Archive of Our Own

One of the hardest things to adjust to in the big city was the food. In Rinne's hometown, everything was scavenged and hunted and fished by people he knew. Herbs grew in his own backyard, and game grew up in the forests just beyond. Scales and fur were removed from carcasses by his own hands and the people around him. Occasionally they would trade with other villages for but in the end, everything was the same: natural, organic, homegrown.

Food was much, much different in the city. Heavily processed and fake in a way he'd never imagined. The first time he'd popped a candy into his mouth, he'd spit it out from the way it coated his tongue in the stickiest, horrifically sweet syrup he'd ever tasted. The cheaper the food, the worse it was too: heavy in salt, laced with addictive sugar, hard on the unsuspecting stomach of someone who hadn't ever eaten anything like it.

With no other way to survive, he'd learn to stomach the fake flavors and pungent tastes, but he wasn't eating food to enjoy it. If he didn't eat, he would die; it had always been that way, but this was the first time he'd had to scrape by with only dregs in his stomach and waning strength. He had no other choice when he was homeless and cast aside by society to adapt.

That was, until he met Niki. Until he tasted the most delicious saving grace in his life. Young, talented Niki who had a way with food unlike anyone Rinne had ever met. Not even the seasoned oba-chans in his hometown could make flavors sing in harmony the way this fourteen-year-old could. Even when their shoestring budget could only cover the cheapest, most artificial ingredients, Niki would pull some invisible strings to cook a delicious and filling meal. Under his careful hands everything tasted fresh, and if it wasn't for him Rinne didn't know if he could've ever gotten used to eating and even enjoying city food.

But Niki was still only fourteen, and still learning even without the guidance of his parents. Despite being a genius in the kitchen, despite claiming he could remake any dish as long as he tasted it once before, cooking was an art. It took time and practice, and sometimes things didn't click on the first try.

Rinne had just gotten home, whistling the song of a famous idol with a grocery bag swinging by his hip. He'd made it to the store just in time to get some heavily discounted produce, and had fresh tomatoes and eggplant. Maybe he could talk Niki into making something Italian again - that pizza dish he'd made last week had been the best thing Rinne had tasted yet!

"Niki~" he called, his cheery voice filling the apartment. He used to stay quiet and reserved to keep from being a nuisance, but with Niki he was learning to break out of his shell and take up as much space as he pleased. "I'm back!"

He was met with silence - or as silent as the city allowed. The muted sounds of neighbors milling about in their apartments and the hum of electronics never ceased here. But no "welcome home" greeted him, despite Niki's shoes being next to the door.

"Niki?" He took off his own shoes and ventured tentatively into the apartment. He beelined to the kitchen, wondering if Niki was too enraptured in making food to respond. It wouldn't be the first time, though Niki usually always made it a point to greet him now that he had someone to say it back to.

The scene before him was a mess. Flour coated the countertop, as well as up Niki's arms as he frantically worked a dough, the frustration obvious on his face. Beside him sat another lump of dough - not left to rise, but overworked with deep fingerprints bruised into it, discarded. What should've been a smooth sauce sitting in a pan on the stovetop was curdling and beading like a head of broccoli. Another pot behind it boiled away, forgotten.

"Niki!" he shouted this time, dropping the grocery bag and flying to the counter, heart in his throat. Still he was ignored as Niki kneaded the dough with a frustrated ferocity Rinne had never seen from him before. Moody from near starving, yes. Exasperated at Rinne's lack of social knowledge, frequently. But this hyperfocus, this fury and upset etched darkly into his face was a side Rinne had never seen from his young companion.

"Niki stop!" he said, rounding on the boy. His words had no effect. "Snap out of it will ya!" Rinne reached forward and wrapped his hand around Niki's elbow, wrenching him from his kneading. Niki seemed to jolt in surprise at the interruption, a stricken look on his face before he turned to Rinne and scrunched his eyebrows at him in confusion.

"Rinne-kun?" He seemed to come back to himself, his eyes clearing like a cloudless day. "Welcome home. When did you get back?"

"Never mind that!" Rinne could not believe this kid. He reached over to turn off the stovetop, and Niki startled when his eyes followed Rinne's movements, noticing the state of the food on the stove. "What happened here? It looks like an active war zone!"

Horror crept onto Niki's face as he finally surveyed and comprehended the state of the kitchen in front of him. Rinne could feel him go still where he held onto his arm like the calm before a storm. The now two mounds of inedible dough, the ruined sauce, the forgotten broth-

They never wasted food. Anything Rinne couldn't finish, Niki would surely polish off. Food was sacred, and every bite was a step closer to Niki's survival, to Rinne's dreams coming true.

"I-" Niki's voice shook, a quiet tremble. "I- I was trying to, to pull noodles..."

He stood silent and trembling, looking at the kitchen miserably, guiltily. Rinne let go of Niki's arm to rustle his hair despite Niki's hatred for the act, hoping it would relieve some of the stress from his shoulders. "You'll get it next time, Niki, I know you will," he assured. "Now let's clean this up. I bought some veggies-"

"I wasted food, the biggest crime one could commit in the kitchen, and I couldn't even make the noodles right. I'm not worthy to be called a chef," Niki mumbled, his shoulders dropping as if a boulder had landed on them. It was as if Rinne's words had fallen on deaf ears.

"Wasting food can't be the biggest kitchen crime when things like murder and adultery exist," Rinne said, trying to add some much needed levity to this conversation. He wrapped his arm around Niki's thin shoulders. "And you're the best cook I've ever met. This one instance can't erase all the skill you've built up over your entire lifetime."

But he was shut out again as Niki ignored his comment, closing in on himself even more. He held his hand up to his mouth like he was trying to hide the trembling of his lip. Alarm bells were starting to go off in Rinne's head as Niki clammed up further.

"We can...we can save the broth, right?" Rinne tried. His voice edged with desperation. He didn't know what to do. "You can use it to make a different soup, or to cook premade noodles in." He was sure they had instant noodles they could boil in it. "We could still make the pasta, and I'll eat every piece of it because it can't be that bad if Niki's the one who made it." He was freaking out; Niki was hardly responding in his grasp. Whether these things were even possible was beyond his knowledge. All Rinne knew was he had to knock Niki out of this dark cloud he'd fallen into.

"I-I can't-"

There was a trembling to Niki's voice, a little scrunch to his nose and brow. A dam, holding back a flood. Rinne had never seen Niki cry before, and the thought terrified him. "You can, Niki," he stressed. He turned Niki so he could grasp both of his arms, so Niki had no choice but to look at Rinne instead of continuing to berate himself looking at his failed attempts.

"Hey. Listen to me." He lowered his voice, trying to take a calmer, more encouraging approach since his suggestions weren't working. "Someday you'll be the best chef on this big blue planet. But right now, you're still learning. It's alright to fail. I know you'll get it next time."

Niki finally seemed to hear him, much to Rinne's relief. It was like Niki had been turned into a well-greased pan, and Rinne was desperately trying to stick to the surface with no traction. He bit his lip, but looked up at Rinne finally, eyes clear even if he still looked miserable. "Next time?"

"Yeah," and Rinne smiled in relief. "You can do anything when you put your mind to it, y'know?"

Niki returned his smile with a fragile, wobbly thing that had no real heart in it, and then said, "Next time I'll get it right, so I won't be worthless to you Rinne-kun."

Now it was Rinne's turn to stare in horror and heartbreak. "...Worthless?"

Niki nodded, still wearing a smile like unsweetened chocolate. "I'm sorry I messed up dinner. I'll get started on something else right away so I don't trouble you with this mess anymore. I'll get it right next time so I won't be a burden again."

This tiny human being, barely older than Hiiro but stronger and kinder than anyone Rinne had ever known, was trying his best to smile his way through these negative affirmations that had been placed on him, that he'd placed on himself-

Niki was Rinne's savior. When everyone else in this society saw him as trash, an eyesore, and a nuisance while he was living on the streets, Niki had seen someone worth saving, or at least was the only person decent enough to try. To his own detriment, no less. Rinne would always vividly remember the panic he'd felt when Niki fainted on him after letting him eat the rest of his nikujaga

To hear him speak so lowly of himself, to think of himself as a burden when he had been nothing but a saint...If anyone was a burden in this tiny apartment with barely enough food to keep them afloat, it wasn't Niki, who could turn even the blandest rice into something savory and palatable. To realize that Niki held such little self-worth for himself...Rinne wouldn't allow it. He couldn't.

"Don't...Don't talk about yourself like that," Rinne warned, voice low and commanding.

Back home, he always wished his words held less of a sway over his brother. Here and now, he found himself hoping for the opposite. How he wished his words would reach Niki.

He dropped to his knees before Niki, surprising him, before grabbing him and pulling him into an embrace.

"Rinne-kun, you brute! Don't just hug people out of nowhere!" Niki complained, squirming a bit. It was like the snap of a rubber band as he broke out of his funk. He beat his small fist against Rinne's back once before seeming to lose his resolve and relenting to the hug. They both held on tight, and Rinne wondered how long it's been since anyone's hugged Niki - he surely can't remember the last time anyone's hugged him.

(It was probably Hiiro when he was younger, before reverence and fealty had been drilled so hard into his skull that he refrained from ever touching Rinne.)

I'm going to make you happy, Rinne swore silently, holding the boy close. He already owed Niki so much for saving him - he was going to grant Niki's wish of always having a full stomach, and spend the rest of his time making sure Niki knew he was appreciated and just as worthy as anyone else. More worthy, even. He was going to show Niki how much he's worth.

After all, wasn't it an idol's job to spread happiness? To bring joy and cheer wherever they went? If he could spend his life making just one person happy, just this one important person happy, he would be content. And if he could make Niki into an idol alongside him, couldn't they bring the world happiness twofold? That way he'd be making Niki happy, and that would be turned back to the world. That way he could tie his dreams to his promise.

"I'm going to be an idol," Rinne swore aloud. His voice shook with conviction. He had to make this a reality, no matter what.

"I know, I know! You want me to help you become an idol, you always say that."

"If I become an idol, will you join me?" At first, it'd been just his dream, but he'd seen the way Niki grew interested in idols during their research and how naturally he took to trying out popular dances and songs. Niki could be something great, but more importantly they could be something great together.

"Hmm, I don't really get it," Niki responded. This time when he struggled in Rinne's grasp, Rinne let go. Niki stayed within the circle of his arms though, this smile on his face a lot more natural. "The only thing I really knew about idols before wasn't all that good, so I still don't know why anyone would want to be one, or what it takes to become one. But Rinne-kun, since you're a weirdo who didn't even know how to buy groceries when I met you, I guess I have to help."

Normally Rinne would grouse about being called out, wouldn't allow this blow to his pride. But Niki's eyes were no longer dull and miserable, but instead sparkling and genuine, and maybe Rinne's were too, so he could allow it this once.

Niki laughed and said, "Let's find out what it means to become idols together!" and Rinne had never been happier to see a smile on Niki's face.

This hug didn't count. It didn't. But-

But Niki's arms, tight and sure around Rinne's waist. The only assurance he had left as the world crumbled down around him. He'd just killed his dreams - Crazy:B was supposed to be his desperate rise to the top, only to come crashing down. He'd never be an idol again. Even if he saved Kohaku and HiMERU's chances of stardom, even if Hiiro got the opportunity to live the fun, fulfilling life he deserved, even if Rinne managed to open the fans' minds and make even the tiniest dent in the industry, even if it hadn't all been in vain - he'd still lost. Lit himself on fire to keep everyone around him warm.

