rabenhorst (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rabenhorst) wrote2007-09-08 06:04 pm
rabenhorst) wrote2007-09-08 06:04 pm
(no subject)
Title: First Love, Last Love; Chapter 1
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seinen_no and fonulyn
Rating: PG [going up to NC17]
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Summary: When Kaoru and his wife get a divorce, he is forced to leave his little daughter to live with her mother when he’s moving out. He finds support in his best friend, but is friendship everything life has in store for them? Or is their past together going to resurface now that Kaoru’s life has been turned upside down?[yes, I am aware that sounds like an ad for a b-class soap opera XD]
Comments:
seinen_no: Hey dears! Yeah, you see right, even though we still have "Touched a thousand times" still running, we decided to post our next fic already. This one's very precious for us in a way, not that the others weren't, but we enjoyed writing it a hell lot. If you're looking for a lot of twists in the plot or huge drama, you'll be disappointed, since this one won't have it. It's more like trying to show the struggles of a normal relationship with all its small ups and downs, with the good sides and the problems you have to deal with. It's because fonulyn and I are kinda a sucker for every day life scenes and with this fic we paid credit to this. I still think it's interesting and has a very nice mood, but you have to decide for yourself. It's also a bit longer, will have 14 chapters.
So have fun reading and tell us what you think! And don't worry. We'll keep on updating the other story regularly.
fonulyn: heh, I don’t have anything left to say, as my hunney already summed it all up pretty well XD I just have to mention that I loved writing this story to no end and it still makes me smile. And I hope that you will like it too, despite the lack of huge drama^^ Enjoy, and like always, tell us what you think! haha, and the little girl is actually named after my little brother XD *coughs*
And feel free to add our journal if you like the stories!
Plus, the archive .
Chapter 1
Sighing, Kaoru closed the box and fixed it with tape. A few scribbled lines on the lid told what was inside. It is always hard to close a chapter in your life, but this was probably the hardest for him. Not, that he was moving out or that he would be divorced, that was okay. It had been clear for long already that the marriage was irreparable, Kaoru and Nozomi, his still-wife, simply too different in personality. But leaving his little baby girl, his daughter Mika, with his wife smothered the relief about finally moving out.
Slowly, almost ceremonially, he opened another carton and put some folders inside, insurance policies, birth certificate, divorce papers, his whole life. At least he would never have to feel awkward in his own apartment anymore. Since the past months, he and Nozomi hadn't even shared the same bedroom anymore and the situation between them was more than tense. Only with Mika around, they had always tried to act at least somewhat natural, had even talked to each other then.
The girl was the only reason why Kaoru hadn't asked for the divorce earlier. Although he now thought this marriage had been a mistake to begin with, he dearly loved the girl and was grateful to have her. Maybe Nozomi and he had been too young, his life as a guitarist too exciting and extraordinary, to lead a normal relationship. At least in the past two years, when his life had calmed down a bit and he had learned to take the fame like something natural and not see himself as some kind of rock-god anymore, he had noticed that it was hard to talk to his wife. She simply didn't
understand him, had other interests and hobbies.
Still, it had been hard for both of them to admit that they had failed, not able to make the marriage work any longer. Thinking back, Kaoru wasn't even sure if it had ever worked in the first place. He had been away from home so much that they hadn't really spent much time together, but they still had loved each other once, at least he thought they had.
Nozomi took the divorce mostly calm as she saw as well that it was of no use to struggle with it anymore. She didn't offer any help with packing though, because inwardly she blamed her husband for this, for their failure. In her eyes, he hadn't spent enough time concentrating on his family, had put his friends and work above his wife always. They were both tired of arguing about it though at this point, more silently avoiding each other every time possible. Mostly for the sake of their child, since neither of them wanted her to witness any arguments between her parents.
Mika was six years and it had been a shock for her when her daddy had said that he wouldn't be living with them anymore. Both, Kaoru and Nozomi had explained her that this had nothing to do with her and that her daddy still loved her, but as every child, the girl had been crying, wanting both of her parents to live together. As much as Kaoru might have neglected his wife, he himself wasn't so sure about that, he had always tried his best to be there for his girl, to see her first steps, hear her first babbled word and be there on her first schoolday. One couldn't say that he didn't care.
Still, it would be even harder now to take his part as a father, seeing that his new apartment was located at the other end of Tokyo and the band still demanded a lot of his time. Kaoru was afraid that he could grow apart from his daughter, that she could grow disinterested towards him. Nozomi and he had agreed upon that he would get her every second weekend, but the problem was that he wasn't always there then. So he would have to skip many weekends and be dependant on his wife's generosity to allow spontaneous visits.
Thankfully, Nozomi seemed to realize that it would be best for their daughter to still keep both her parents, and she seemed to be understanding when it came to allowing the girl to visit Kaoru. She had yelled, had accused her husband for being a cold man who didn't care for his marriage and still blamed him for many things, but she had to admit that he had never been a bad parent, and tried not to let her own anger affect the relationship between father and daughter.
If one asked Kaoru, he'd admit that it was partly true. He had been acting cold lately. But it wasn't something he did conscious, more the result of growing up and apart. Maybe he had never truly loved her, only been in love with the thought of having a family, something that grounded him as he was leading a life where one easily lost touch to reality. Somehow though he refused to actually believe that. He had had feelings for Nozomi, only that those had slowly died away and Kaoru was sure that it was nobody's fault.
Just like when he and Die had broken up, only that it had felt different back then. The two guitarists had led a short, turbulent relationship. They had been young and successful, ready to conquer the world. But when reality had kicked in, the problem of hiding their love for each other towards the masses along with the more and more stressful life on tour, they both had to see that it didn't work out. It hadn't been a huge ceremony, no big scene, no slamming doors or thrown glasses. It had been a mutual decision without either of them ever talking about it really. They had managed the walk on the tightrope from being a couple to being best friends.
Still, Kaoru thought back at this time with a smile and sometimes, when he was melancholy or depressed just like right at that moment, he asked himself if they wouldn't have had a chance if they had worked on it more. But they had been too young back then to see it probably. Still, said best friend was waiting outside with his car, ready to help him get his stuff to his new apartment. And Kaoru was grateful for that fact.
They had managed to stay close, and Die had been the first one Kaoru had told about his decision to get a divorce, and the first one to ask help from when he had decided the day when he would be moving out. Die had silently listened to him, offered all the help he was able to give. He hadn't dared to come in though, afraid it might stir just more troubles simply because Nozomi seemed to direct part of her anger at her husband's bandmembers, making them take part of the blame.
