FIC: Family Visit: Okinawa, Part 5 of 5

[geri_chan]

Title: Family Visit: Okinawa, Part 5 of 5
Rating: NC-17 overall
Fandom: Haru wo Daiteita (Embracing Love)
Pairing: Kikuchi/Onozuka, implied Yoshizumi/Kenzaki
Characters: Kikuchi, Onozuka, Yoshizumi, Asano
Word count: ~7,640
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Unexpected Opportunities, Comeback (Part 1 and Part 2), Forgiveness, Firsts, First Date (Part 1 and Part 2), Going Steady (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Audition (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Cookout (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Press Conference (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Sanctuary, The Prince vs. the Groupie (Part 1, Part 2), Family Visit: Tokyo (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), Gigolo (Part 1, Part 2), Yoshizumi's Night Out (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), and Interlude. The series also includes two side-stories that are outside of the main timeline: Valentine's Day Surprise and Strictly Business.
Summary: Asano's jealousy of Onozuka continues to grow; Onozuka and Kikuchi film a romantic scene for the movie; Kenzaki receives a surprise gift from Yoshizumi.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

***

"He seems like quite a handful," Noguchi observed as he and Kikuchi began picking up empty and half-empty glasses and bottles from the floor, carefully stepping over Taketo's unconscious body.

"Oh, he is," Kikuchi said with relish, and his friend laughed.

"So...is Onozuka-san your co-star both on and off the screen?" Noguchi asked slyly.

"What makes you say that?" Kikuchi replied, feigning innocence and countering Noguchi's question with one of his own.

"The fact that you couldn't take your eyes off him all night," Noguchi answered without hesitation. "I don't think that the others noticed, but you were always watching him out of the corner of your eye even when you were talking to someone else."

"Hmm, I'll have to be more careful in the future," Kikuchi said, feeling rather chagrined. It would be bad if a very observant reporter came to the same conclusion someday, although he was generally more careful about his behavior when he was out in public.

"If it makes you feel any better, Onozuka-san couldn't keep his eyes off you, either," Noguchi said with a grin. "In fact, I got the impression that he was a bit jealous of me."

Kikuchi roared with laughter. "The Prince has no worries there! I've no desire to play mommy to Tak-kun..." He gently prodded the sleeping boy with his foot, and Taketo rolled over on his side, still snoring. "And no offense, Noguchi-kun, but fucking you would be like fucking my own brother. I just couldn't do it."

"None taken, Kikuchi-san," Noguchi laughed. "No offense, but you're not my type!"

The two men laughed, then Kikuchi said, "Well, I'd better turn in." He glanced down at Taketo and asked, "Is the kid going to be okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll have a killer hangover tomorrow morning, but he'll live," Noguchi chuckled. "Although he might wish he didn't! But he'll have learned a valuable lesson about the consequences of partying too hard."

"Not that it ever stopped us when we were his age," Kikuchi pointed out. Noguchi just laughed, then gently spread a blanket over his son and slipped a pillow under his head, tucking the boy in as tenderly as he had when Taketo had been a child.

Kikuchi felt a brief moment of regret that he would never have any children of his own, but the moment quickly passed. He wasn't really the fatherly type, anyway, and the idea of dealing with squalling infants and dirty diapers didn't appeal to him. It would be much better to play the role of the indulgent uncle someday when his brother had children: spoil the kids for a few hours, then hand them back over to their parents for the real work of getting them fed and cleaned up and put to bed.

He said goodnight to Noguchi, then headed back to his own room and got ready for bed. He was about to turn out the lights when he changed his mind and dialed a number on his cell phone instead.

"What is it?" Onozuka asked sleepily.

"Do you want to have phone sex, your Highness?" Kikuchi asked, grinning.

"You're as much of a horndog as Katou," Onozuka grumbled.

Kikuchi scowled at the mention of his rival (in his own mind, if not necessarily Onozuka's). "Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?" he demanded.

"Go to sleep, Katsuya," Onozuka replied, unceremoniously ending the call.

Kikuchi glared at his phone, then laughed ruefully. Well, he had said that he enjoyed being challenged by Onozuka, after all! He turned out the lights and went to bed, smiling to himself. There would be plenty of time tomorrow for either real or phone sex.

***

Asano definitely needed a shower after they finished filming--he still had sticky traces of fake blood clinging to his body even after he'd changed out of his costume. Feeling clean and refreshed afterwards, he left his room to head downstairs and see if it was too late to get some dinner in the hotel restaurant.

But he scowled as he passed by Noguchi's room and heard the sound of laughter and chatter, recognizing Onozuka's and Kikuchi's voices along with that of the stunt crew. Of course no one had invited him to that impromptu get-together, even though he'd been working with them all day.

Maybe he shouldn't feel left out--he had only just met Noguchi and his crew, while Kikuchi had known him for years, and Asano wasn't particularly close to either Kikuchi or Onozuka. Most definitely not Onozuka, though they put on a show of public friendliness that no one really believed in.

But it annoyed him to no end to see everyone fawning over the so-called Golden Prince. How was it that no one could see through his act of saccharine sweetness? Well, a very perceptive few did, like Yoshizumi, who seemed to like Onozuka anyway, and Kikuchi, who probably liked Onozuka better as a two-faced schemer than he would as a noble prince.

