still the endless stream of requests to feel them. At this rate, he was going to strangle the hyper bassist long before they finished filming their newest video if Reno didn't find a distraction for him. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. It would be bad for them if they already had to make a replacement in their line-up because of IV's whining.
“Shin-kun, I … IV, get in here.”
“No. He's scary when he's being mean,” IV called out from the hall. Reno rolled his eyes before walking over to the door and pulling IV into the room by his arm.
“Apologize.”
Shin blinked, ready to balk, when he realized Reno hadn't actually directed that order at him. IV hesitated, scuffing the floor with his foot for a moment, until Reno tugged on his hair roughly.
“IV-kun is sorry he's been so annoying to Shin-senpai,” the bassist mumbled, bowing and not meeting his eyes. “I won't ask to touch your hair any more.”
“I … thank you, IV-kun. I appreciate it. And … I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
IV's whole face lit up with a pinball smile, a high squeak barely adequate warning for the pounce hug he received a second later.
“IV-SAN! Reno-san, get him out of here before I do something regrettable!” the costume lady protested, the first she'd said about the whole thing all afternoon. Shin bit back a small smile as he watched Reno drag IV out of the room. Not such a bad kid after all.
“They're extensions, they feel like every other fake braid,” IV muttered, pouring himself another cup of coffee. They were the only two people in the break room, but that didn't exactly make him feel any better about this conversation.
“Admit it, IV, he didn't let you touch his hair. I have a witness, you know.”
“This is stupid, you know that, right? What kind of challenge is touching someone's hair, anyway?" he grumbled, setting down his coffee and crossing his arms over his chest. He could feel a full blown pout coming on, which was not going to help his case in the least, but this was just so annoyingly unfair!
“You didn't think it was so stupid when it was Isshi-senpai's hair,” Ko-ki said, a maddening sort of grin on his face. Idiot.
“I did too, I just didn't care as much. And at least that was his real, actual, grown from his head hair.”
“Whiner. Can't you lose gracefully?”
“No!” he shot back, sticking his tongue out. “I demand a rematch!”
“Demand all you want … in two weeks. Now get me my lunch, slave!”
IV glowered at the drummer, grumbling all the way down to the one of the local noodle shops. Fine, he'd lost this round, but for all that he hadn't really cared at the start, two weeks was going to be a long time. Not to mention he still wasn't convinced his friend wasn't somehow cheating. But that would be impossible to prove, which meant sucking it up and dealing with Ko-ki's demands for the next two weeks. At least they would be touring soon, though not soon enough to save him from whatever perversions Ko-ki had planned for him. Why did he let himself get sucked into these things?
“Manabu-kun! Rui-kun!”
At least it was a little bit of warning, enough that Manabu was able to brace himself for the way IV enthusiastically latched onto him, one arm wrapping almost too tightly around his neck. Fortunately, a quick tug on a sleeve got the young bassist to relax, even if it didn't get him to let go completely. That wouldn't be happening any time soon and he was mostly fine with that.
“Hey IV-kun. Aren't you supposed to be doing a sound check right now?” he asked while at the same time content to continue walking towards SCREW's dressing room.
“All done,” IV sing-songed, making them both sway with each step. “Nothing but waiting and a last minute makeup check, so I thought I'd come visit my favorite senpai~!”
Manabu wasn't sure he believed they were really IV's favorite senpai, but it sounded good and he certainly wasn't going to argue about it.
“We're not really doing anything interesting, IV-kun,” Rui said, shrugging. “Tried to find a vending machine with something decent in it, but I guess the stock guy doesn't come until tomorrow or something.”
“Yeah, this is kind of the hurry up and wait side of things. As long as nothing goes wrong, we should be good.” Though avoiding things like costume malfunctions was easier said than done sometimes. Hence the other reason for their walk; Byou had been giving Rui a sort of speculative look that Manabu had immediately recognized as potential for serious trouble, for Rui at the very least, if not the whole band.
“Ah, excuse me, Manabu-san, Rui-san? Jin-san is looking for you.”
“Thank you,” Rui said before giving IV an apologetic look. “Sorry, IV-kun, we'll see you later, all right?”
“Yeah, sure,” the younger bassist said, letting go of Manabu with a defeated-sounding sigh. That was no good. Manabu turned around to give his friend a quick hug.
“We'll hook up after the show, have a few drinks, and watch Zukky make a complete idiot of himself at karaoke, sound good to you?”
“Yeah!” IV said, perking up considerably. Much better.