At the end, when he'd been standing at the edge of the cliff, ready to drop back into the abyss he'd worked so hard to pull himself out of-

At the end of it all, when he'd played his final hand and the world turned against Amagi Rinne-

He was still selfish enough to turn to the one bridge he hadn't burned. The one he couldn't bring himself to burn. Because even if he was a villain, even if he had lost and was beaten down and desolate,

even then, Shiina Niki was there with a warm meal and a hand extended. He still greeted Rinne with a smile, still made enough food to fill both of their stomachs, still promised to stay by his side even when things were the ugliest they'd ever been. Rinne set himself on fire to keep everyone around him warm, but Niki stood right behind him with a bucket of water and salve for his burns.

Niki's offer to go back to his village with him gave Rinne a sliver of hope despite drowning in misery and grief. He didn't know what he expected when he hid out in the ES staff cafeteria - he expected pity, and some food at the very least. But Niki went above and beyond anything Rinne could've ever hoped for, and promised Rinne a future even when everything was bleak. Dawn clearing the oppressive darkness of the night.

Rinne didn't know what he did to deserve to have someone like Niki by his side, but he was going to hold on to him as long as he could. Forever, if Niki would have him - he seemed willing, despite all the protests against marrying Rinne. He had to be, to vow to stay with Rinne even as he returned to his village and leave the city behind forever.

Which is why this hug didn't count. It wasn't even a hug; Niki simply held on while Rinne drove out of the city and out of this life forever. Two arms, snug around his waist, a chest pressed against the line of his back. Warmth. Security. It wasn't a hug and yet at that moment that grounding, comforting touch was the only thing in the entire world that mattered.

The smile on Niki's face was carefree as usual, but Rinne could see the strain etched in the slight tilt of his eyebrows and in how tight he was holding his jaw. Grinning and bearing it, or as Niki liked to say, any problem can be solved with a smile. Which is why Rinne was here, pretending he had no other choice but to help Niki move.

When they'd first been assigned a dorm room in the old building, none of Crazy:B had been keen on staying in it. HiMERU chose to live close to the hospital, Kohaku in his dorm at Reimei, and Niki, well. Niki was a creature of habit, comfortable in routine. Niki stayed in his apartment, which meant Rinne stayed there as well when he wasn't out and about.

But now that Crazy:B had been assigned proper dorms with existing idols in the Seisoukan Apartments, now that they were apart of ES for good, it was time to go with the flow and move into their new dorms. Even HiMERU was complying for the most part - though there was no punishment for staying elsewhere, it was the least they could do to adapt and integrate themselves.

Besides, Niki needed this push. Life wasn't worth living if you just stuck within your comfort zone, y'know? Which is why Rinne was here, toting a heavy box full of necessities and knick knacks while Niki carried the lighter one with clothes. It wasn't everything he owned - just because they were moving into the dorms didn't mean Niki's apartment was off limits. But it was enough to get him started, to create a sense of home until it became home.

"Ne, ne, Rinne-kun," Niki said, adjusting his grip on his box. "You haven't complained about being forced to carry the heavy box all the way here. Is something wrong with your head?"

"Hah? Does Niki-kyun want me to just dump this all over the floor for anyone to trample on?" If he had a free hand he'd make a grab for Niki's ponytail. Instead, he swung his arms out so his box slammed into Niki's, jostling him with a loud "eep!"

This, too, was a familiar song and dance. Rinne could see the banter easing the last of Niki's discomfort in his stance.

"That's my stuff you're being reckless with! If you break anything you're the one who's going to have to replace it!"

Rinne ignored his comments; they both knew nothing would end up broken. Besides, they'd arrived at the dorm. It the very last one at the end of the hall. "Oi, Niki, if you wanna get yer stuff inside safe you gotta get your card key out so we can open the door."

"Ah~" Niki made the face he makes when he's guilty of something, with a cute little disarming smile that he tries to use to mask the lack of brain activity in his head. "It's in my wallet," he admitted.

"And...?"

"Nyahaha, it's in my pocket," Niki replied. He shimmied his hips in emphasis as if Rinne needed a display to truly understand. Not that he was going to complain about a little show! Niki could shimmy his hips all he liked!

...just another time, when his wallet wasn't inconveniently inaccessible.

With a heavy sigh, Rinne bemoaned Niki's lack of foresight. Now he really wished he had a free hand. Not to grab Niki's wallet, but to pummel him for being an airhead.

Niki's guilty smile melted away into skepticism and then wariness at the dark look on Rinne's face. "Now, now, Rinne-kun, maybe someone is already in there and we just have to knock- yeEP!"

Because it was easier just to do this himself rather than rely on Niki, Rinne adjusted his grip to balance his box on one arm, using the wall as support, while reaching his free hand out to grab onto Niki's pants to haul him closer.

"Rinne-kun! Stop that, what are you doing?"

"I'm grabbin' yer wallet, now stop squirming-"

"Gyah! Stop grabbing at me, I can do it myself!"

By the time the door opened, Rinne had one finger looped around one of Niki's belt loops, wallet sliding out of his lax grip. Niki had a leg extended up, pushing Rinne away by the bicep, face squished against the box he was desperately trying not to drop. Both were disheveled, faces red and teeth gritted trying to accomplish each of their tasks: Rinne's being to get the wallet out of Niki's pocket, and Niki's being to keep Rinne's hands out of his pockets without permission.

"You two are so loud, I could hear your whole conversation from down the hall!" they were greeted as the door opened between them. One of the Aoi twins - Hinata, judging from the pink hair clips on the side of his head - was standing in the doorway with an amused smile on his face. "Well, not that that's anything unusual around here. I just thought I'd intervene before things got too heated~ Or else Hasumi-senpai will come get everyone into trouble. I salute! ✰"

Rinne blinked at the interrupting twin before shrugging Niki's foot off his jacket and unhooking his hand from Niki's pants. Both of them straightened up with a few quiet grunts and glares and elbows at each other.

Rinne, of course, knew about 2wink. He'd looked into every band he wasn't already familiar with when Crazy:B had been stirring the big pot that was ES, but had been unable to bring himself to retaliate against the two brothers who were trying to become independent enough to stand on their own. That, and he didn't think the vice president would take kindly to COS PRO's units retaliating against one another.

"Thank you so so much for opening the door! I don't know what I would've done if Rinne-kun had gotten his way," Niki bemoaned, and this time Rinne didn't hold back as he kicked at his ankle.

"I was tryin' to open the door-" he sighed, trailing after Niki as they made their way past Hinata and into the dorm. His words were left hanging, falling on deaf ears as Niki and Hinata began chatting amicably behind him.

Rinne took a moment to take in the space while Niki introduced himself to his new roommate, setting the cardboard box down heavily on the floor. It was a good-sized room - no kitchen, of course, as the building had a shared one in the common room - but a living room area that was already set up with movie players and a video game system, as well as a separate space with three beds, one of which was already made up. Off to the side was a restroom and closets.

This was going to be Niki's home for the foreseeable future, and discounting the lack of kitchen, it was going to be cozy, happy, and good for him. A lovely place to come back to after a long day of idol work. The only thing missing was-

"Nii-san?"

An Amagi.

Rinne closed his eyes, almost sighing with the surprising flood of relief he felt. If there was anything that could make Niki feel at home in a way nothing other than food could, it would be an Amagi, fresh and clueless as a newborn baby as to how the world worked. Well, maybe one a little less jaded than Rinne, one a little more obedient and a lot less rowdy. But an Amagi nonetheless.

Rinne turned to see his brother standing in the doorway, holding a backpack with his own stuff. Hiiro had overlooked his roommates and immediately zeroed in on his brother's presence like the finely honed second-in-command he was. Or, well, hopefully used to be.

"Oh~ is Otouto-kun going to be my roommate too?" Niki asked, eyes wide with curiosity and glee as he noticed Hiiro lingering in the doorway.

"Otouto-kun?" Hiiro parroted with an adorably confused look on his face as Niki bounded up to him. "Ah, right, Shiina-san, you've had a close relationship with my brother for a while!"

"Nyahaha, I wouldn't exactly call it that close," Niki deflected, but Hiiro was faster.

"Aira found information online that you two were a duo idol unit a while back," he replied. "You must be close, to want to be in the same group as him again."

"It wasn't for that long...And I mean, I was dragged back into this you hear, it wasn't my idea. It was all your stupid older brother's fault!" Niki turned a pitiable face towards him that begged for assistance. Rinne normally wouldn't care, but this was a special chance to tease both Niki and his unsuspecting brother, so he relented with a sigh.

"Yes yes, it's all my fault," Rinne said placatingly. "It's because if you let yourself take your eyes off this one-" he shook Niki's shoulders, ignoring the glum look on his face, "-for more than a few hours, he'll have perished away out of your careful watch."

"Perish?" Hinata and Hiiro both echoed, turning surprised and concerned looks to Niki.

Niki's sigh like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders added to the effect. "I'm cursed with a body that doesn't absorb calories like normal."

"Oh, is that why you're always working in the cafeteria?" Hinata asked. "To be closer to food?"

A little pep jumped back into Niki as he nodded, as if building off Rinne's good sense of dread meant nothing to him. "If I work as a chef, I get free food!" he grinned. "But it's not just that I want free food, it's that I love cooking too, so it's a win-win~"

"You love cooking? Are you good at baking too?" Hinata asked, eyes sparkling, and the two began to discuss various sweets that they loved - and loved to make.

Rinne watched the ease in which conversation flowed between the two. They seemed to be kindred spirits, both energetic and cheery as they talked.

"Nii-san?" Rinne's attention snapped over to his brother, who was standing beside him, looking curiously up at him. Even without asking, Rinne could track Hiiro's thoughts across his face. The way his eyes flitted between Rinne and Niki, picking up on Rinne's emotions through his body language. Nobody back home ever gave Hiiro enough credit for being so smart and intuitive. "You and Shiina-san-"

Rinne did not want want to hear what assumption Hiiro had made in his smart little head. To make a show of it, Rinne threw an arm around his brother's shoulders to disrupt him. Words started pouring out of him, though he did his best to not make it sound like a command, lest Hiiro make the mistake in following his words as a monarch to the letter. "Listen here, Otouto-kun because what I'm about to tell ya is extremely valuable information. Niki over there...he taught me everything I needed to survive here."

In his mind, he could picture it clearly: him leaning over Niki's shoulder as the younger one handled the keyboard and mouse looking up idols on the internet. The two of them scouring through books about the idol industry until Niki began to complain that there were too many words for his brain to absorb and would leave to make a snack. Niki mustering up the courage to step out of the kitchen at the little restaurant to speak to the well-dressed COS PRO bigwig, his winning smile and cheery tone drawing attention away from the way his hands wrung his ratty food-stained apron.

Niki, who called Rinne a dummy because he couldn't tell his parsley from his cilantro. Niki, who questioned his upbringing whenever he didn't know how to use something common. Niki, who would use an appliance or an electronic Rinne was unfamiliar with, that Rinne would pay extra attention to so he wouldn't have to ask in the future. His adaptability and wits were almost enough to get him by in an unfamiliar society to his hometown, and what he couldn't do on his own, he learned from Niki, or with Niki by his side.

"He might whine loud enough and long enough for you to regret asking in the first place, or he might demand food as payment, but if you have any questions at all, just know there's no guy I trust more than him."