It wasn't as if Asano really wanted to sleep with Kikuchi, although if given the opportunity, he probably would do it, if only to get back at Onozuka. What does he have that I don't, other than blond hair? Asano wondered sullenly. Onozuka was good-looking, but so was Asano, although maybe Onozuka's golden hair made his beauty a bit more exotic. And he didn't think that Onozuka was a more talented actor than him, although Asano grudgingly conceded that Onozuka had a slight edge in experience: despite having been hailed as a rising new star, Onozuka had entered the business early and labored in bit parts and supporting roles for several years until he'd won that big contest along with his friend Miyasaka.

"I could do the same, given the same opportunity," Asano muttered to himself, but that was no comfort since he knew it wasn't really true. The scandal with Iwaki had catapulted him into the public eye, a bit more salaciously but just as effectively as the contest Onozuka had won. However, so far all that publicity had resulted only in supporting roles. His manager kept telling him to be patient, that he was getting good reviews in those roles and that his time would come eventually, but Asano just knew that if he was only given the chance, he could make his mark as a leading actor.

His conscience nagged at him slightly as he recalled how Katou had outshone him at the "Winter Cicadas" audition, and how Yoshizumi had called Onozuka's audition for this film "nothing short of brilliant"--and Yoshizumi wasn't the type to hand out empty compliments, which galled Asano even more.

He defensively told his conscience that he'd been working hard to improve himself after the disastrous "Winter Cicadas" audition and that he'd learned a lot from working on that film. As for Onozuka, he'd been clever enough to model his performance of Midori after Asami-chan, but Asano could have done the same if he'd thought of it first. He was still mentally kicking himself for not having thought of it, but what had really won Onozuka the role--in Asano's opinion--was his chemistry with Kikuchi, and it was only natural that two real-life lovers would have great chemistry, which therefore had nothing to do with Onozuka's skill as an actor.

Asano hated that Onozuka seemed to attract attention wherever he went without even trying, when Asano had schemed and worked hard for every bit of modest success that he'd achieved. But there were many other actors in the business who were more famous than Asano or even Onozuka, so that wasn't the real reason why he loathed his co-star so much, with a passion second only to his rivalry with Katou. No, what Asano really hated about Onozuka was how damn smug and self-aware the son of a bitch was of his success, lording it over Asano with subtle but razor-sharp condescending remarks, all while maintaining an outward appearance of humble modesty.

Maybe Onozuka really was a good actor, after all--a thought that made Asano hate the princely bastard even more.

Thinking dark thoughts, he almost literally ran into Yoshizumi, who exclaimed, "Ah, Asano-kun! Good timing; I was just looking for you. I heard that you and others just got back from the university, and I was going to ask you if you wanted to join me for a drink."

Asano's mood improved slightly and he replied, "Of course, Yoshizumi-san; I'd like that very much."

They went down to the bar, and Asano ordered some light snacks along with his drink. His last meal had been hours ago--a hastily scarfed bento lunch between takes--and he ought to be starving, but he merely picked at his food, having little appetite, as he was still brooding about the differences between himself and Onozuka. Why was that gold-haired son of a bitch so popular with everyone, anyway?

He hadn't realized that he'd been mumbling aloud into his drink until Yoshizumi said pleasantly, "That's because Onozuka-kun is very good at becoming whatever the other person wants to see." Asano scowled at Yoshizumi's praise of his rival, and the other actor smiled and continued, "Which shows his skill as an actor, but on the other hand, he reveals very little of his true self."

Asano didn't see why that should matter, since an actor was supposed to become the character that he was playing--it was a poor actor who could only play roles that were similar to his own personality. "Onozuka has never tried to charm me," he said, a bit sourly. "I suppose he thinks I'm not worth the effort."

"We could consider it a sign of trust, that he lets us see glimpses of his un-Princely side," Yoshizumi said cheerfully, then laughed when Asano snorted loudly in disbelief. "Or you could consider it a sign of respect, that he wants you to see him as a rival," Yoshizumi suggested--a possibility that Asano found slightly more plausible, but only slightly. After all, if Onozuka really considered him to be a threat, wouldn't he work harder at convincing Asano that he was harmless, rather than taunting him with veiled insults?

Yoshizumi smiled knowingly, as if he could guess what Asano was thinking. "Is there anything that Onozuka-kun could do to convince you that he really was a sweet and noble prince?" he asked reasonably.

"No," Asano had to admit. "I wouldn't believe it of a real prince, and I certainly wouldn't believe it of someone who's been working in this industry for the past six years." Yoshizumi raised an eyebrow and Asano flushed, realizing that he'd inadvertently betrayed the extent of his obsession with his rival, that he'd gone to the trouble of researching Onozuka's bio and discovering that he'd entered the entertainment industry straight out of high school.

Yoshizumi laughed again and said, "You're such a cynic, Asano-kun."

"I don't understand how you've remained so idealistic in such a cynical business, Yoshizumi-san," Asano countered.

Yoshizumi started to reply, but was interrupted when his cell phone rang. He gave Asano an apologetic smile and then answered it. "Ah, Kenzaki-kun, what a pleasant surprise!"

Kenzaki...that was the host that Yoshizumi had gone to the love hotel with, Asano recalled, scowling as he recalled the way that the other man had glared at him threateningly. Yoshizumi claimed that his relationship with the host was a casual one, but Kenzaki seemed awfully protective for someone who was merely a friend-with-benefits...

"Excuse me, Asano-kun," Yoshizumi said. "I'm going to take this outside; I'll be back in a few minutes."

