Title: Anniversary

Pairing: KoTsu

Summary: KinKi Kids wrapped up in one song.

Disclaimer: Do I look like a very rich old man who owns an entire agency of young, shiny, sparkly and ghei pretty boys? The answer is no.

A/N: Again, I got an idea for writing a fic in a different style. Hope it turned out okay (^_^;) Although I didn’t plan on having a particular timeline, the drabbles ended up being related to each other, and of course, to the lyrics. The timeline isn't in order, but you'll know which part goes where (^_~)

Hoshi no kazu hodo iru, hito no naka de boku wa

Guuzen, ano hi de ai

He knew he was hopelessly lost when he could not tell if this was the left or right side of Hikaru Genji’s stage. The staff members were running around, and juniors were scrambling to their next positions.

No one had the time to look at him twice. Suddenly, he felt someone bump into him from the back.

“I’m sorry,” the boy with the thick-framed glasses bowed apologetically. When he looked up with that shy smile, Tsuyoshi knew he would forever remember that day. The day he met Domoto Koichi.

Koi ni ochita yo

“I love you,” he whispers the words, when he’s sure the other would not hear. He’s loved Koichi for a long time, but only secretly. That is partially why he loves doing live shows. He can shout it out for the world to hear without abandon, and without judgment.

As if noticing something, Koichi turns from the other side of the room. Tsuyoshi gives him a soft smile, and Koichi returns it with a grin of his own.

Ai ga kurushimi da to, moshi oshierarete mo

Koichi stared at his senpai, an incredulous look on his face. “Come again, Matchy-san?”

Matchy settles back into his seat, staring straight into Koichi’s eyes. “Loving him will only make you suffer. You know that, deep down in your heart. There’s no way our society will accept it.”

Boku wa mayowazu ni, kimi wo eranda darou

“I know,” Koichi replies softly. “But it’s the only thing that completes me. Tsuyoshi’s the only one who can make me complete.”

Kono sora de kazoekirenai hoshi ga

Umarete wa hito shirezu kiete yuku yo

They’ve seen the lives and careers of countless people fade away in the brutal world of entertainment business. They’ve been told countless time to be careful of their actions. They know, any mistakes they make will not only affect the both of them.

KinKi Kids is no longer about the both of them. They are responsible for a whole team of people. And so, they cannot find their own happiness, while forsaking everyone else’s.

“Kimi wo aishiteru” sonna hitokoto ga

Kazarazu ni ieta nara donna ni rakunan darou

Koichi looked at his partner’s reflection in the mirror. Tsuyoshi sat in the other room, quietly strumming and tuning his new guitar. Suddenly, Tsuyoshi looks up, and their eyes meet.

Koichi feels his breath catch. “I’m sorry. She never meant anything to me,” the words never made it past his thoughts. He knew it was his fault. He never expected Tsuyoshi to say ‘Go for it’ when he told him about the fictional girl he was interested in.

“How did the confession go?” his soft voice cut through the room. Sadness lingered in his eyes.

Koichi shook his head. “It didn’t work out,” he turned around to face Tsuyoshi.

“It’s alright. You’ve still got me,” Tsuyoshi said, turning back to his guitar. Koichi wants to apologize. He wants to tell Tsuyoshi how important he really is. But he chooses to keep quiet.

Mou nido to kimi wo nakasetakunai kara

Nanigenai kyou to iu hi ga bokura no kinenbi

Tsuyoshi takes in a shuddering breath. He would not cry. Not today. Today, 15 years ago, was the day he first met Koichi. It’s a day for celebration, not for tears. And, not two hours ago, Koichi announced his upcoming marriage.

He strolls over to Koichi, who was drunk and giggling into a suffering Nagase’s shoulder.

“Take care of him,” Tsuyoshi manages to say, giving Koichi’s head a few affectionate ruffles. He was rewarded with a low purr and an impossibly wide grin.

Nagase sighs. “That’s technically your job. You’re his wife,” he winks. Tsuyoshi feels his heart clench. “Not anymore, Tomoya-baby. Not anymore,” he says sadly.

As he turns away, he lets a lone tear slide down his cheek. The tears finally fall in earnest, when he goes back to their shared dressing room. It does not stop, even when he finds the gift Koichi tucked into his bag.

Nanka fushiginan da, kimi ga boku wo suki na

Riyuu ga wakaranai yo sonna mon kana

“Why?” Koichi is startled by the sudden question.

Koichi cocks his head to the side. “Why what, Tsuyoshi-san?”

“Why do you love me?” Tsuyoshi asks, and Koichi can see the insecurity in his eyes.

Koichi closes the distance between them, embracing Tsuyoshi in a hug. “Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know? I just do.”

Tsuyoshi smiles into his shoulder, returning the embrace. “That’s enough for me.”

Shuumi ya shigusa date chigatte iru keredo

Koichi flips through the auto magazine, hoping to find some article he had not read before. He sighs, dumping the magazine back onto the table. He chances a look over at Tsuyoshi, who is testing the pH of the water in the second fish tank.

