Work Text:
It’s late by the time the shoot is finished. Keito hasn’t been paying much attention to the shoot itself, choosing a quiet corner to stand and reply to emails, set up appointments--he manages one of the hottest models in the industry currently, and vetting through actual offers takes up a majority of his time. He doesn’t settle for anything less than the best shoots, after all--that’s how they’ve gotten to this point.
“Do you ever look away from your phone?” a familiar voice teases, and Keito doesn’t bother looking up.
“Only when I sleep. Everything good?”
Keito glances over at Kaoru, who looks more tired than he lets on, Keito notices. Kaoru flashes him one of his dazzling smiles that’s landed them so many good contracts lately. “You’d know if you were paying attention to me~”
Keito shrugs, deleting another batch of emails that he’s deemed unacceptable. “If I were too busy paying attention to you, you’d have no work left.”
Keito can hear the pout in Kaoru’s voice when he mumbles a reply. Keito has worked with him long enough at this point (when they were both recent graduates, fresh-faced and determined to make it in a tough industry) to recognize when Kaoru is fishing for attention.
“Should we grab food before I drop you off?” Keito says, hoping the prospect of something to eat after a long day will keep Kaoru somewhat happy.
Kaoru grimaces, something Keito almost doesn’t catch if he hadn’t been watching Kaoru more closely than usual.
“I probably shouldn’t, I don’t want to gain too much weight.”
Keito resists the urge to roll his eyes at Kaoru’s latest excuse. “You haven’t eaten anything today. What girl have you promised your attention to this time?”
Kaoru’s smile is back now, but there’s something different about it this time, Keito notices. It doesn’t quite seem to reach his eyes, and Keito files that information away to think about later. “Come on, Keito-kun, she’s suuuper cute. You should try finding your own cute girl to take out to dinner.”
It’s Keito’s turn to grimace this time, the thought of taking a girl on a date making his face curl up in disgust. “I have work to focus on. As should you.”
Kaoru chuckles, and from the corner of his eye Keito can see the stylist waving Kaoru over so he can change back into his regular clothes. “Go change and then we’ll grab something to eat.”
Kaoru pouts, but he looks less disappointed and more….pleased? Another expression Keito files away. “Okay, okay, you spoil sport~”
-----
It’s become a tradition for Keito to treat Kaoru to a meal after a long day of shooting, especially in the last few months that his schedule has been non-stop. They’ve done 6 magazine spreads this week alone, and his schedule is no less tightly packed in the next few weeks.
About halfway through the meal Kaoru falls silent, and Keito notices he’s just pushing his food around with his chopsticks.
“Tell me honestly,” Keito begins, causing Kaoru to look up in surprise, “is the schedule getting too tiring for you?”
Kaoru’s look of surprise melts away into a warm smile. “It’s not, Keito-kun. Look at you, getting all worried over me.”
Keito knows he’s only teasing him to get a rise out of him, but it doesn’t stop the heat in his cheeks. Keito clears his throat. “It’s my job, you know. I don’t make any money if my client overworks himself.”
Kaoru points his chopsticks at Keito, smile still present on his face. “And I don’t make any money if my hardworking manager collapses either, you know.”
“I’m used to hard work,” Keito says blankly. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
The laugh Keito’s honest statement draws out of Kaoru is the most genuine laugh he’s heard from the model in awhile.
-----
The gifts start showing up some time after that. Kaoru’s no stranger to receiving gifts, typically either cards and letters from fans or flowers and gift baskets from people they’ve worked with. Even for all of his flirting and his seemingly careless attitude, Keito knows at the end of the day Kaoru is professional when it counts, something many people they work with appreciate.
When a box from Gucci shows up, they’re both surprised. Kaoru turns it over in his hands for awhile, inspecting the packaging. Keito searches the packing for some hint of who it could have come from, but there’s nothing. “Maybe it’s a sponsored gift?” Kaoru asks, setting the box down on the dressing room table. Keito shakes his head. “I feel like I would have known about it if that were the case.”
Kaoru opens it, and inside is a belt that Kaoru remembers modeling last week. He remembers mentioning that he had really liked it, but he can’t remember who could have even been around to hear him say that.