His words came out fond, and there was an uncharacteristically soft smile on his face as he stared across the room at Niki.

Beside him, Hiiro nodded. "Aira and my friends in ALKALOID said the same thing, to not be afraid to come to them with my questions. Things here are new and hard for me to understand, but if Shiina-san could help my brother get through everything the way ALKALOID has helped me, then I will remember your words always."

He knew he had left his brother in good hands, but it was nice hearing the confirmation of it. The conversation was edging a little too close to something personal though, so Rinne steered it away again. He was already dealing with more than he wanted by helping Niki move - having a heart to heart with his brother wasn't an emotional labor he wanted to deal with on top of that.

"Niki-kyun is also an idol who is a professional chef," he said, hoping to drive the conversation in a way he wanted it to go.

"Oh!" Hiiro's eyes lit up. "Does he make food like that delicious hamburg steak I had in the cafeteria?"

"He's probably the one that made it!" Rinne couldn't help but smirk. There was a certain amount of pride that came with knowing even the most ignorant of this culture knew Niki made the best food around.

If anything, Hiiro's eyes seemed to light up even brighter. "Maybe he can make me some omurice!"

"All ya gotta do is ask!" Niki would definitely make Hiiro an omurice if asked with such a shining, earnest face. Rinne steered Hiiro so he was facing Niki, and in a moment his brother was joining in the conversation with his new roommates.

Rinne stood back and watched the three talk for a minute. They were all smiles, a mesh of sunny personalities and eagerness that promised they'd get along well. Though everyone staying at Seisoukan were idols, there were some people at ES that would happily take advantage of someone as easy-going and persuadable as Niki, so he was somewhat relieved to leave him in such company. After all, it was his job to take advantage of Niki, not anyone else's!

Now that everything was to his satisfaction, he was finished here. "Oi! Niki, I'm leaving!" he shouted over his shoulder, hands in his pockets. From the easy way he flitted around Hinata and Hiiro, he knew his little Niki was going to be just fine.

It was their turn to deal with Niki's hunger pangs after a long sleep, and his tendency to stubbornly stay up playing games when he was on a level he couldn't beat. To deal with random staches of food hidden around the room, and the invasion of long gray hairs Rinne always found clinging his clothes. He was passing the baton.

"Oh! Rinne-kun, wait a second!" Niki made his way back to Rinne. "I told Otouto-kun and Hinata-kun that I'd make them dinner tonight to celebrate, I'll text you the time on Hold Hands since you did a decent thing for once and helped-"

Sentimentally got the better of him, because before his mind could process what he was doing, he was throwing his arms around Niki and hauling him into a bear hug. Niki yelped in surprise but didn't squirm much, allowing Rinne to hold him to his chest and drop his head on his shoulder. Rinne didn't know if Niki conceding so easily made the hug better or worse.

...okay, so maybe Niki wasn't the only one a little nervous about this change. Though he was genuinely excited for this next step in their lives - they were actually going to be real, successful idols! - some things, some people, were still hard to leave behind.

"Did your big dumb brain forget I'll just be a floor down from you already?" Niki teased. His hands came up to pat Rinne's back before relenting and melting into the hug. "Nyahaha, I couldn't escape you if I tried. And I have tried! But you always cause such a ruckus crashing my place of work and demanding free food that it's not worth it! Though you'll do that regardless of if I run or not..."

Rinne really, really wanted to enjoy this hug, so he reached up to stop Niki's stupid ramblings with a pinch to his cheek. "Hah? What's this about running away from me? My Niki-kyun? I'm hurt!"

"I'm just saying! You never leave me alone! You'll probably be barging in here all the time, anyways, I'll bet you'll get kicked out by your roommates for being annoy- ngggh!"

Rinne hummed in agreement as he pinched Niki's cheek harder to shut him up again. He liked the thought of hanging around Niki's dorm room when he was bored, though everything that followed could've gone unvoiced.

"You really have a way with words, don't ya?" Rinne groused, pinching his cheek again for good measure. "Where's the love for your pal, huh? My wife is a cruel mistress."

"Whose wife? I don't see a wife here, only men."

"My wife, once you've made up for this emotional damage you're causing me by marrying me. Whaddaya say, Niki-kyun? Right here, right now! Kyaha!"

At that moment, Hiiro stepped into their line of sight - he looked like he had stepped away to start unpacking his belongings - giving Niki an opportunity to escape. "Otouto-kun, help! Your brother is bullying me~" Niki yelped. Rinne loosened his arms - he didn't want Niki to win, but he really didn't want Hiiro to get mixed up in their antics either. Now free, Niki sprung from Rinne's grasp to cower behind Hiiro, who was regarding them with surprise and curiosity. "Kick him out, kick him out!" he hissed, nothing more than a weak little scaredy cat.

Well, he knew a cue to leave when he saw one. But he raised his fist, glare directed at Niki just to watch him squeak and flinch back one last time before going. As he turned to leave feeling somewhat victorious, - maybe he should go gamble, he felt so confident! - he could hear Hiiro tell Niki behind him, "It's good you get along so well with nii-san," followed by Niki's immediate loud protesting. He couldn't help the laugh that bellowed out of him as he swung the door shut behind him.

Yeah, Niki was going to do just fine in the dorms, he mused as he made his way back to the elevator.

Now that that was settled, he had his own stuff to grab and his own dorm to move into. Should he stop by a convenience store first and bring a housewarming snack for his roommates? He was low on funds this month, but he didn't know who his roommates were going to be, so bringing a peace offering before meeting someone whose image he'd no doubt defiled as leader of Crazy:B would be a good idea-

"RIN! NE! KUN!"

He turned at the call of his name to find Niki charging down the hall after him. For a heartbeat, Rinne's face grew hot as he thought, "Is this it? Is Niki chasing after me to finally accept my proposal?" before he was rammed into and sent sprawling down onto the floor.

A fist rained down on his back, a hand grappled at his clothes. "Give me back my wallet, you big jerk! I'm not letting you gamble away my money! I need that for food!"

Oh. Rinne couldn't help but laugh as his back was assaulted and his pockets rifled through. Even though things were changing, some things would always stay the same. He was genuinely surprised Niki even caught on that he hadn't returned his wallet from when he wrestled it away from him earlier.

Since he was feeling charitable, he'd give Niki ten seconds before retaliating. It'd been a while since he'd trapped his beloved chef in a headlock, and he'd been deprived of it several times this evening already.

Ten,

nine...

ASOBI club never planned their big video game nights, which Rinne knew was a great annoyance to one former student council member and current leader of AKATSUKI. However, it was perfect for a spontaneous soul like Rinne's whenever one of their fighting games grew into a boisterous, crowded tournament. The usually mild Seisoukan common room transformed into a rowdy, excitable beast with an energy that almost rivaled a Live. Sometimes their gaming flew under the radar, but tonight was one of their most frenetic yet.

They were playing a fighting game that allowed up to eight participants a match, and were lucky enough to have enough controllers to boot. It was late evening, and as more and more idols made their way to the dorms for the night, more joined in on the excitement.

It was while Rinne was knocked out of a match that Niki finally made an appearance, standing in the doorway from the kitchen to take in the crowd with a half-eaten protein bar hanging from his mouth. Like a magnet, Rinne's eyes were drawn to his presence, so he saw the moment Niki's eyes lit up in recognition like a neon sign in a storefront.

A streak of pride jolted through Rinne when Niki recognized the game on screen as one they used to play after dinner in the apartment. It was the reason why he suggested it - there was no guarantee Niki would've stepped out into the common room tonight, but Rinne was a gambler. He put all his money into this exact moment, on Niki's face lighting up with excitement and nostalgia if - when - he stepped into the room.

And the payoff was tenfold. Smug satisfaction sat in his veins and a now familiar, constant warmth sat in his chest. A laugh whooped out of him despite his loss, his voice carrying over the clamor of the room and attracting Niki's attention.

"Oi!" he called, waving the controller enticingly. "Niki, play the next round!"

Sometimes Niki liked to play up his reluctance, pretending to be annoyed by Rinne's boisterous activities and scolding him for causing a ruckus. Today was not one of those days. Today, he pounced like a cat hungry for a mouse, crossing the room so fast Rinne would've thought he'd outrun UNDEAD's Adonis.

In his wake, there was a cry from Makoto, and a shout of victory from Chiaki - Tetora must've gotten the edge he needed to eke out a win as Niki zoomed in front of the TV to where Rinne was sitting front and center on the couch. He couldn't look to see, as suddenly there was a Niki crowding his space and blocking his view.

He let his legs fall open and his grip slacken on the controller in invitation. Niki beamed at him as he nabbed the controller, that protein bar still sticking out of his mouth, and plopped down right into Rinne's lap.

The decision was unconscious, natural. Despite all the couches and chairs pulled around the TV to compensate for the crowd, seats were limited so the choice was obvious. They weren't the only ones - Chiaki sat on the arm of the couch behind Tetora, his hands on his junior's shoulders as he crept into his space. The Eve duo were situated similarly to them on one of the armchairs, Hiyori draped over Jun's shoulder as he shouted commands at Jun as he played, and everyone in the space was touching in some way. Legs and sides pressed together, arms encircling backs and heads resting on shoulders all to get a better view of the action.

Rinne circled his arms around Niki's waist and propped his chin on his shoulder. The smugness sitting high in his chest grew stronger as he felt Niki lean back into his hold, getting comfortable.

With the shuffling of players among such a large crowd, character selection took a few minutes to get through. The TV was on that screen now, and Niki was focused on configuring buttons and customizing his character's look. That damn protein bar still hung from his mouth. Niki hadn't forgotten it, of course - Rinne rather assumed he was acting like a chipmunk stuffing his cheeks for later. Only momentarily distracted from his snack.

Rinne reached up and grabbed the bar by the wrapper. Niki let out a low, annoyed grumble, which had Rinne laughing. "What are you, a dog resource guarding your food? Pay attention to the screen." Not like Niki was in the wrong for being protective - Rinne often stole his food. He didn't particularly want this one though, as it was covered in Niki's spit.

After a moment, Niki relented and let go, followed by a sharp, "Don't do anything funny, Rinne-kun." His eyes were like a hawk's, watching as Rinne peeled the rest of the wrapper off the protein bar. Rinne rolled his eyes at the overprotectiveness. "Here, bite," he said, holding the snack back out for Niki. Waggling it in the air, even.

Niki deemed it safe, and dove in. His eyes darted back to the screen to make his final selection, which meant Niki wasn't looking when he bit, and his lips closed around Rinne's fingers holding the protein bar.

Jolted by the contact, it took all of Rinne's finely honed reflexes not to react beyond the simple tightening of his arm around Niki's waist and the fire that consumed his face. His heart flipped like a pancake, lodging somewhere in his throat. Niki hummed in his arms, chewing contentedly as if he didn't even notice the state he'd left Rinne in as everyone made their selection.

Red in the face, he stuffed the wrapper into Niki's pocket. Partially to get back at Niki for inadvertently being a tease, but also because it was Niki's trash to begin with, he could throw the damn thing away himself. He was glad Niki was so distracted, otherwise he definitely would've noticed the obvious heat and blush covering Rinne's face. There's no way he would survive being roasted for being flustered in front of such a large number of people.

The match began, and Niki bit the rest of the bar out of Rinne's trembling fingers without incident this time before turning his focus onto the screen. It took almost half the match for Rinne to come back to himself and stop hiding his face in Niki's hair.

