Work Text:
*cicada noises*
“Ryo? Ryooo!” Kensuke calls out among a field of sunflowers taller than him. “Darn, I guess we got separated.”
Kensuke roughly knew where he was judging by the pattern of the sunflowers that grew freely around the dirt path he was walking on, but he had no idea how far off Ryota had gone.
As he kept walking, he heard rustling noises up ahead. “Ah! Maybe it’s Ryo!” Kensuke quickly hurried towards the source of the noise. However, as he turned the next corner he felt his small body bump into something.
“Wah!”
“Uwah!”
Kensuke and another boy both fell backwards on the ground.
“Owww…huh?” Kensuke was the first one back on his feet and saw there was a smaller boy in front of him with fluffy burgundy hair lying on the ground. “Oh no! Are you okay? Do you need CPR?” Kensuke asked the first question that popped into his head in case of emergencies.
The boy groaned, but he appeared okay. “I’m okay…I don’t need-CPR?” The boy was confused.
Kensuke laughed. “Sorry, my bad! I thought you were my friend so I went running towards you without looking! I’m Ken!” Kensuke introduced himself as he helped the boy stand up.
“I-I’m Mamoru.”
“Mamoru? Are you lost in the sunflower field too?” Kensuke asked.
“Uh,” Mamoru suddenly looked around as if he only now realized where he was. “Eh? I was with my mom and dad…uhh.” Mamoru anxiously gripped the front of his purple shirt with a cartoon dog on it.
“Don’t cry! It’ll be okay! I’ll help you find your mom and dad!” Kensuke reassured the other kid as he held out his hand for Mamoru to hold onto. “I’m great at navigating around new places! I’m sure we’ll find them!”
“Nn!” Mamoru looked really relieved as he took Kensuke’s hand.
The two of them started walking through the sunflower field together hand in hand. As they kept walking, the sunflowers appeared as if they were growing taller and taller around them.
“These sunflowers are so tall, I can’t see anything,” Mamoru whined.
“Mamoru, I have an idea! Why don’t you try climbing up on my shoulders to see if you can spot your parents over the sunflower field!”
“O-Okay!”
After a bit of struggle, Kensuke managed to lift Mamoru up on his shoulders. Mamoru felt a bit heavier compared to Ryota, but it wasn’t too hard to raise Mamoru up higher.
“What do you think? Can you see anyone?” Kensuke asked as he tried to keep his balance steady.”
“Mmm, I still can’t see over the sunflowers!”
Kensuke tried standing up on his toes, but that only caused his balance to falter and they both fell down on the ground again with Mamoru landing on top of Ken.
“Oof!”
“Sorry, Ken-chan!”
“Haha, it’s okay, Mamoru! I guess we’ll have to keep walking.”
As they kept walking through the sunflower field, Mamoru started to look anxious again.
“W-What if we don’t find them?” Mamoru started to worry again, holding Kensuke’s hand a bit tighter.
“Hmm,” Kensuke tried to think of something fun to distract Mamoru so he wouldn’t worry so much. Then an idea popped into his head. “I know! Let’s sing a song together, Mamoru?”
“Sing a song?”
“Yeah! As loud as we can! I’m sure your parents and Ryo will be able to hear us if we sing loud enough!”
“O-Okay, but what should we sing?”
“What’s your favorite song Mamoru?”
“Um,” Mamoru thought for a moment and then smiled. “I really like twinkle little star!”
“Then let’s sing together! Remember, sing as loud as you can!”
Mamoru nodded in understanding. They both took a deep breath together and began to sing as they walked.
“Twinkle twinkle little star!”
At first, Mamoru was only singing loudly because Kensuke told him to, but as they sang more of the song, it became fun to sing together. Mamoru looked over at Kensuke as they sang and noticed Kensuke was smiling and looking at him too. They both laughed and felt a warm feeling inside their hearts as they continued to sing.
When they finished the song, they realized they had reached the end of the sunflower field, and there was a group of people running towards them.