So the redhead staid outside, leaning against his car and smoked one cigarette after another while waiting for his best friend to come outside. When he saw Kaoru in the doorframe, he smiled at him wearily, offering him a drag of the cig. "How much stuff you have still inside?"
Smiling, the smaller man took the smoke and instantly brought it to his lips. "Not much anymore," he answered the question with a slight smile and an audible sigh. No matter how bad he felt, knowing that the redhead was there for him whatever might happen always calmed him down. There was nobody as reliable as Die if one asked him. Slowly, Kaoru raised his gaze to look at his friend, but he didn't say anything, knowing the other man would understand.
"Don't worry." Die's smile softened, as he turned to look him in the eye. "She loves you, that won't change." He knew it was the hardest thing for Kaoru to leave his child behind. But he had also seen how much the girl loved her dad, and he believed that things would work out eventually.
"Yeah, you're right." Kaoru didn't sound too convinced, but tried hard to see things positive. "And she's getting older, which means I might be able to take her on tour with us during her holidays. That is, if Nozomi doesn't start a huge fight over this." Silently, he finished the rest of the cigarette and then turned around to fetch the last boxes while Die brought the ones from the elevator into the van he had rented. Although Kaoru didn't take much with him, it was still enough work for two people, but he didn't complain.
They didn't talk much anymore, just got the boxes into the car and got everything ready. That was a thing they had learned long ago, that they didn't need to keep up a forced conversation between them, being able to just enjoy the comfortable silence. Once they were done, Die got already into the car, waiting while his friend went back inside to see if he forgot anything.
Nozomi had taken Mika out to the zoo and then to watch a movie, so that she wouldn't have to see her dad taking his belongings. Still, Kaoru would have wanted to say goodbye at least, even if it was only for a short while. The apartment he had rented was small but in a nice part of Tokyo, not far away from the studio. But since they had had a lot of work with the new album lately, it was still almost unfurnished; only a bed and a closet being there already. It would take a while before he could really live there and invite friends, let alone before everything was ready for Mika to spend a weekend there.
Huffing and slightly out of breath they carried the big boxes into the new apartment, piling them up into the room that would become the living room. As soon as the last box was there, Die plopped to sit down on it, releasing a theatrical sigh and wiping his forehead. "I hope you have a cold drink to offer to your weary friend?" He was smiling brightly though, winking at the slightly older man.
"Of course I do. Even if there's nothing here, the fridge is well equipped." Kaoru grinned and nodded towards the kitchen. "Beer, Coke, soda?" He was grateful that he wouldn't have to be alone right at this moment and dearly hoped that Die would stay a bit. "Gods, I don't even have a TV. But I took the stereo with me..."
"You need to ask? I'd love a cold beer." Die chuckled, pulling his legs up to almost sit on them, still on the big box. He had been friends with Kaoru for so long, that he knew him well enough to assume he wouldn't want to be all alone right now. And he didn't have hurry anywhere, as he had spared the whole day for the moving.
"Coming right away." The older guitarist flashed him a bright smile and went to get the drinks. He was even chuckling a bit, remembering that it had been Die as well who had helped him to move from his first tiny apartment into one he had shared with Nozomi. Although the band had been quite popular back then already, they still hadn't been particularly rich. Only a few years later, it had begun to pay off and Kaoru had been able to move into a bigger flat together with his small family; again with Die being there to help.
When he returned into the living-room, he plopped down on a box beside the other man, handing him the beer. "There."
"Thanks." Gratefully, the younger man took the offered drink, instantly taking a huge sip since he was truly thirsty. "Gosh, I've been waiting for this the whole day." He smiled, relaxing slightly. He had actually missed moments like these somehow, when they just sat together in peace without the need or haste to do anything else.
Kaoru pulled up his legs, sitting down in tailor-seat, and nodded. "It's already friggin' hot for May. But better like this than when it would've rained." He took a sip as well, sighing contently as the cool liquid ran down his throat and washed away the dusty feeling. "It's going to be a lot of work to make this liveable and, knowing me, I'll live out of these boxes for the next year."
"You'll have to get it at least presentable enough so that you can give your friends a decent house-warming party," Die announced instantly, winking at the other with a merry grin. He was subconsciously trying to guide the conversation to a track that would make the other man forget how hard the day had been for him emotionally.
"Not much needed for that," Kaoru winked grinning. He was a willing victim for Die's attempts to distract him and gladly took the chance to think of more pleasant things. "A few cushions to sit on, snacks and lot's of booze." He thought that the redhead was right. Maybe, a house-warming party was exactly what he needed. All his friends would be there and he could use this to close the chapter 'marriage' in his life.
"Well, you're right with that." The younger guitarist laughed merrily, eyeing their surroundings for a short while. "But you don't need much to make this liveable either, you know. It's not that big and looks at least decent."
"Much better than my first apartment where water ran down the walls when it was raining," Kaoru remarked nodding. "Remember? It was terrible, until the landlord changed and the new one fixed some things. Then it was kinda okay."
"Kinda okay? I wouldn't go that far." Die shook his head instantly, remembering the place as if it had been yesterday. "Everything was either broken there or nearly about to break down."
"At least my door closed properly, unlike somebody else’s," Kaoru pointed out grinning. "Gosh, sometimes I miss the old times." He took another long sip from his beer, gazing into the distance absently. It was amazing, from the day when they had taken him into the band, with Kisaki as bassist before they had found Toshiya, he and Die had been friends. It was a soothing thought that this hadn't changed at all. Although, now that he thought of it again, there might still be more than friendship he felt towards the other man, but he couldn't get a hold of the feeling.
The redhead had similar thoughts, and he couldn't help but to smile at the memories they shared, all the way from their first lousy apartments to where they were now. It was clear to him that the other guitarist was his closest friend, but he had denied himself to think about it more than that after they had ended their short relationship all those years ago. Again when his thoughts began to head too deep into the subject, he simply shook his head, pulling back from his thoughts and just smiled at Kaoru. "Well, I miss the carelessness we had back then. But I surely don't miss the low pay-checks." He even managed to chuckle a bit.
"You're right. But I still remember how good the beer tasted when you paid it with your little money, or how precious the ordered pizza was. I don't miss the cockroaches in your toilet though," Kaoru snickered. It was true, Die had had a roach-problem in his old apartment. Those beasts just popped out of the drain to make everybody's life hell.
