Kare Uta
go.
Kai looked back at Aoi as they walked into the studio, and he swiped quickly at his mouth to check for anything he hadn’t wiped away. The guitarist gently squeezed his hand, and he opened the door into the studio, giving a quick bow of his head as the other members of the band greeted them with concerned smiles. “Sorry,” he said quickly. “We were held up at home.” He felt Aoi beside him now, and he bit his lip and kept himself from meeting the members’ stares as the guitarist let go of his hand and slid an arm around his waist. “Before recording, could we have a moment to tell you all something?”
Ruki lifted an eyebrow, his gaze drifting from the drummer and guitarist to the other two members of the band before returning to Kai. “Are you alright, Kai-chan? Should we be worried?” The drummer shook his head, and he let Aoi pull him down onto the couch that was against the wall. “What do you have to tell us?”
Kai dipped his head, his hand finding his guitarist’s. “First, I needed to tell you all that I’ve been put under orders to take it easy when it comes to drumming. And I…I won’t be able to play for this summer’s lives.” He cast a weary glance to the singer, and then he turned his head to look at his boyfriend, catching his gaze for support. A small smile appeared on his mouth as Aoi squeezed his hand and kissed his forehead, and then he let himself look up at the rest of the band. “Actually, I… I won’t be able to play lives for a while.”
Ruki’s eyebrow lifted further. “No lives?” he questioned. “Kai-chan, is there something going on?” He sounded concerned, and his eyes looked worried.
Kai sighed, and he let his eyes close as Aoi pressed a supportive kiss to his temple. He shivered, and he gave the guitarist’s hand a squeeze. “That would be the second thing we wanted to tell you,” he said, and his voice was quiet. “Aoi-chan and I…we’re…” He sighed, and his gaze fell to his stomach, where his shirt was taut and the smallest of bumps pressed forward. “I’m pregnant.”
He heard a light choking sound- Uruha had chosen a bad time for taking a drink of his sake. He winced and leaned against Aoi, and after a minute or so, he glanced up at his band members, his friends. They were surprised, shocked, and caught off guard, and Kai bit his lip as he tried to convince himself that they weren’t judging him.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If I’d known it were possible, I would have-“
“Kai-chan.” The drummer glanced up; Ruki was shaking his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. We were worried for you…now that we know what’s going on, we can help.” He gave a smile and a dip of his head- something that he did when he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to a situation but didn’t want to show it. “Don’t worry, alright?”
“But the lives, Ru-chan,” the drummer said, and he sounded regretful. “The fans, they’ve been waiting for a year.”
“They can wait longer. Your health is of much more importance.” The younger man gave another quick dip of his head; a nod of confirmation. He gave a smile, too, and his smile softened as Aoi touched the drummer’s chin and gave him a gentle kiss to ease his nerves. The singer could tell that Aoi was proud of his koibito-chan, and he allowed himself a warmer smile as Uruha handed him sake- the three of them were going to need time to adjust.
“…Pregnant, Kai-chan?” Uruha finally squeaked, and the drummer nodded. “How…long?”
The drummer gave a small smile. “When the doctor confirmed it, it was nine weeks, but…” he bit his lip as he and Aoi stared at each other for a moment, “…but I’m sure it’s ten by now.” He smiled at his guitarist, and then he turned the power of a dimpled smile on his band members. “And for the next month or so, I can finish recording. I’ll still need numerous breaks to go to the bathroom, and the morning sickness, as it’s called, has yet to fade away, but…we have to at least finish this album for the fans.”
“What a gentle leader-san you are today, Kai-chan,” Reita said, and as Kai looked at him, he couldn’t help but notice the warmth radiating from the drummer’s skin and the brightness in his eyes and in his smile. “Perhaps you should have news to tell us at each band rehearsal.” He smiled, and he received a gentle pat on his head as Kai slipped away from Aoi’s grip to go to the bathroom. Reita could see the pride in Aoi, too, as he watched the drummer pad away.
“You shouldn’t tease a pregnant person, Rei-san,” Ruki said wittily, and he gave a grin as he rose to find his pack of cigarettes, eager for a smoke break before recording. “The hormones can slap you in the face all on their own.”
“And you would know from your Mika-chan, ne, Ru-chan?” Uruha quipped, and his mouth spread into its widest smile, only losing a bit of its brightness when Ruki ruffled his hair as he picked up his lighter and gave a peace sign as he walked toward the door. His eyebrows knitted together, and he gave a huff as he decided that he didn’t like Ruki suddenly taking on Kai’s passively teasing personality. With a short huff, he fixed his hair, and he crossed his arms as Reita and Aoi laughed at him. “Not that she’s let him anywhere near home base,” he grumbled, and he received a light punch on the arm as Reita opted for a smoke break too.
“Careful, Uru-chan,” laughed the bassist. “Ruki might hear you, and then he’ll get drummer-san on his side. Your poor, poor hair can handle a little roughing up, anyway.” He smiled widely, and then he walked to the hallway, where he could smoke without the smell and taste of it lingering; he and Ruki smoked in the hallway so that the drummer wouldn’t have to breathe secondhand smoke.
