Work Text:
Being an idol who dated was one thing, but an idol dating another idol was pretty unheard of.
It was untouched territory for both Subaru and Yume, not to mention the fact that this was the first serious relationship, for the both of them.
There were days, weeks even where they were just too busy to even think about each other, with both of their heavy careers making them busy at every turn. It wasn't easy, but they did manage to have quiet moments like these, once in a while where they were able to play hooky, lay low amongst crowded events like the New Year's festival and gaze at the sparkling stars above.
It was usually Yume doing all of the talking, if there was talking at all. Subaru didn't mind; he never did. He adored the way she would ramble about everything at once, from her strenuous Aikatsu, to her S4 duties, or even go over smaller topics like the rumours about their fellow unit mates Ako and Kanata, her helping her parents out in the patisserie or, like tonight, she talked about them as he bright, crimson eyes looked at him lovingly.
"This reminds me of how we first got together," she said softly, as her hand brushed against hers. "Underneath this very same sky. It was just after my last concert for the year and you went over to congratulate me."
Subaru raised an eyebrow. "For someone with the memory of a goldfish, it speaks volumes as to how much you remember about that night."
Yume rolled her eyes at his teasing before continuing. "I had just realised I had feelings for you," she said, barely above a whisper. Even when they were dating, she was shy about confessing such things. "I didn't know what to do with it though; idols normally couldn't date and I didn't know if you felt the same way."
She giggled, remembering something apparently humorous.
"But you're full of surprises, aren't you Subaru? Before I could even utter a word, you just so bluntly said, "Hey I'm into you! Wanna go out?"
Subaru playfully shoved his girlfriend, letting out an embarrassed groan as she laughed at his expense; he could just feel his face burning but he had to restrain himself before Yume pulled the "Now who's the Boiled Octopus?" card.
"Oh shut up," he whined. "There was literally no other way to tell you!"
Yume scoffed. "Really? No, "Nijino Yume, my dearest rival and friend. I have been enamoured by your ethereal radiance and wish to stand by your side forever."? That's pretty romantic and it wouldn't have killed the atmosphere."
Suddenly struck with a realisation, Subaru regarded Yume with an amused twinkle in his sapphire blue eyes. "Trust me Yume, if I had said something that poetic, it would have been like confessing to a brick wall."
Yume blinked, offended but also confused. "Excuse me?"
Subaru shrugged, nonchalantly. "Yume, I love you. But you are the most densest person I have ever met."
Yume, now somewhat exasperated at her boyfriend's antics, only folded her arms and said, "Oh please, it's not like you've professed your love for me, before that."
Subaru said nothing as he smirked smugly at her, which initially annoyed Yume.
But the the longer she stared at his knowing Cheshire cat grin, the more dread consumed her entire being as the implications began to sink in.
"You didn't, right?"
No answer. Only a stupidly smug grin and an extremely exasperated frown.
"Subaru." she spoke, warningly.
"Yume." he drawled.
After a short staring contest, the M4 member succumbed to his girlfriend's stubbornness and began to explain,
"It was the night I congratulated you on your S4 selection," he began. "I'd been meaning to tell you everything I felt for you before I was about to head off on my Asia tour. I was nervous as all heck- my face was redder than yours usually got, my palms were sweaty and my heart was racing like crazy. And then I said to you, mustering all the courage I had, "I want to be an idol that can stand next to you." not exactly direct but anyone with common sense would be able to tell that this was a confession of some sort."
Yume stared at him blankly, not exactly knowing what to say to that. She didn't remember him saying anything of the sort but if he did, surely she had reacted the way a normal person would after receiving a confession that genuine. "Uh, sure."
He gave her that same mischievous look; very reminiscent of the one he gave her when they first met, teasing her about how she had gotten herself lost in the Boys' Division of Four Star Academy. "Nijino Yume, do you know what you said to me that day? To my oh so, romantic, poetic confession? Think long and hard about it."
Yume scrunched up her face in deep thought, trying not to get distracted by the knowing gaze Subaru had on her, clearly waiting for her to put two and two together.
Seconds later, she started to realise the exact memory he was talking about; it was scarce but it was there.
Yume had once again, unknowingly wandered into the Boys' Division of Four Star Academy and there he was, in the exact same spot. He had stopped her from awkwardly leaving, telling her that he needed to talk about his feelings. "I want to be an idol that can stand next to you." he said, a flustered expression on his faces he stared into the river.
The epiphany of what she had said in response hit Yume like a loaded bus, as she choked on a horrified gasp.
"Got it! We're Rivals after all!"
Yume practically screamed into her hands as they buried her flushed red face. "OH MY GOD?" she yelled. "I REALLY SAID THAT?"
Subaru howled into laughter, barely containing himself as he doubled over; Yume's mortified cries and his hysterical cackling probably woke up all the dorms.
"I'm such a fool!" she scolded herself.
"So yes, Yume. The only way I could have told you that I liked you was if I had straight up told you." he lightly teased as he patted her on the back. "There was quite literally no other way you would have understood."
"God, that's so embarrassing," Yume complained refusing to meet his eyes. "You practically spelt it out for me, and I friend-zoned- no, not even...I rival-zoned you!"
Subaru snickered at the term. "After I hyped myself up and everything-"
"Shhh! I don't want to hear any more of this!"
Subaru sighed with faux disappointment. "It was so hard for me to say something like that, and your response was that? You're a cruel one, Boiled Octo."
Yume pouted, lightly shoving his face away from her. "You're so mean."
"Heh. It's okay," he absent-mindedly poked her soft cheeks. "Your obliviousness is cute, so I kind of forgave it."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," Yume complained. "God I wish I could go back and fix it. We would've ended up together a lot sooner. We would've had more time..." Her tone became wistful at that last sentence, and her boyfriend picked up on it.
He could definitely understood what she meant by that; if they finally started dating at such an inconvenient time in their lives. Of course they didn't regret being with each other, because they had been able to make it work but if they had been able to get their act together earlier, maybe they would be able to spare more moments like these, in each other's company.
"Okay then, I'll give you another chance then." Subaru said, a little shy.
"Huh?"
He gently guided her face to look at his, their eyes respectively taking in each other's presence. Their faces were so close, yet so far.
"Nijino Yume," he began, that stupid smirk still on his face. "You're clumsy, stubborn and cannot pick up a context clue to save your life-"
"Hey, where exactly are you going with this-"
"And yet I've have been enamoured with you ever since we met. For what its worth, I'm probably even denser than you for not realising my own feelings sooner. But now that I have, it is imperative that I tell you that I want to be an idol that can stand next to you and your boiled octopus red face, forever."
He spoke his words with such fondness and regarded her with star struck eyes, that it was hard to not get pulled into staring longingly into them.
Almost on cue, Yume's face went beet red.
Subaru let out short laugh.
"Exactly." he grinned, though he felt his own face start to flush.
"Hey you're red too, you hypocrite!"
"I know," Subaru laughed, pulling her close. "You have that effect on me."