Work Text:
Kiyoi’s usual routine before performing consisted of the basic things. Reviewing his lines one last time, checking his appearance and then emptying his head before getting on stage. He’s been performing in the Silkroad café for months now so the nerves have long since ebbed away. He feels more giddy than usual because he knows Hira’s in de restaurant and as often as Hira’s come to watch, Kiyoi still gets excited every time to see his boyfriends eyes. But the usual giddiness came accompanied by a set of nerves he hasn’t felt in a while. Hira’s parents are here.
It was a few weeks ago when they were hanging out at Hira’s place, cuddling while watching tv, that Hira got a phone call. He informed Kiyoi afterwards that his parents called to say that they are coming back for a week. They hadn’t really talked about whether they would hide their relationship from their parents. Kiyoi barely talks to his mother and stepfather and since Hira’s were never there, it was never a necessary topic. They were public about their relationship to the people they felt needed to know. Which basically means that Kazuki Koyama knew. Some people at Hira’s university had their suspicions about the handsome guy that they would see with Hira but none cared enough to actually ask anything. Kiyoi told Kazuki’s older brother a few days ago because he kept bringing up how his younger brother didn’t hang out with Hira as much. As petty as it was, Kiyoi felt it was necessary to stake his claim and clarify that Hira was his boyfriend.
That brings us back to the current conflict where Kiyoi is about to perform in front of Hira’s parents. They talked about it and couldn’t think of a reason to hide their relationship. His parents knew Hira was happy and he couldn’t think of a reason why they would be against their love. Logically Kiyoi knew that parents who bought their little child an expensive camera just because it might make him happy, wouldn’t be against their sons relationship that made him happy. But he’d never been in a situation like this before and frankly, his brain had given up on logic. Not that logic was ever really present in Kiyoi’s head when it came to Hira. He heard a glass break from where he stood behind the curtain and knew the play had begun. He imagined how Hira would be sitting at his usual table, but not alone this time. He would be surrounded by the two people Kiyoi had only ever seen in pictures. With a deep breath he walked out behind the curtain.
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And just like that, Kiyoi’s last show in the Silkroad café came to an end. As he took a bow, he kept his eyes on Hira, finding comfort in the usual fire that resided in the man’s eyes. Hira smiled and clapped even harder when he noticed his boyfriend looking. Kiyoi hesitantly took a quick glance at Hira’s parents. They looked just like their pictures. Dark hair, slim faces, boring but not quite as shy as their son. Part of him wanted to hate Hira’s parents, they left him alone at home for years. Of course it made their life a lot easier that they didn’t need to take the parents into account whenever Kiyoi suddenly dropped by. But he couldn’t help but wonder what Hira would’ve done if they never met. Would he have just wallowed away, living a life with no passions, wants or needs? The only thing that stopped Kiyoi from thinking bad about Hira’s parents was the fact that Hira didn’t seem bothered about it at all. Kiyoi’s entire being had been shaped by the fact that he was neglected but Hira didn’t seem to care at all. Even now that he has his parents beside him for the first time in months, he’s ignoring his mother who’s trying to talk to him, by looking at Kiyoi.
As the actors slowly exit the stage, Kiyoi smooths out his facial expressions to hide his nerves but not look too bored like he usually does. He wants to make a good impression and looking like he doesn’t care doesn’t seem the best way to go. He quickly says goodbye to the other cast members. There’s no need to have a big goodbye today since they are all meeting for drinks later this week to celebrate the end of Kiyoi working there. Hira gets up to greet him and Kiyoi can’t help but focus his attention on him.
“You did great for the last performance!” Hira says, eyes sparkling. Kiyoi rubs a hand over Hira’s head, ruffling his hair, before turning towards the parents that have also gotten up from their chairs to greet Kiyoi.
“Hello, I’m Kiyoi Sou. It’s very nice to finally meet you.” He gives as big of a smile as he can muster. He catches a quick glance towards her son from the mother before she answers.
“Hello Kiyoi, we’ve heard so much about you.” She smiles sweetly, matching the small smile on the face of her husband before they sit down. Kiyoi tries not to cringe at her words as he and Kira sit down. He knows for a fact that Hira doesn’t call them that often. He also knows that Hira hasn’t mentioned Kiyoi’s name since high school before they announced their visit and Hira had to tell them about their relationship. He wasn’t there when Hira revealed the truth but according to his boyfriend they were shocked but not angry. How could they be angry? They left their son alone at home, they can’t be mad that after leaving him, he’s now making a life for himself without them.
An awkward silence settles as no one knows what to talk about. He doesn’t know what he expected: ‘socially awkward’ Hira, ‘used to Hira carrying the conversation’ Kiyoi and the parents that barely know their own son. This meeting was doomed from the very start. Kiyoi wants to ask Hira to go get him a drink but he’s unsure how to ask it from him in front of the parents. When they’re alone he can just whine without feeling embarrassed. And although it’s not his preferred way anymore, he could also just bark an order to Hira. He settles on grabbing Hira’s cup and taking a sip from his iced tea. Luckily Hira is nothing if not observant of Kiyoi so he gets the hint and gets up to go to the bar.
