Work Text:
Sunohara Momose is a man of bad choices. So many bad choices, in fact, that he stopped bothering to count. It doesn't matter— he made the right choice this time. He chose to visit Yuki. He chose to beg.
And Momo was right.
Because now he is by Yuki’s side, and he will be for the next five years. What comes after matters very little. Getting through these five years comes first.
And so it felt reasonable. It felt reasonable to attempt to curry favor with Tsukumo Productions, no matter the cost. After all, that is what he and Yuki had agreed to do. And Momo swore to not disappoint him.
But Tsukumo Productions is hard to get a hold of, no matter how you look at it. The company president is unavailable, especially for a newcomer like Momo, so Momo went for the second best option.
Rabbitr.
The name of that dating app is embarrassingly on the nose, in more ways than one, and Momo can’t help but be amused. But to him, this app is a tool. It’s leverage.
After all, if the younger Tsukumo was caught on a dating app with a profile stating he is a sadist looking for a pet dog, that would make for a pretty good story for the media.
So Momo texts him.
<< hello!! what is the handsome future president of a company doing on this app? (´｡• ω •｡`) ♡
The reply comes way too fast for comfort.
>> You read my profile, right, Momo of Re:vale? I assume you have something to offer.
Uh-oh. Momo isn’t too happy with Ryou knowing about that already, but he supposes it means Tsukumo Productions may have an interest in them. That is not a bad thing.
<< i can treat you to a non-alcoholic cocktail?
>> That's pretty boring, Momo. You’ve turned 20 recently, haven’t you?
<< and you’re 25! so let’s take it slowly! (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)
>> And I thought idols were like fast food. The opposite of slow.
<< ryou-san is good at making jokes!
>> Well, then I hope you’re good at playing along with my jokes, then.
<< i am if i am in the right mood! :3
>> I can arrange that.
>> An acquaintance of mine recommended a club. A rotting business, only a few months from closing. They might have to do something dirty to get it to stay open. Want to watch them struggle?
That’s in bad taste, no matter how you look at it . Momo sighs and lets himself fall onto the bed.
<< ryou-san really is a sadist (/ω＼)
>> It says so on my profile, Momo!
<< still!!! ....i’ll be there. tonight, 8pm?
>> You’re eager. Though I suppose most idols will roll over like dogs if they need to.
Attached is the location of the club. Momo has heard of them before. Like all entertainment, clubs like this are ephemeral things after all. Much like Momo’s place in Re:vale.
Momo can hardly enjoy such a show.
If Momo didn’t know the history of the club, the first look could have deceived him. It’s clean, it seems organized, they have at least some security… It seems ordinary.
Ordinary, like the magic has been whisked away.
It’s the faces of the performers that give it away. They look like Yuki did, soulless and like they’ve already given up.
It truly is the worst place to be.
(Instinctively, Momo wants to help, but that would make the club dependent on Re:vale, which would not help them at all. So his hands are tied. The only thing he can do is move forward.)
Momo sighs, giving up on sighting his target in the darkness, and instead goes to the bar. He planned this through. He’s going to order two drinks, have one be alcoholic and the other not, and then get Ryou to drink the first.
Can’t be that hard, right? Certainly not harder than washing Chiba Shizuo’s car is for Yuki, or rather, doing everything that comes with it.
Drinks in hand, Momo resumes his attempt to sight his target. You’d think that purple is a rare hair color, and yet—
“Ah, Momo! There you are. I was worried you might have gotten lost. After all, idols aren’t known for their wits.”
I’ll kill him.
Momo flashes a big smile. “Nice to see you in person, Ryou-san. I see you’re taller than expected.”
“Eh? But it would be strange if a dog was taller than its owner.”
Momo would punch him for the sheer amount of obscenity dripping from his words, but unfortunately, that is not an option. “I see you like to move things along fast, huh?”
“I do. Time is a valuable resource, after all. You can use it to take people apart like you would a fish.”
“You seem like the type who likes meat, though.”
“I am! How did you know, Momo? Did you perhaps stalk me? Or did my neighbours complain about me again?”
“None of those. I just happen to like meat myself!” Momo flashes a smile and is about to hand Ryou his glass when Ryou laughs.