“Maybe it’s a secret admirer,” Keito muses. Kaoru glances up at him, but Keito’s attention is already back on his phone. “Maybe,” Kaoru says, carefully placing the belt back into the package.
------
“Would you like to attend the after party?”
It’s a simple question from Keito, but one Kaoru finds himself mulling over. Normally he’d jump at the chance of social interaction and plenty of beautiful women to keep his attention, but for some reason he’s hesitating this time.
Keito raises an eyebrow, and Kaoru realizes he’s just been staring blankly at the wall since Keito asked. Oops.
“Uh, maybe I should skip this one.”
Keito doesn’t say anything immediately, just sets his phone down on the table and pulls out the chair across from Kaoru to sit down. “What’s wrong?”
Kaoru blinks in surprise. “Uh...nothing?”
Keito leans forward, clasping his hands together. He’s the very picture of seriousness right now, and Kaoru has to stop himself from giggling. “We’ve worked together for three years now. And we’ve known each other for longer. Not once, not a single time, have I ever seen you turn down a chance to socialize.”
Kaoru feels his face flush under Keito’s stare, and he finds himself unable to meet Keito’s eyes suddenly. Kaoru isn’t sure where this sudden embarrassment comes from, but he sure wishes it would go away.
“I just don’t feel like it. Is that a crime?”
Keito frowns, still staring intently at Kaoru. It takes every ounce of Kaoru’s being not to squirm in his chair.
It feels like an eternity before Keito speaks again. “You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course,” Kaoru answers without hesitation. Keito seems relieved at that, leaning back in his seat. “There isn’t anyone I trust more than you, Keito-kun,” Kaoru continues, trying to add a teasing lilt to his tone but it comes out more quiet and reserved than he had intended.
It’s Keito’s turn to fidget now, hands immediately going for his phone.
-----
The second gift shows up a few days after their awkward conversation, and Kaoru stares at the box for a long time before he decides to open it. Keito isn’t in the room this time, having stepped outside to take a phone call.
It’s Saint Laurent this time, so whoever his admirer is clearly has money to spend. Kaoru loves it of course, but this time he’s sure no one had been around to see him admiring the sweater once the stylist had hung it back up on the rack. It could be a coincidence, Kaoru’s mind supplies, but something tells Kaoru someone who knows him very well is behind it. That narrows his list of potential suitors way down.
The door opens and Kaoru hastily places it back in the box. He’s not sure why he wants to hide it from Keito, but something in his gut tells him to, so he follows it.
“Everything okay?” Keito asks, and a glance behind him confirms what Kaoru had thought. Keito hasn’t looked up from his phone.
Kaoru spins around in his chair, studying Keito. Keito glances up from his phone when he notices Kaoru hasn’t answered him.
“Go to the party with me tonight.”
Keito slowly lowers his phone. “Why?”
Kaoru shrugs. “You work too much. Loosen up a bit.”
Keito sighs. “Wouldn’t you just ditch me for the first woman that offers you attention?”
Keito’s mostly joking, but the expression on Kaoru’s face immediately tells him it’s the wrong thing to say.
They’ve been playing this game the last few months, Keito has come to realize lately. He doesn’t know at what point his relationship with Kaoru has progressed this way, but he finds Kaoru easier to read now than ever before. When they first started out, Keito was frustrated with the way Kaoru would hide everything--his emotions, his feelings. But as they’ve spent more time together, Keito realized he could see right through Kaoru’s mask. Maybe it’s a side effect of working so closely together, or maybe it’s something more, Keito thinks.
“It could be fun,” Keito offers up finally, and he can see Kaoru’s mood lift instantly.
“It will be fun,” Kaoru says, smiling brightly. Keito only hopes it’s not a mistake.
-----
Keito knows he’s messed up when Kaoru shows up in the sweater he bought. He spends a good 30 seconds panicking internally about whether or not Kaoru has figured him out before Kaoru drags him along around the room.
He introduces him to various people--other models, people he’s worked with before. Everyone tells him the same thing, that it’s nice to finally meet the person Kaoru talks about so much.
Keito is surprised the first time he hears it, and even more so when every single person they talk to mentions it. Keito keeps glancing at Kaoru, trying to gauge his reaction, but he’s surprisingly unreadable right now. Keito supposes he’s probably in work mode, where he blocks everything out and only focuses on the job.