"I don't miss them either." The redhead chuckled, downing the rest of his beer in one huge gulp. "God I hated those creatures. I still freak out when I see those somewhere."
A shudder ran through Kaoru and he shook his head. "Gah, whenever you switched off the lights, you heard their little feet tapping on the floor." Slowly, he got off the box and walked across the room to the window. It was showing the backyard and promised silence at day and night. "Maybe I should've taken Mika here first to ask her if she likes the apartment too. I want her to spend as much time with me as possible and she should feel comfortable." Only after the words had left his lips, he noticed that he had gone back to thinking about his situation, although both men had tried to avoid it so ably.
"I don't think she really cares where you live. It's you she's going to visit, not your apartment." Die smiled softly, but sighed inwardly since he hadn't been able to keep the other man's thoughts off the situation apparently. "She'll like it here, trust me."
"You know what?" Kaoru turned around, an honest smile on his lips. "I am really happy about this. It's great to have a place of my own again where I can do as I wish."
"That's a relief." The redhead's smile widened as he noticed that his friend had really meant it. "You can start all over, and make your life look like you want it to."
The slightly older man scratched his head, pulling a face. "Now if I only knew how I want my life to look like." Not waiting for an answer, he went into the kitchen, a grin still on his lips, and soon returned with two more beers.
They spent the whole evening simply chatting with each other, downing a few more beers by the way. It was already late when the redhead finally said goodbyes and headed back to his own apartment, to get even a bit sleep before they would need to get to work again in the morning.
Kaoru didn't forget about the housewarming party, but things turned out so that it took long before he was able to arrange one. But he had at least managed to unpack some of his stuff by then, having settled down at least somewhat. He had even bought a couch and a few shelves for his stuff. For the party, Kaoru had dragged the remaining unpacked boxes into the bedroom which only left a small path to get to the bed or the closet. He had to admit that he was looking forward to it and had prepared some snacks, the fridge filled with various drinks. Of course his bandmates would be there, along with a couple of old friends he hadn't seen in longer.
Shinya was the first one who arrived, being always overly on time. After greeting the drummer, offering him a seat and a drink, the doorbell kept on ringing for quite some time until the small living-room was filled with people, chatting and laughter. They all agreed that the apartment looked nice, but no one paid really much attention to it as there was other things to distract them.
As the people began to down the drinks at record speed, Die and Toshiya took the job to act as servants and bring everything needed from the kitchen at one point, so that Kaoru could focus on being a good host and taking care of the guests. Everyone was having fun though, and time practically flew by. Kaoru had warned his neighbours that it might get a bit louder that night and so he didn't have to fear the police to show up unexpectedly. He was grateful for Die's and Toshiya's help, but since there were only good friends around, he didn't have to make a big fuzz and joined the drinking as much as the others.
It was early morning already when the first guests began to leave until the bandmembers were the only ones left. They were happily sitting on the floor at that point, not bothering to even try to find glasses and just letting the bottle go in the round from one to another. Most of the time they were caught in a heated conversation, going from one topic to another.
"That was the worst gig ever," Kyo stated almost yelling because of the alcohol which had intoxicated his brains. Toshiya shook his head. "No, it was the one in this bar where the stage was right besides the toilet and it smelled like shit. Besides, people were throwing bottles at us..."
Kaoru was sitting on the armrest of the couch, hugging his knees and listened to the discussion silently for a moment. "Well," he finally spoke up grinning, "the worst gig for me was when I stagedived and thought people would tear me apart. They just ripped off my shirt and I'm sure if the security hadn't rescued me, they would've taken my pants as well. I was friggin’ scared. That was also the gig where I wrecked my guitar accidentally and this one girl jumped on stage and almost tackled Toshiya."
"That was one of the worst cases." Die had to admit with a merry laugh. "I survived through it without any huge troubles though, so I had kinda fun watching you just screw up and get molested." His comment earned a warning glance and a slap on the back of the head from the drummer, who managed to make his voice a dangerous sounding growl. "You should've helped your friends, you know. Not laugh at them maliciously."
"He got his comeuppance when this one woman decided to stalk him, saying they are soulmates and all," Kaoru pointed out laughing. It had been quite frightening in reality, but now they all could laugh about it. "She was waiting for him around every corner and I still remember his terrified expression. He was seriously trying to hide behind me," Kyo said, toasting towards the redhead before he took a long sip from the bottle.
"She was friggin' frightening!" Die defended himself instantly, sounding almost hurt. "You would've been terrified too if you had been me. So shut up about it." In reality he was well over it, had been for long and just barely managed to suppress his grin.
"But you looked so funny whenever you spotted her. Like a rabbit facing the huntsman," Kaoru teased. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he enjoyed the moment to the fullest, having his best friends around. They had lived through so many things together that it seemed impossible to ever break that bond that connected them.
"Well thank you." The redhead sighed dramatically. "You too, turn against me. Anything else you want to laugh at me about?" His smile betrayed him and broke free though, along with a couple chuckles. And he enjoyed seeing the lead guitarist this relaxed, probably the happiest he'd been in a long time.
"Now that you mention it. You look quite funny when you fall asleep in your seat and are drooling on your shirt too." Kaoru smirked widely and slid down to sit on the couch decently.
"Not as funny as you look when you try to stand up straighter to seem as tall as me." The younger guitarist reached to the side to slap the other guitarist's thigh half-heartedly.
"But when I stretch really high, I AM almost as tall as you are," Kaoru defended himself.
"Yeah," Toshiya interfered laughing, "when you wear platforms and Die's barefoot." They were used to tease each other lovingly, knowing nobody took offence in it.
"Deal with it, old man." Die chuckled, tilting his head to look at the older guitarist, grinning at him. He was leaning against the couch with his back, so he practically now saw his friend upside down.
Kaoru poked out his tongue and then brought the bottle to the redhead's lips, pouring so much liquor into his mouth that he either had to swallow or would spill everything on his shirt. Die chose the swallowing, like predicted, grinning up at the other one and opened his mouth to get more as soon as he had managed to down everything.
First, the older guitarist only poured so much that it was easy for his friend to swallow, but then turned the bottle so that the liquor was flowing into the other's mouth constantly. Looking at his other bandmates, he said triumphantly. "See, that's the way to shut Die up." The redhead and he had always been up for drinking games, had collected a lot experience throughout the years.
It only took a while before the redhead began to cough violently, and as the Kaoru didn't turn the bottle it resulted in all the liquor flowing on Die's hair and face, and from there onwards to his clothes. Blindly he tried to reach his hand out to turn the bottle away from him, but didn't manage that well.