And just like that, Yoshizumi abandoned him in favor of that smarmy host--who wasn't even here in person. Asano scowled again and took a swig of his drink, wishing that he could vent his bad mood on someone, preferably Onozuka.

He ordered another drink and glanced around the room, but couldn't find an acceptable target. There were a few crew members drinking at a nearby table, but if took out his frustrations on them, it would only make him look bad compared to Onozuka, who always treated the crew and assistants with princely courtesy.

And then he overheard one of the crew members say, "Asami-chan was raving about the Onozuka family inn. I wish I could go stay there, too, but I can't afford to be wasting my money when we're already getting free lodgings."

"Asami-chan said that the prices were reasonable," a second crew member pointed out.

"Sure, if you're a star like her, and not some minimum-wage peon like us."

"Still, it might be worth it just to see what Onozuka-san's family is like..."

"Excuse me," Asano said, turning towards the table. "What's this about an Onozuka inn?"

"Oh, you didn't hear about it, Asano-san?" the first crew member replied. "It turns out that Onozuka-san's family runs a ryokan here in Okinawa. Nobody knew about it until his uncle turned up to visit him on the first day of filming."

"He was trying to protect his family's privacy," a production assistant chimed in, a young woman who looked impressed by the Prince's virtue.

Normally, that would have annoyed Asano, but he was much too excited about this new bit of gossip that could maybe be used against his rival. "Please tell me all about it," he purred.

***

A group of young actresses had come to Rusty Nail to celebrate one girl's birthday, and it turned out that the birthday girl had once worked with Yoshizumi on one of his historical dramas. That gave Kenzaki a convenient excuse to call his friend without seeming too pushy, since he knew that the least sign of possessiveness or romance would scare Yoshizumi away.

Not that he had any romantic feelings for Yoshizumi, Kenzaki hastily told himself. He was merely worried that Yoshizumi might take his legitimate concerns the wrong way. Despite Yoshizumi's assurances that the Asano brat was no threat, Kenzaki couldn't help but worry a bit. He had seen Asano's type many times before during his career as a host: the type who would not only steal a colleague's customers without the slightest twinge of conscience, but would collect damaging gossip or tell outright lies to make his rivals look bad. Yoshizumi wasn't naive, but he was idealistic and liked to look for the good in people, and Kenzaki worried that he might underestimate Asano.

So he called Yoshizumi during his break, and they chatted casually for a few minutes until Yoshizumi said cheerfully, "Well, I'd better get back now--I left poor Asano-kun alone."

"What, does he need a baby-sitter?" Kenzaki asked irritably.

"No, but his ego is feeling a little bruised right now," Yoshizumi laughed. "Kikuchi-san and Onozuka-kun are having a party with the stunt crew, and I think that Asano-kun feels a little left out."

"It'll do him good to learn that he's not the center of the universe," Kenzaki groused, and Yoshizumi laughed again.

"I think he knows that all too well! That's why he dislikes Onozuka-kun so much, I think--because he's acutely aware that Onozuka-kun is more famous than he is. I'll talk to you later, Kenzaki-kun--oh, and by the way, have you decided what kind of souvenir you'd like?"

"Surprise me," Kenzaki replied.

"I will, then," Yoshizumi said, his voice full of mischievous glee, and then he hung up, leaving Kenzaki to wonder whether or not he ought to be worried.

***

Kikuchi and Onozuka were scheduled to film their big kiss scene the following morning, giving Asano some free time, since he wasn't in that scene. He told the production assistant that he was going to go shopping for souvenirs, and he did indeed pick up a box of sweets, a few trinkets, and after perusing the headlines, a copy of the local newspaper, but shopping wasn't his main goal.

Asano stepped out of the store and hailed a cab. When the driver asked for his destination, he replied, "Take me to the Onozuka Ryokan." Along the way, he looked at the newspaper, which he had bought because he saw that it had an article about Onozuka and his family's inn.

It was hardly in-depth reporting: the article was a mere puff piece to praise a celebrity with local connections, but still, it did give Asano some insight, more in what was left unsaid than from the actual words. The reporter had interviewed both Onozuka and his uncle, and both spoke eloquently of Onozuka's late grandfather and his policy of treating his customers as part of the family. However, without sounding openly evasive, they managed to give almost no information of substance about Onozuka's parents, other than the vague statements Onozuka had made in previous interviews, that his father was a businessman and his mother was a housewife who lived a quiet life and preferred to keep a low profile.

The article did say that Onozuka Kaoru was the eldest son of the family and had inherited the inn from his father, which implied that Onozuka's father must be a younger son. Then again, neither Onozuka or Kaoru explicitly stated that Onozuka's father was Kaoru's brother, which automatically made Asano suspicious of what they might be hiding. Maybe the parent related to the Onozukas was actually a sister rather than a brother, but why hide that? Perhaps because she was a single mother and Onozuka was illegitimate? These days, however, that would be only a minor scandal and would probably win Onozuka even more sympathy from his idiotic fans who would feel sorry for a fatherless boy. Or maybe Onozuka's father was some low-life who had been disowned by the family? The possibilities were endless and it was impossible to tell which, if any of them were true, so Asano decided to just wait and see what he could find out during his visit.

When he entered the inn, a man got up from the reception desk, bowed deeply, and said, "Welcome! Would you like to book a room, sir?"

"Actually, I just wanted to pay my respects," Asano replied with a friendly smile. "I'm a friend of Onozuka-kun's, from the movie. Is the Master of the ryokan in?"

