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Kai threw his head back and laughed, and Ruki couldn’t help but notice how Uruha’s eyes flickered in the drummer’s direction, a fond smile playing across his own lips. Some people walking past stared at them, most of them young girls. He wondered if any of them recognised him, and if they were noticing the weird connection between the drummer and the youngest guitarist as well.
It wasn’t the first time he had noticed it, but usually the five of them hung out together at the studio or in live houses, which meant the two of them paid much more attention to their actions. Today, though, they were in the park, sitting on the grass and simply enjoying being together. As usual, Reita had immediately plopped down next to him, as had Uruha next to Kai, which… was not that at all that common. He knew he should be focusing on Reita more, but he was too curious about what was going on with those two. A glance to the side showed Aoi playing around on his iPhone, no doubt trying to find drinking buddies for the night. He hoped the guitarist would stick around a little longer, though, because the sun was only just starting to set and he wanted them all to be together at least until darkness fell. After all, they rarely got to spend an entire day together without work getting in the way.
Reita nudged his hand and he smiled up at the bassist before gently running a finger over the other’s palm. He wished he could actually hold his hand, but he knew theirs wasn’t a relationship which was widely accepted and he didn’t want to cause any trouble. Once, he had made the mistake of pecking Reita on the cheek outside his flat, and his neighbour had given him such a disgusted look that he had refrained from doing so ever again. Not that he gave a fuck what anybody thought of him, but he knew what could potentially happen.
It was what made him so sad when he watched his two band mates. The looks they gave each other showed so clearly what they felt for each other, but they could never do more than that. He noticed how Uruha’s hand brushed against Kai’s shoulder, and how Kai briefly leaned into Uruha when he adjusted his position. He didn’t really listen to what the other four were saying, because he simply wanted to observe.
Kai carefully picking a cherry blossom from Uruha’s hair. Uruha putting his hand on Kai’s knee just long enough not to be suspicious. The two of them playfully fighting over the last sandwich and finally deciding to share it, though Kai fed his very last piece to Uruha. The guitarist’s lips closed briefly around the drummer’s fingers, but nobody else seemed to see anything. Aoi was still glued to his phone and Reita was staring at some kids in the distance who were playing football. Passers-by looked, but never long enough to be able to truly see them.
Later, when the sky had turned dark and more people were hurrying past them, Aoi announced that he had been invited to go out with Kazuki and Mizuki, and could he please go?
“Not that I don’t like you guys, but I see you every day,” he said when he got to his feet. Ruki rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Sometimes he wondered if those three didn’t do dirty things together, but whenever he suggested this to Reita, the bassist called him a sick bastard. He felt it was a valid question, though.
Ruki just caught Uruha sneaking a quick kiss to Kai’s cheek when Reita and he were distracted by Aoi’s goodbyes and apologies for leaving them so soon. He raised his eyebrows at the drummer, who blushed at the realisation that Ruki had seen something he wasn’t supposed to. The other man leaned over and whispered something in Uruha’s ear, which must have been about him, because next thing he knew, the guitarist’s eyes were on him.
Reita looked between them all curiously when Uruha scooted closer to Ruki, but Kai distracted him with some cake. To Ruki’s amusement, his boyfriend looked more than pleased and seemed to have already forgotten about the conversation going on beside him.
“Hey, erm, what you just saw-” Uruha started in a soft voice, but Ruki interrupted him.
“I know.”
Uruha was silent for a few moments and simply gazed at Ruki’s face. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them. “I’m sorry, it’s…” He hesitated and bit his lip.
“Fine,” Ruki assured him. “It’s fine.”
A soft laugh came from the guitarist’s lips. “I wish more people thought like you.” He looked around, watching the businessmen and women walking past, the school girls and boys either giggling and chattering on the grass or hurrying home to eat. “How many of them do you think would find it ‘fine’ too?” Uruha asked bitterly.
“One day,” Ruki promised, wanting to believe it as much himself as he wanted Uruha to believe it. “Then they’ll understand it and you won’t have to hide.”
“Not even the scene we work in understands it,” was the mumbled reply. “Men kissing or groping each other is almost expected, but only when it’s done for the fans. I doubt they’d be so accepting if they knew it was real.”
Ruki shook his head. “You underestimate people. Yes, some of them would probably be upset if they knew, but not everyone. People can surprise you sometimes.” He glanced over at Reita and Kai, and gave the drummer a reassuring smile when he saw the worry in his eyes. He hated how society had made it so that his own friends couldn’t even talk to him about this, but he wanted to believe that things would be different in the future. Open-mindedness was a continuing process, and they’d get there one day.
“Now go back to your boyfriend,” he smirked, nodding in Kai’s direction and making Uruha smile. “I think he needs you right now.”
He watched the two of them leave together, their fingers brushing against each other with every step they took, and he hoped they’d be okay. Prejudice can make people bitter and he didn’t want that for his friends.
Ruki turned to Reita and smiled at him fondly.
“One day I’m going to kiss you right here, and no one is going to give a fuck,” he said.
Reita gave him a puzzled look. “What?”
He shook his head and leaned in close enough so no one but Reita could hear him. “Take me home,” he whispered. “And show me it doesn’t matter what everyone thinks."