It made Kaoru laugh and he enjoyed the moment to no end, seeing his friend in distress. Only after a moment, the thought that it would be enough and had mercy on Die. "Okay, I'll spare you for now," he stated generously and took a long sip from the bottle himself. "We don't want to waste all the precious Bourbon."
"You bastard." Die shook his head, eyeing his own clothes. "My clothes are wet and smelly now! How am I supposed to go home looking like this?"
"Mi casa est su casa," the older guitarist said generously. "I might even allow you to take a shower and wear my clothes." Kyo snickered. "Yeah Die, no taxi driver will take you home now. They'd think you puke in their precious car."
"Wear your clothes that are friggin’ small for me. At least the pants are gonna be too short." The redhead had created a pout, his eyes still fixed on his alcohol-soaked clothes.
"Then you will have to go home like that," Kaoru shrugged and Toshiya chuckled. "Like that one day where that one guy puked on your shoes and pants and we had no time to change before getting our flight. You took it with dignity, man."
"Come on, it's just a bit of bourbon on your shirt. And hair. And pants." Shinya's laughter increased slowly with each word, and he couldn't help but to shake his head. "And your frown looks priceless."
"The drunks will follow you like stray dogs," Kaoru remarked laughing and reached out to ruffle the redhead's hair. "Don't pout. Would you feel better if we all got soaked with liquor?"
"No. I'd prefer if we drank the liquor." Die's smile was back instantly, as he grinned at his friend, reaching for another bottle. "Gimme that."
Toshiya handed it to him and soon they were chatting and drinking again without bothering anymore. Die's hair and his clothes would dry by themselves anyways and the evening was still young, if one asked them.
Toshiya was the first to get up to go home, or more like swaying once he got on his feet. Since they had a couple of free days ahead, he had promised to visit his parents and his train would leave in the early afternoon that day. It looked threateningly much as if the bassist wouldn't be able to make it home like that and so Shinya got on his feet as well, wrapping an arm around his friend's waist to steady him. He was swaying equally much though, but together they somehow managed to back up each other, and after saying happy goodbyes they, disappeared on their way home.
Kyo was almost asleep already, lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. His world was spinning fast and made him feel dizzy. It still took some time before he was willing to leave though, but finally they managed to call him a cab and together, Kaoru and Die even managed to help him into his shoes and out the door.
The two guitarists were heavily drunk as well though and once the vocalist was gone, Kaoru sat down on the floor, grinning merrily. "It's great to live alone..."
"I bet you enjoy it." Die laughed, reaching out to ruffle the other man's hair. "But I heard you say something about lending me clothes... would you still be kind enough to stick to that so I can consider getting my butt back home?"
"You really wanna go home? You can also stay here and I throw your clothes into the washing machine," the older guitarist offered, tried to slap the hand away. Struggling, he got back on his feet, needing a moment to find balance. "I got a huge bed over there, or the couch." The couch, however, was only meant for two people to sit on and the tall guitarist wouldn't possibly fit there.
"I don't care which way, but I need to get outta these." The younger man tugged the hem of his shirt, turning to look at his friend with a grin. "And you have to borrow me clothes anyways."
"The closet's over there. Help yourself." Kaoru nodded towards the bedroom, already stripping off his shirt himself. The whole living-room smelled like a brewery, the air thick with smoke, so he opened the window wide before following the redhead behind.
Die had thrown his shirt somewhere to the side, and managed to open his belt and the button of his jeans before bending into the other man's closet to take a look at what he had got. He knew Kaoru at least had some oversized t-shirts, and he could maybe cope with one of those.
"There are some leisure-suit pants which could fit too. But you won't need them for sleeping," the older guitarist explained and plopped down on the bed's edge to pull the legs of his pants and get rid of them. He was sleepy all of a sudden and didn't even think about taking a shower anymore. Only wearing his boxers, he crawled under the covers, nuzzling the cushion comfortably.
"I know." The redhead grinned, digging out one huge shirt and pulling it over his head before getting rid of his pants. Swiftly he turned around, and after focusing his gaze at the other man, tried to look at him as pleading as possible. "And you promised I could sleep beside you?"
"Of course. Just get the spare blanket and a cushion from the other side of the closet and make yourself at home." Grinning, Kaoru patted the empty spot beside him. "I think I can deal with your snoring for tonight."
"I never snore." Die grabbed a blanket and a cushion, before making his way to the bed and practically launching himself on it. "YOU snore." He poked the older man's side with his index finger, before settling down under his blanket.
"Hey!" It caused the smaller man to squirm, a few chuckles escaping him. "I think you got that mixed up. You snore, chopping down whole forests, while I only drool and still look adorable."
"You do look adorable." The redhead admitted generously, but still didn't give in completely. "But you snore. A hell loud even."
"I don't. Nobody ever complained about that except you." Not willing to give in, Kaoru shook his head stubbornly and looked at the other man through the grey darkness. "Maybe I do when I'm drunk though..." he admitted after a few moments, thinking about it.
"Nobody else was honest enough to complain about it." Die laughed, turning his head to cast a glance at the other. "And don't worry. Snoring isn't that bad a thing."
"Believe me," Kaoru began theatrically, "Nozomi would've complained. She complained about EVERYTHING."
"Poor you." The redhead reached out his hand to pat his friend's shoulder. Or something like that, he wasn't sure if he actually hit the shoulder. "But maybe she was a heavy sleeper and didn't notice?"
"Nope, can't be. She always woke up when I came home late, no matter how quiet I was. And of course she was ready to complain too. Well, sometimes." Kaoru turned on his side and blinked at his friend, smiling a bit. "Still, maybe snoring isn't that bad after all. If it's the only flaw... Lemme tell you a secret," he said in a conspiratorial manner, dropping his voice to a whisper even, "I like to listen to your snoring. It has such a nice lulling character. Better than her telling off indeed."
For a split second Die froze, looking at the other man through the darkness as he suddenly didn't know what to say. Somehow he felt a tiny bit awkward. "So then let me snore." He tried to laugh as naturally as possible to break the moment. "I'm tired."
"It's you who keeps on babbling," the other man complained, pulling the blanket up a bit until only his nose and eyes were showing. He hadn't noticed his friend's uncomfortableness, his drunken brains not able to think straight. "Good night." At a moment's notice, he was asleep, indeed snoring quite loudly.