Kiyoi once again cringes as he now single handily put himself alone at a table with Hira’s parents.
“So you’re an actor? I heard this is your last show here, what are your plans for the future?” Hira’s dad finally speaks up and Kiyoi has to hold himself back from gasping, he sounds so much like his son. His voice is soft and has a timid edge to it like Hira’s. But this man has clearly been exposed to the adult business world for a while as his voice also holds a confident steadiness that Hira’s lacks. He can’t help but wonder if in time Hira will also be able to speak with as much confidence as his dad. He eventually remembers to answer, grateful he prepared answers to questions like this beforehand.
“I have a few photoshoots and a commercial lined up. I’m also still doing auditions and probably taking part in the musical they are planning a few towns away.” Kiyoi feels his gaze shifting to Hira at the bar as he speaks. He silently thanks all his acting coaches as he hides his nerves even further down. Both parents release sounds of what Kiyoi can only place as approval before each returning to their drink, plates long left empty. As Hira returns, Kiyoi gets another question from the man across from him.
“We heard you and Hira knew each other in high school? Were you close?”
There it is, the question he was dreading. He and Hira didn’t really discuss high school in detail, besides mentions that it was weird and neither really knew how to define it. What was he supposed to say? Your son thought I was a God, I thought I was a coward and the outside world probably saw me as a bully. Hira saw himself as a servant, I found him an annoying creep that wouldn’t leave my mind and the outside world saw us as an unlikely pair that would end in pain. Noticing Kiyoi’s silence, Hira’s mother was now also looking up and at Kiyoi. He once again treated them as an audience at a show and pushed his shaking hands under the table.
“Hira and I had a crush on each other back then, but neither of us really did anything about it so we kind of had a weird relationship.”, he says calmly. It wasn’t a lie, all of it was true, it just wasn’t the whole truth.
“Hira told us about a Kiyoi on the phone once and we thought it sounded very one sided back then.” He can feel Hira tense a bit at his fathers words, as if he just remembered what he told them back in high school.
“I-i-it’s not imp-important. Kiyoi is amazing.” Hira barely gets the first sentence out as he looks at his parents but when his gaze lands on Kiyoi the words flow out with ease and he manages the second sentence without stuttering.
Both Kiyoi and Hira are pulled out of their daze when Hira’s mother lets out a chuckle.
“Okay, we didn’t mean to attack Kiyoi with questions. It’s just that we aren’t staying long so we want to get to know him as quickly as possible.” Kiyoi’s relieved and Hira hopes they didn’t drill him with questions like this the entire time he was at the bar.
The conversation continues from there and Kiyoi and Hira both get the feeling it’s going well. They both toned down the questions and seem happy with Kiyoi as Hira’s boyfriend. Hira is enjoying the rare time with his parents and Kiyoi is starting to wish he had parents like this growing up. He even got permission to call them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’, although he isn’t sure whether he’ll take them up on that offer.
It isn’t until Iruma-san calls for him that he realizes how much time has passed. He had only planned to talk for a few minutes and then change out of his stage outfit but suddenly nearly half an hour has passed and he’s still in the same clothes.
“Kiyoi, come change out of those clothes. I also have something to discuss with you.” Iruma-san calls and Kiyoi gets up. He apologizes to both the parents and Hira before ruffling his boyfriends hair and walking away. He acts like he doesn’t, but he definitely picks up on the little smile adoring Hira’s lips with every touch Kiyoi initiates.
Kiyoi spots Iruma standing at the door leading to the dressing room space and follows the man in. He walks straight up to his bag holding the clothes he came in and takes off his jacket.
“Can we talk while you’re changing?” Iruma- san asks from behind Kiyoi. Kiyoi hums and takes out his clothes.
“Well it’s the last show and from what you said last time, it sounds like you’ll be busy.” It’s than that Kiyoi notices that the older man sounds slightly drunk. He doesn’t pay it any mind and takes off his shirt to change.
“In that case it means we won’t have a lot of chances to see each other.” His voice sounds closer but Kiyoi just rolls his eyes. He feels a pick up line coming, something he’s used to hearing from Iruma-san. Although it had been a while since the older man had flirted with him because Hira started regularly showing up. He had never asked but Kiyoi just assumed someone told him or he picked up on the fact that they were dating.
“Then I’ll just have to take my chances now.” As Kiyoi puts his arms inside his t shirt, he feels two cold hands on his waist. He flinches and tries to pull the shirt over his head. Iruma-san pulls it back off though and turns Kiyoi around. Face to face with the man, he now realizes how drunk he really is.
“Come one, don’t fight it. He can’t possibly be satisfying you.”
In any other situation he would’ve laughed at the fact that he thought Hira was the innocent shy one in bed that was to timid to satisfy him. But with the mans hands roaming on his body and his head inching closer, Kiyoi struggles to see the humour in the situation. His heart beat picks up as he puts hands on the other mans chest, pushing him away.
“Iruma-san, we’ve talked about this. Please don’t do this.” Kiyoi doesn’t want to hurt the man that has helped him the past few weeks, but all it takes is a hand wandering to his ass for Kiyoi to throw out his fist and land on the other man’s cheek.
