Chapter Text
The private bar had always meant a lot to Tenn. Ever since that first night two years before, where TRIGGER had truly been born. A small tradition that they allowed themselves to have was a short meeting at that club on the night they met. Not their official anniversary--not according to the public--but the night they truly became TRIGGER. Maybe it was symbolism or destiny or just plain coincidence, but in the two years they’d maintained that tradition, it always snowed. Just a light dusting, turning Tokyo into a sparkling wonderland, all decked out for the holidays. Couples wandered the streets, and despite the chill, a warmth emanated from the city that couldn’t be replicated.
Tenn and Gaku picked across the snow-dusted sidewalks in careful silence, hunched into their stylish coats with their hats pulled low. They were running a little late, which meant their perpetually-early center would already be there. Waiting.
“Ryuu’s gonna be mad.” Gaku’s voice was soft and full of good humor. He wasn’t serious, and they both knew it.
“Please. That would require he actually raise his voice at us,” Tenn replied, nudging Gaku in the ribs. “We’re almost there. He’ll understand the snow and crowds.”
Sure enough, the lights of the club were already on, casting a golden glow onto the sidewalk and the sign indicating closure for a private event. Tenn wouldn’t exactly call three friends--and they were friends, no matter what Ryuu said--getting drinks an ‘event,’ per se, but it had been something he had looked forward to for a while.
Ryuu was already situated behind the bar, his stylish gray sweater rolled to his elbows. It was rare they caught him in an unguarded moment, and at that point, he was still focused on carving the little rabbit apple to garnish Tenn’s highball glass of apple juice. It was a little thing Ryuu had taken to doing for Tenn, and Tenn would never complain. Not when he clearly wanted to do it so much…
Ryuu’s smile was… glassy. As usual. There was clearly warmth there somewhere , but it never came through. Not with them; “You guys are late. I was worried.”
“Sorry,” Gaku said, removing his coat. “Crowds, plus snow.”
“Are you mad?” Tenn slid into the bar stool in front of the glass of juice, while Gaku situated near the champagne flutes.
“Not at all. It’s just us,” Ryuu said. His eyes softened just a touch and a surge of victory coursed through Tenn’s chest, no matter how small. “So, what are we drinking to?”
“Oi! Don’t ask questions you know the answer to,” Gaku reprimanded, although the gently-teasing tone hadn’t faltered.
“I’m sure he’s just checking,” Tenn added with a quirked brow. “After all, our feelings haven’t changed since that night.”
“Of course not.” Gaku lifted his glass.
“Then,” Ryuu followed Gaku’s lead, “here’s to the night TRIGGER was born.”
~~~
2 Years Ago
“ Tenn-nii, I’m super jealous right now! ”
Tenn laughed indulgently at his baby brother’s petulant teasing; “Don’t be too jealous. It’s freezing. I have no idea why this manager couldn’t meet me at a heated cafe or something. At least then I could be having hot cocoa.”
“ Ha ha! You’re just grumpy because you haven’t had your sugar fix today!” Tenn shook his head on a chuckle, even though Riku couldn’t see him. “Still, you get to take your first steps towards your dream tonight, while I’m stuck in bed. It’s not fair!”
“You’ll get your chance in time, Riku. And I’ll be there to support you every step of the way,” Tenn admonished. “Did the advance from YaoPro come in?”
“ Yeah! Mom was so happy she cried, and Dad did a super embarrassing dance. Pretty sure he wanted to dip one of the nurses.”
“That’s good. They deserve it,” Tenn replied softly, a weight he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying lifting from his shoulders. “Just get some rest, Riku. Focus on getting better so you can join me on the stage. I’ll come see you in the morning when visiting hours start.”
“ Tell me how it goes! But I should probably sleep… these meds they have me on make me super drowsy.”
“I will, I promise. I’ll bring you that bread you like for breakfast.” Tenn squeezed the phone, wishing he could hug his brother, but at the same time, exhilarated for his next step. “Get some rest, and kiss Mom for me.”