“Do you want me to add something to your glass then? It’s no fun if I’m the only one who drinks.”
“Eh…?”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice, Momo.”
Uh-oh.
Momo is about to look for a way out of the situation when he is interrupted by a young boy’s voice.
“Excuse me, have you seen a man called Kujou Takamasa? He’s tall, he has black hair—”
“Hair that looks like seaweed?” Ryou’s interjection makes the boy startle.
Looking closer at him, Momo can see that the boy is around twelve years old and has pinkish white hair.
What does a kid this young do at a club? Irresponsible parents...
“...I wouldn’t say that, but I’ve heard my brother say so.” The boy shakes his head. “Anyway. Have you seen him?”
“He’s usually in the front row. All the way to the left. He likes kids like you.”
“Thank you, Mister. I will be going then.” The boy runs off, leaving Momo puzzled.
“Did you know that kid?” The opportunity to switch the topic is appreciated, and Momo watches as Ryou empties a shot of tequila into Momo’s glass.
“Not that kid, no, but the one he’s looking for. Well, I know who the kid will be, too. And besides, you should know best who Kujou is.”
“Wait—”
Momo does remember that name, faintly. In Yuki’s ramblings about what made Ban-san leave, there was one name that showed up, and only once. The disgust in Yuki’s voice at the time was undeniable, so overwhelming that he never said the name again.
“Exactly, Momo. He is the one who wanted to have Re:vale.”
“Then don’t tell me that boy is…?”
“Yuki’s replacement. Or rather, Zero’s.” Ryou hands Momo his glass so he can clap. “You see, Kujou is a lonely man.”
And you aren’t?
Momo blinks, processing the new information. This date is already more than worth it, so when Ryou takes back his drink and clinks glasses with Momo, Momo chooses to take a sip.
“And how would you know him, Ryou-san?”
“Don’t you think this is boring, Momo? I feel like you should at least try to impress me if you’re going to try to pry information out of me.”
“Of course, Ryou-san!” Momo’s fake smile is as radiant as ever. “What would you like to see? I can sing, I can do stand-up comedy, I can—”
“Bark.”
“Come again?”
“I did say I’m looking for a pet dog.”
Momo tilts his head. Do it for Yuki.
Then. “Woof.”
Ryou claps. “Idols really do do anything to get what they want!”
“Well, was that good?” Momo smirks.
Ryou blinks fake-innocently. “Would you like a reward? Well then.” He pets Momo’s head. “Good boy.”
(Something inside Momo shifts, then, because somehow, this feels right— it shouldn’t, though. It shouldn’t.)
Momo doesn’t dare lean in to that touch. “And my question?”
“Ah, where were we?” Ryou removes his hand. “Kujou, right? Well, he networks with Tsukumo. He first wanted his new idol to debut with us, but apparently he will put him in Yaotome Productions after all. Assuming that kid makes it through the training, anyway.” He shrugs.
“And why would you, someone who isn’t involved in the company at all, know all of this?” Momo drops the act for a bit.
“At least try to be a cute idol, will you, Momo?” Ryou shakes his head dramatically. “Well, my family hates Kujou, so this is my job. I handle whoever they can’t talk to. Emotional bunch, all of them.”
Momo tilts his head as adorably as humanly possible. “That sounds like you resent them?”
“What gain would you have out of knowing that?”
“Who doesn’t want to be friends with someone from Tsukumo?”
“Don’t you just want to preserve your beloved Yuki’s freedom?” Ryou’s smile is dark and dangerous, and Momo feels like he should run. “After all, you’re his fan.”
“And so what if I do?”
“Well, what do you have to offer me?”
Momo has nothing to offer. Nothing. Even if he did, he’d need whatever it is to support Yuki.
Ryou laughs. “Didn’t rehearse that, did you?”
“I—”
“I heard that dogs are man's best friend. I don’t really have friends though, since that’s bothersome, so maybe you should be my dog after all?”
“What…” Momo takes a gulp of the alcohol, but it does nothing to stop the dryness of his throat. “What do you want me to do?”
Ryou is about to open his sleazy mouth when they are interrupted by yet another young boy’s voice.