Aoi smiled at them, and he got up from the couch, gesturing for Uruha to go with him, and he picked up his favorite guitar and settled onto his favorite stool, draping one leg over the other and resting the guitar in his lap. Uruha did the same, and Aoi gave him a smile before bowing his head and letting his fingertips press on the strings, strumming a few notes. He felt at home here, in the studio, and it was a good feeling- it was like he was back at home, on his bed, playing for Kai. He smiled a little, and he tuned the instrument as Uruha played his, testing out a few chords and a few parts he’d been writing for the next single release.
A few minutes passed, and Aoi barely noticed.
Outside the studio, he could hear Reita and Kai striking up a conversation as they walked, and he picked his head up, smiling a bit more widely as he saw the drummer pat his stomach affectionately. He could see the drummer’s shirt shift a bit, and he caught his eye just long enough to earn a smile. He dipped his head again, and he returned his attention to his guitar.
“I can’t be mad at him,” he heard the drummer say quietly. “He didn’t know; we didn’t know. We’ve been waiting to adopt, anyway.” He could almost see Kai smiling softly and biting his lip. “It just…speeds things along a bit, that’s all.”
“You’re always so optimistic, Kai-chan,” Reita told him, and he patted the drummer’s shoulder.
Kai nodded, and he gave a smile. “I sort of have to be,” he said quietly, and there was a sort of lost tone to his voice that he hadn’t let slip around Aoi. Reita could tell that he’d been fighting it. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” He glanced down at his stomach; it wasn’t even showing, but he could tell that he was pregnant now that he’d been told. “Aoi-chan seems like he really could be excited, though.” His eyes lit up again as he thought about his guitarist; he seemed more content with Aoi being accepting than he did about his own eventual acceptance. “I couldn’t take that away from him.”
Reita nodded, and he gave a witty smile to the drummer. “How much of all of the things women go through have happened to you, anyway?”
Kai gave a small laugh. “Obviously the excessive bathroom use, unless you haven’t noticed. And the morning sickness, and the being tired, and the need for more food, but Aoi-chan…” He gazed lovingly into the studio. “I couldn’t imagine a better parent than him.”
“You both will make good parents, Kai-chan.” He ruffled the drummer’s hair, and then he opened the door to the studio, letting Kai go in first. He walked past Aoi on his way to his bass, and he chuckled as the guitarist gave him a toying nudge on the arm. He only slung his bass over his shoulders and grinned. “You’re a lucky bastard, Shiroyama,” he said, and he watched Aoi’s eyes take on the most cliché adoration possible as he watched the drummer settle onto the stool in front of his drums.
The bassist shook his head; Aoi was hopeless.
Ruki lifted an eyebrow, his gaze drifting from the drummer and guitarist to the other two members of the band before returning to Kai. “Are you alright, Kai-chan? Should we be worried?” The drummer shook his head, and he let Aoi pull him down onto the couch that was against the wall. “What do you have to tell us?”
Kai dipped his head, his hand finding his guitarist’s. “First, I needed to tell you all that I’ve been put under orders to take it easy when it comes to drumming. And I…I won’t be able to play for this summer’s lives.” He cast a weary glance to the singer, and then he turned his head to look at his boyfriend, catching his gaze for support. A small smile appeared on his mouth as Aoi squeezed his hand and kissed his forehead, and then he let himself look up at the rest of the band. “Actually, I… I won’t be able to play lives for a while.”
Ruki’s eyebrow lifted further. “No lives?” he questioned. “Kai-chan, is there something going on?” He sounded concerned, and his eyes looked worried.
Kai sighed, and he let his eyes close as Aoi pressed a supportive kiss to his temple. He shivered, and he gave the guitarist’s hand a squeeze. “That would be the second thing we wanted to tell you,” he said, and his voice was quiet. “Aoi-chan and I…we’re…” He sighed, and his gaze fell to his stomach, where his shirt was taut and the smallest of bumps pressed forward. “I’m pregnant.”
He heard a light choking sound- Uruha had chosen a bad time for taking a drink of his sake. He winced and leaned against Aoi, and after a minute or so, he glanced up at his band members, his friends. They were surprised, shocked, and caught off guard, and Kai bit his lip as he tried to convince himself that they weren’t judging him.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If I’d known it were possible, I would have-“
“Kai-chan.” The drummer glanced up; Ruki was shaking his head. “You have nothing to apologize for. We were worried for you…now that we know what’s going on, we can help.” He gave a smile and a dip of his head- something that he did when he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to a situation but didn’t want to show it. “Don’t worry, alright?”
“But the lives, Ru-chan,” the drummer said, and he sounded regretful. “The fans, they’ve been waiting for a year.”
“They can wait longer. Your health is of much more importance.” The younger man gave another quick dip of his head; a nod of confirmation. He gave a smile, too, and his smile softened as Aoi touched the drummer’s chin and gave him a gentle kiss to ease his nerves. The singer could tell that Aoi was proud of his koibito-chan, and he allowed himself a warmer smile as Uruha handed him sake- the three of them were going to need time to adjust.
