Work Text:
Isumi Haruka has rarely seen Kujo Tenn in a bad mood.
The pink-haired idol has always been professional, calm, and strict with everyone, but especially himself, always putting on a bright and polite expression during work. No matter how difficult and tiring the job is, Haruka rarely sees that expression wane. Even when he’s sick and looks like he’s on the verge of dying, Tenn still shows up to work as if nothing is wrong—much to the dismay of literally everyone close to him.
Knowing that about the other idol, it’s a surprise when, during one afternoon, Haruka sees Kujo Tenn in the studio hallway, a cup of coffee in hand, leaning against the wall, looking very pale.
Haruka stops in his tracks.
Normally, he would try to avoid talking to TRIGGER’s center as much as possible. Even after everything, he still feels awkward around them and maybe even a tad bit intimidated, especially when it comes to Kujo Tenn. But today he can’t help but notice the tension in Tenn’s shoulders, the frown on his face, and the hint of dark eye bags hidden under his makeup. Not only does he have a terrible expression on, but he looks terrible.
After his thoughts go into a full-on, messy, and dramatic debate, the younger idol manages to work up the courage and finally approaches the other center, his expression hesitant.
“Hi?” Haruka starts, ignoring how pitiful that sounds.
His heart stops when Tenn’s gaze swings up to meet him. There’s a sharpness in them that Haruka never thought he’d see again, almost cold and biting, sending a shudder down his spine. But a moment later, his gaze softens until it's the set of eyes Haruka remembers.
“Oh,” Tenn says softly, his lips curling into a small smile. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
“If you say so. I have some solo work today, but more importantly…” Haruka purses his lips, pausing. Would Tenn get irritated if he asked him what was wrong? There’s no doubt both his group mates and Riku have asked how he’s doing, but would it be annoying if Haruka asks too? “H-Have you eaten lunch yet?”
Tenn tilts his head slightly, not expecting the question—and to be honest, Haruka doesn't either. It leaves his lips before he can stop himself.
“Why? Are you inviting me out to eat?” The older idol asks, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Haruka pouts at the teasing and huffs. “Okay, fine, forget I asked anything.”
Kujo Tenn chuckles. “Don’t get mad, I’m happy you offered, but I have to pass this time.”
“I wasn’t mad,” Haruka mumbles under his breath, his cheeks growing red from having embarrassed himself.
“I’m sure you aren’t,” Tenn says lightly one more time. Haruka watches as the idol throws away his now-empty cup in a nearby trash can before turning back to face him, a small sigh leaving his lips. Haruka opens his lips to finally ask what's wrong this time, but the expression leaves Tenn’s face too soon.
“I should get back. Good luck with your work.”
Haruka vaguely remembers saying thank you and returning the sentiment as Tenn walks away, but his mind is too busy thinking about that cup of coffee. Haruka wonders if that was the only thing Tenn has had today.
During his work, Haruka overhears a few staff members whispering to each other near where he was sitting. Two of the makeup artists look mildly concerned, their hushed voices reaching Haruka’s ears.
“I feel so bad for them,” one says, her eyebrows furrowing.
“That director’s really strict and demanding. Guess he doesn’t ease up even with a group like TRIGGER.”
“It is a really big project…”
Now, Haruka feels unreasonably annoyed. The thought of the other idol pushing himself to do this big project irks him for some reason. At least eat proper meals, you idiot, Haruka thinks with a frown. Knowing Tenn’s habits of hiding his true feelings and his insistence on thinking of everyone but himself, he’s probably already rejected the others' attempts at getting him to take a break.
Haruka leans back against his chair and thinks.
He finds Tenn standing by the same spot the next day, probably because it’s almost always empty, and he can relax a bit without eyes watching him. Haruka feels slightly bad for intruding on his break, but he still looks as exhausted as yesterday, maybe actually worse than before.
The younger idol steps in front of Tenn’s line of sight, the lunch bag in his hand feeling slightly heavier. “Hey,”
“Afternoon,” Tenn blinks as he realizes the younger idol is here to work for a few more days, and Haruka tries to ignore the way Tenn smiles at him. “You know, now I’m curious.”