Now, Rinne loved the thrill of a good victory, and enjoyed playing games, but often he found himself losing to the more seasoned gamers of the bunch. Loss was normal, and a hard-fought win was worth the thrill of a good opponent but losing match after match stung. Watching someone else and cheering them on, however, added an extra layer of fun to the game, and Rinne loved being on the sidelines cheering his unitmate on.

After a particularly impressive fight in which Rinne exuberantly played hype-man, an elbow landed against his ribs, and Rinne knew it wasn't from Niki inputting controls. He shifted, and then received another surprising blow! He wasn't even doing anything! If he'd known this day would result in horrific blushing and uncalled for abuse, he wouldn't have bothered picking this game!

Before he could tell Niki to cut it out, Niki jerked in his hold, and sharply said "Rinne-kun, quit it!"

Quit what? He wasn't the one who started this. All he was doing was cheering and holding Niki! "I'm not even doin' anything!"

"You're pulling my hair!" Niki shot back.

Rinne blinked. Niki's hair was in its usual ponytail, thrown over his usual shoulder...which Rinne's chin was currently resting on. Strands of gray sat underneath his chin, pressure probably tightening and pulling on them between Niki's button pressing and Rinne's cheering. He let out a drawn-out sigh. What a pest Niki was. It wasn't like he was even doing it on purpose! Couldn't Niki use his words to properly ask him instead of jumping to retaliation?

"Ow! Rinne-kun!"

"I'm fixin' it for you," Rinne groused, sliding the ponytail so it sat on Niki's opposite shoulder. He knew how defensive he got over his hair being pulled, especially by Rinne, but it wasn't like he was bullying Niki on purpose! This time, at least.

Once Niki was satisfied with his hair safely out of the way, they traded the controller back and forth for a few rounds, both staying in long enough to make it into the latter half of the fight, but ultimately losing sometime in the middle. Niki made it to third place in one match before Sora and his master knocked him.

Eventually the Aoi twins joined the fray, claiming the floor beside Rinne and Niki's feet, and their controller was forfeited to let the twins have a go. Rinne wasn't complaining though - as soon as they handed it over, Niki relaxed fully back into Rinne's hold, his hands folding over where Rinne's lay snug around him.

The contact surprised Rinne, but he embraced it wholeheartedly. Holding hands was something they'd done a few times on the way to the grocery store after they'd first met, but the pair quickly grew out of it. Normally when Rinne had to hold something of Niki's, he'd have to hold his whole body to help shoulder his weight if hunger struck when they weren't prepared.

Niki's palms were soft, but his fingertips were calloused and rough from his time spent in the kitchen. His hands were excitable as he was, too: he would squeeze Rinne's when something particularly exciting happened on screen, and Rinne's heart would squeeze with it. Once, during a particularly grueling sudden death final that had the whole room on the edge of their seats, Niki brought his hand up in a cheer, and instead of letting go, simply took Rinne's with the motion!

After that match, the excitement died down, and the common room saw a trickle of idols leaving to go finish homework and settle down for the night. Room became available on the couches, and the same people stayed playing in the matches now that there wasn't a need to shuffle.

"Shiina-senpai, here," Hinata said, offering him the controller back. Another one had come into their possession.

"Nyahaha, I'm all good, thanks~ Any more excitement and I'm gonna need a snack~ But I'm happy to cheer you on."

"Rinne-senpai?" Yuta offered this time.

"And get my ass handed by you two? No thanks. I know when I'm beat."

The twins regarded the two of them for a moment, before shrugging in unison and echoing, "Suit yourselves! ✰" and turning back to the TV.

For the first time in hours, Rinne let himself relax, his back thumping against the couch cushions. Now that the crowd had thinned out and the energy wasn't as high, he could recline and enjoy the game from a more comfortable, lazy position.

Instead of climbing off his lap and making a break for the kitchen, Niki reclined back with him, his forehead pressing into Rinne's cheek. His hair tickled Rinne's chin, and he was starting to feel heavy after sitting on Rinne for so long. But his fingers were still folded around Rinne's like a braided pastry, and what's worse was he shot Rinne such a pleased, comfortable smile that Rinne could feel his heart ratcheting in his chest.

Rinne couldn't even hide his fluster with Niki so close, so he just turned his face away from Niki and hoped whoever was left in the room was paying attention to the TV. "Have you eaten?" he asked, just to sound normal.

"You're just trying to get a free meal off of me," Niki scolded.

Rinne laughed, not denying the remark because it was true; he was once again broke, and why wouldn't he turn to his favorite chef for a free meal? "Please take care of starving lil ol' me, genius chef."

Niki sighed, his breath ghosting across Rinne's neck and chin, sending goosebumps across his skin. "You cheater, you know I won't turn down a hungry soul~" But Rinne could feel the smile tugging at Niki's lips from where his cheek pressed against chin, and the proximity of it was powerful enough to wipe out every other thought in his head.

That is, until the combined might of 2wink echoed from below them, "Please take care of starving lil ol' us, genius chef ✰"

Rinne grinned. He loved those brothers. "Well, Niki?"

"Fine, fine," and Niki pulled away from Rinne, first by pulling Rinne's arms loose and then by standing up, but his fingers remained linked with Rinne's. He skimmed the room, taking stock of the number of players still gathered around the TV, before tugging on Rinne's hands. "C'mon, you're helping me since you started all this," Niki commanded.

Rinne laughed again, relenting this time because without his weighted Niki blanket, just sitting and watching didn't sound as fun. "Let's see what we can make all these hungry gamers."

It was late, and a hush had fallen over the taxi. For once, the ever boisterous Crazy:B settled into silence. The only disruption from any of them was the faint glow from HiMERU's phone as he tried to keep himself awake in case the driver needed assistance.

Normally after an out of town shoot they'd have a hotel room booked, but the little snake that was COS PRO's vice president had scheduled a quote-unquote important collaborative meeting bright and early in the morning so here Crazy:B was, crammed into a small car late into the night heading back into town. Or early into the morning - Rinne wasn't particularly interested in keeping track of time right now, but it might've been past midnight. It was late enough that Kohaku and Niki had succumbed to sleep in the backseat beside him, leaning against each other like a house of cards.

Quiet moments like this were some of Rinne's favorites. He could let himself relax, rein in his brash, audacious persona and just enjoy the quiet company of his unitmates and the starry sky out his window. There were no pretenses at this hour, with these people.

"Amagi, due to how late it is, HiMERU has deemed it best to spend the night at Shiina's apartment rather than return to ES."

Well, almost no pretenses. But then again, they weren't themselves without them.

"'s fine," Rinne replied. That way they wouldn't inconvenience their respective roommates trudging into the dorms at ass o'clock in the morning. "D'ya got the address?"

"Yes. ETA is another 30 minutes."

"Good." Then he kneed the back of HiMERU's chair, hard enough for it to be felt but soft enough for the taxi driver not to notice. "Try to get some sleep MERUMERU. I'll stay awake." After all, HiMERU and Kohaku were probably going to be the only two Crazy:B representatives at the meeting tomorrow. Rinne didn't like playing the role of a good quiet listener, and Niki was even more useless than him in paying attention.

It was silent for a moment beyond the white noise of the tires on the road and the engine, before he received a quiet, "Very well." The light from HiMERU's cell phone clicked off, and Rinne watched as he placed his elbow against the window and held his chin in his hand. He wasn't sure if HiMERU would sleep, but even looking out the window would be better for his eyes than being on his phone until they arrived at the apartment.

After that, it was nothing but staccato streetlights and smooth traffic. The stars shone crisper outside city limits, where their brilliant light didn't have to rival the shining stars at ES. Their twinkling dance kept Rinne's mind awake and calm, accompanying them in this small taxi as they headed home.

The driver took a turn, hitting a bump in the road. It wasn't the sort of pothole that jerked the car and everyone in it awake, but it was strong enough to jostle the backseat, causing the leaning tower of Kohaku-Niki to list over. One moment Rinne was watching the stars, trying to see if he recognized the patterns in them he used to know as a kid, and the next he was pulled out of his musings as a familiar weight leaned into his arm.

Kohaku was wedged between Niki's back and the backseat, curled up and sleeping like a newborn kitten. This new angle meant he was pushing Niki too far down to have landed on Rinne's shoulder, instead hitting against Rinne's bicep. Neither seemed to have stirred - it had been a long day, and Kohaku had stayed up late the night before (though whether doing Double Face work or just wasting his time on social media, Rinne wasn't sure) while Niki passed out after filling up on a late-night snack. Which was probably for the best; Niki would probably be getting hungry about now if he were awake, and they had no spare snacks. A hungry Niki was a grumpy Niki.

Speaking of which-

A wet spot began to form on his sleeve, the warm dampness bleeding through and goosebumping across the skin of his arm. He jerked, looking down to see Niki with a piece of Rinne's shirt in his mouth, a content look on his face as he chewed the material.

If Niki were awake, Rinne would've definitely said something like "If you wanted me to take my shirt off, all you have to do is ask!" just to tease him. Niki always reacted with fire whenever he threw flirty one-liners his way, much to Rinne's amusement. HiMERU regarded them with a cold shoulder, the way he did with most nonsense Rinne threw his way, while Kohaku always questioned his sanity and maturity. Niki was his straight man, his comedic partner in crime.

But since Niki was asleep, instead he reached down to pinch gently at Niki's cheek; not hard enough to wake but discomforting enough for his nose to scrunch up and a small whine to elicit from him, causing him to drop Rinne's shirt from his mouth. The wet fabric landed against his bicep, his body shivering from the sensation.

Rinne had been around Niki long enough to know that he'd just latch back on the second his dream turned back towards eating, which it always did. And his poor sleeve wouldn't last the car ride if he let it become a victim to such an assault, so he eased Niki down until his head was resting on Rinne's lap.

The angle couldn't be good for his back, but Niki was young and flexible, and only sighed softly and nestled in further. Kohaku too seemed to settle more comfortably where he was leaned over Niki, neither showing signs of waking.

It was probably illegal, letting them lay across the seat like this, but the taxi driver didn't say anything about it when Rinne met his eyes in the rearview mirror, so what did Rinne care? He cradled Niki's head so it wouldn't rock as the car moved, careful not to let his fingers yank on the strands of his ponytail. After all, he didn't want a grumpy Niki waking up and no doubt causing a commotion, especially if it also woke Kohaku.

A quiet contentedness sat in Rinne's stomach as he brushed the bangs out of Niki's face where they threatened to fall into his nose and mouth. Niki had a natural charisma, a sunniness he brought with his cheery personality and bright smiles. And once you found out how good of a cook he was, it was like a one-two punch to the heart. But there was a different kind of beauty to his face like this, his eyes closed and expression serene. So different from the hot oil splatter he spewed at Rinne on a daily basis for all his annoyances, or the sparkle in his eyes when he was really, truly enjoying himself. A beauty that captured Rinne's attention the same way the stars out the window had.

The rest of the car ride passed uneventfully, and before he knew it they had arrived at the apartment. Rinne roused Kohaku and Niki from their naps while HiMERU settled things with the driver. Kohaku blinked sleepily and shuffled out of the car like a zombie, while Niki whined uselessly and clung to Rinne like a limpet.

Normally Niki would host the two with all the hospitality he could fit into his calorie-deficient body, often unsuccessfully trying to bully Rinne into helping because it was "proper" and Kohaku and HiMERU were "guests." But right now Niki had a miserable look on his face, his mouth downturned and his weight sagging in Rinne's hold while his stomach debuted its off-key attempt as a solo artist, so the other worker bees could deal with a frosty reception for once. Rinne had been awake too long to deal with this any more than he had to.