“Mamoru!”
“Kensuke!”
Mamoru’s parents hugged Mamoru, while Ryota and Kensuke’s older sister bonked Kensuke on the head.
“You idiot brother! We’ve been searching for you for hours after Ryota came running out of the field crying because you were lost!”
“I didn’t cry!” Ryota denied even though his eyes were clearly puffy.
“Hey I wasn’t lost!” Kensuke defended. “I was helping Mamoru because he was lost!” Kensuke looked over at Mamoru crying in his parents arms and felt relieved. “Good, I’m glad I was able to help him back home.”
After Mamoru finally calmed down, Mamoru’s parents thanked Kensuke many times over.
“Mamoru, we need to head home now okay?” Mamoru’s mother told Mamoru gently. “Say goodbye to your friend.”
“Mm.” Mamoru somehow looked sad even though he had reunited with his parents. He looked at Kensuke and waved his small hand that held Kensuke’s hand. “Bye bye, Ken-chan!” Mamoru looked like he was trying his best not to cry again.
Kensuke put on a smile as bright as a sunflower in hopes it would cheer Mamoru up and gave the best wave. “Bye, bye, Mamoru!”
~
“Mamoru? Mamoru!” Kensuke called out. Even though he stood as tall as the sunflowers around in the field and could see above them on his toes, his boyfriend was nowhere to be seen.
Growth had decided to have a fun family picnic by a field of sunflowers. It was all fun and enjoyable with many delicious bentos that Koki prepared. Kensuke and Mamoru stuffed their tummies so full that Ryota told them they needed to exercise the extra calories they gained before they were allowed back inside the car, even though Kensuke is the driver.
“Then let’s go run through the sunflower field together, Mamoru!” Kensuke suggested an idea for exercise.
“Run? Can’t we just walk and enjoy the view of the pretty sunflowers instead?” Mamoru wasn’t too keen on the running part.
Kensuke laughed as he took Mamoru’s hand. “Sure, we can take a nice long walk through the sunflowers!”
“Don’t take too long! Kou and I won’t hesitate to abandon you two out here and call our own ride back home,” Ryota warned.
“We won’t!” Kensuke and Mamoru promised as they went out for their walk together.
They did promise, but now the sun was beginning to set and Kensuke was running to find his lost boyfriend and composer.
“Mamoru!” Kensuke called again, but still he got no response other than crows cawing in the distance. “Ahhh, Ryo-sama is gonna grill us for sure this time. Kou’s probably going to call our phones and-” Kensuke stopped for a moment and realized he could simply call Mamoru’s phone. “Oh! That’s it!”
Kensuke reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone, only there was nothing in his pocket except for a wrapped orange candy he was saving for later. He forgot his phone back at the picnic area, and he guessed Mamoru most likely forgot his phone too.
Kensuke sighed and wondered if he should turn back to see if Koki and Ryota were still at the picnic area to call for backup, but then when he turned the next corner of the maze he heard Mamoru’s voice singing.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star~!”
Kensuke focused his hearing and followed the sound of Mamoru’s voice until he reached a small hill in the middle of the sunflower field where Mamoru was sitting and singing.
“How I wonder where you-”
“Mamoru!” Kensuke nearly tackled Mamoru as he pulled Mamoru into a hug.
“Uwah! Ken-kun!”
“I found you! I’ve been searching all over for you!” Kensuke felt his worries melt away as he breathed Mamoru’s scent.
“Mm! I’m sorry I got lost! I got distracted by a pretty butterfly and followed it around! By the time I realized I was lost, I stumbled upon this hill!” Mamoru explained. “So I decided to sit here and wait for you! But then I thought simply waiting might not be enough, and that’s why I started singing!”
“I’m glad I could hear your voice even from a distance, but why were you singing twinkle little star?” Kensuke wondered.
“Because it was the song we sang together when we were kids!” Mamoru remembered.