"Oh, of course--you're Asano Nobuyuki-san!" the man exclaimed. "Please forgive me for not recognizing you sooner. I saw you in 'Winter Cicadas'--that was a wonderful film! I'm Arai, the manager. Please have a seat while I get the Master; I'm sure he'll be delighted to meet you." A young woman--probably one of the inn's maids--poked her head into the room, gazing at Asano curiously, and Arai ordered, "Risa-chan, bring Asano-san some tea!"

Arai and the maid both hurried off, but instead of sitting, Asano took a look around the entrance hall. There were a number of photos taped to the walls around and behind the reception desk, showing smiling, satisfied customers, and many of them had personal messages signed on the photos, thanking the staff and/or saying how much they had enjoyed their stay. Prominently displayed was a publicity photo that had been taken at the press conference for the movie, and it was autographed by Onozuka, Kikuchi, Asami, Yoshizumi, Kitamura, and Mizutani. Asano supposed that Onozuka and the others must have left it here during their brief stay.

"Here you are," Risa said, returning with a cup of hot tea, staring at him with star-struck eyes, which gratified Asano. He had thought maybe the staff wouldn't be impressed by him, since they already had the Golden Prince as part of the family.

"Thank you," Asano replied, giving the girl his most charming smile, and she beamed at him in return.

"I loved you in 'Winter Cicadas'!" she told him. "It's so exciting to have so many stars visiting the inn!"

"I'm hardly a star, at least compared to Onozuka-kun," Asano laughed modestly, although it almost killed him to do so. "You must all be very proud of him."

"Oh, we are!" Risa exclaimed. "Everyone is so happy that Yuu-san is filming here in Okinawa! He's so busy with his work that he hardly ever has time to visit."

"He must miss his family," Asano said casually, sipping at his tea. "His father is the Master's younger brother, from what I understand?"

"Oh no," Risa replied cheerily. "Yuu-san's mother is Kaoru-san's older sister."

"Ah, I must have misunderstood," Asano said pleasantly, as if the information were of no consequence to him.

Just then, Arai returned with Onozuka's uncle. "You can get back to work, Risa-chan," Kaoru told the maid, kindly but firmly. She sighed, looking disappointed, but bowed politely to Asano and excused herself.

"I'm Kaoru, Yuu's uncle," the innkeeper said with a broad, friendly smile. "Please follow me; we can talk in my office."

Asano took a seat in Kaoru's office, after politely proffering the box of sweets as a gift. Kaoru accepted it with equally polite thanks and poured more tea for Asano.

"It's nice to meet you, Asano-san," Kaoru said. "Yuu has told me a lot about you."

Oh, damn, Asano thought, seeing his chances of weaseling out information about Onozuka rapidly disappearing.

"He says that you're a very talented actor," Kaoru continued, smiling cheerfully as if he knew nothing about the animosity between his nephew and Asano, but being Katou's friend, Onozuka surely must have filled Kaoru's ears with stories about what a scheming traitor Asano was.

Still, Asano played along, smiling sweetly as he replied, "Onozuka-kun is much too kind."

They continued making small talk for the next several minutes, and Kaoru told several harmless but amusing stories about Onozuka as a child, such as the way he used to dance for the guests at the inn. However, despite his gregarious manner, Kaoru managed to give away no information of importance regarding his nephew, such as where his parents lived or whom his father was or even his mother's name. At first glance, the head of the Onozuka family seemed like an open, friendly sort, but it might be that deviousness was a family trait.

"Well, your stories about show business are fascinating," Kaoru finally said with a cheery smile. "I could listen to them all day, but I'm afraid that work is never done when you're self-employed."

Since he obviously wasn't going to get anything of significance out of Kaoru, Asano took the hint and politely said, "I'll let you get back to work, then. I should be getting back to the hotel, anyway, since I'll be filming later in the afternoon."

As he left the inn, Asano decided that the trip hadn't been a complete waste of time. At least he had learned that Onozuka wanted to hide his father's identity, since he'd made a point of tricking the press into believing that his father was an Onozuka. Asano didn't know why that was so, but maybe with some additional research he could find out eventually...

***

Meanwhile, on the beach, Kikuchi, Onozuka, and Asami were filming the conclusion of the movie. With Akio dead, the murder was solved and Midori had been avenged, and she--via Eisuke--met her husband on the beach to say a final farewell.

Asami reached out to take Kikuchi's hands in her own; Onozuka had just filmed the same gesture a little earlier, and later Asami's image would be superimposed over Onozuka's, to make it seem like Midori's ghostly form had emerged from Eisuke's body.

Asami smiled at Kikuchi lovingly and said, "You brought my killer to justice, and my time on earth is now over."

"Midori," Kikuchi whispered, with tears in his eyes.

"Don't grieve for me," Asami said, reaching up to caress his face. "My soul is at peace now that I know you'll be all right. I will always love you, Ryo."

"And I will always love you, Midori," Kikuchi replied, kissing her very gently and tenderly.

When the kiss ended, Asami took a step back, whispered, "Look after him for me, Eisuke," and then threw her arms out wide and smiled beatifically up at the sky.

"Cut!" Kitamura called, and Asami moved to the sidelines. Later, special effects would be added to make it seem like Midori's ghostly form was floating up into the heavens; they had already filmed Asami against a bluescreen at the studio in Tokyo, using wires to make her float in the air.