It only took a while for the redhead to fall asleep as well, and soon they were both snoring happily, sleeping as soundly as possible. It was heavenly to be able to sleep late in the morning, not having an alarm shrieking in the early hours.
Author:
seinen_no and fonulynRating: PG [going up to NC17]
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Summary: When Kaoru and his wife get a divorce, he is forced to leave his little daughter to live with her mother when he’s moving out. He finds support in his best friend, but is friendship everything life has in store for them? Or is their past together going to resurface now that Kaoru’s life has been turned upside down?
Comments:
seinen_no: Hey dears! Yeah, you see right, even though we still have "Touched a thousand times" still running, we decided to post our next fic already. This one's very precious for us in a way, not that the others weren't, but we enjoyed writing it a hell lot. If you're looking for a lot of twists in the plot or huge drama, you'll be disappointed, since this one won't have it. It's more like trying to show the struggles of a normal relationship with all its small ups and downs, with the good sides and the problems you have to deal with. It's because fonulyn and I are kinda a sucker for every day life scenes and with this fic we paid credit to this. I still think it's interesting and has a very nice mood, but you have to decide for yourself. It's also a bit longer, will have 14 chapters. So have fun reading and tell us what you think! And don't worry. We'll keep on updating the other story regularly.
fonulyn: heh, I don’t have anything left to say, as my hunney already summed it all up pretty well XD I just have to mention that I loved writing this story to no end and it still makes me smile. And I hope that you will like it too, despite the lack of huge drama^^ Enjoy, and like always, tell us what you think! haha, and the little girl is actually named after my little brother XD *coughs*And feel free to add our journal if you like the stories!
Plus, the archive .
Chapter 1
Sighing, Kaoru closed the box and fixed it with tape. A few scribbled lines on the lid told what was inside. It is always hard to close a chapter in your life, but this was probably the hardest for him. Not, that he was moving out or that he would be divorced, that was okay. It had been clear for long already that the marriage was irreparable, Kaoru and Nozomi, his still-wife, simply too different in personality. But leaving his little baby girl, his daughter Mika, with his wife smothered the relief about finally moving out.
Slowly, almost ceremonially, he opened another carton and put some folders inside, insurance policies, birth certificate, divorce papers, his whole life. At least he would never have to feel awkward in his own apartment anymore. Since the past months, he and Nozomi hadn't even shared the same bedroom anymore and the situation between them was more than tense. Only with Mika around, they had always tried to act at least somewhat natural, had even talked to each other then.
The girl was the only reason why Kaoru hadn't asked for the divorce earlier. Although he now thought this marriage had been a mistake to begin with, he dearly loved the girl and was grateful to have her. Maybe Nozomi and he had been too young, his life as a guitarist too exciting and extraordinary, to lead a normal relationship. At least in the past two years, when his life had calmed down a bit and he had learned to take the fame like something natural and not see himself as some kind of rock-god anymore, he had noticed that it was hard to talk to his wife. She simply didn't
understand him, had other interests and hobbies.
Still, it had been hard for both of them to admit that they had failed, not able to make the marriage work any longer. Thinking back, Kaoru wasn't even sure if it had ever worked in the first place. He had been away from home so much that they hadn't really spent much time together, but they still had loved each other once, at least he thought they had.
Nozomi took the divorce mostly calm as she saw as well that it was of no use to struggle with it anymore. She didn't offer any help with packing though, because inwardly she blamed her husband for this, for their failure. In her eyes, he hadn't spent enough time concentrating on his family, had put his friends and work above his wife always. They were both tired of arguing about it though at this point, more silently avoiding each other every time possible. Mostly for the sake of their child, since neither of them wanted her to witness any arguments between her parents.
Mika was six years and it had been a shock for her when her daddy had said that he wouldn't be living with them anymore. Both, Kaoru and Nozomi had explained her that this had nothing to do with her and that her daddy still loved her, but as every child, the girl had been crying, wanting both of her parents to live together. As much as Kaoru might have neglected his wife, he himself wasn't so sure about that, he had always tried his best to be there for his girl, to see her first steps, hear her first babbled word and be there on her first schoolday. One couldn't say that he didn't care.
Still, it would be even harder now to take his part as a father, seeing that his new apartment was located at the other end of Tokyo and the band still demanded a lot of his time. Kaoru was afraid that he could grow apart from his daughter, that she could grow disinterested towards him. Nozomi and he had agreed upon that he would get her every second weekend, but the problem was that he wasn't always there then. So he would have to skip many weekends and be dependant on his wife's generosity to allow spontaneous visits.
Thankfully, Nozomi seemed to realize that it would be best for their daughter to still keep both her parents, and she seemed to be understanding when it came to allowing the girl to visit Kaoru. She had yelled, had accused her husband for being a cold man who didn't care for his marriage and still blamed him for many things, but she had to admit that he had never been a bad parent, and tried not to let her own anger affect the relationship between father and daughter.
If one asked Kaoru, he'd admit that it was partly true. He had been acting cold lately. But it wasn't something he did conscious, more the result of growing up and apart. Maybe he had never truly loved her, only been in love with the thought of having a family, something that grounded him as he was leading a life where one easily lost touch to reality. Somehow though he refused to actually believe that. He had had feelings for Nozomi, only that those had slowly died away and Kaoru was sure that it was nobody's fault.
Just like when he and Die had broken up, only that it had felt different back then. The two guitarists had led a short, turbulent relationship. They had been young and successful, ready to conquer the world. But when reality had kicked in, the problem of hiding their love for each other towards the masses along with the more and more stressful life on tour, they both had to see that it didn't work out. It hadn't been a huge ceremony, no big scene, no slamming doors or thrown glasses. It had been a mutual decision without either of them ever talking about it really. They had managed the walk on the tightrope from being a couple to being best friends.
Still, Kaoru thought back at this time with a smile and sometimes, when he was melancholy or depressed just like right at that moment, he asked himself if they wouldn't have had a chance if they had worked on it more. But they had been too young back then to see it probably. Still, said best friend was waiting outside with his car, ready to help him get his stuff to his new apartment. And Kaoru was grateful for that fact.
They had managed to stay close, and Die had been the first one Kaoru had told about his decision to get a divorce, and the first one to ask help from when he had decided the day when he would be moving out. Die had silently listened to him, offered all the help he was able to give. He hadn't dared to come in though, afraid it might stir just more troubles simply because Nozomi seemed to direct part of her anger at her husband's bandmembers, making them take part of the blame.