Haruka tilts his head slightly, not expecting Tenn to actually start a genuine conversation with him. “Curious?”
“About your solo work.”
“I—It’s just a commercial,” Haruka mutters, his cheeks flushing slightly for reasons even he doesn’t know. “Nowhere near as exhausting as yours.”
Oh fuck, he didn’t mean to say that.
Tenn’s lips part, letting out a small oh at the fact that Haruka knows. “Did Riku tell you?”
“Wha—? No!” Haruka sputters. “And why him?”
Tenn shrugs, an unreadable emotion passing through his face. “Well, you do text each other a lot.”
“No, he didn’t say anything, I just overheard the staff saying that you’re working on a super hard project.”
“Are you worried about me?” Tenn suddenly asks.
Haruka begins to think of a thousand ways he could deny Tenn’s words, but what escapes his lips is, “And if I say yes?”
The way the pink-haired idol’s eyes seem to widen from surprise would’ve normally made Haruka feel a sense of victory. To think he can make Kujo Tenn falter, even just for a second, is an achievement. But right now, he can't think of Tenn without feeling concerned.
“I’m fine.”
There’s a hint of apology in Tenn’s expression, and it makes Haruka feel annoyed. Don’t be sorry. You're ridiculous.
“I know," he lies, pursing his lips and trying not to let out a slew of words about how the older idol should take care of himself properly before he collapses.
Of course, he doesn’t do that.
For now.
Instead, he shoves the lunch bag into Tenn’s hands. “Here. I packed an extra lunch by accident. You can have it.”
That, of course, is also a lie. Haruka leaves out the part where he woke up earlier this morning to cook an extra portion of lunch with his grandma’s help.
Tenn blinks, seemingly unsure of what to say. Good, just take it and eat, or else I’m going to combust. Haruka can see the gears turning inside the other idol’s head as he tries to come up with a reason to refuse.
“It’ll taste bad in the evening, so just eat it as soon as possible,” Haruka says firmly before Tenn can actually refuse.
Finally, to his relief, Tenn takes the bag, his eyes studying it with hesitation. “I guess it’ll be bad to waste food….”
Haruka holds back a victorious grin.
When he finishes for the day, he runs into Tenn again. To his relief, the idol doesn’t look as terrible as earlier; there’s actual color to his cheeks now.
But wait, shouldn’t he have finished like an hour ago?
Haruka ignores the thump in his heart at the thought of Kujo Tenn waiting for him.
When Tenn’s eyes spot him walking out, he smiles softly. The orange glow of the evening sun through the windows and the way it colors Tenn’s face makes something ache in Haruka’s chest. He knows that Kujo Tenn is a beautiful person. He knows, and he should be immune to its almost hypnotizing effect, but—
“Here, I wanted to return this.” Tenn hands him the lunch bag, and Haruka lets out a small smile when he notices the lighter weight.
“How was it?” Haruka asks, mind racing in anticipation over Tenn’s answer. He feels a little bit silly to feel nervous over something so simple, but he just can’t help it! He worked hard to make it, and he wants to know Tenn’s honest opinion.
He chuckles at Haruka’s eager expression. “It was delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten a home-cooked meal.”
Kujo Tenn likes my cooking.
The younger idol feels himself exhaling in relief and his lips curling up into a wider smile against his will, though he washes it away a moment later by clearing his throat.
That night, as Haruka lies in bed, scrolling through his phone, he stops midway when he realizes what he's doing.
Why on earth is he scrolling through recipes on his phone, thinking of which one would make Kujo Tenn happy? Haruka is definitely not becoming addicted to cooking for Kujo Tenn. Absolutely not. No way in the whole world. He only did it once; he doesn't need to do it a second time or a third time or a fourth time.
Clicking his tongue, he scrolls through his phone angrily, finger tapping aggressively on the screen as he saves a recipe for yakisoba, onigiri, and a whole bunch of other ones that he’ll cook.
This is all Kujo Tenn’s fault.