This wasn't the first time Crazy:B had taken shelter at the Shiina apartment for the night. It didn't happen regularly, but enough that a barely conscious Kohaku could autopilot his way to set up the spare futon before pitching over, back asleep in a childlike manner that had Rinne smiling fondly at him. HiMERU beelined towards the bathroom - he'd sleep on the couch, but HiMERU put a lot of effort into his image and wasn't going to go to sleep without a proper shower first. He'd had the foresight to stash some of his skincare products here just in case.

Rinne dragged Niki into the kitchen, leaving him to waste away in a dining room chair while he raided the pantry. It'd been a while since they'd stocked up on food for the apartment, and the best he could scrounge up immediately was a packet of wasabi rice crackers. He opened the bag and dropped it onto the table in front of Niki before heading to the rice cooker.

There wasn't much, but with a condition like Niki's, there was always something to eat in the apartment. He set to work washing rice before putting enough in the rice cooker to satisfy four stomachs - if he was going to have to cook for Niki, he might as well make something for HiMERU and Kohaku to fill up on if they got hungry in the morning.

Ignoring the voracious crunching behind him, Rinne set the rice to cook, then grabbed a jar of homemade umeboshi to pit. Onigiri was about the highest effort food he could manage right now - it was late, after all. Even someone as youthful and energetic as him had a limit.

He set to work preparing the plums, and after a minute the quiet sound of a chair scraping the floor echoed around the quiet kitchen and a line of warmth pressed against his back.

The flip-flop of their usual clinging had an amused smile tugging at the corners of Rinne's mouth, with Niki hanging off his shoulder for once as Rinne took on the position as chef. Though Niki's monster appetite had been satisfied for the moment and his mood lifted somewhat, Rinne could still feel Niki's critical eyes watching him work, and all it took was one unprompted comment about proper knife technique for Rinne to put an end to his backseat cooking.

"Go wash up instead of tell me what to do," he grumbled, grabbing a pitted umeboshi and holding it up. It was snatched out of his fingers and shoveled haphazardly into Niki's mouth. It would've been impossible to live with Niki for four years and not learn a thing or two in the kitchen; he really didn't need to be supervised like this. "By the time you're done, the rice will be ready. You can help me form the onigiri if you're gonna be critical of my work."

"Okay!" Niki grinned and leaned all his weight forward to squeeze Rinne's arms in a hug, no doubt rejoicing before bounding out of the room in a surprise burst of energy. It wouldn't be Niki if he wasn't happiest making food for himself and others to enjoy.

By the time Niki made his way back from the bathroom, damp and clean, the rice had finished cooking and was cool enough to form into onigiri just as Rinne had promised. He settled in next to Rinne like they'd done a thousand times before, arms pressing together lightly. At this early morning hour long past either of them should've been awake, instead of sharp elbows and words they fell into a softer, gentler kind of companionship.

Rinne plopped a finished rice ball into Niki's hands before he could get started on forming the rest of the rice, the shape a little plump and the nori wrapped a bit haphazardly. Niki flashed him a grateful smile, eyes almost sparkling, and took a bite out of it with a "Thanks, Rinne-kun~ This is the best. Yummy, yummy food~~"

"Don't talk with yer mouth full," Rinne chided, hoping his tone hid the spreading flush on his face.

They worked quietly - there really wasn't much to say at this hour, so Niki hummed a patchwork melody to himself, snippets of Crazy:B songs coming and going but landing on nothing specific. His fingers deftly formed the rice around the umeboshi and wrapped the nori snugly into place. Rinne loved watching Niki work in the kitchen, seeing his passion and his expertise shine as brightly as he did on any stage.

"Rinne-kun, here," Niki said, offering a perfect onigiri his way the same way Rinne had greeted him earlier. "I'll finish the last of these, so go get ready for bed. I'll meet you there."

Rinne flashed a grin at Niki and let Niki drop the onigiri into his hand. "If the genius chef says he has it handled, who am I to argue?" He took a bite of the onigiri and was happy to find it tasted just as good as if Niki had been the one preparing the rice and filling.

By the time he freshened up and entered the bedroom, Niki was spread out on the bed, blankets askew and t-shirt riding up exposing a sliver of soft stomach. His hair was loose and splayed out across the pillow in a way that would tangle before morning came. Beside him his phone lay bright and awake - he probably nodded off waiting for Rinne to come to bed.

The physical memory of Niki's head cradled in his lap slammed into Rinne as he was met with Niki's serene beauty once again. He itched to have Niki back in his arms, pliant and trusting and comfortable with sleep. Steely determination settled in his bones. Suddenly the familiar action of sharing a bed felt more intimate as want buzzed in his belly.

So he shuffled over, a heaviness to his body as the day finally caught up to him, and clambered into bed. The dip in the mattress stirred Niki as Rinne settled in beside him, and he curled on his side, facing away from where Rinne lay down beside him. Perfect, all according to plan.

Rinne pounced. He straightened the blanket out over them before wrapping his arms around Niki's middle and pulling him snugly against his chest. Niki startled into awareness with a "gya!" and immediately started squirming in Rinne's grasp.

It was nothing at all like the soft sweet Niki he'd cradled in the back seat of that taxi. But Niki had always been feisty when awake, and Rinne would happily take either option. Rinne bit back a smile, hiding his face in the cover of Niki's loose hair, his nose filling with the homey scent of their shampoo.

"Rinne-kunnn," Niki whined, his voice syrupy and sweet like molasses. Niki tried to kick and flail to escape, but his movements were weighted and sluggish with sleep, which was quite endearing. "Quit it, you're stiflin'."

"Am not." This time Rinne didn't try to hide as he pressed his smile into that tantalizing nape in front of him. The sleepy weight of Niki in his arms was comfortable, like he was hugging the world's wriggliest teddy bear. He couldn't believe it'd taken him this long to hold Niki like this. He should've done this years ago.

"Are too!"

"Did the umeboshi hate it when you wrapped it into an onigiri?" Rinne asked, and Niki stilled in his arms. Good, that got Niki listening. "Is a gyoza wrapper stiflin' when ya close it around the filling? Is it really so bad to be the red bean paste in an anpan?"

"I'd rather eat an anpan than be in one," Niki whined, but Rinne could feel the fight leaving him. Ha, he could always rely on trusty food metaphors to bend Niki's will to his own! The stiff displeasure seemed to melt out of Niki as he relaxed in Rinne's hold. Snuggle in, even. Rinne couldn't see his face, but he could imagine the kind of blissful, satisfied expression Niki was no doubt making as he imagined being umeboshi, or gyoza filling, or bean paste.

After a few sleepy moments, when Rinne's eyes felt glued shut with exhaustion, a hand found its way into one of the ones holding Niki prisoner, and thin fingers perfectly folded into the empty space between Rinne's. "Being red bean paste..." Niki started, his voice sluggish with sleep again, but undeniably happy. "...doesn't sound so bad."

It was the last thing Rinne heard as he drifted off, and he felt just as undeniably happy being the anpan bun.

They were woken to the sudden slamming of the bedroom door. The bang startled Niki, knocking the back of his head into Rinne's chin, which clicked Rinne's teeth together so harshly he could feel it reverberating around his jaw. He was thankful his tongue hadn't been in the way of such a guillotine. Who was responsible for this rude awakening?

"You guys are still asleep?! It's way past noon! Stop yer cuddlin' and get up already."

Rinne grumbled, tightening his hold on the now squirming Niki in his arms. It was just Kohaku, it's not like he had to listen, especially after such a hostile wake up call. "Ten more minutes," he slurred, burying his face into Niki's back to block out the sunlight seeping into his eyes. Was it really that late already? He slept like a baby last night.

"Haaah...I was trapped in a bad dream I couldn't wake up from," Niki lamented, his hand tugging at Rinne's in a futile attempt to escape. "This is your fault, Rinne-kun! You're the reason I had nightmares about being stuffed into anpan and getting eaten! Don't you smirk- I can feel your shoulders shaking with laughter! This isn't funny Rinne-kun!"

Kohaku and HiMERU stared at them with unimpressed expressions as they ate onigiri from the doorway. "HiMERU is giving you three minutes to get up before Oukawa and HiMERU leave without giving you a debrief of the meeting," HiMERU announced with a touch of venom in his voice. Rinne wasn't looking but he could feel holes boring into his shoulder from HiMERU's glare.

"Fine, fine, I'm gettin' up," he relented, and Niki sprang from the bed the moment his grip slacked, no doubt sprinting to the kitchen to satiate his hunger with more onigiri.

A satisfied warmth sat in his chest - now that he knew how comfortable it was holding Niki so close through the night, there was no stopping him from doing it again. Maybe next time he could leave a snack on the bedside table so Niki could stay and cuddle longer before one of them inevitably got too restless or rowdy.

HiMERU was still standing by the door, wearing a pinched expression on his face. When Rinne finally noticed that he hadn't trailed after Niki like Kohaku had, he said, "HiMERU knows you and Shiina hold a fondness for each other, but he asks that you refrain from such amorous displays when having guests over at your home."

"Aw, MERUMERU, if you want some sweet lovin' from good ol' Rinne too, all you have to do is ask!" he menaced, amping his grin up and holding his arms out and open. The looseness of having just woken up dampened his usual spark, but the effect was the same.

HiMERU turned away with an eyeroll and a "Why does HiMERU even bother," stalking out towards the kitchen and leaving a cackling Rinne behind.

Rinne swung his legs out, his heels knocking lightly against the cabinet doors below them. Niki used to yell at him when he'd sit up on the counter like this, complaining about the importance of a clean work environment to prepare ingredients in and how "you don't know what germs are on the butt of your pants, Rinne-kun-"

...anyways, Niki used to throw a fit each time he'd do this, but tonight Niki simply shoved a popsicle at him and cowed him up onto the counter like he'd prepared the spot just so Rinne could sit quiet and content without a fuss. Which Rinne took offense to, of course - he wasn't a child, he didn't need a sweet treat forced into his hands to keep him out of Niki's workspace. He was an adult, he should've been handed a beer or sake to keep him occupied!

He said as much, and Niki turned to him, eyebrows pursed in thought before breaking out into a goofy little smile and saying "But Rinne-kun, you know they don't allow alcohol here in the dorms, not even cooking wine, so you have to make do with the second best thing I have on hand."

Rinne grinned, because Niki was right of course. They'd had an outdoor event that afternoon, so the cold popsicle after a long hot day was a welcome relief. Plus, it wouldn't fill him up while dinner was being prepared. Niki really was the perfect chef, considering every angle when providing a snack! Rinne must've been the luckiest guy on the planet. If he ran down to the pachinko parlor quick enough, he'd probably even hit the jackpot right now!

...But Rinne was satisfied sticking the popsicle in his mouth and sitting in the kitchen while Niki prepared beef and broth. Niki had asked him specifically to accompany him, after all. Not that Rinne's never ran off in the middle of them hanging out to try his luck at the parlor - hey, when he was feeling it, he had to take a chance!

It'd just been a while since they'd spent time together like this. Nowadays when Rinne was in the kitchen with Niki, it was while Niki was at work and Rinne wanted to be a pest. Since they'd moved into Seisoukan, there'd been a severe lack of nights where Rinne could crash on the couch and listen to Niki prepare a meal for them like he had the four years they spent living in Niki's apartment together.