So the redhead staid outside, leaning against his car and smoked one cigarette after another while waiting for his best friend to come outside. When he saw Kaoru in the doorframe, he smiled at him wearily, offering him a drag of the cig. "How much stuff you have still inside?"
Smiling, the smaller man took the smoke and instantly brought it to his lips. "Not much anymore," he answered the question with a slight smile and an audible sigh. No matter how bad he felt, knowing that the redhead was there for him whatever might happen always calmed him down. There was nobody as reliable as Die if one asked him. Slowly, Kaoru raised his gaze to look at his friend, but he didn't say anything, knowing the other man would understand.
"Don't worry." Die's smile softened, as he turned to look him in the eye. "She loves you, that won't change." He knew it was the hardest thing for Kaoru to leave his child behind. But he had also seen how much the girl loved her dad, and he believed that things would work out eventually.
"Yeah, you're right." Kaoru didn't sound too convinced, but tried hard to see things positive. "And she's getting older, which means I might be able to take her on tour with us during her holidays. That is, if Nozomi doesn't start a huge fight over this." Silently, he finished the rest of the cigarette and then turned around to fetch the last boxes while Die brought the ones from the elevator into the van he had rented. Although Kaoru didn't take much with him, it was still enough work for two people, but he didn't complain.
They didn't talk much anymore, just got the boxes into the car and got everything ready. That was a thing they had learned long ago, that they didn't need to keep up a forced conversation between them, being able to just enjoy the comfortable silence. Once they were done, Die got already into the car, waiting while his friend went back inside to see if he forgot anything.
Nozomi had taken Mika out to the zoo and then to watch a movie, so that she wouldn't have to see her dad taking his belongings. Still, Kaoru would have wanted to say goodbye at least, even if it was only for a short while. The apartment he had rented was small but in a nice part of Tokyo, not far away from the studio. But since they had had a lot of work with the new album lately, it was still almost unfurnished; only a bed and a closet being there already. It would take a while before he could really live there and invite friends, let alone before everything was ready for Mika to spend a weekend there.
Huffing and slightly out of breath they carried the big boxes into the new apartment, piling them up into the room that would become the living room. As soon as the last box was there, Die plopped to sit down on it, releasing a theatrical sigh and wiping his forehead. "I hope you have a cold drink to offer to your weary friend?" He was smiling brightly though, winking at the slightly older man.
"Of course I do. Even if there's nothing here, the fridge is well equipped." Kaoru grinned and nodded towards the kitchen. "Beer, Coke, soda?" He was grateful that he wouldn't have to be alone right at this moment and dearly hoped that Die would stay a bit. "Gods, I don't even have a TV. But I took the stereo with me..."
"You need to ask? I'd love a cold beer." Die chuckled, pulling his legs up to almost sit on them, still on the big box. He had been friends with Kaoru for so long, that he knew him well enough to assume he wouldn't want to be all alone right now. And he didn't have hurry anywhere, as he had spared the whole day for the moving.
"Coming right away." The older guitarist flashed him a bright smile and went to get the drinks. He was even chuckling a bit, remembering that it had been Die as well who had helped him to move from his first tiny apartment into one he had shared with Nozomi. Although the band had been quite popular back then already, they still hadn't been particularly rich. Only a few years later, it had begun to pay off and Kaoru had been able to move into a bigger flat together with his small family; again with Die being there to help.
When he returned into the living-room, he plopped down on a box beside the other man, handing him the beer. "There."
"Thanks." Gratefully, the younger man took the offered drink, instantly taking a huge sip since he was truly thirsty. "Gosh, I've been waiting for this the whole day." He smiled, relaxing slightly. He had actually missed moments like these somehow, when they just sat together in peace without the need or haste to do anything else.
Kaoru pulled up his legs, sitting down in tailor-seat, and nodded. "It's already friggin' hot for May. But better like this than when it would've rained." He took a sip as well, sighing contently as the cool liquid ran down his throat and washed away the dusty feeling. "It's going to be a lot of work to make this liveable and, knowing me, I'll live out of these boxes for the next year."
"You'll have to get it at least presentable enough so that you can give your friends a decent house-warming party," Die announced instantly, winking at the other with a merry grin. He was subconsciously trying to guide the conversation to a track that would make the other man forget how hard the day had been for him emotionally.
"Not much needed for that," Kaoru winked grinning. He was a willing victim for Die's attempts to distract him and gladly took the chance to think of more pleasant things. "A few cushions to sit on, snacks and lot's of booze." He thought that the redhead was right. Maybe, a house-warming party was exactly what he needed. All his friends would be there and he could use this to close the chapter 'marriage' in his life.
"Well, you're right with that." The younger guitarist laughed merrily, eyeing their surroundings for a short while. "But you don't need much to make this liveable either, you know. It's not that big and looks at least decent."
"Much better than my first apartment where water ran down the walls when it was raining," Kaoru remarked nodding. "Remember? It was terrible, until the landlord changed and the new one fixed some things. Then it was kinda okay."
"Kinda okay? I wouldn't go that far." Die shook his head instantly, remembering the place as if it had been yesterday. "Everything was either broken there or nearly about to break down."
"At least my door closed properly, unlike somebody else’s," Kaoru pointed out grinning. "Gosh, sometimes I miss the old times." He took another long sip from his beer, gazing into the distance absently. It was amazing, from the day when they had taken him into the band, with Kisaki as bassist before they had found Toshiya, he and Die had been friends. It was a soothing thought that this hadn't changed at all. Although, now that he thought of it again, there might still be more than friendship he felt towards the other man, but he couldn't get a hold of the feeling.
The redhead had similar thoughts, and he couldn't help but to smile at the memories they shared, all the way from their first lousy apartments to where they were now. It was clear to him that the other guitarist was his closest friend, but he had denied himself to think about it more than that after they had ended their short relationship all those years ago. Again when his thoughts began to head too deep into the subject, he simply shook his head, pulling back from his thoughts and just smiled at Kaoru. "Well, I miss the carelessness we had back then. But I surely don't miss the low pay-checks." He even managed to chuckle a bit.
"You're right. But I still remember how good the beer tasted when you paid it with your little money, or how precious the ordered pizza was. I don't miss the cockroaches in your toilet though," Kaoru snickered. It was true, Die had had a roach-problem in his old apartment. Those beasts just popped out of the drain to make everybody's life hell.
"I don't miss them either." The redhead chuckled, downing the rest of his beer in one huge gulp. "God I hated those creatures. I still freak out when I see those somewhere."