“Excuse me, have you seen my brother? He’s my height and looks like me but he doesn’t have red hair and he’s really—”
Ryou points in the direction the other boy ran into. “But I think he’s busy. Maybe you should go to sleep. Dreams are precious, after all. And I don’t like crying children.”
The redhead tilts his head. “I won’t cry as long as Tenn-nii is with me, though! I’ll go talk to him!” And he runs off.
“I didn’t know you could be nice, Ryou-san.” Momo’s sarcasm is barely seeping through.
“I really just hate crying children, and that kid is about to cry. Let’s go somewhere else before it starts. After all, dogs should be trained at home.”
As they leave, Momo hears a crying voice.
I guess Ryou-san was right.
Momo isn’t sobering up in the taxi so much as he is contemplating his life choices and how, despite having come to essentially blackmail and seduce Ryou, he is in this rather compromising situation of half-leaning on him as they drive to hell knows where.
<< sorry darling i’m late tonight ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡
“You truly are a dog, reporting back on your whereabouts to him like that.” Ryou’s laugh is hollow.
“At least have the decency to not call me that in public, Ryou-san,” Momo says, more honestly than he’d like to.
“But in private it’s fine?”
“For the right reward,” Momo mutters, and Ryou’s hand on his shoulder has become too normal for comfort.
“Maybe I should let someone write an article about you trying to seduce me.”
“That would expose your Rabbitr profile to the public, Ryou-san~”
“My family already hates me.” Ryou rolls his eyes.
Momo mimics the gesture. “What a coincidence, I’m in the same situation.”
There is silence, suddenly.
Ryou gives Momo a look that, to an innocent eye, might be one of kindness.
Momo knows immediately that it is a look of sick fascination.
“Oh, tell me more, Momo. What did you do?” Ryou’s grip on Momo’s shoulder tightens.
Momo pointedly doesn’t look at him and sighs. “I’ll tell you when we’re alone, maybe.”
“If your story is interesting enough, I might reward you.”
Like a moth to the candle, Momo has fallen into Ryou’s trap.
No going back now.
Momo expected a mansion, but Ryou’s luxurious apartment is infinitely worse.
“You see, I’d hate to have to hire staff to clean this place. That would require more locks than I’m willing to maintain. So I went for something small.”
That’s not shady at all.
“Then should I be honored that you’re letting me in here?”
“You won't steal from me, Momo. After all, the main think you're after is not my money, though I'm sure you'd consider it a nice bonus.” Ryou sits down on the couch and points to the space next to him. “Sit.”
For some reason, Momo finds himself complying, almost naturally so, as he sits down next to Ryou. “Then what do you think I’m after?”
“Safety. You want Re:vale— no, your beloved Yuki— to be safe from Tsukumo.”
Momo isn’t happy about having his intentions read that well, but it’s the truth, so he can hardly do anything about it. “I see you did your homework, Ryou-san~”
“Of course I did. And now…” Ryou tips Momo’s chin upward, forcing him to make eye contact. “Tell me the story of how an idol like you grew to be so hated by his own family.”
Do it for Yuki. For Re:vale.
Momo swallows. “First, it was my sister…”
So Momo spills his heart. He spills his heart out to this absolute stranger for a flimsy promise for safety, tells Ryou of the darkest days in his life; the parts not even Yuki would know.
(Yuki mustn’t know, because if he did, he’d be upset. Momo can’t have that.)
He conveniently avoids the parts of his story that involve how he grovelled for Yuki, focuses specifically on the way his family abandoned him. After all, that is what Ryou wants to hear. And it works.
Throughout the entire thing, Ryou seems thoroughly entertained. He twists the knife a little more at times, asks just the right questions to make Momo recall even the things he tried to forget.
Like a hunter playing with his prey.
“And then you left home? And your sister hasn’t contacted you since? Isn’t that kind of ironic?” Ryou laughs. “She said she’d support Re:vale, but she really only supported one of them. She didn’t care for your beloved Yuki, either. And not even for you, her own brother.”
It hurts because Momo can’t even disagree. He bites his lip. “That’s true. And that’s why, Ryou-san, don’t you think we’re a perfect match?”