“Bring your bandmates, too,” Rui suggested. And then Manabu was being tugged away by his own bassist. But at least IV was smiling.
Possibly the worst part of his failure to get into Manabu's pants was the fact that Ko-ki had been there at karaoke watching him fail over and over again to entice the guitarist to a more private location. Not that he was going to go down without a fight, dammit.
"So you can start your next stint of slavery first thing in the morning by serving me breakfast in bed."
"This is such bullshit."
"And you're such a whiner, your point? Come on, man up. And buy a French maid costume this time."
"But it wasn't a fair bet!"
"… you're going to whine until I give you another chance, aren't you?"
"YES!"
"Fine, you spoiled princess, if you want so badly to show yet again how much you fail … bring me the magical panties of our leader-sama. And when you fail, you can make me waffles, bitch."
IV huffed and stomped off to the room he and Shin were sharing for this part of the tour. He'd show Ko-ki. In fact, he already had the perfect plan.
No warning at all. Reno was chatting with the receptionist one minute and blinking dazedly at the carpet the next. The happy tittering in his ear could only be IV, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why his idiot bassist had felt the need to tackle him in the first place.
“Gotcha," IV giggled, pecking his cheek.
“Get off,” he hissed. They were in a hotel lobby, making a ridiculous scene of themselves, and IV didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with this.
“Mou, so cranky, Renoreno. At least you get to sleep peacefully at night,” IV huffed. Reno could practically hear the pout on the other man's face.
“Get off, I can't breathe, fatass.”
IV clambered off of him, but he was pouting even harder when Reno managed to get back to his feet. Of course he was. So unfair, like he could stand against that. Stifling the urge to sigh, Reno pulled IV over to the elevators.
“IV … I'm sorry I snapped at you. I've been under a lot of stress lately, but that's no excuse to take it out on you. I'm sorry.”
“Well … all right,” IV mumbled, but Reno could tell now that the pouting was for show instead of serious. “Ne, can I stay with you and Ryouga-kun tonight?”
“Eh? What's wrong with your room?”
“Shin-senpai talks in his sleep!” IV exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air. “How am I supposed to sleep with that? And it's been so cold, and he won't cuddle with me, not that I can really ask that from him, and I miss you guys and besides, Ryou-kun's been so emo lately, thinking you don't like him anymore and being all jealous of me getting your attention, and maybe if I'm there in the same room with you, we can prove to him that he has no reason for being jealous?”
Reno had the distinct feeling that he'd lost about half of that verbal dump. Something about Shin's sleep talking and Ryouga being lonely? Or jealous, maybe, which was a silly thought, since Reno couldn't recall seeing evidence of either in his fellow guitarist.
“IV, you know I can't keep up with you when you start babbling like that,” Reno scolded, tugging his bassist into the elevator car with him. “Want to try again, this time using actual sentences?”
IV sighed and rolled his eyes. “Shin-senpai talks in his sleep. It is cold at night. Shin-senpai is not a cuddler. I miss us all being crammed into one room. Ryouga-kun has been emo lately. He thinks you don't like him anymore. He thinks you like me better. I think we should prove him wrong. There, all clear now, leader-sama?”
“Brat,” Reno shot back, swatting at IV's butt as the bassist scooted off the elevator onto their floor. He didn't really believe IV's claims about Ryouga, but he could tell his friend was anxious to spend the night with them. The room wasn't really intended for that, but they could make it work.
“So can I stay with you tonight, Renoreno?” IV asked, giving him the most pathetic puppy eyes Reno had seen in quite some time.
“Yes, yes, of course, bratface. Be sure to let Shin-kun know so he isn't left wondering what happened to you.”
IV's gleeful cry was completely undignified, as was the way he was now bouncing down the hall. Fortunately for Reno's sense of shame, there was no one else around to see them.
IV forced himself into something like stillness, waiting for Reno to open his hotel room door. And was completely unsurprised to find Ryouga sulking with his laptop on one of the beds. Oh right, two singles. That could be awkward later. This might not have been one of his better plans after all. Still, too late to back out now, especially with Ryouga glowering at him.
“Right, well, I -.”
IV knew where that sentence was likely going and since that was definitely not part of his plan, he had to take action. Which he did by pouncing on the older man and kissing him. A beat of shocked stillness, perhaps less, and then Ryouga was flailing at him, pushing him off his lap. IV felt himself flailing for purchase, dumped rather rudely onto the floor. Great, he was going to have a bruise on his ass now, how unattractive.