A shudder ran through Kaoru and he shook his head. "Gah, whenever you switched off the lights, you heard their little feet tapping on the floor." Slowly, he got off the box and walked across the room to the window. It was showing the backyard and promised silence at day and night. "Maybe I should've taken Mika here first to ask her if she likes the apartment too. I want her to spend as much time with me as possible and she should feel comfortable." Only after the words had left his lips, he noticed that he had gone back to thinking about his situation, although both men had tried to avoid it so ably.
"I don't think she really cares where you live. It's you she's going to visit, not your apartment." Die smiled softly, but sighed inwardly since he hadn't been able to keep the other man's thoughts off the situation apparently. "She'll like it here, trust me."
"You know what?" Kaoru turned around, an honest smile on his lips. "I am really happy about this. It's great to have a place of my own again where I can do as I wish."
"That's a relief." The redhead's smile widened as he noticed that his friend had really meant it. "You can start all over, and make your life look like you want it to."
The slightly older man scratched his head, pulling a face. "Now if I only knew how I want my life to look like." Not waiting for an answer, he went into the kitchen, a grin still on his lips, and soon returned with two more beers.
They spent the whole evening simply chatting with each other, downing a few more beers by the way. It was already late when the redhead finally said goodbyes and headed back to his own apartment, to get even a bit sleep before they would need to get to work again in the morning.
Kaoru didn't forget about the housewarming party, but things turned out so that it took long before he was able to arrange one. But he had at least managed to unpack some of his stuff by then, having settled down at least somewhat. He had even bought a couch and a few shelves for his stuff. For the party, Kaoru had dragged the remaining unpacked boxes into the bedroom which only left a small path to get to the bed or the closet. He had to admit that he was looking forward to it and had prepared some snacks, the fridge filled with various drinks. Of course his bandmates would be there, along with a couple of old friends he hadn't seen in longer.
Shinya was the first one who arrived, being always overly on time. After greeting the drummer, offering him a seat and a drink, the doorbell kept on ringing for quite some time until the small living-room was filled with people, chatting and laughter. They all agreed that the apartment looked nice, but no one paid really much attention to it as there was other things to distract them.
As the people began to down the drinks at record speed, Die and Toshiya took the job to act as servants and bring everything needed from the kitchen at one point, so that Kaoru could focus on being a good host and taking care of the guests. Everyone was having fun though, and time practically flew by. Kaoru had warned his neighbours that it might get a bit louder that night and so he didn't have to fear the police to show up unexpectedly. He was grateful for Die's and Toshiya's help, but since there were only good friends around, he didn't have to make a big fuzz and joined the drinking as much as the others.
It was early morning already when the first guests began to leave until the bandmembers were the only ones left. They were happily sitting on the floor at that point, not bothering to even try to find glasses and just letting the bottle go in the round from one to another. Most of the time they were caught in a heated conversation, going from one topic to another.
"That was the worst gig ever," Kyo stated almost yelling because of the alcohol which had intoxicated his brains. Toshiya shook his head. "No, it was the one in this bar where the stage was right besides the toilet and it smelled like shit. Besides, people were throwing bottles at us..."
Kaoru was sitting on the armrest of the couch, hugging his knees and listened to the discussion silently for a moment. "Well," he finally spoke up grinning, "the worst gig for me was when I stagedived and thought people would tear me apart. They just ripped off my shirt and I'm sure if the security hadn't rescued me, they would've taken my pants as well. I was friggin’ scared. That was also the gig where I wrecked my guitar accidentally and this one girl jumped on stage and almost tackled Toshiya."
"That was one of the worst cases." Die had to admit with a merry laugh. "I survived through it without any huge troubles though, so I had kinda fun watching you just screw up and get molested." His comment earned a warning glance and a slap on the back of the head from the drummer, who managed to make his voice a dangerous sounding growl. "You should've helped your friends, you know. Not laugh at them maliciously."
"He got his comeuppance when this one woman decided to stalk him, saying they are soulmates and all," Kaoru pointed out laughing. It had been quite frightening in reality, but now they all could laugh about it. "She was waiting for him around every corner and I still remember his terrified expression. He was seriously trying to hide behind me," Kyo said, toasting towards the redhead before he took a long sip from the bottle.
"She was friggin' frightening!" Die defended himself instantly, sounding almost hurt. "You would've been terrified too if you had been me. So shut up about it." In reality he was well over it, had been for long and just barely managed to suppress his grin.
"But you looked so funny whenever you spotted her. Like a rabbit facing the huntsman," Kaoru teased. His cheeks were slightly flushed and he enjoyed the moment to the fullest, having his best friends around. They had lived through so many things together that it seemed impossible to ever break that bond that connected them.
"Well thank you." The redhead sighed dramatically. "You too, turn against me. Anything else you want to laugh at me about?" His smile betrayed him and broke free though, along with a couple chuckles. And he enjoyed seeing the lead guitarist this relaxed, probably the happiest he'd been in a long time.
"Now that you mention it. You look quite funny when you fall asleep in your seat and are drooling on your shirt too." Kaoru smirked widely and slid down to sit on the couch decently.
"Not as funny as you look when you try to stand up straighter to seem as tall as me." The younger guitarist reached to the side to slap the other guitarist's thigh half-heartedly.
"But when I stretch really high, I AM almost as tall as you are," Kaoru defended himself.
"Yeah," Toshiya interfered laughing, "when you wear platforms and Die's barefoot." They were used to tease each other lovingly, knowing nobody took offence in it.
"Deal with it, old man." Die chuckled, tilting his head to look at the older guitarist, grinning at him. He was leaning against the couch with his back, so he practically now saw his friend upside down.
Kaoru poked out his tongue and then brought the bottle to the redhead's lips, pouring so much liquor into his mouth that he either had to swallow or would spill everything on his shirt. Die chose the swallowing, like predicted, grinning up at the other one and opened his mouth to get more as soon as he had managed to down everything.
First, the older guitarist only poured so much that it was easy for his friend to swallow, but then turned the bottle so that the liquor was flowing into the other's mouth constantly. Looking at his other bandmates, he said triumphantly. "See, that's the way to shut Die up." The redhead and he had always been up for drinking games, had collected a lot experience throughout the years.
It only took a while before the redhead began to cough violently, and as the Kaoru didn't turn the bottle it resulted in all the liquor flowing on Die's hair and face, and from there onwards to his clothes. Blindly he tried to reach his hand out to turn the bottle away from him, but didn't manage that well.