So when Niki, full of post-live energy and smiles, asked him if he wanted freshly pulled beef lamian soup for dinner, who was Rinne to deny the request?

Niki's focus was on pulling the noodles by hand, but this task was muscle memory at this point. He'd long mastered this culinary skill - Rinne never doubted Niki's genius in the kitchen. The look in his eyes was warm, his body loose with comfort, and he was humming Honeycomb Summer as he stretched and folded the dough.

"Yer really good at that now," Rinne commented, chomping the last bit of popsicle off the stick. The juices were starting to run and he didn't want to have to get up and wash his hands because they'd gotten sticky.

He still remembered the day of Niki's disaster in the kitchen, when they swore to be idols together. He'd tried to pull lamian noodles that night too, though Rinne didn't know at the time. It'd been some time since Niki felt down about not being able to pull off a dish. Not since the incident with Ritsu's cola as far as Rinne was aware, and even longer before that.

"Nyahaha, I'm not fourteen anymore, you know~" There was a faraway look in his eyes, and Rinne wondered if he was remembering the incident too.

"Ne, Rinne-kun?" Niki hadn't taken his eyes off folding the noodles. "We've finally gotten busy as Crazy:B. I still don't really know what it means to be full-fledged idols, especially since I'm a half-fledged one at best, but we've really come a long way on the road to your dream, huh?"

They had so much already. Between shuffle unit songs, big outdoor events like Hot Limit, and variety show and television appearances, they truly were making it. They'd become real idols, singing and dancing their way into people's hearts and bringing smiles to their faces.

They'd come a long way from a homeless runaway and a lonely, starving middle school student. A long, long way that, at this moment, Rinne was exceptionally proud of. If only his seventeen-year-old self could see them now...

"You're adapting better than I expected, Niki-kyun. I thought I'd have to drag ya out to do everything since you only ever think with your stomach!"

"Hmm...well I have thought about quitting a bunch of times. At first this was just some dumb gig you dragged me into. Ah, well, the second time, I mean. At first I followed you into this as clueless as you. We really knew nothing about idols back then, huh?

"And then, when you dragged me back but this time into Crazy:B, of course I was reluctant! It didn't work out the first time, why try again when I could just be fulfilled as a chef? But ah, as time's gone on, it's been more fun than I was expecting! Meeting other idols and fans, performing on stage with everyone, and working with you and HiMERU-kun and Kohaku-chan, it's-"

Niki finally turned to Rinne, the noodles stretched out in his hands. There was a speck of flour on his cheek. His eyes sparkled the same way he always teased Rinne for when he was younger and talking about idols, his face glowing with satisfaction.

"It's making me really happy~!"

A warmth lit in Rinne's chest at Niki's words and smile, like his body was holding its own little sun. This satisfaction was nothing like the bursting, excited glee that resulted in a jackpot at the pachinko parlors, or the exhausted yet giddy high that followed a great show. This happiness was its own thing, as innocuous as a bundle of light, so warm and radiant that he wanted to hold onto it forever.

He felt the big, sappy smile spread across his face, and couldn't stop it if he tried. The fuzzy warmth from his chest was sitting high on his cheeks. "Yeah?" he asked, because even though Niki wasn't a liar, Rinne wanted to hear it again.

Niki nodded enthusiastically, smile widening and eyes crinkling as he twisted his noodles in front of him like a jump rope. It was a skill that looked effortless, but Rinne knew from experience that it wasn't as easy as the skilled chef made it seem.

It really was bad for Rinne's ego to see the man he tried so hard to make happy truly, undeniably so. That sun in his chest burned hotter and brighter, spreading all the way to his toes and fingertips.

He waited for Niki to place his now-pulled noodles on the counter, before swiping his hand over to grab his forearm and sweep the chef into his embrace. Niki relented easily; he probably saw this coming a mile away from the dopey look Rinne no doubt still wore on his face. There was no resistance; they folded into each other naturally, like egg whites into cake batter.

"You seem happy too, Rinne-kun," Niki commented, arms tightening around Rinne's back. No doubt he'd find patches of flour there later but tonight, just for tonight, Rinne didn't care. He'd take being doused in flour if it meant Niki would hold him tight just a little longer. "You're making your dreams come true."

He was happy. Surrounded by the smell of Niki's homemade food in the quiet, vacant kitchen, radiating in the glow in his chest with the person he held most dear, comfortable and happy in his arms...the possibilities felt endless. Their dreams weren't so far away anymore. Really, there wasn't much else he could ask for.

"Yeah," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I am."

"Hehe, what's this? Are you getting bashful? Nyaha, I thought you'd lost the ability to feel such emotions~" Niki joked. And then, when Rinne's quiet happiness got so much that he couldn't help the tear that escaped down his cheek and chin onto Niki's neck, "It's been a while since you've cried, Rinne-kun." This time, his voice was quiet and sincere.

"Of course one would cry when presented with something as beautiful as my Niki-kyun's smile~!" Rinne teased. There was no reason to hide his real feelings behind humor, but Niki had started it, and they were still in ES where anyone could be lurking or walk in on them at any time. Or worse, Little Snake could be recording them through a camera. He had some semblance of a reputation to keep up.

"Rinne-kun! You don't have to lie to me, you know!" Niki scolded, thumping Rinne on the back for good measure. He was lucky Rinne was sappy and forgiving right now - retaliation was a bold move for someone within ponytail pulling distance.

"I would never lie to you, honey! Kyahaha~" Rinne lied, tucking his grin into Niki's neck.

There was no way he could articulate the full extent of these feelings to Niki. Or well, to anyone. Not that he needed to; he knew that Niki understood him. He always did when it came down to the important stuff.

Which is probably why Niki held on, helping carry the weight of this overwhelming tide of emotions radiating out of Rinne's chest like he could split them between the two of them. The two of them could accomplish anything together. Or maybe because Niki carried his own little sun in his chest, and needed to be held just as much as Rinne did.

His chest was light as a feather, he felt like he'd fly off if it weren't for Niki's arms snug around him, for Niki's chest resting against his and his sides bracketed by Rinne's legs.

Not for the first time, Rinne wished Niki would take his offer to marry him seriously. In this homey, warm atmosphere full of happiness with Niki standing still in the circle of his arms, Rinne wanted nothing than to pull him in for a kiss. To indulge in peppering them across Niki's cheeks just to feel his smile. To continue their chase for happiness before Niki inevitably got back to making dinner.

Sometimes, when he'd burst into the cafeteria during closing hours and drape himself over Niki's back, he'd make comments about Niki's irresistible nape or wanting to eat him up instead of food - and that wasn't necessarily untrue, the little mole on Niki's left side hidden by his ponytail was extremely kissable - but today, the mood was different. Today he wanted to luxuriate in this saccharine, cream soda atmosphere.

He could feel his face heating up. Too much, he was allowing himself to think about it too much. The racing of his heart must be obvious to Niki, their ribcages flush together. How could he have such a good poker face for everything except when it came to this?

"Niki," he said, his lips trailing against Niki's neck when he spoke.

Like a tightly wound spring, Niki pushed out of his arms, face and neck flushed and hand slapping the spot on his neck Rinne's lips had just trailed against. His eyebrows were pulled together, eyes watching - suddenly on the defensive. But he didn't push Rinne's hands away from where they still held onto his hips, didn't back up further from between Rinne's knees.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at Rinne, no doubt also seeing a matching blush painting across Rinne's face. He could feel it sitting high on his cheeks, along with the satisfied smirk curling at his mouth. "You better not try anything weird, Rinne-kun."

Marry me, Rinne thought. For real. He wanted this every day for the rest of time. Not tonight though, not when Niki would still think it's a joke, would still think he's teasing.

"I think your broth has simmered long enough," he said instead, knowing the sentence will snap Niki back into cooking mode. It was fine, though; the noodles wouldn't take long to cook, and then things would go back to normal. They'd play a game while eating dinner just like old times, and if Rinne was lucky he'd get Niki to move to the couch so they could watch something together. Familiar, comfortable.

The heat on his cheeks and rhythmic thump-thump-thumping of his heart didn't recede until long after they'd left the kitchen.

A loss at the parlor, a slow afternoon at the Beehive. Rinne was going out of his mind with restlessness and boredom. He might as well call today quits and head back to the dorms to knock out and try again tomorrow. Of course, unless something exciting happened on the way home - he was still looking for a win, after all.

Except Seisoukan was quiet, the common room vacant. A couple units were out of town, and others were probably busy with good little idol stuff like homework or Lives or practice. Nothing to occupy Rinne's time with.

With a heavy sigh Rinne pressed the button for the elevator, which obediently opened right away. Stepping in, he went to press the button for his floor, but his eyes were drawn to the second floor. He debated for half a second, before deciding what the hell, if he was going to mope he might as well do it with company, and pressed it. If Niki was even free tonight; Niki spent so many hours in various kitchens that there was no guarantee he'd be available.

Usually when Rinne crashed Niki's dorm, he didn't crash it so much as he followed Niki right through the door. Though he'd patched things up with Hiiro and his relationship with Hinata was positive, he didn't intrude on them too much if Niki wasn't around. He wasn't expecting much when he approached the dorm, but right now anyone's company would be a balm.

Except the door swung open shortly after Rinne knocked on it, and Niki was dressed down in loungewear, the TV glowing softly in the background. He had a lazy look to him, his ponytail mussed and shirt rumpled. Winding down for the night, then. No one else seemed to be around.

Despite Rinne's unannounced arrival and dour face, Niki smiled at him with a knowing look and greeted him with a "Rinne-kun, come in," opening the door further in invitation. Rinne wasted no time stepping in and making himself comfortable, toeing off his shoes and shrugging off his coat. "I was just deciding what to watch," Niki said as he tangled his fingers with Rinne's and pulled him to the couch.

The touch was the glow of candlelight in a dark room, steady and comforting. It knocked a knot loose in Rinne's chest, slackening the stiffness in his shoulders. They folded into each other like cards once they hit the couch, Niki's legs thrown over Rinne's lap with easy access to move them if he got restless, while Rinne wrapped an arm around Niki so they could lean into each other.

Nothing interesting was on, so Rinne ended up just skipping through channels while Niki munched on a bowl of popcorn. Normally they'd joke and commentate about whatever they found playing, but the restlessness of it all was getting to Rinne, so it was mostly Niki making comments and Rinne making half-assed remarks until Niki got tired of it.

"We could play a game," Niki suggested, gesturing to the array of video game systems lined up under the TV.

"No," Rinne replied flatly, flipping from a variety show to an old tokusatsu rerun, then to an anime, then a documentary. Boring, uninteresting, boring, boring. Days like this were the worst. He should've drank more when he was at Beehive - alcohol would've softened the hard edges of today.

So he turned off the TV in frustration, tossing the remote somewhere on Niki's side of the couch in case he started whining about it, and curled himself further around Niki like a big human blanket.

"Rinne-kun, this isn't going to cure your boredom," Niki huffed, but his hands spoke a softer tone as they came up to knead at his forearms soothingly.

They stayed like that for a minute, Rinne bored and listless and wallowing, and Niki placating, until Niki laughed softly, his finger poking into Rinne's arm deliberately. "It's been a while since you've been like this, Rinne-kun," he said, tone teasing.

It was a testament to Rinne's mood that even getting riled up at Niki's banter didn't sound fun. "Hah? I'm not "like" anything right now," he bit back, tone coming out harsher than he meant for it to.