“Eh? We met when we were kids?” Kensuke was surprised.
“You don’t remember? I was lost and got separated from my parents in a sunflower field like this one, but then I bumped into you!” Mamoru reminisced about the memory. “You helped me find my parents and we sang together!”
Kensuke tried to rack his brain, but his memories of being a kid were fuzzy like a blurry photo. “Ahh, sorry I guess I don’t really remember.”
Mamoru shook his head unbothered. “Mm, mm, it’s alright, Ken-kun! It was more than ten years ago after all. Besides, I only remembered just now too as I was sitting on this hill waiting for you, so I had forgotten as well.”
Kensuke sat down on the hill next to Mamoru and noticed the melancholic look on his face.
“Mamoru, do you still remember the memories with your parents too?” Kensuke couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
“Mm! Although they’re not as crystal clear like my present memories, the few precious memories I have of my parents still exist in my heart’s memory,” Mamoru said softly. “My dad would always lift me up on his shoulders so I could see the view above the sunflowers, and I could see my mom waving to us in the close distance!”
Mamoru’s face lit up and glowed with the warmth of the setting sun. A gentle breeze passed through them, scattering a few loose sunflower petals into the air off towards the horizon.
Kensuke smiled as Mamoru instinctively took hold of Kensuke’s hand, entwining their fingers together.
They enjoyed the peaceful quietness between them for a moment.
Only for a moment.
“Ahh!” Mamoru suddenly yelled.
“What is it?”
Mamoru looked at Kensuke with a panicked expression. “I forgot we need to hurry back to Kou-kun and Ryo-kun! We’re still lost Ken-kun!”
Kensuke couldn’t help but laugh as he ruffled Mamoru’s hair. “Don’t worry, I know how to get back to the picnic area, Mamoru. Make sure you hold my hand properly this time so you don’t get separated…unless you want to ride my shoulders?”
“Ken-kun! I’m not a little kid!” Mamoru pouted from Kensuke’s teasing.
“Ah, that’s right, you’re an old man now-”
“Ken-kun!” Mamoru looked embarrassed. The blush on Mamoru’s cheeks tempted Kensuke to kiss them. “Your birthday is right before mine, so you turned a year older first!” Mamoru tried to counter back.
It backfired when Kensuke pointed out, “Mamoru, I’m still three years younger than you.”
“Guh!” Mamoru looked defeated.
This time Kensuke didn’t hesitate to kiss Mamoru on the forehead. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll still look good together even if our hair turns gray or goes bald when we grow old-”
“Ken-kun, you’re not making me feel any better! I don’t want to go bald!”
Kensuke giggled, but he knew if he kept teasing Mamoru, it would get dark at this point and navigating outside without their phones or flashlights would be a bigger problem. “Okay, okay, no more teasing! Let’s hurry home, Mamoru!” Kensuke held out his hand.
Mamoru finally calmed down and took hold of Kensuke’s hand. “Mm!”
By the time they made it back to the picnic area, Kensuke noticed that only his and Mamoru’s bags were left under the tree.
“Where’s Kou and Ryo?” Kensuke wondered.
Mamoru looked at his bag and saw there was note placed on top. “Ken-kun! I found a note from Ryo-kun!”
“Uh oh.” Kensuke had a bad feeling as he and Mamoru read the note together.
Ken, Mamoru,
Because you two idiots took too long, Kou and I are going to have a dinner date at a high class restaurant without you two. Fetch your own dinner and if you two aren’t back at the dorms by midnight, you two are running laps around the studio.
- Ryota
“Well, I guess we’re on our own for dinner,” Kensuke told Mamoru.
“What should we do, Ken-kun?”
Kensuke thought for a moment and had another great idea.
“Why don’t we go for a nighttime drive and pick up some tasty dumplings? Tsubasa recommended this service area in Odaiba,” Kensuke mentioned.
“Dumplings? Sounds delicious! I hope there’s lots of gyoza!” Mamoru looked happy.