Tenn eyes him suspiciously with a raised eyebrow this time when Haruka hands him another lunch bag.
“You cooked too much…again?”
“I-I didn’t cook for you, okay?” Haruka grumbles, feeling stupidly threatened. “Not my fault you’re the first person I see at work."
“That doesn’t explain why you cooked too much…twice.”
“I’m just bad at measuring ingredients?” That sounds stupid, but sue him for not being able to come up with a rational and logical lie. "Look, just take it. It'll get thrown out if you don't.”
Thankfully, Tenn doesn’t interrogate him further and takes the food. “I suppose I should thank you.”
Haruka takes note of the way Tenn’s voice turns serious.
“You’re right that I’ve been exhausted these past few days,” Tenn says, his expression open for the first time in a few days. “But I’ve been feeling better thanks to you and your lunchbox.”
Something seems to explode in both Haruka’s mind and heart, so much so that he feels everything inside him getting messier and more tangled. He can't even speak, feeling his chest constrict at every word he attempts to say. Tenn is saying that he feels better because of him? Not just because of the food but because of him as a person?!
Finally, after Haruka.exe is back online, he manages to utter a high-pitched and embarrassing “you’re welcome”.
Curse you, Kujo Tenn.
Nanase
hey. mind if i ask you something?
Morning!
Sure, what’s up?
whats your brother’s favorite food?
....
Why do you want to know?
just tell me
It's omurice.
thx
No, but seriously, why did you want to know?
Could it be… that you’re gonna cook up his favorite food? That’s so sweet!
Haruka-kun?
Harukaaa-kun???
Can you please stop ghosting me when you don’t want to answer the question?
.
never
“Haru-chan, you’re really enthusiastic about cooking these days.” His grandma laughs softly as she helps him chop up the necessary ingredients to make a plate of omurice. “Could it be that you’re doing it for a special someone? You’ve been making food for two.”
“Wha—?! No, that’s not it!” Haruka grumbles, red flushing across his cheeks. He can’t count how many times this week he’s denied people’s words over why he's cooking so much. At least after today, he won’t need to do it again since his work at the studio is finished, and he won’t need to drop by again.
He hates to admit it, but it does feel kind of sad in a way that he won’t need to cook for Kujo Tenn again. It’s been fun…looking up recipes, preparing and cooking ingredients before finally seeing the soft, grateful look on Tenn’s face when he gives him the food.
Though he’ll never say that to anyone.
Haruka looks away from what he’s doing when he hears his phone notification beeping. When he opens his Rabbichat, he feels his heart leaping up to his throat.
Kujo Tenn
Why did I hear from Riku that you’re asking him about my favorite food?
lies slander ive never done such a thing
[Image]
Are you sure?
WHY DID HE SEND YOU THAT????? THAT’S A PRIVATE CHAT BETWEEN ME AND HIM
So it’s true?
I’m not mad, just curious, so please be honest with me.
…
Isumi Haruka?
Haruka.
Answer the question.
Isumi Haruka, don't you dare block my number.
You blocked this contact
[Blocked Message]
[Blocked Message]
“Haru-chan, what’s wrong?” His grandmother asks with a worried tone as she hears the sound of a kitchen utensil falling to the ground, followed by her grandson squatting down on the floor with his hands covering his face as a groan escapes his lips.
“I’m never stepping outside ever again,” Haruka mutters, his voice muffled by his hands. “I’m staying in this house until I die.”
Haruka knows he can’t avoid Tenn forever. But he sure as hell can postpone it until the world ends. Unfortunately, he couldn’t exactly skip work; that would be a terrible look not only for him but ŹOOĻ, so with a begrudging heart, Isumi Haruka steps inside the studio with his heart pounding and anxiety building up in his stomach.
Thankfully, Kujo Tenn is nowhere to be seen at the usual spot they’ve been meeting for the past few days, and Haruka breathes easier when he steps inside the room he’s filming in. AKA, the room where Kujo Tenn isn’t at. For the moment, he could just forget about his nerves and do his job properly. But as he steps out of the studio in the evening, it seems like his plan of postponing until the world burns to the ground in a fiery glory has failed big time as his eyes land on Tenn standing in the hallway.