Onozuka stepped in to take her place, making sure to stand on the exact same spot. He assumed the same pose, and the cameras began filming again. He blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and slowly lowered his arms.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Kikuchi asked quietly. "For good, this time."

"Yes," Eisuke replied, just as quietly. "I'm sorry, Ryotaro-san."

Kikuchi shook his head, smiling through his tears. "No, I'm grateful to you, Eisuke. You allowed me to spend a little extra time with Midori and say goodbye to her. I can never thank you enough. I'm the one who should apologize, for putting you in danger."

"I don't regret it," Onozuka said fiercely. "I'm so glad to have known you, even if it was just for a short time." He leaned forward and kissed Kikuchi, as tenderly as Kikuchi had kissed Asami. When he pulled back, tears were streaming down his face as he stared at Kikuchi with both longing and sorrow in his eyes. "Goodbye, Ryotaro-san," he whispered, then turned and ran away.

"Wait!" Kikuchi shouted, chasing after him. "Eisuke, wait!" Onozuka kept running, but stumbled in the sand, and Kikuchi grabbed his arm, both to stop him and to keep him from falling. He turned Onozuka to face him, and said quietly but intensely, "Eisuke, please don't go."

"You're going back to Tokyo, aren't you?" Onozuka asked, avoiding his gaze. "There's no reason for you to stay here now that Midori-san is gone."

"What if I want to stay with you?" Kikuchi asked. "I checked, and there's an opening in the local police department."

"You don't want me, you want Midori-san!" Onozuka shouted, his face and voice filled with anguish. "I love you, Ryotaro-san, more than anything, but I can't be a substitute for her! It..." His voice quavered and he had to take a moment to compose himself before he continued, "It hurts too much, knowing that you see her when you're with me."

"You're wrong, Eisuke," Kikuchi said, cradling Onozuka's face in his hands. "You're right that I was using you as a substitute at first, and I'm sorry for that. But the more time I spent with you, the more I came to care about you for yourself. I really do love you, Eisuke."

Onozuka stared at Kikuchi, his expression torn between hope and fear. "Maybe you just think you love me because of all the time that Midori-san's spirit was with me," he said uncertainly. "Maybe you're just transferring your feelings for her onto me."

"No," Kikuchi said firmly, his hands caressing Onozuka's face. "You're different from Midori--she was impulsive and outgoing, and you're more quiet and serious. I love you for yourself. I love your kindness and compassion. I love your strength, the way that you fought through your illness and never gave in to despair. I love your passion for your art, and I love the joy you take in life, living each moment to the fullest. I love you, Eisuke."

Tears welled in Onozuka's eyes again, and Kikuchi leaned forward to kiss him, but Onozuka pulled away and said, "Wait, Ryotaro-san--there's something I have to confess." Kikuchi gazed at him quizzically, and Onozuka took a deep breath and said, "The second time that we slept together..." He blushed, staring down at his feet, then continued in a whisper, "Midori-san wasn't possessing my body. I was only pretending to be her because I wanted you so much."

"I know," Kikuchi replied. Onozuka's head jerked up as he gaped at the other man in shock, and Kikuchi smiled slightly.

"But...then why...?" Onozuka stammered.

"I wanted you, too," Kikuchi said, his expression growing more serious now. "But I was afraid to admit it because it felt like I was being unfaithful to Midori. But now I understand that even though I'll always love her, there's room in my heart for a new love as well. And besides, now I know that I have her blessing." Onozuka gave him a puzzled look and Kikuchi explained, "I heard her tell you to look after me."

"That's right," Onozuka said, a smile of relief and incredulous joy slowly spreading across his face. "How could I refuse Midori-san's final request?"

"You can't," Kikuchi said, wrapping his arms around Onozuka. "I'm afraid that you're stuck with me, Eisuke." He hesitated, then said a bit anxiously, "All joking aside, you know that I wouldn't pressure you to stay with me if it was only out of obligation--"

Onozuka cut him off with a light kiss. "There's no obligation," he said reassuringly, his eyes shining with joy. "I want to be with you. I love you, Ryotaro-san--I think I've loved you since we first met."

"And I love you, Eisuke," Kikuchi said, pulling Onozuka close and sweeping him into a passionate kiss, which Onozuka returned ardently.

One of the cameras panned back to focus on Yoshizumi, who was watching the pair from a distance. He was frowning, but then his expression softened and he sighed in resignation. "Oh well," he said with a rueful chuckle. "I suppose that I'll have to welcome Ryotaro-san as a brother-in-law now!"

The camera swung back to zoom in on Kikuchi and Onozuka, still locked in a passionate embrace and apparently oblivious to everything around them.

Kitamura called out, "Cut! That was perfect!"

Kikuchi and Onozuka broke off the kiss and pulled apart, and Yoshizumi jogged over to join them. "Great work, everyone," Kitamura congratulated his cast and crew. "Let's go ahead and break for lunch."

"Are you sure you don't want to do another take?" Kikuchi asked hopefully. "I wouldn't mind repeating that kiss!"

"Kikuchi-san, you're terrible!" Onozuka jokingly scolded as everyone else laughed.

"Why, am I such a bad kisser?" Kikuchi retorted, pretending to be hurt.

"No, not at all," Onozuka said soothingly, then smiled coyly. "Quite the opposite in fact. Although it is very different from kissing a woman." He stroked Kikuchi's chin playfully and added, "A bit more...stubbly."