“Just don’t fall asleep in the front seat, you’ll miss out on the view of the rainbow bridge!” Kensuke told Mamoru.
“I won’t fall asleep!”
Kensuke grinned as he and Mamoru packed up their things and headed back to the car. After making sure his seatbelt was buckled and checking three times that Mamoru had this seatbelt buckled properly, Kensuke started the car.
“You can pick whatever song you want to listen to from my phone, Mamoru,” Kensuke said as he started driving onto the road.
“Hmm.” Mamoru looked through Kensuke’s playlists. Aside of GROWTH songs and some random pop and techno songs, Mamoru saw that Kensuke had some of the other units' songs. “Then shall I pick one of SolidS’ songs?”
“Are you going to pick SEXY*SENSE?” Kensuke asked with a hint of tease in his voice.
“N-No! Although it’s a really good song with the harmonies,” Mamoru admitted. “Oh! How about CHRONOAH?”
“Oh, I really like that one! I’ve always wanted to learn the dance choreo for it too!” Kensuke said. “You should learn it too, Mamoru, then we can dance it together!”
“Eh?? I wonder if I’d be physically fit enough to dance the choreography?” Mamoru sounded worried.
“Mamoru, GROWTH’s choreography are stamina demanding too and you’ve managed just fine!” Kensuke tried to build Mamoru’s confidence.
“You think so?”
“Yeah! We’ve danced together for ten years now! Sure I still have to help you learn a back flip, but other than that-”
“Ken-kun, what do you mean learn a back flip? What if I break my back?!”
“I’ll support you properly, don’t worry! I won’t let you fall again like the time we tried to learn that backroll move from Makoto and Mitsuru.”
“My back was sore for a week!”
“It’ll be fun, trust me!”
Mamoru fell quiet and Kensuke wondered if he said something wrong. “Mamoru-?”
“Ken-kun! Look there’s rainbow bridge! It’s so pretty all lit up!” Mamoru was distracted by the view.
Kensuke chuckled. “Why don’t you take a pic with your phone? You can send it to Kou and Ryo!”
“You’re right! Um, let’s see-where’s the camera button?” Mamoru fumbled with his phone.
Mamoru quickly took the picture, but he didn’t realize the camera was flipped to selfie mode and sent the photo without checking it.
“Did you take a good picture?” Kensuke wondered.
“I think so!” Mamoru felt proud of himself.
“Good! Send it to me too when we get to the service area!” Kensuke said as he signaled to turn off on the exit.
“Mm!”
As Koki and Ryota were finishing up dessert, their phones vibrated with a text alert from the group chat. They looked at the photo together that Mamoru sent.
Mamoru: Look! Rainbow bridge!
Ryota sighed as Koki giggled at the blurry selfie of Mamoru with Ken driving in the background.
“They’re certainly idiots.”
“As long as they’re having a fun date like we are, Ryo.”
Ryota blushed, but he did have to agree it was thanks to Ken and Mamoru taking their sweet time getting back that he and Koki decided to have an impromptu date at Ryota’s favorite restaurant.
“I guess we’ll box up a slice of cake for them to share later.”
At the service area, Kensuke and Mamoru ordered a huge platter of gyoza along with orange juice. Kensuke told Mamoru it was fine if Mamoru wanted a drink since Kensuke was driving, but Mamoru felt bad to drink alone.
As they were eating, Kensuke remembered, “oh yeah, how did the photo turn out? The one you sent to Kou and Ryo?”
“I almost forgot! Here!” Mamoru sent the photo to Kensuke’s phone.
Kensuke checked his phone and opened the picture. “Uh, Mamoru?”
“Yes?”
“Where’s the bridge?”
“What?! I knew I took a photo-“ Mamoru looked at the same picture on Kensuke’s screen and saw the blurry selfie of them. “EHH? How did this happen?”
Kensuke laughed. “Mamoru, you flipped the camera to selfie mode!”