“You blocked me,” Tenn says matter-of-factly with a raised eyebrow, his stare drilling holes in the sides of Haruka’s face as the younger idol looks away.
“I’m sorry, okay!” Haruka groans. “I just panicked a little.”
“Panicked,” Tenn mutters. “Then you can answer me now, can’t you?”
Haruka’s eyes flicker around the room nervously, but he knows that Tenn wouldn’t let him go until he answers. “Ugh, alright, fine! Yes, I did! I was just curious; it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Was that so hard to say?” Haruka only responds with a defeated pout. “Anyway, you didn’t cook too much today?”
“What—oh.” Haruka realizes that in his panic earlier this morning, he’d completely forgotten to finish packing up the last lunchbox he was supposed to give to Tenn today. Now he feels all sorts of guilty for both avoiding the other idol and forgetting the lunch bag. "Sorry."
“It's alright. I know you can't do that forever.” Tenn says.
There’s a disappointed look on his face that does nothing good for Haruka’s heart. Maybe that’s why when Haruka answers, he says something that he almost wishes he could take back.
“Kujo Tenn,” he swallows. “Wanna come and have dinner at my house? My grandma won't mind.”
“Oh my, it’s not often Haru-chan brings home friends other than those three.” His grandma smiles brightly.
“I’m sorry for intruding,” Tenn replies with an even brighter smile that looks genuine. “I hope it's okay."
“Not at all! It’s always a pleasure to meet one of Haru-chan’s friends.” His grandma stares at Tenn’s face for a moment, eyeing how the two are standing close, and suddenly grins. “Could you be the one he’s been cooking for these past few days? I’ve never seen him work so hard in the kitchen for a friend.”
“Wha—!” Haruka’s face turns a deep shade of red. He ignores the way Tenn's smile turns amused next to him. “Grandma! I’ll be in my room with him until dinnertime, okay?” In a rush, the younger idol grabs Tenn’s wrist and swiftly pulls the other idol into his room.
Once alone, Haruka can’t help but bury his face into his hands, not daring to look at Tenn’s expression. “Please forget what she said.”
There’s silence between them. It stretches for a moment, long enough for Haruka to start feeling even more anxious and nervous. Finally, Tenn opens his lips, eyes gazing at Haruka.
“Well…I knew it wasn’t just you cooking too much food…” Tenn starts. Haruka peeks between his fingers and is surprised to see a light blush on Tenn’s cheeks. The sight is enough for him to slowly pull his hands away from his face. “So you were really cooking all of that for me?”
“I, uh,” Haruka swallows, feeling his face heating up. “You just looked exhausted these past few days, so I thought…yeah…ugh, I feel embarrassed.”
Tenn’s lips part for a moment before they curl into a smile, his expression growing ever so soft and tender. Haruka doesn’t know what to expect, but he doesn’t expect Tenn’s hand curling around his, his palms warm against Haruka’s.
“Was your plan to cook omurice today?”
“Yes,” Haruka huffs. “And you ruined the surprise, so you’re going to have to wait a long time before I’m cooking one again.”
Tenn’s eyes widen. “You’re going to cook for me again?”
At the question, Haruka pauses and thinks to himself. Am I going to cook for Kujo Tenn again? If he’s being honest, he had a lot of fun, and seeing Tenn’s reactions to it also made his heart flutter, symbolizing a deeper feeling that sends warmth across his entire body.
“If you want me to,” Haruka says softly, noticing how close they are to each other now. He feels a light kiss being pressed against his cheek and Tenn's fingers threading through his, the older idol squeezing his hand gently.
When Tenn pulls away, he looks flushed and a bit shy. His hand comes up to brush a strand of Haruka’s wayward hair and tucks it back in place. Every gesture and every expression causes Haruka’s blush to deepen, but not from embarrassment. This is all far from embarrassing. It’s warm, soft, and makes his heart beat faster.
“I look forward to everything you give me, Isumi Haruka.”