“IV! What the fuck was that??”
“Me kissing you, dummy.”
“I noticed that part, you idiot,” the guitarist grumbled. “Reno, don't you have any control over him at all?”
“You really have to ask?” Reno replied and from the sound of his voice, not only was he smiling, he was standing close behind him. Hands slid under his arms, hoisting him up with a muted grunt. “IV does whatever he wants, you know that.”
“Yeah, well,” Ryouga huffed, getting up from the bed. “You guys can have the room. I'll find somewhere else to be tonight, don't worry about it.”
What a sulky bastard. IV wasn't about to stand for that, waiting just long enough for Ryouga to pass close to him and then latching on to the guitarist with all the strength and determination he had in him.
“What the…?”
“In case it escaped you, Ryou-kun, we aren't asking you to leave,” Reno said and IV could almost feel his friend and leader standing behind him. Risking a glance up when no more words reached his ears, he had to bite his lip to keep from gasping. Reno had Ryouga's face cupped in his hands while Ryouga's hands were fisted in Reno's shirt, the two men kissing with a sort of beautiful desperation.
“Did you really think I didn't like you anymore?” Reno murmured when the kiss finally ended.
“Well," Ryouga started, a low grumble, “not like you gave reason not to. Spending all that time with IV….”
“Working, silly. That blog stuff was all for the fangirls, it didn't mean anything more than that.”
“Like we'd ever do anything without you knowing it, Ryouga-kun,” IV added, relaxing his hold on the taller man now that it no longer looked like he was going to run away from them. Ryouga blinked owlishly, as if he had forgotten IV was even there.
“Wait, what?”
“The whole Renomomo thing is a publicity tactic, Ryou-kun,” IV explained patiently, going so far as to let go entirely and sit on the foot of the closest bed. “Well, sort of. I mean, he's really hot and I'd love to be between those thighs, so it's not like I was lying or anything, but posting it on ameblo like that was all about fanservice.”
“IV!!”
IV had been expecting the swat from Reno, but he hadn't been expecting the sudden laugh from Ryouga. Apparently neither had Reno, their leader giving the other guitarist a curious look.
“What's so funny?”
“Just feeling like an idiot, that's all. So, all right, um, now what?”
“Well,” IV said, leering up at the two men, “now we have make up sex!”
“IV!” Reno exclaimed, and again he was swatted across the head. A pout; it had sounded like a good idea to him. Two hot, bisexual guitarists making up from an entirely ridiculous argument, of course there had to be make up sex. And since he was spending the night with them and they were all such close friends, why not a threesome?
“IV, you little perv,” Ryouga purred, sitting down on the foot of the bed next to him. “And I suppose you want those thighs around you, leaving me with just his mouth?”
“You gotta admit, he's got a mouth for sucking cock,” IV said, pretending not to notice the way Reno was gaping at both of them like a fish out of water. “But who says we can't take turns? I don't even mind sloppy seconds if you want him first.”
“O-oi! Who says I'm a bottom?!” Reno protested, turning a bit pink in the cheeks.
“Renomomo, please,” IV scoffed, fighting back a smile. Leadersama or no Leadersama, to IV's thinking Reno was at most slightly switchy, a pushy, bratty bottom more often than not. Being a pushy brat switch himself, he had no problems with that, of course.
“Or, you know,” Ryouga chimed in, “I could just fuck him while he's fucking you? Not exactly the same as having his thighs wrapped around you, but it'll definitely be good for everyone.”
“We have all night,” IV murmured, climbing into Ryouga's lap; pretty obvious who was in charge here, really. “I'm sure we can experiment with quite a few things between now and morning.”
He rather liked the smile curving Ryouga's lips. That and the sputtering coming from Reno. Tonight was going to be a good night.
IV had known coming to breakfast with both Reno and Ryouga would have Ko-ki wondering all through the meal and he was happy to see he was right. Better still, everyone else could tell the drummer was halfway to bursting to ask something, but since Ko-ki was steadfastly refusing, well, it was only making the others that much more curious. So he wasn't surprised when he was practically dragged into the back seat of their van. Nor was he any more surprised to see Shin, Reno, and Ryouga lined up on the bench seat in front of the back bench, watching them intently.
“Here ya go, Ko-kun,” IV said, fishing the red thong out of his pocket. Ko-ki looked skeptical at first, but as bright red and sputtery as Reno was turning….
“I can't believe you….”
“Fifth time's the charm?”