“ Will do. Good luck, Tenn-nii! ”
Tenn breathed out a sigh, watching his breath fog in the chilly Tokyo night. He pulled up his emails to double check on the meeting place for the manager, who was running late… then again, with the advance from his Yaotome Productions contract, he was able to pay for an advanced bronchial treatment for Riku and make a significant dent in his parents’ debt. They could keep the nightclub, and Riku could spend his time getting better and stronger instead of stressing himself out about how much his illness burdened his family. A strong sense of pride warmed Tenn from the inside out. He’d done that. On his own. And now, he was going to be a superstar. He could feel it.
He was so caught up in his own sense of accomplishment, he scarcely noticed the sudden fuss in the square, but he did notice the man who approached him. He was almost painfully beautiful, with movie-star good looks and an intense expression that made Tenn want to stop and savor the moment…
He hated him immediately.
“Nanase Tenn?” The man’s voice was deep and rich, like dark chocolate and red wine. Which didn’t really help Tenn’s animosity. “You’re Nanase Tenn, from Yaotome Productions, right?”
“Yes.” Tenn reverted to formal speech on instinct, drawing on watching his parents with big customers. “I’m Nanase Tenn.”
“Ah, I knew it.” The man’s face softened into a playful smile, giving Tenn a sense of whiplash and aggravating his bratty little brother instincts. “I’m Yaotome Gaku.”
Yaotome … Tenn accepted his handshake ( how very American of him ) and barely resisted the urge to scowl. Yaotome--the company president who’d welcomed him to the agency--was a prickly professional who’d stared daggers with identical blue-gray eyes to the man standing before him. Was this the Young Master everyone kept talking about?
They made easy conversation as Yaotome led him down the sidewalk towards the nightlife district. He had this casual ease about him, although there was a bit of a rebellious, bratty streak that Tenn could get behind. He was clearly bothered by the nature of that night’s events, though…
“Kujo Ryunosuke,” Gaku said with obvious contempt.
“Who now?”
“It annoys me,” Gaku snarled without acknowledging Tenn’s question. “It’s our group, and this Kujo clown comes in with this unknown talent and my old man is falling all over himself to make his pet the center.”
“How petulant,” Tenn retorted, smirking up through his long lashes. “Next you tell me you’ll quit if you don’t like him.”
“Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t.” Yaotome jammed his hands into his pockets, just shy of pouting. Tenn logged it away for later and vowed to give Yaotome shit for that look on his face. “Listen, I want this new group to work as well as any of you, but if he got in on dirty money and a pretty face, then I’m out. I won’t deal with that drama.”
Tenn fought the initial panic--he had to pay back YaoPro’s advance, or his family would be even worse off than before--but something told him this Yaotome character wasn’t a total idiot. Despite being brash, if this Kujo Ryunosuke wound up being as good as the hype implied, he was sure they would be just fine.
Besides, I’m talented enough to be placed with another group in the company. No problem.
Still, he had to give Yaotome shit for it; “How very ‘young master’ of you. Your new toy isn’t to your liking, so you storm off in a huff, is that it?”
“Oi…” Yaotome scowled out the corners of his eyes, but Tenn didn’t let him finish.
“I didn’t realize the sexy, talented son of the company was so unbearable to work with! What happens if his hair clashes with mine? Shall you make him dye it to fit the group’s aesthetic?”
Yaotome wanted to take the bait, but clearly they’d arrived at their destination--a small, windowless club with a golden glow tossed out over the sidewalk. He scowled at Tenn’s victorious, fox-like grin; “You’re kind of a brat, aren’t you?”
“Well, I’m 16. It’s in my nature.” Tenn shrugged and sauntered down the steps, reckless and two at a time.
“Haa!? Holy shit, I almost had a fist fight with an actual infant? What are you doing out of bed, it’s like, 9:30!?”
“Shut it, pretty boy,” Tenn growled, resisting the urge to kick Yao--Gaku… bastard didn’t deserve the respect of a surname--straight in the shin. “You’re lucky I’m banking on needing you at dance practices, or you’d be down a kneecap, old man.”
“So which is it?” Gaku shot back, following Tenn down the stairs. “Pretty boy, or old man?”
“Both, you beautiful bastard!”
“Ah, ah, language young man!”
“Oh, stick a jock strap in it,” Tenn snarled, unwinding his scarf from his neck in the sudden warmth. “Where’s this Kujo guy?”