“…Pregnant, Kai-chan?” Uruha finally squeaked, and the drummer nodded. “How…long?”
The drummer gave a small smile. “When the doctor confirmed it, it was nine weeks, but…” he bit his lip as he and Aoi stared at each other for a moment, “…but I’m sure it’s ten by now.” He smiled at his guitarist, and then he turned the power of a dimpled smile on his band members. “And for the next month or so, I can finish recording. I’ll still need numerous breaks to go to the bathroom, and the morning sickness, as it’s called, has yet to fade away, but…we have to at least finish this album for the fans.”
“What a gentle leader-san you are today, Kai-chan,” Reita said, and as Kai looked at him, he couldn’t help but notice the warmth radiating from the drummer’s skin and the brightness in his eyes and in his smile. “Perhaps you should have news to tell us at each band rehearsal.” He smiled, and he received a gentle pat on his head as Kai slipped away from Aoi’s grip to go to the bathroom. Reita could see the pride in Aoi, too, as he watched the drummer pad away.
“You shouldn’t tease a pregnant person, Rei-san,” Ruki said wittily, and he gave a grin as he rose to find his pack of cigarettes, eager for a smoke break before recording. “The hormones can slap you in the face all on their own.”
“And you would know from your Mika-chan, ne, Ru-chan?” Uruha quipped, and his mouth spread into its widest smile, only losing a bit of its brightness when Ruki ruffled his hair as he picked up his lighter and gave a peace sign as he walked toward the door. His eyebrows knitted together, and he gave a huff as he decided that he didn’t like Ruki suddenly taking on Kai’s passively teasing personality. With a short huff, he fixed his hair, and he crossed his arms as Reita and Aoi laughed at him. “Not that she’s let him anywhere near home base,” he grumbled, and he received a light punch on the arm as Reita opted for a smoke break too.
“Careful, Uru-chan,” laughed the bassist. “Ruki might hear you, and then he’ll get drummer-san on his side. Your poor, poor hair can handle a little roughing up, anyway.” He smiled widely, and then he walked to the hallway, where he could smoke without the smell and taste of it lingering; he and Ruki smoked in the hallway so that the drummer wouldn’t have to breathe secondhand smoke.
Aoi smiled at them, and he got up from the couch, gesturing for Uruha to go with him, and he picked up his favorite guitar and settled onto his favorite stool, draping one leg over the other and resting the guitar in his lap. Uruha did the same, and Aoi gave him a smile before bowing his head and letting his fingertips press on the strings, strumming a few notes. He felt at home here, in the studio, and it was a good feeling- it was like he was back at home, on his bed, playing for Kai. He smiled a little, and he tuned the instrument as Uruha played his, testing out a few chords and a few parts he’d been writing for the next single release.
A few minutes passed, and Aoi barely noticed.
Outside the studio, he could hear Reita and Kai striking up a conversation as they walked, and he picked his head up, smiling a bit more widely as he saw the drummer pat his stomach affectionately. He could see the drummer’s shirt shift a bit, and he caught his eye just long enough to earn a smile. He dipped his head again, and he returned his attention to his guitar.
“I can’t be mad at him,” he heard the drummer say quietly. “He didn’t know; we didn’t know. We’ve been waiting to adopt, anyway.” He could almost see Kai smiling softly and biting his lip. “It just…speeds things along a bit, that’s all.”
“You’re always so optimistic, Kai-chan,” Reita told him, and he patted the drummer’s shoulder.
Kai nodded, and he gave a smile. “I sort of have to be,” he said quietly, and there was a sort of lost tone to his voice that he hadn’t let slip around Aoi. Reita could tell that he’d been fighting it. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” He glanced down at his stomach; it wasn’t even showing, but he could tell that he was pregnant now that he’d been told. “Aoi-chan seems like he really could be excited, though.” His eyes lit up again as he thought about his guitarist; he seemed more content with Aoi being accepting than he did about his own eventual acceptance. “I couldn’t take that away from him.”
Reita nodded, and he gave a witty smile to the drummer. “How much of all of the things women go through have happened to you, anyway?”
Kai gave a small laugh. “Obviously the excessive bathroom use, unless you haven’t noticed. And the morning sickness, and the being tired, and the need for more food, but Aoi-chan…” He gazed lovingly into the studio. “I couldn’t imagine a better parent than him.”
“You both will make good parents, Kai-chan.” He ruffled the drummer’s hair, and then he opened the door to the studio, letting Kai go in first. He walked past Aoi on his way to his bass, and he chuckled as the guitarist gave him a toying nudge on the arm. He only slung his bass over his shoulders and grinned. “You’re a lucky bastard, Shiroyama,” he said, and he watched Aoi’s eyes take on the most cliché adoration possible as he watched the drummer settle onto the stool in front of his drums.
The bassist shook his head; Aoi was hopeless.