Niki' was unruffled though, long used to his ways. "Nyaha, you sound like me right now when I'm starving. Should I go make you something to eat, to satisfy your stomach and your mood?"

On reflex, Rinne's arms tightened around Niki at the offer for him to get up. He at least knew that he didn't want Niki to leave. "I'm not you, I don't get upset just 'cause I'm hungry."

"Oh yeah? I'm not the only one who struggles with this kind of stuff, y'know! Back during MDM, Rinne-kun, weren't you the one who stalled on your trek home to crash my workplace because you were upset and hungry?"

Rinne couldn't help but stare at Niki like he'd grown two heads. He was going to give Rinne a headache. How could Niki be so insightful and observant, yet his brain so full of rocks? It was like he ran 90% of a race and then dropped into a rabbit hole and ended up in wonderland on the last stretch.

"You dummy," Rinne said, eliciting a "hey!" and a brief, half-hearted struggle from Niki. Rinne brought his arm up and clamped it tight around Niki's neck - he wasn't letting Niki get out of this one so easily. He pinched Niki's ear in retaliation, and only let go when his struggles died down. "Listen to me!" he demanded, the threat of worse punishment obvious in his voice.

"You could stand to be a bit gentler, you know!" Niki bit back. "Just because I'm used to the way you are doesn't mean I enjoy this bullying!"

Rinne held him tight for another breath, before sighing, loosening his grip and letting his head drop to Niki's shoulder. He was right; if they were finally going to have this conversation, he could stand to be a little gentler about it.

"Was that so hard?" Niki asked, igniting a flame in Rinne's chest that made him want to retaliate again. But he resisted the urge and instead compressed his annoyance into a glower that he aimed at the chef. Niki met him with a tired look. "Now, why are you calling me a dummy this time?"

"I didn't fuckin' crash your workplace 'cause I was hungry, I did it 'cause-" Like always, a lump had risen in his throat, blocking the words from coming forward. Why was it he could only spout honesties when he was messing around and purposefully being obnoxious, and not when it counted?

"Because...?"

"It's 'cause..." He couldn't make himself say it. It was like ripping a band-aid off. But he had to, for Niki. And maybe a little for himself. "...'cause I didn't want to leave you." Then, quiet as a secret, "I couldn't."

He'd barely knew Kohaku and HiMERU at the time so giving them a second chance was an easy mercy, and it wasn't the first time he'd cut Hiiro out of his life no matter how much that one hurt. But there was no way he could possibly let Niki go, not after all they'd been through and especially not after all he'd promised.

"I know," Niki said, quiet and breathtaking. Rinne's eyes shot up, looking for any sign on Niki's face that they were on the same page. He was met with a gentle, knowing smile. They've never broached this subject, not even as much as alluded to it since it happened. Sometimes Rinne still wondered if that conversation was only a dream, something too good to be true. "That's why I offered to go with you."

"Niki..." He couldn't swallow past the lump in his throat.

"I wouldn't ever give up what we ended up achieving because it's your dream, Rinne-kun, and even I know going back home wouldn't have made you happy. But sometimes I think about all the recipes I would've learned and the food I could've eaten in your hometown, and then I think, ah, maybe someday when Rinne is ready to go back, I'll finally get to try them."

It took effort for Rinne not to crush Niki in his arms from how tight his grip became. "You...you'd want that?"

Niki smiled and nodded. "Of course! It's natural for a chef to want to try techniques and flavors from different cultures. But also, it's your home Rinne-kun. I want to know how to cook the dishes you grew up eating, how to replicate the flavors that remind you of home that you can't get here in the city." And then, softer, "I want to meet the people who raised you, I want to see what home was like for a young Rinne who I never knew."

Unbidden, his eyes began to sting. To taste the food of his childhood again...There were a lot of mixed feelings about his upbringing, about his youth and home, but never when it came to food. Food was simple, it was innocent. Niki's cooking had long since adjusted his tastebuds, but the very thought that Niki wanted to learn about his culture for him, to make him his favorite dishes so he'd never have to go without them again-

He felt his resolve, stronger than ever. Even more so than that quiet night making lamian in the kitchen. It was burning in his chest so bright you could probably see it from space. He wanted-

He so desperately wanted-

"I want to marry you."

Niki let out a sigh, exasperated over this rehashed argument and completely oblivious to Rinne's intentions. "I told you Rinne-kun, that's not legal here."

"I want you to be my bride," Rinne pressed on, but the words fell flat and tepid despite the desperate need for an answer.

"And I'm a man, so that's not possible."

Rinne was tired of this song and dance. It was usually said in jest, in a throwaway line he didn't truly put faith into, but here he was being open and raw and honest, and to have those feelings thrown back at him with the same rebuffs after he could feel their relationship shifting into something closer to what he wanted-

It hurt. It scraped and bruised like he'd been thrown into gravel and dragged along. Niki was a lot of things, but he'd never been cruel before.

Something must've given away his despair, because Niki took the opportunity to spring out of his slackened grip and turn so he could clap his hands to Rinne's cheeks, the sound and touch startling him. Again, his anger flared at being treated so carelessly-

But Niki had a determined set to his face, and he was giving Rinne no chance to retaliate. "Rinne-kun, you're right. I am a dummy. A big, big dummy who didn't even go to high school. I don't put effort into thinking too hard about anything because it burns calories. All my brain power goes to thinking about food. You know this! Better than anyone else!"

And then Niki's face relaxed into a smile, one so beautiful it deserved to be captured and put on display for everyone to see. His hands cradled Rinne's face, sure and gentle. Every sour thought flying through Rinne's head quickly vacated, leaving him laser focused on Niki and only Niki. "Rinne-kun," he chided, finger tapping his jaw. "When I'm stubborn and not getting what you're trying to say, don't you usually try to say it in a way I can understand?"

And,

oh.

Niki wasn't a dummy. If anyone was an idiot here, it was Rinne. How could he be so blind? And here he was, calling Niki the one with rocks in his brain.

What Niki lacked in education he made up for in emotional intelligence. He was creative, he was understanding, and most importantly, he was observant. Rinne had been throwing marriage lines at Niki forever, calling him a bride and a wife over and over again. He was half-serious, because he really did want to become Niki's family, but he was also always half-joking. He knew Niki would rebuff it because it was a joke, because he hated Rinne's particular way of wording it.

Of course Niki also felt the shift between them. They'd always been partners, always been attached at the hip, relying on one another to survive. But maybe having a better support system, having HiMERU and Kohaku to count on had given them room to grow. Lately it was like their relationship had morphed like a larva cocooning in a honeycomb, waiting to become a bee. It was in the way he couldn't stop pulling Niki into his arms, the fuzzy feelings in his chest when Niki happily relented and relaxed into him. It was in the way Niki's hands kept finding his and linking their fingers together, reluctant to let go even when his tone became biting and unamused.

They were approaching something new, something that had been simmering on low for a long, long time. They were just finally becoming brave enough to reach out towards it, recognizing it as the special thing it was and letting it into their hearts.

Rinne loved Niki. It wasn't a revelation, there was no epiphany to be had. It'd been something he wore on his sleeve, something he never held back on. How many times had he called Niki his beloved, his darling? How often did he compliment him, did he bring him up when Niki called himself worthless and useless? Countless. To Rinne, loving Niki was as easy as breathing. It was as integrated into his being as his childhood, as his dreams of being an idol, as his instincts to chase anything thrilling and fun.

And...hadn't Niki already told him before? When he'd offered to basically elope with Rinne when he thought he'd have to return to his hometown? And then after, when he was riding the high of endorphins that September afternoon at Hot Limit, endearingly ecstatic to combine his love for cooking with the fun and excitement of a Live? "I love you!" he'd said, cheeks flushed and bouncing in Rinne's hold, unable to contain his enthusiasm. "You're the best! Can I kiss you?"

A smile crept onto his face unbidden. Of course it was that easy. It always had been.

"Niki," he said. Where Niki wore a patient look, waiting for him to catch up, Rinne's face was no doubt sappy with his flushed cheeks and unabashed smile. He brought his arms up to wrap around Niki, holding him so close and lovingly the same way he had been for months now.

"Yes Rinne-kun?" Their heads tipped closer together, two heavenly bodies caught in each other's orbit.

"I love you." The words washed through Rinne like a summer storm. Saying them was right, was natural, and the truth in them tasted like happiness and relief. How long had he been waiting to say that? How long had Niki been waiting to hear it? It didn't matter anymore - now that they were out, he wasn't going to stop. "I love you, I love you, my beloved Niki-kyun~," he said again, just to savor the words. They didn't even feel like words; they were a song, a beautiful melody.

The absolutely blinding beam of Niki's returning smile was a one-hit K.O. straight to his heart, and Rinne could feel his face flushing darker and his heart beating in overtime. "Of course I love you too, Rinne-kun," and Niki's words were even sweeter than Rinne could've imagined. Those words were the final push they needed to slide perfectly together, like puzzle pieces forming one picture.

And then, because Niki was still as selfish as every other member of Crazy:B, "Do I really have to wait until marriage to kiss you?"

Yes, Rinne's heart swore immediately. In this society, kissing someone who wasn't your spouse wasn't such a big deal, but Rinne couldn't help his avoidance to it. To him, kissing and being married were so intrinsically tied together that they couldn't be isolated. How could he bring himself to break this sacred pact, this perfect pair?

But this was also Niki, his Niki, whom he'd sworn to spend the rest of his life with already. Surely they would make that union possible further down the line anyway. In the years they'd known each other, their feelings only ever got stronger, despite any bumps in the road. Nothing could tear them apart at this point.

To indulge, or to let it sit and age into something fine?

...Who was Rinne kidding? He was, after all, a selfish little bee as well. How could he call himself Crazy:B's leader if he didn't break through society's norms and get what he wanted, when he wanted? "If marriage ever becomes legal for two men here in Japan, you'd marry me?"

Niki let out a soft sigh, but the effect was damped by the delight clearly still present in his face. "I've told you, that's not how things work here! First we'd have to...date," and his face took on a flustered blush at the phrase, his eyes averting for a moment, "and see if we like each other enough to want to go through with a marriage!"

Rinne wasn't the ignorant youth he used to be, he understood the dating process. It was just, surely Niki knew they were already close? That Rinne saying he loved him wasn't a whim or something temporary. For years he'd been trying to make Niki his family - those years of living together and keeping each other alive had to amount to something between them, right? Of course they liked each other enough to go through with marriage!

"But..." and Rinne's heart jumped in his throat. "Kohaku-chan and HiMERU-kun always say we're practically married already, so I guess it can't be all that different. And you know I can't leave you alone, because who knows what trouble you'll get yourself into. And, well, also because it's a lot of fun sometimes." He grinned again, his eyes scrunching up and cheeks coloring, and nodded. "I promised I'd take care of you until the end, so. I will, Rinne-kun!"

That's all Rinne needed to hear to clear the last few inches that separated them. Niki's hands slid from his cheeks to around his neck as he pressed forward, stomach swooping in anticipation and nerves as he finally kissed Niki.

Everything from today, from the losses at the parlor to his bad mood to the boredom gnawing at his heels, drifted away like it was carried out on the ocean tide, and the only thing that mattered was the thrum of his heart in his chest and Niki. Niki's arms around him, Niki tangled with him on the couch, the firm press of Niki's lips against his own.

It was a chaste kiss. Honestly, Rinne didn't know what else to do, his brain was shooting off fireworks while simultaneously wiped of any further thought other than the here and now, the euphoria that he was actually getting to do this with the person he loved. It wasn't anything like kisses in the movies; it was short and sweet and infinitely better because it was real, and it was his.