Mizutani laughed and said, "I hate to disappoint you, Kikuchi-san, but that take was perfect--even better than I'd pictured it when I was writing the scene!"

"Ah well," Kikuchi sighed. "As an actor, I can't really be disappointed with a compliment like that!" He flashed a lustful grin at Onozuka and added, "Even if I'd enjoy making out with the Prince a bit longer!"

"Kikuchi-san!" Onozuka protested, blushing.

"Well, we still have the two sex scenes to film when we get back to Tokyo," Kitamura consoled Kikuchi, looking amused by the two actors' antics.

"I can hardly wait," Kikuchi said, throwing an arm around Onozuka's shoulders and grinning at him even more lewdly.

"Kikuchi-san!" Onozuka protested again, making an only half-hearted effort to push him away.

"They're such a cute couple, aren't they?" Asami giggled, and Yoshizumi nodded in agreement.

"Almost nauseatingly so, but not quite as bad as Iwaki-kun and Katou-kun."

"I need Yoshizumi-san for the afternoon shoot," Kitamura said to the actors. "But the rest of you are free for the day. I was going to have lunch with Sensei and Asami-chan back at the hotel; would you care to join us?"

"Thank you, but I wanted to shop for souvenirs before we fly back home," Onozuka replied. He smiled sweetly at Kikuchi and asked, "Would you care to join me, Kikuchi-san? I know of a good restaurant we could have lunch at."

"Who am I to turn down an invitation from the Prince?" Kikuchi chuckled.

"You know that will only cause more rumors to spread about you two, right?" Kitamura asked dryly.

Onozuka winked at him and said, "Ah, but it's good publicity for the movie, isn't it?"

Kitamura laughed and shook his head. "Have fun then, you two."

"Lunch first, or shopping?" Kikuchi asked Onozuka as they walked off together.

"Shopping," Onozuka replied. "I promised to get Miya-chan a pair of Shisa."

"Doesn't he live in an apartment?" Kikuchi asked. "What the hell is he going to do with a Shisa?"

"What about you, Yoshizumi-san?" Asami asked. "Would you like to eat with us?"

Yoshizumi smiled, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Thank you, but no," he replied. "I also promised to buy a souvenir for a friend...and I know exactly what I'm going to get him!"

***

Kenzaki was going over some paperwork before the club opened when his assistant Shou walked into the office and said, "Excuse me, Kenzaki-san, but there's a package that you need to sign for. Well, more like a crate, really--it's huge!"

"I wasn't expecting anything," Kenzaki said with a puzzled frown.

"Maybe a gift from a customer?" Shou suggested. Rich clients often did give expensive gifts to their favorite hosts, but they were usually smaller, more personal items like jewelry or watches.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Kenzaki said, and went to the back entrance where the deliveryman and the crate were waiting. He signed for the item, noting that the return address was for a store in Okinawa. Yoshizumi had promised to get him a souvenir, but Kenzaki had been expecting a bottle of awamori, or maybe a tacky tourist t-shirt (Yoshizumi was the type to think that was a good joke), or maybe even some expensive pottery. But even a nice vase or two wouldn't require a shipping container this big.

The hosts had all gathered around by now, eager to see what the surprise package was. Before Kenzaki even had to ask, Shou turned up with a crowbar he had fetched from his car trunk, and they pried the crate open. When they pulled away the straw packing, they saw that it contained two large ceramic sculptures of lion dogs, one with its mouth open, exposing an impressive set of fangs, and the other with its mouth closed. Both had fierce expressions befitting of the guardians they were--because this was obviously a matched set of Shisa.

"Wow!" the young host Kei exclaimed. "The workmanship is really great--this must have cost a lot of money!"

"How do you know?" Kenzaki asked.

"My dad's family is from Okinawa and my uncle is a potter," Kei replied. "He doesn't work on Shisa, but I've seen enough of them to recognize good craftsmanship. Besides, the workshop that it's from is one of the best in Okinawa." He grinned at Kenzaki. "Yoshizumi-san must really like you, boss!"

"Don't be insolent, brat!" Kenzaki snapped, slapping the boy on the back of his head. The damn kid had a hard head--he barely seemed to feel it. Kei bowed contritely, but Kenzaki could see that he was still grinning.

Just then, Kenzaki's cell phone rang, and when he answered it, Yoshizumi's cheerful voice asked, "Did you get my gift, Kenzaki-kun?"

"Yes, and it was very generous of you, Yoshizumi-san, but what the hell am I supposed to do with these things?!" Kenzaki replied--rather ungraciously, he supposed. But each statue was about the size of a German Shepherd, and he had no room for them in his apartment.

"Well, maybe I did get a little carried away," Yoshizumi chuckled. "But when I saw them, they reminded me of you."

"Should I be flattered or insulted?" Kenzaki asked wryly. "Their faces are a bit scary." Almost ugly, in fact, and yet at the same time, beautifully sculpted in lifelike detail.

"Because they are fierce guardians," Yoshizumi patiently explained. "Like you, my champion, who is always so eager to defend my virtue from dastardly acting rivals. And besides, you did tell me to surprise you, after all."

Kenzaki burst into laughter. Smooth host though he was, he could never manage to get the upper hand over Yoshizumi in a battle of words or wits. "Well then, it would be churlish of me to refuse such a thoughtful gift. It's very handsome and distinctive--and I most certainly was surprised!"