It made Kaoru laugh and he enjoyed the moment to no end, seeing his friend in distress. Only after a moment, the thought that it would be enough and had mercy on Die. "Okay, I'll spare you for now," he stated generously and took a long sip from the bottle himself. "We don't want to waste all the precious Bourbon."
"You bastard." Die shook his head, eyeing his own clothes. "My clothes are wet and smelly now! How am I supposed to go home looking like this?"
"Mi casa est su casa," the older guitarist said generously. "I might even allow you to take a shower and wear my clothes." Kyo snickered. "Yeah Die, no taxi driver will take you home now. They'd think you puke in their precious car."
"Wear your clothes that are friggin’ small for me. At least the pants are gonna be too short." The redhead had created a pout, his eyes still fixed on his alcohol-soaked clothes.
"Then you will have to go home like that," Kaoru shrugged and Toshiya chuckled. "Like that one day where that one guy puked on your shoes and pants and we had no time to change before getting our flight. You took it with dignity, man."
"Come on, it's just a bit of bourbon on your shirt. And hair. And pants." Shinya's laughter increased slowly with each word, and he couldn't help but to shake his head. "And your frown looks priceless."
"The drunks will follow you like stray dogs," Kaoru remarked laughing and reached out to ruffle the redhead's hair. "Don't pout. Would you feel better if we all got soaked with liquor?"
"No. I'd prefer if we drank the liquor." Die's smile was back instantly, as he grinned at his friend, reaching for another bottle. "Gimme that."
Toshiya handed it to him and soon they were chatting and drinking again without bothering anymore. Die's hair and his clothes would dry by themselves anyways and the evening was still young, if one asked them.
Toshiya was the first to get up to go home, or more like swaying once he got on his feet. Since they had a couple of free days ahead, he had promised to visit his parents and his train would leave in the early afternoon that day. It looked threateningly much as if the bassist wouldn't be able to make it home like that and so Shinya got on his feet as well, wrapping an arm around his friend's waist to steady him. He was swaying equally much though, but together they somehow managed to back up each other, and after saying happy goodbyes they, disappeared on their way home.
Kyo was almost asleep already, lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. His world was spinning fast and made him feel dizzy. It still took some time before he was willing to leave though, but finally they managed to call him a cab and together, Kaoru and Die even managed to help him into his shoes and out the door.
The two guitarists were heavily drunk as well though and once the vocalist was gone, Kaoru sat down on the floor, grinning merrily. "It's great to live alone..."
"I bet you enjoy it." Die laughed, reaching out to ruffle the other man's hair. "But I heard you say something about lending me clothes... would you still be kind enough to stick to that so I can consider getting my butt back home?"
"You really wanna go home? You can also stay here and I throw your clothes into the washing machine," the older guitarist offered, tried to slap the hand away. Struggling, he got back on his feet, needing a moment to find balance. "I got a huge bed over there, or the couch." The couch, however, was only meant for two people to sit on and the tall guitarist wouldn't possibly fit there.
"I don't care which way, but I need to get outta these." The younger man tugged the hem of his shirt, turning to look at his friend with a grin. "And you have to borrow me clothes anyways."
"The closet's over there. Help yourself." Kaoru nodded towards the bedroom, already stripping off his shirt himself. The whole living-room smelled like a brewery, the air thick with smoke, so he opened the window wide before following the redhead behind.
Die had thrown his shirt somewhere to the side, and managed to open his belt and the button of his jeans before bending into the other man's closet to take a look at what he had got. He knew Kaoru at least had some oversized t-shirts, and he could maybe cope with one of those.
"There are some leisure-suit pants which could fit too. But you won't need them for sleeping," the older guitarist explained and plopped down on the bed's edge to pull the legs of his pants and get rid of them. He was sleepy all of a sudden and didn't even think about taking a shower anymore. Only wearing his boxers, he crawled under the covers, nuzzling the cushion comfortably.
"I know." The redhead grinned, digging out one huge shirt and pulling it over his head before getting rid of his pants. Swiftly he turned around, and after focusing his gaze at the other man, tried to look at him as pleading as possible. "And you promised I could sleep beside you?"
"Of course. Just get the spare blanket and a cushion from the other side of the closet and make yourself at home." Grinning, Kaoru patted the empty spot beside him. "I think I can deal with your snoring for tonight."
"I never snore." Die grabbed a blanket and a cushion, before making his way to the bed and practically launching himself on it. "YOU snore." He poked the older man's side with his index finger, before settling down under his blanket.
"Hey!" It caused the smaller man to squirm, a few chuckles escaping him. "I think you got that mixed up. You snore, chopping down whole forests, while I only drool and still look adorable."
"You do look adorable." The redhead admitted generously, but still didn't give in completely. "But you snore. A hell loud even."
"I don't. Nobody ever complained about that except you." Not willing to give in, Kaoru shook his head stubbornly and looked at the other man through the grey darkness. "Maybe I do when I'm drunk though..." he admitted after a few moments, thinking about it.
"Nobody else was honest enough to complain about it." Die laughed, turning his head to cast a glance at the other. "And don't worry. Snoring isn't that bad a thing."
"Believe me," Kaoru began theatrically, "Nozomi would've complained. She complained about EVERYTHING."
"Poor you." The redhead reached out his hand to pat his friend's shoulder. Or something like that, he wasn't sure if he actually hit the shoulder. "But maybe she was a heavy sleeper and didn't notice?"
"Nope, can't be. She always woke up when I came home late, no matter how quiet I was. And of course she was ready to complain too. Well, sometimes." Kaoru turned on his side and blinked at his friend, smiling a bit. "Still, maybe snoring isn't that bad after all. If it's the only flaw... Lemme tell you a secret," he said in a conspiratorial manner, dropping his voice to a whisper even, "I like to listen to your snoring. It has such a nice lulling character. Better than her telling off indeed."
For a split second Die froze, looking at the other man through the darkness as he suddenly didn't know what to say. Somehow he felt a tiny bit awkward. "So then let me snore." He tried to laugh as naturally as possible to break the moment. "I'm tired."
"It's you who keeps on babbling," the other man complained, pulling the blanket up a bit until only his nose and eyes were showing. He hadn't noticed his friend's uncomfortableness, his drunken brains not able to think straight. "Good night." At a moment's notice, he was asleep, indeed snoring quite loudly.
It only took a while for the redhead to fall asleep as well, and soon they were both snoring happily, sleeping as soundly as possible. It was heavenly to be able to sleep late in the morning, not having an alarm shrieking in the early hours.
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