“If you’re referring to your center, that would be me.”
Tenn was taken aback, unsure what he was expecting when he walked into that bar that night, but it was not the tall, gentle-looking man standing in the center of the room. It wasn’t the warmth radiating from him in everything from his skin tone to the color of his eyes to the slant of his broad shoulders. It wasn’t the stylishly-messy brown hair, or the whiskey gold eyes, or the rich voice, or the way his body narrowed to an impossibly trim waist from an equally improbable chest.
“Whoa…” Tenn bit his lip. He was… beautiful. But… in a shockingly normal way. Like a perfectly normal, perfectly average 20-something guy one might see in a stylish bar like the one they were in. Despite that, though, there was a strangely haunted look in his eyes. One that set Tenn’s teeth on edge.
Thankfully, their new center seemed to ignore Tenn’s outburst. He dipped into a smooth bow; “Nice to meet you. I am Kujo Ryunosuke. I hope to serve well as your center. Please, treat me kindly.”
So formal … the politeness was almost eerie. But he had the inherent grace of a talented dancer, and the smooth cadence of a singer. He accepted Tenn and Gaku’s introductions with practiced ease of a seasoned professional, his smile as gray and glassy as the empty windows of a shuttered shop. As far as Tenn was concerned, there was absolutely nothing wrong with their center. But then, there was nothing overly special about him either. He stared at them impassively, held himself impassively, even spoke impassively. He didn’t initiate any sort of conversation beyond his introduction. He didn’t even look overly happy to be there…
Gaku took offense; “Is that all you have to say?”
“It’s how it’s done,” Ryunosuke responded, his speech flat, smooth and calculated with no discernible accent or flavor. “We are to be coworkers and business partners.”
“So you don’t care who we are as people?” It was probably a bit much, to pick a fight within 30 seconds of meeting their new bandmates, but at that point Gaku was as stubborn as a dog with a bone. “This isn’t just our future, it’s yours! If we fail, you fail. Does that matter to you?”
“If we fail, then Kujo-san will be upset, but he will find something new for me,” Ryunosuke said, avoiding eye contact. “It’s how it’s done. I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Gaku was so pale, it was easy to see the blood rush to his face in anger. His voice was steadily climbing, and Ryunosuke was steadily shrinking in on himself. “You didn’t do anything! I’m the one yelling! I’m the one losing my temper! That doesn’t bother you?”
“Kujo-san said there would be friction, considering I was assigned as your center,” Ryunosuke shrugged, an aborted movement that was at odds with his natural grace, “but I am determined to make this work. It is… not ideal that you’re this upset. But I’ll do what I can so I won’t let you down.”
That seemed to let some wind out of Gaku’s sails, but clearly not all of it. Tenn could only watch in mute horror as Gaku puffed up like a perturbed cat and backed Ryunosuke into the bar; “Why are you talking like that? Why aren’t you saying anything? Get mad at me for getting in your face! Threaten to throw a punch! Show me you’re more than… this!”
“I’m sorry.” Ryunosuke stared somewhere over Gaku’s shoulder, away from Tenn’s eyeline. “This is… how it’s done.”
Gaku seized a fistful of Ryunosuke’s soft sweater in sudden anger; “Stop saying that!”
Tenn wasn’t sure if it was Gaku’s sudden increase in volume or the way Ryunosuke’s eyes widened with fear at the unexpected rough touch, but whatever it was snapped him into action. He surged forward, wrapping his arms around Gaku’s free arm and tugging hard .
“Stop shouting, you actual buffoon!” Tenn didn’t like the look on Ryuu’s face, how he could see the whites of his eyes all the way around his iris, or the way his pulse visibly fluttered like a panicked bird at the base of his throat. “Sorry about that, Kujo-san. He’s not properly socialized yet. I told his handler we should have tried the dog park first.”
Distracted from accosting their center, Gaku rounded on Tenn with an affronted noise, but Tenn ignored him. Ryunousuke was massaging his chest behind where Gaku had grabbed him. “It’s quite alright, Nanase-san. People tend to… not like me very much. It’s normal.”