"I'm glad you like it, Kenzaki-kun," Yoshizumi replied. "I'm a bit jet-lagged, so I'm going to sleep in tonight, but I'll stop by the club sometime soon."

"I look forward to it," Kenzaki purred, in his best charming host voice, and Yoshizumi laughed as he hung up.

"So what are you going to do with these, Kenzaki-san?" Shou asked.

Kenzaki grinned. "Well, since they're guardians, let's have them flank the entrance and protect the club!"

"They don't seem a bit out of place in a host club?" Shou asked doubtfully.

"They'll make an interesting conversation piece, if nothing else," Kenzaki laughed, patting the nearest Shisa affectionately.

***

Onozuka met Katou and Miyasaka at Lime on the night he returned to Tokyo. "Are you planning to come out to the public?" Katou asked, waving a tabloid at Onozuka. The front page showed a picture of Onozuka and Kikuchi dining together at a popular Okinawan restaurant, and the headline read: "Has the Prince found love? Has Onozuka Yuu and Kikuchi Katsuya's onscreen romance developed into the real thing?"

"It's just a little tease to whet the public's appetite," Onozuka laughed. "Just enough to stir up the media without ruining my reputation--if you read the article you'll see that there's plenty of speculation, but the only actual facts of substance are that I visited a few shops and had lunch in public with my co-star. Therefore, if I need to, I can claim complete innocence and say that the press is twisting the facts around." He smiled sweetly, affecting a look of wide-eyed innocence, and his two friends shook their heads, looking as though they didn't know whether to be amused or disgusted.

"You are the most calculating, cynical bastard I've ever met," Katou said.

"Says the guy who played up a relationship with his co-star for media attention," Onozuka retorted.

"I didn't fake it for the media," Katou said defensively. "I really was in love with Iwaki-san!"

"I didn't say you weren't," Onozuka replied. "But you can't deny that you deliberately flaunted your relationship for the publicity. Isn't that why Iwaki-san had a hard time accepting that your feelings were real?"

Unable to deny that claim, Katou just grunted and pouted sulkily. However, Miyasaka asked accusingly, "And how come you never told us that you have family in Okinawa? Why'd we have to read about it in the press?"

The fact that he sounded childishly hurt was somehow endearing to Onozuka, and kept him from getting annoyed. "You never asked, Miya-chan," Onozuka pointed out reasonably. "You've never really talked about your family with me, either."

"Well, there's not really much to tell," Miyasaka replied sheepishly. "They're just...you know...my family. To be honest, they thought I was a bit of a screw-up when I was in high school, but they're proud of me now. I don't mind talking about them if you want."

"We can trade stories one day," Onozuka said lightly, although he intended to avoid that if at all possible. "But for now, let me pass out your souvenirs." That proved to be an effective distraction: Katou's and Miyasaka's eyes lit up like children's, and Onozuka smiled fondly at them. They really were adorable sometimes!

"For Katou, sata andagi," Onozuka said, handing him the bag of pastries.

"Thanks, Onozuka!" Katou said, all his irritation gone. He bit into one and said with his mouth full, "Mmm, this is delicious!" He chewed and swallowed, then added, "I'll take these home to share with Iwaki-san."

"And for Miya-chan, a pair of Shisa, just like you wanted," Onozuka said, dropping a keychain with two miniature lion dog charms into Miyasaka's hand. They had been painted bright red, and the expressions on their faces were more comical than fierce.

"Uh, thanks," Miyasaka said dubiously. "It's not quite what I had in mind, but it's cute, I suppose."

"So ungrateful," Onozuka said with a put-upon sigh. "I knew you'd complain, so I also got you this." He produced a cardboard box that was about the size of a shoe box, and placed it on the table.

Miyasaka opened it and lifted out a pair of exquisitely crafted glass Shisa, larger than the key chains, but much smaller than real Shisa would be--they would fit easily on a bookshelf. They were a fiery orange and red, and had much more appropriately fearsome expressions.

"Wow, these are beautiful, Onozuka!" Miyasaka exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

Onozuka smiled, pleased by his reaction, and replied, "You're welcome, Miya-chan."

"I hope you didn't spend too much money," Miyasaka added, a bit guiltily. "These look really expensive."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Onozuka said with a mischievous smirk. "The shopkeeper gave me a discount, since I'm a local celebrity."

"It figures that you'd milk your status for all that it's worth," Katou said, rolling his eyes.

"It's a perk of the job," Onozuka said without any guilt. "We work longer hours than most salarymen, and we have to put up with the paparazzi prying into our personal lives. I'm not ashamed of accepting any bonuses that come along with the disadvantages. Besides, the shopkeeper benefited, too--a lot of people came into the store because they saw me and Kikuchi, and at least half of them ending up buying something, so I'm sure he made a nice profit."

"There's no point in arguing with him, Katou," Miyasaka said good-naturedly. "He's smarter than us, so he's always going to end up having the last word."

"At least you're smart enough to realize that," Onozuka said, smirking again, and patted Miyasaka on the head as if he were a puppy. Normally his friend would have shaken off or swatted his hand away, but Miyasaka seemed to be in a good mood tonight and just grinned at him instead.

"Speak for yourself," Katou grumbled to Miyasaka. "I'm not making any claims to stupidity."

"No, but your actions speak loudly enough for you," Onozuka quipped, then laughed and dodged the playful blow that Katou threw at him.