Koichi pouts, deciding to turn on his laptop instead. He spends the next three hours going through Grand Prix data and writing up his article. Tsuyoshi spends that time interacting with his fish and making Koichi small snacks.

“Saikin nite kita” to mawari ni iwareru

“You’re friendlier now,” Nagase comments out of the blue. Koichi raises an eyebrow.

“Excuse me?” he says, temporarily forgetting he’s playing a fishing game against Nagase on the gaming console.

Nagase takes the chance to reel in two fishes more than Koichi. “You mix around more. That’s a good thing.”

“I have friends,” Koichi defends himself. “I just have… more now.”

Nagase snickers, attention finally on his best friend. “You had me. And Tsuyoshi. Now, you get around more. Tsuyoshi is a good influence on you.”

Koichi takes a few moments to ponder over Nagase’s words. “Maybe that’s why Tom-san accidentally called Tsuyoshi my name the other day,” he said.

At Nagase’s inquiring gaze, he decides to elaborate. “We were recording for Kyoudai. Tom-san kept calling Tsuyoshi my name. When we asked him why, he said he just couldn’t tell us apart anymore.”

Uso tsuite kimi wo nakaseta ano hi

Tada boku wa damatta mama nani mo dekizu

Tsuyoshi stood rooted to the spot, lost. He wanted to go over and comfort Koichi. But he knew, anything he did would not be good enough. So, he stood there, looking at Koichi’s shaking back.

He steels himself one more time. “I don’t love you anymore, Koichi-san. It’s over now,” he says it one final time before closing the door behind him.

Tsuyoshi leans his back on the closed door, closing his eyes and willing the sobs at the other side of the door to stop.

“It’s for the best. Please forgive me,” he whispers, feeling his world end.

Kimi ga iru dakede arifureta hibi ga

Azayaka ni irodorare ai ga michite yuku yo

Koichi flips through the day’s schedule. Shin Domoto Kyoudai recording, two photoshoots, Donnamonya and Music Station. Another regular day for KinKi.

He’s about to groan when he sees Tsuyoshi bursts into the room, a new fuzzy green hat in his hands. “Koichi-san! Look what I got at the 100yen store yesterday!”

Koichi spends the day annoying Tsuyoshi by playing ‘Bat the Hat’.

Kono kimochi dake wa wasuretakunai kara

Johnny-san approaches Tsuyoshi one day, when Koichi is off filming in New York. “I’m breaking KinKi up,” he’s told.

“We cannot afford to get anymore complaints from the fans. We’ll do it slowly, maximizing your solo projects more. Then we’ll announce the disbanding when the time is right. I’m sorry,” the old man says, gripping Tsuyoshi’s hand, only to have it pushed away.

Tsuyoshi leaves the room, calling the one number that could give his despairing heart consolation.

The line connects. A sleepy “Tsuyoshi-san? Am I late for work again?” greets him. He finds himself smiling and serenading Koichi back to sleep with a lullaby.

Nanigenai kyou to iu hi ga, bokura no kinenbi

“What’s the date today?” Tsuyoshi asks from the piano. Koichi strums a few chords, shrugging.

“KinKi Kids-san, we’re ready for recording,” the voice announces into the room. Both men step up to the microphones.

It is late when they finish. Koichi glances at his watch. 11.45pm. He stalls Tsuyoshi for a few more minutes. When the clock strikes twelve, he surprises the other man by hugging him from the back.

“Happy 13^th anniversary, Tsuyoshi-san.”

“Kimi wo aishiteru” sonna hitokoto ga

Kazarazu ni ieta nara donna ni rakunan darou

Koichi stirs from his slumber on the couch to the sounds of cooking from his kitchen. He lets a lazy smile creep onto his face. “I’m hungry~” he whines like a spoilt child. He expects Tsuyoshi to come out and scold him, brandishing a ladle or knife.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” a female voice greets him. Koichi is startled. Shaking the sleep out, he cautiously enters the kitchen.

He sees his wife preparing dinner for the both of them. He is disappointed. Once again, he wishes he had told Tsuyoshi one last time. Maybe it would have ended a different way.

Mou nido to kimi wo nakasetakunai kara

Nanigenai kyou to iu hi ga, bokura no kinenbi

“Koichi-san?” Tsuyoshi’s cautious voice greets him over the phone.

Koichi smiles softly. “Hi, Tsuyoshi-san. How are you?”

The conversation continues for a few minutes. Casual jibes and updates on each other’s lives are exchanged.

Just before he hangs up, Koichi quietly says into the phone, “Happy 20^th anniversary, Tsuyoshi-san.”

He does not hear the “Happy anniversary, Koichi-san. I love you.” after he hangs up.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* owari *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So? So? So? How did this turn out? Argh! I can’t believe I wrote angst! I want a happy ending!!! *wails*

And I've got a Koichi-memory loss multi-chap fic in the works, which began as a one-shot, but since Tsuyo-chan went "It works better as a multi-chap" (which in Tsuyo-chan speak, means 'I want moaarr~ Write it!') so it's being expanded into a multi-chap. Tsuyo-chan aka wifey is scary~