Tenn didn’t like that. He didn’t like that at all. But they were there to meet their center, to see how their group meshed, and whether he liked it or not his future hung in the balance in that little room. So he had to make peace.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll like you. You seem nice so far. A very soothing presence… like a big brother.”
Unexpectedly, Ryunosuke softened at that; “Th-thank you, Nanase-san.”
“Call me Tenn. Call this oaf Gaku. He doesn’t deserve honorifics until he’s housebroken.”
There was a ghost of a laugh, and for the first time, Ryunosuke looked him in the eye; “Alright then… Tenn. Gaku. You can both call me Ryunosuke, or… or Ryuu. If you like.”
“I like that better than Kujo-san,” Gaku muttered, still crossing his arms like an affronted child.
“So step one towards getting to know each other: complete,” Tenn said, “and now, step two?”
“Well…” Ryuu rubbed at the back of his head shyly, a rusty motion that spoke of a habit that was well loved and familiar but long broken. “My… my dad. He always said that if you wanted to know someone, you drink and dance together. Maybe we should try that.”
Gaku huffed a breath of laughter, earlier tension all but gone from his frame and voice; “You should have led with that. Your dad seems like a very wise and interesting man.”
Ryuu actually looked like he might crack a smile, which was brittle but unbearably warm; “You’d probably like him. He also greeted people by threatening to punch them in the face.”
“Hey! That’s what I was looking for!” Gaku slapped Ryuu’s shoulder, completely missing the way Ryuu stiffened fearfully at the sudden touch.
“I can’t believe you made me be the adult,” Tenn murmured, kicking playfully at Gaku’s rear end, oblivious to Ryuu’s newfound tension.
Ryuu had already disappeared behind the bar, inspecting whiskey bottles; “How old are you two? I'm 21.”
“20.”
“16.”
“God, I can’t believe you’re a literal actual child,” Gaku pinched the bridge of his nose and slid into a barstool.
“Well then,” Ryuu pulled a carton of apple juice from the fridge under the counter. “Sazerac for Gaku and I. Apple juice for Tenn.”
“How exactly am I supposed to get drunk and dance on apple juice?” Tenn quirked his brow playfully. It was the longest Ryuu had spoken so far without compulsively apologizing so that was… something.
Even better, Ryuu laughed gently--almost warmly --at that, tentatively reaching out to pet Tenn’s head, a touch he leaned into like a spoiled cat; “I suppose you’ll just have to pretend, Tenn-kun.”
That first touch should have told him that there was more to their timid center than meets the eye. Tenn thought Ryuu’s presence was, at best, muted. He thought he was prepared for whatever that man had to bring to the table. Tenn was graceful and well trained, Gaku was sensual and controlled, where Ryuu…
Ryuu was amazing.
The music was perfectly suited to his aggressively masculine, powerful style. He had everything--presence, flexibility, strength, and emotionality. Whatever Ryuu wasn’t expressing in his heart came out in his dance. He tied Tenn and Gaku’s disparate dance styles together, connecting the dots between Tenn’s delicate grace and Gaku’s sensuality. He lit up on stage, even if it was a shitty karaoke stage in the middle of a trendy bar.
And then, he brought his big hand down to the wood with a deafening, echoing slam … and energy rolled off his frame. His face lit up in a smile so huge and warm it shone brighter than any spotlight. He was truly magnificent in every sense. He spurred Tenn and Gaku into action, dragged them along behind him, and they couldn’t help but fall into his gravitational pull. They fell into perfect sync. Perfect unity. Tenn looked at Gaku out of the corner of his eye, and in that little bit of eye contact, he knew… he knew …
This was his group. And Ryuu was their center.
When they collapsed onto the stage, panting and drenched, a foreign sound filled their ears. Ryuu was… actually laughing ; “Ha! I always thought that Tokyo winters were cold. And yet, here I am, soaked with sweat!”
His smile was wide and warm and genuine, his eyes lit up like summer and light and life. It was hard not to feel like he’d do anything to never let that smile die… Ryuu could potentially be too powerful for his own good; he was barely the same person he’d been when Tenn and Gaku had walked through the front door.
But all it took was a pointed look from Gaku, and Tenn knew: something had happened to Ryuu to lock that beautiful person away. And they had to protect him at all costs.