“I don’t want us to lick each other’s wounds, though, Momo. That’s something friends do.” Ryou leans in a little. “But as I said, I would like to have a dog. And considering how obedient you are… you might just be perfect!”
Momo feels a cold shower run down his spine. “Ryou-san, could you specify the terms of this… agreement?”
“We can play every now and then, and I’ll make sure some Tsukumo funds get lost and make their way to Re:vale. I'll also tell everyone that Re:vale is not a threat. How does that sound?”
“That sounds very good, Ryou-san…”
“You should show me your commitment if you’re going to agree.”
Momo understands, and almost naturally, he pulls Ryou in by the tie. “Momo-chan isn’t always a good dog, though~”
His own words make him want to throw up, but he presses on and closes the distance between his and Ryou’s lips.
It still tastes like alcohol, but mostly, it feels like decay. Like this person is single-handedly eroding Momo’s moral principles.
No matter. I'm doing this for Yuki.
Momo bites at Ryou’s lip, and he immediately feels Ryou return the gesture. He doesn’t want to be compatible with this man, he doesn’t want it to feel right, he—
“Momo, I didn’t expect you to be a lapdog.”
Momo blinks, realizing the position he shifted into. He’s straddling Ryou now, crotch to crotch, and his pants are feeling uncomfortably tight and this isn’t happening, right?
But it is happening, and while Momo has certainly had sexual encounters before, he can tell whatever this is will go beyond his limits.
Ryou will slowly erode his reason, constrict him like a snake does a mouse, and swallow him whole. That is the fate Momo resigned himself to.
So he grinds his hips against Ryou’s some more for good measure.
Might as well play the part of the dog right.
Momo wakes up with purple hair in his face, and it doesn’t take a particularly smart person to know what happened that night.
Needless to say, Momo is not that smart when he has a mild hangover, so he still is surprised to find that he is naked. It’s not that he doesn’t remember— he doesn’t want to remember.
But his ass hurts, outside and inside, and that is more than enough to make him remember.
“Good morning, Momo~” Abruptly, Ryou turns around, and Momo notices that unlike him, Ryou is wearing clothing.
Momo is a morning person usually, but not today. So he grumbles into the pillow, “Ryou-san is in high spirits, huh?”
“Of course I am! Do you want breakfast?”
“Are you trying to be my sugar daddy, Ryou-san?”
“It would be animal abuse to not feed your dog.” Ryou gets out of bed. “By the way, you have a lot of unread messages. Maybe your beloved Yuki is a dog, too?”
Momo’s heart feels like it has stopped for a moment. Then he nervously picks up his phone and sees several unanswered calls, countless messages…
>> Momo, are you on your way home yet?
>> Momo, are you okay?
>> Momo, I bought really nice meat for you.
>> I’m sorry I took your last bottle of Momorin juice last week.
>> Momo, please.
>> ...
Fuck .
Momo hastily dials Yuki’s number as he heads past Ryou to the bathroom, not bothering to get dressed again since he needs to thoroughly clean himself anyway.
For once, Yuki picks up immediately. ‘Momo, where were you?!’
“Sorry, sorry, I was at a friend’s place and fell asleep.”
'A friend? You said you were going to establish business relations with Tsukumo today, right?'
“Yeah, I—”
The phone is taken from Momo’s hands without a warning. “Momo and I talked about business over wine and he didn’t feel too well. He’s better now, though. Me? Tsukumo Ryou. No need to worry. Tsukumo Productions will support Re:vale from here on out. ...Yes, I will drive him home this afternoon. Thanks. Have a good day.”
A shining example of diplomacy. If Momo’s head and ass didn’t hurt, he’d consider admiring it.
He snatches his phone back from Ryou, checking to confirm that Ryou has indeed hung up on Yuki.
“Why did you—”
Ryou blinks. “The food might be done before you finish cleaning up, so I handled the nagging for you.”
“Yuki isn’t nagging, he’s an ikemen—”
“Yeah, whatever. Clean up.” And with that, Ryou leaves the room.
Momo complies, because his body feels corrupted, wrong , and he finally dares to look in the mirror. He’s covered in bruises, in bitemarks and in hickeys.