They find a quiet corner after a while, and Keito finally finds a hint of courage to bring it up.
“I didn’t realize you talked about me so much,” he says, and Keito’s never been one for fidgeting, but he finds it difficult to meet Kaoru’s eyes right now.
“Yeah, well,” Kaoru begins, and he ducks his head, a gesture Keito realizes as his nervous tick. “We’re in this together, right?”
Keito wants to tell him. He wants to tell Kaoru it’s him who’s been buying the gifts, that he’s been harboring a crush on him since the first time he saw Kaoru’s reaction when he started getting real work, so genuinely happy that Keito couldn’t breathe for a good few seconds. There’s a lot he wants to say--
“Let’s get out of here.”
Keito glances at Kaoru. He looks nervous. “Are you sure?” Keito asks, and Kaoru nods. “Let’s go to the beach.”
He should say no. He should tell him he has work to do, he needs to get to bed early, they have a shoot tomorrow. Keito has a hard time saying anything to Kaoru tonight.
-----
The beach is quiet, as expected. Keito has come to learn that Kaoru comes to the beach at night a lot to clear his head.
“It’s not weird, is it?” Kaoru says after they’ve sat next to each other staring at the waves for a while.
“Is what weird?” Keito asks.
“That I talk about you. I mean, you’re my manager, right? It’s normal, right?”
Keito looks over, but Kaoru won’t look at him. This is a completely new side of Kaoru he’s seeing, Keito thinks. Keito is used to the confident, playful, flirty Kaoru. He isn’t sure what to do with this.
“It’s not,” Keito says. He pauses, lets his whirlwind of thoughts settle. “I bought the gifts.”
Kaoru’s head snaps up to look at Keito. “What?”
“The belt, and the sweater. I bought them.”
Kaoru’s brows furrow. “Why? More importantly, why anonymously?”
Keito looks out over the ocean. Thinks about what he wants to say, thinks about this new side of Kaoru he’s seen, so vulnerable.
“I like you.”
The air is deathly still around them after Keito’s confession. Keito takes a deep breath, tries to calm his heart. When did it start beating so fast?
“I mean,” Keito stammers out finally, when the silence is too much to bear, “I know it’s unprofessional of me. In fact, it’s incredibly out of line. And you don’t even like men, so I don’t know why I would say something to you in the first place. You should probably forget it.”
Keito finally looks at Kaoru after he finishes stumbling over his words, and Kaoru is still staring at him in shock. “You...like me?” Kaoru asks, and his voice is so tiny and fragile that it shatters something inside of Keito’s chest.
“I do,” Keito says, voice wavering, “but if it’s uncomfortable for--”
“You idiot,” Kaoru says, but there’s a smile on his face. It’s Keito’s turn to be shocked into silence.
“I’ve been ditching dates for months to hang out with you,” Kaoru admits, and Keito blinks in confusion. “What?”
“I thought you were going to notice. I wasn’t sure what it was, at first, but something about spending time with you was fun,” Kaoru continues, smiling warmly.
“No one has ever called me fun in my entire life,” Keito mumbles, and Kaoru laughs.
“I used to think you were too serious, but that’s just how you are. And I like that.”
Their eyes meet, and Kaoru smiles. “I like you, too.”
Keito let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding in relief. The moment of happiness shatters in his head when reality comes crashing down on him. “We can’t date. I’m your manager. What would people even think?”
Kaoru shrugs, and Keito feels himself getting annoyed at Kaoru’s nonchalance. “Everyone already thinks we’re dating, Keito-kun.”
The annoyance dissipates. “What do you mean?”
“You’d know if you would have come to those parties with me.”
Keito stares at Kaoru for a long moment, staring at the small grin on Kaoru’s face, and something in him breaks. He laughs, laughs at how ridiculous their situation is, how different the two of them have approached this. Kaoru’s eyes widen, but before long he finds himself laughing too.
They spend a long time after that on the beach, until the moon has risen high into the sky, basking in each other’s company when Kaoru finally turns to Keito and looks at him. “Thank you for the gifts. I love them.”
“I know,” Keito says. “I think I know you better than anyone else.”
“You know,” Kaoru says, reaching for Keito’s hand and lacing their fingers together, “I think you’re right.”