Niki was just as breathless as Rinne felt and with an undeniable happy flush on his cheeks when they separated. "I can do this whenever I want?" Niki asked, eyes sparkling.

"Whenever you want," Rinne promised, grinning.

Niki dove back in to press more kisses to Rinne's lips, excitably and giddy. Rinne felt like his face was on fire and his heart dancing in overtime. This time when they separated, he pulled Niki into a crushing hug, as sticky and sweet as honey.

"Niki-kyun, you're stuck with me forever." A thrill ran through him, all the way from the roots of his hair to his toes. Forever. He was going to have this for the rest of time. He felt so giddy, he wanted to run out and holler for everyone to hear.

Niki pressed a grin into Rinne's neck. "I told you already Rinne-kun: I couldn't escape you even if I tried."

The evening was cast in mute blues and grays as rain fell from the heavens. It was a slow, steady stream, the kind that neither relented nor crescendoed into something worthwhile. As a result, everything caught in it was soggy and drab.

Everything except Rinne's mood, that was.

The steady drum of raindrops on his umbrella provided a good beat as Rinne whistled a cheery melody to the empty sidewalk. A plastic take-out bag swayed at his thigh, the heat from the contents a relief from the brisk air. He had a surprise for Niki tonight, and it wasn't just the food he'd bought for dinner. No, he'd landed them a prestigious job fit exactly for an idol such as Niki, and he grinned when he imagined the look his genius chef would no doubt make when he revealed it later. He just had to wait for Niki to get off the clock.

He didn't have to wait long for what he came for: after only a few minutes, the metal ding of a door cut through the quiet night and Niki stumbled out into the deluge.

Rinne hadn't told him he was coming, and the rain masked his presence so Niki didn't notice him. No, Niki was focused on the steady thrum of raindrops from the sky as the door clunked shut behind him, locked for the night. A loud, crestfallen sigh gave away that he'd forgotten an umbrella despite HiMERU bringing up the weather earlier that day. What a miserable walk back to the dorms that would be, without a hood or umbrella to shield an unsuspecting airhead from the weather!

So Rinne kicked off where he loitered against the wall and held his umbrella out over Niki's head. From where he stood above him, Rinne could already see droplets of water like morning dew clinging to strands of gray hair.

He gave him three seconds to startle and stare wondrously at the offered cover before slinging his arm around Niki's neck in a friendly headlock.

"Who-!?"

"Who else but me, the demon coming to kidnap you and subject you to my every whim for the rest of the night~!"

He was expecting Niki's usual protest, if not about Rinne's tyranny then at least about the chokehold, but instead Niki relaxed against him and turned his head up so Rinne could see the way his eyes scrunched up in delight and the saccharine smile that dawned his face like the morning sun. "Rinne-kun!"

Bashfulness crept hotly up the back of Rinne's neck, softening his smile and his mood. "Figured you'd forget your umbrella," he said, loosening his hold so his arm simply lay across Niki's shoulders. "You never listen to MERUMERU."

"Nyahaha, you really saved me this time," he answered sheepishly. Then like a homing missile, Niki zeroed in on the takeout bag now hanging next to his chest, his hands coming up to cradle it. "And you brought food!"

"Hehe, I had some good fortune at the pachinko parlor and hit it big! Thought we could celebrate with some dinner." Rinne let the bag slacken in his grip, and Niki took a possessive hold of the food. Carrying dinner was the least he could do, considering Rinne was holding the umbrella.

"Whoa~ usually "celebrate with some dinner" means you force me to make the meal, this is a nice change of pace!"

Rinne pinched Niki's cheek. "Why does everything you say always have to be prefaced by a complaint about me, hah? Don't you like cooking? Isn't cooking your reason to live?"

"I do! It is! But you really have to work on your character if you don't want- GYACK!" Niki's words trailed off as Rinne caught him back in a chokehold.

"Where's my "thanks for dinner, Rinne-kun. You're the best for coming all the way out in this storm to walk me home, and I love you" at, huh?"

"I'm not going to say all that!" Niki protested, but Rinne refused to relent on his hold no matter how much he struggled, which only lasted a matter of seconds before Niki slumped in his arms. Energy spent trying to free himself was energy wasted in a body as cruel as Niki's. "Thanks for dinner, Rinne-kun," he monotoned, "You're the best for coming all the way out in this storm to walk me home."

"...and?" Rinne raised an eyebrow at Niki, but secretly his heart was pounding in his chest to hear the admission again.

"And I'm not saying "I love you" when you're bullying me!"

Rinne let go, relief filling him despite the lackluster response. The sentiment still made his stomach flip and his heart soar like a bird in the sky. "Hehe, you still said it," he taunted like a child on the playground before relenting his grasp and letting Niki go.

Niki backed away from him, leaving the safety of the umbrella to glower at him. Rinne laughed loud and bright before stalking back over, looping his arm through Niki's to keep him close so neither of their shoulders would get wet. And maybe a little because he just wanted to hold Niki close in general.

"Now let's go eat before you get even grumpier, and I have to drag you through puddles to get you home!"

They headed to the apartment instead of Seisoukan at Niki's request. Apparently he planned to make a chestnut dessert for Kohaku and his tea ceremony circle, and all the ingredients were waiting at the apartment. Once they were inside and their stomachs full of takeout, Rinne took his most beloved, coveted position: folded over Niki's back, arms loose around his waist and head leaning against Niki's, a front row seat to a culinary expert.

Sometimes he would help, and other times he knew he'd just be stepping on Niki's toes. If Niki wanted him to do something, he'd say so; if Niki was content to let Rinne hang off of him as a simple conversation partner, he'd leave him be. Sometimes Niki would even kick him to the living room and out of the kitchen altogether.

Obviously he was fine being kicked out - Rinne was lazy at heart, and being able to watch TV and comment on it to Niki from the couch was a comfortable routine. But he loved to hold Niki, loved to feel the natural warmth from his skin and the flex of his muscles as he moved around the kitchen, especially when he was kneading dough or mixing sauces. The best was when Niki hummed while he worked, the melody buzzing beneath Rinne's skin. This tangibility, feeling Niki's skill and happiness at his fingertips, was a comfort Rinne wouldn't give up for the world.

Tonight he was allowed to hang off Niki, but his mind had wandered to the invitation burning a hole in his pocket. Of course, he loved spoiling Niki; it was something he took very seriously, even if he tried to be flippant about it. Hot Limit had felt as much as a treat to him as it had been for Niki. But this wasn't him peacocking in front of Crazy:B as their leader - this was just a genuine, heartfelt gift from him to Niki.

It still made him a bit nervous, which was stupid. What reason did he have to be nervous, when he knew Niki was going to love it? An invitation to the debut of a famous restaurant open only to celebrities and influencers was the perfect gift for the idol who also called himself a chef! It shouldn't make his insides tangle like headphone strings left in a pocket.

At first, he'd considered just stuffing the invitation in the mail slot and pretending this was all random chance instead of a curated effort. Letting Niki find the letter in between grocery fliers and bills, and letting him think Crazy:B was randomly selected for this premiere seemed a lot easier than owning up that he did this out of the goodness of his own heart.

But Rinne knew HiMERU would figure it out immediately. Why would it be delivered to an apartment, and not to ES directly? The job wasn't listed on Hold Hands, so how did the random selection occur? If he lied and said it was delivered to the apartment because of Niki's background as a chef, it could bring up dirt from Niki's past and his father's career, and at that point it seemed like much more of a headache than being honest about his intentions.

He could weather the knowing looks from HiMERU and the blunt, pointed comments from Kohaku about his tendency to spoil Niki for a few days. They were only going to benefit from it as well, getting a fancy free dinner that could possibly make Crazy:B some new, fun connections. It would be worth all their barbs, anyways, a small part of his heart whispered. At least he'd have the consolation prize of luxuriating in Niki's unbridled glee and gratitude.

Niki, damn him, was preceptive enough to notice Rinne's absentmindedness, and broke him out of his musings by gently knocking Rinne's forehead with the handle of his silicone spatula. "Hello~ Earth to Rinne-kun~" he teased. "What's got your head up in the clouds?"

Rinne pressed a smile into Niki's hair. Yeah, what was he so nervous about anyway? Niki was going to love it, guaranteed. "I gotcha a gift," Rinne answered, letting go of Niki and stepping back. He pulled the envelope out and waited for Niki to put the spatula down and turn to face him, expression curious.

"Whoa, for me? Really?" Niki took the envelope from Rinne's grasp and opened it deftly, excitement palpable.

"It's for Crazy:B, but I wanted you to be the first to know about it," he explained as Niki pulled the card out. Rinne planned on letting Niki reveal it to the other two tomorrow, since he was the one best suited to hype it up.

It took effort not to fidget as Niki skimmed the letter, at least until Niki let out an excited, "Whoa~ Rinne-kun, this is-!" He stopped, his eyes sparkling as he looked up after reassessing the card in his hands. "This is an invitation to the debut of that new restaurant I've been talking about! How'd you get this?!"

Rinne smirked. "Hehe, never underestimate the power of the combined might of yours truly and the almighty producer-neesan." In reality, he'd just asked if it was possible to get Crazy:B on the guest list for the restaurant's debut, and the two of them had spent the afternoon getting in contact with the restaurant's management and social teams. "Apparently, having an idol who is also a chef means Crazy:B is a more favorable choice than the other star-studded talent waiting to get in."

Niki stared at the tickets in his hands like they were gold, rocking on his heels with buzzing excitement. Of course Niki was over the moon with it, shaken like a bottle of champagne ready to explode. Rinne expected it when Niki launched himself at Rinne a moment later and latched on like a koala. "Thank you thank you thank you!" In a repeat of Hot Limit, but this time with permission, Niki dropped kisses along Rinne's cheeks and chin between thanks. "Rinne-kun! You did this for me~?" He looked at Rinne like he'd told him he hung the moon in the sky.

The instinct to hide his intentions was strong, the teachings drilled in his brain trying to convince him to downplay such a gift. But he fought it, aided by the adoration clear on Niki's face. "Yeah," he answered, no doubt looking completely besotted. How could he not, with the feeling of love lingering where Niki had kissed along his skin?

The smile that Niki flashed at him was like the sun: blinding, infinitely warm, and something Rinne wanted to spend the rest of his life soaking up. "You're the best!"

Niki's energy was so tangible, Rinne couldn't help being swept along and found himself grinning. "...and?"

"And I love you!" Niki laughed, before leaning in and finally pressing their lips together. He was like pop rocks, sweet and punchy with a few small, fiery kisses before Rinne pressed a hand to the back of Niki's head and held him steady.

Time seemed to be seeped in sticky molasses, slow and sweet as they kissed. The taste of chestnut cream sat faintly on Niki's lips from taste testing his desserts, and Rinne was never going to get tired of getting these special samples from him.

Tomorrow Niki would bring Kohaku a plate of delicious desserts for his circle, and brightly announce Crazy:B's latest prize with all the pomp his excited body could muster. Tomorrow they'd get to surprise and delight Kohaku, and even HiMERU wouldn't be able to deny the opportunity this was. But right now nothing was more important than Niki's smile pressed up against his own, than the arms wrapped around him and the happiness that radiated between them.

"I love you too, Niki." His chest was light, his heart singing. He really, truly, honest to whatever god was listening, loved him.