It feels like decay, like the loss of innocence.
No idol is pure though. Their job is to sell that image, but they all sell their souls eventually.
Momo just got an early start.
As he carefully cleans every nook and cranny of his body, he notices that the choker Ryou kept yanking him around by barely left any marks.
So he does have some semblance of human decency.
Momo yanks his clothes back on, still feeling contaminated to the core, and he heads to the kitchen…
“Just on time, Momo! ”
...to find a perfectly ordinary Japanese breakfast.
“I didn’t know Ryou-san can cook. What’s the catch with this fish?”
“It cost 9110¥.” Ryou shrugs dramatically. “And nobody wanted to eat it with me. Can you imagine?”
Yeah, totally can’t imagine why someone wouldn’t wanna eat with you. Rich asshole.
Momo manages to keep his smile on. “Is this really the right fish for breakfast though?”
“Absolutely not, but it makes my brother mad, and I think that’s wonderful~” Ryou happily takes off his apron and sits down at the table. “Well then. Let’s eat.”
“Let’s eat.” Momo can’t deny the quality of the fish, but he also does feel wrong eating a fish that is the price of the new headphones Yuki couldn’t afford earlier this month.
“So Momo, when are you going to do something with your hair?” Ryou uses his chopsticks to point at Momo.
“...My hair?” Momo instinctively touches it.
“I went through your text history and saw Yuki mention you should dye part of your hair, the way he does.”
“You did what ?”
“I got to know what I’m supporting, right?” Ryou’s sleazy grin is unbearable. “I think a single strand the way Yuki has it would look terrible on you, though. Like a wet, unkempt dog.”
Momo laughs nervously, because Ryou isn’t even wrong. That’s why Momo dodged the topic when Yuki brought it up. “What would you recommend then, Ryou-san?”
“Trust me.”
“I don’t,” Momo finds himself saying almost instantly.
“That’s so harsh, Momo.” Ryou pouts. “I want to have an unremovable part in molding your image.”
“Why would I let you do—”
Ryou gets out his wallet. “You need new sound equipment, right?”
“I…”
“So?”
Momo doesn’t look at him. “Fine.”
“Try saying that a bit more nicely, Momo. I’m doing you a favor here.”
“...Please dye my hair, Ryou-san?”
“Good enough for today.”
It shouldn’t look right. The look Ryou chose for Momo shouldn’t look right.
My partner is Yuki, and yet—
Ryou knew exactly what would make Momo look best. The white tips of his hair, bleached with terrifying precision with just the right amount.
Momo feels sick. He feels sick, yet he also feels enamored with the idea of his new look. This is right and it shouldn’t be.
Ryou seems satisfied with his work. “I see you like it. How about a commemorative photo?”
“Are you going to make it your home screen, Ryou-san? I knew you liked Momo-chan~” Momo can be a tease if he needs to be.
“I already have an excellent home screen. Not that you would know, considering you were blindfolded.” Ryou takes out his phone excitedly, showing Momo the full extent of his disgrace.
On all fours, tongue out, face flushed. Covered in more fluids than just sweat, kept on a leash like a dog. A peace sign for good measure.
Momo immediately represses the memory. That is the nature of their relationship after all. He’ll have to get used to it.
“Don’t worry, I won’t show Yuki.”
“He won’t believe it’s me anyway. The lighting in that photo is terrible.”
“That was intentional. It’s enough if we know it’s you.” Ryou smiles, and for the first time, the smile reaches his eyes.
Sadist .
Momo sighs and stands next to him, flashing a peace sign yet again.
“Well then, to our wonderful business relationship, Momo. Cheese!”
“Cheese!”
Ryou seems satisfied enough, because he finally starts ushering Momo towards the door after that. “I’ll see you next week then. Come in the clothes I’ll send to you beforehand. Also...” He pulls out some 10000¥ bills and places them in Momo’s hand. “You’re a surprisingly good dog.”
It is then that it sinks in that Momo has made a deal with the devil.
But I’ll do anything if it’s for the sake of Yuki.
Momo manages to get out one more smile.
“Thanks~ See you soon, Ryou-san!”