“I didn’t know there was a mode! I thought there’s only one camera button!”
“You’ve got a lot to learn, Mamoru oji-san!”
“Ken-kun, don’t tease!”
“Sorry! Let’s hurry up and enjoy these gyoza while they’re hot! We can bring some home for Kou and Ryo too as a souvenir!”
“Let’s eat!”
With their tummies full once again, Kensuke buckled Mamoru in the passenger sleep since Mamoru fell right asleep as soon as they hopped back in the car.
“Mmm…tasty gyoza.” Mamoru started to mumble a random song about gyoza in his sleep.
Kensuke chuckled as he buckled his own seatbelt on the driver's side.
Right before Kensuke started the engine, he heard Mamoru mumble, “I love you Ken-kun…”
Kensuke felt his own cheeks warm up. “Mamoru, that's not fair, you’re supposed to say that when you’re awake.”
Kensuke adjusted his seatbelt and leaned over to kiss Mamoru softly on the lips. Mamoru stirred a bit but he was still asleep as a big smile formed on his lips.
Kensuke started the engine and started driving them back home. As he was merging onto the highway, a call notification popped up on the car’s touch screen. Thankfully Mamoru was still fast asleep as Kensuke answered on speaker with the wheel button controls.
“Kou?”
“Ken? Where are you and Mamoru now?”
“We’re on our way back to the dorm! I drove to a service area with Mamoru in Odaiba and we had gyoza for dinner!”
“Odaiba? That’s quite a drive from here.”
“Tsubasa recommended it!”
“Ah, that explains it. I heard the story from Rikka before,” Koki recalled.
“You better not have had any drinks, Ken!” Ryota’s voice could be heard in the background.
“Hey, Ryo, I’m a responsible driver! Mamoru and I had orange juice!” Kensuke reassured them.
“Oh, so you ordered from the kids menu,” Ryota teased.
“Ryo-!” Kensuke almost raised his voice, but he hushed down since Mamoru was still sleeping.
“Is Mamoru okay?” Koki sounded worried since only Kensuke talked.
“He’s asleep! Honestly I’m amazed he could sleep so deeply,” Kensuke observed.
“Don’t forget you two have curfew at midnight! Don’t miss the exit, Ken!” Ryota warned.
Kensuke held back his chuckle since it sounded like Ryota was worrying about them in his own way. “Yes, yes, Ryo-sama. The Mikan Prince promises to make sure our Princess Mamorella arrives home before midnight before the carriage turns into a pumpkin.”
“Oh, Ryo and I were thinking about watching that stage play again all together when the two of you get home,” Koki mentioned. “We saved dessert for you from the restaurant Ryo and I went to for dinner.”
“Dessert? Yes-!”
“ONE small slice of cake for the two of you to share,” Ryota cut in.
“...thank you, Ryo nee-san…” Kensuke sounded a little disappointed.
“I’m baking another cake in the oven too,” Koki added.
“That’s our Kou okaa-san!”
“So hurry home or you two won’t be getting any cake!” Ryota finished before the call hung up.
Right after the call, Mamoru finally stirred awake. “Did Ryo-kun mention cake…?”
“Good morning, Princess Mamorella! The pumpkin carriage is almost back to GROWTH’s kingdom!” Kensuke joked.
“Huh?!” Mamoru quickly checked his clothes for a moment and was relieved Kensuke was only joking. “Thank goodness I’m not wearing a ballgown.”
“Why? You looked like a pretty princess in the wisteria dress,” Kensuke complimented.
“Ken-kun!”
Kensuke stopped the car at a red light one street away from the familiar dorm building. “Oh, we have time for one more song on this ride? Will you do the honors, Mamoru?”
“Mm-Mm, I want Ken-kun to pick the last song!” Mamoru decided.
Kensuke smiled. “Okay, but don’t fall asleep again once it starts playing,” Kensuke said as he quickly hit the top song on his favorites playlist, their duet song of nameless stars.
La la la la laaa~