He didn’t exactly expect an immediate apology from the man in this inebriated state but he at least thought he got the message in, that this was against his will. What he didn’t see coming was the bigger man flying towards him and grabbing his arms, pinning them against the wall. Kiyoi was so startled he couldn’t bring out a single word before he felt a pair of lips on his. Things like this have happened before. One specific instance comes to mind, only those times he was easily able to get the guy or girl off him. But he can’t budge in the other’s iron grip. He feels tears sting his eyes and his breathing quickens. He doesn’t want this, every touch of the other leaves a burning trail on his body. He keeps his lips stiffly on each other, refusing the intrusion that’s trying to enter. One of Iruma’s hands slide to his belt buckle and Kiyoi is ready to start bawling. So when Iruma releases his mouth to take a breath, he does what his pride in any other situation would’ve refused. But there’s only one person on his mind that he feels could help him.
“HIRA!”
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Hira’s relieved that his parents seem to like Kiyoi. Key word being ‘seem to’.
“How did you and Kiyoi start dating?” His father was polite enough to wait a few minutes after Kiyoi left but blurted it out as Hira took another sip of his drink. He scans the concerned faces from his parents and immediately knows what they are thinking.
‘How did someone like him, end up with someone like you?’ and they’re right. In high school Hira didn’t even think about dating the other boy. How could Hira date such a God, the mere thought felt punishable. But the last few months since they met again, Hira’s been slowly taking Kiyoi of the pedestal he had put him on. It’s not been easy but he's at a point where he is confident in Kiyoi’s love for him and knows the other enjoys having him around. Expressing their journey in words that his parents will understand is no easy task though.
“I-I…We met again in th-“ As Hira tries to explain the story about how he and Kiyoi started dating, he hears someone yell his name. No, that’s not just someone. It’s undoubtedly Kiyoi’s voice, but it’s unlike Hira has ever heard it before. He sounds panicked and there’s an urgency to it he’s never heard before. The only time he’s ever even heard anything similar to this was when they met up in the classroom. That conversation ended up with them dating but Hira doubts that this situation will end on an equally positive note.
All these thoughts flash by him in a second and before his parents or anyone else in the café who heard it even have a chance to react, Hira’s on his feet. He sees red and wishes once again he had a machine gun. Whoever caused the ever prideful Kiyoi to scream his name like that, deserves a bullet between the eyes. He ignores his parents calling for him, as he runs up to the door he knows Kiyoi and Iruma disappeared behind. He’s been here before and knows it as the place the actors get ready for the show. He throws the door open more aggressively than was arguably necessary and his blood boils at the sight before him.
Kiyoi is squished between Iruma and the wall. His face is red with tears leaking from his eyes. Both his hands are held by Iruma’s left hand and his other is roaming Kiyoi’s body. Kiyoi’s legs are uselessly looking for something to kick but unable to make effective contact. It doesn’t take long for Hira to decide, Iruma-san is going to die tonight.
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It feels like ages before anything happens, he almost thinks Hira didn’t hear him, to engrossed in a conversation with his parents. He’s now full on crying and desperately holding back sobs. He feels Iruma unbuckle his pants and wishes the ground could swallow him.
Suddenly all contact is gone. The disgusting roaming hands that were previously everywhere, vanish and he’s able to freely move his hands again. He doesn’t know when he closed his eyes but when he opens them again he has to hold back a sob in relief. There, on the floor in front of his t shirt, is Hira punching an inebriated Iruma-san. His legs wobble and he falls to his knees. He can’t do anything but watch Hira land punch after punch, screaming his lungs out. Kiyoi feels like he’s back in high school, and just like back then he’s amazed at Hira. It’s like everything he’s been bottling up for years was just released. And it was because of Kiyoi. He doesn’t realize other people enter the room until a hand is placed on his shoulder. He cringes at himself when he flinches away from it and is met with the face of Hira’s mother.
“Kiyoi, sweetheart are you okay? I hope Hira was not to late.” Her voice is soft and he can imagine her using this voice to coax Hira into making friends as a child. He finally takes a look around the room and sees that they closed the door, probably to stop customers from seeing what’s happening inside. Hira’s dad is holding Hira back as Koyama-san is pinning Iruma to the floor. He watches Hira’s dad whisper something in Hira’s ear. As calm as both parents are, he can tell they are surprised. They have undoubtedly never seen their son like this before. Kiyoi has also only seen it once before. He can’t hear what the man said to Hira but his attention is immediately back on Kiyoi.
Hira’s eyes land on him and that’s enough to force out the sob he was holding back. Hira flies at him and engulfs him in a hug. He cries in his boyfriends shoulder, the mother still comfortingly rubbing his back. He can hear both parents talk to Yohei, but he has no energy to even listen in on the conversation. Hira’s so close and warm. It hits him like a ton of bricks.
He’s in love with Hira. More than yesterday and less than tomorrow. And as much as he calls him disgusting, he knows he would kill for him. And Hira’s made it very clear that the feeling is reciprocated.