"By the way, Onozuka," Miyasaka said in a casual tone of voice that was slightly too casual to be real, "Iwaki-san and Katou invited me to Mochimune-kantoku's birthday party, and I got to meet him." His voice turned a little smug as he added, "He says that he's considering me for a part in his next movie."

"Really?!" Onozuka exclaimed. "What kind of part? What's it about?"

"I don't know," Miyasaka admitted. "It's top-secret, apparently; he must still be in negotiations over the script. "But if he's involved with it, it's sure to be a good role and a big hit."

"He must really like your work, to consider you for the role before you've even auditioned," Onozuka said, feeling a little envious. However, Miyasaka had congratulated him sincerely after he'd won the role of Eisuke, so it would be petty of him to begrudge his friend this opportunity. And besides, he wouldn't give Miyasaka the satisfaction of seeing that he was jealous, so he smiled warmly and said, "Congratulations, Miya-chan, that's great!"

"He might have just been playing around with you," Katou muttered. "Mochimune is a twisted fuck."

"I don't think so," Onozuka said thoughtfully. "Kitamura and Asami-chan went to film school with him, and they said that he was an arrogant bastard, but he was really serious about his work. It doesn't sound like he'd joke about his own movie."

Miyasaka gave Onozuka a grateful smile and said, "Mochimune offered Katou a role, too, but Katou got all snotty and said he'd only consider it if the role was challenging enough!"

"I just don't want him to think that I'm going to automatically lick his boots just because he's 'the brilliant maverick director,'" Katou retorted. "I think he's a jerk, but if it really is a great role, then I'll set aside my personal feelings and work with him."

"Oh, so you would lick his boots in that case?" Onozuka teased.

"Why you little--!" Katou shouted, lunging across the table to hit Onozuka with a bit more vigor this time. However, Onozuka ducked out of the way and Katou ended up knocking a glass of liquor over into Miyasaka's lap.

"Hey!" Miyasaka shouted, jumping to his feet and brushing ineffectively at the wet stain spreading across his crotch, which made the gesture look a good deal more crude than it really was.

Onozuka burst into laughter and both of his friends turned to glare at him. After a few moments, Katou and Miyasaka looked at each other, shrugged, and began laughing as well.

"You're going to get your comeuppance one day," Katou grumbled, giving Onozuka a light and almost affectionate smack on the head, and Onozuka just grinned at him. As much as he loved his family, he felt more comfortable with Katou and Miyasaka than he did with his blood relatives, and he thought to himself that he was very glad to be home.

-End-

Next story in the series: Unmasked, Part 1

***

Afterword: Miyasaka's souvenirs were inspired by these pictures of keychains and glass Shisa that I discovered while doing some research on Shisa.

You can find a little more information about awamori here, if you're interested.

Yoshizumi's desire to surprise Kenzaki with a gift was partially inspired by Bronze Ribbons' gift fic to me, Present Understanding. I had been trying to decide what kind of souvenir Yoshizumi was going to buy, and after reading that fic, somehow a pair of full-sized Shisa seemed perfectly natural! ^_^ I also had in mind a discussion we had here in this thread of an earlier fic, where Bronze Ribbons said that Yoshizumi seems to be earning a good living if he can afford to impulsively book a room at a nice inn for Iwaki and Katou (in "Witch Doctor," Book 9). So that made me think that he could afford to buy an expensive gift on a whim for a friend. (I don't know how much a pair of Shisa that size would cost, but I assume it would be pretty expensive.)

Asano will continue his scheming in the next installment of the series.

Comments

[portisheart.livejournal.com]

i'm glad Onozuka's uncle managed to avoid cutting Asano any slack - but the little bastard schemer will go on trying to cause damage with the bit of info he gathered it seems..
i loved it when the prince just hung up the phone on Kikuchi *LOL*.
the shisa Kenzaki got must have been great, i wikied it - in comparison, i can understand why Miyasaka was a bit disappointed by the keychains.. XDDD
it's nice Onozuka can feel home somewhere (else than in bed XD), and stop playing the prince.
whazzup now, geri-chan sensei?

[geri-chan.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I think my favorite part was also when Onozuka hung up on Kikuchi! ^_^

I sort of want a pair of miniature Shisa myself now...

I'm already working on the next fic, which will have more conflict between Onozuka and Asano.

Thanks for reading!

[sakura-sensei.livejournal.com]

thank you very much! can't wait to read what happens next ^^

[geri-chan.livejournal.com]

You're welcome; I'm glad you liked it!

[keleosnoonna.livejournal.com]

ASANOOOOO I really don't like what you're doingggg you little schemer XDDDD

This was really awesome, I love the way Kikuchi and Onozuka's relationship is unfolding ♥

[geri-chan.livejournal.com]

Scheming Asano will eventually get his comeuppance! *cackles evilly*

Thanks for reading; I'm glad you liked the fic! ^_^

[lawless523.livejournal.com]

It took me a long time to read the last three installments, but I'm glad I finally got them. Great story - I particularly liked Onozuka's grandmother, the phone sex, the impromptu party with the stuntmen (and the sex in the bathroom), and Kenzaki's gift. The glimpses of Mochimune from his schoolmates were also interesting.

I like the pace at which you're unfolding Kikuchi's and Onozuka's relationship; I'm wondering if at some point Onozuka's going to wind up coming out in order to claim the relationship publicly. Anyway, it seems like Kikuchi's more aware that his feelings are serious than Onozuka is.

Like others, I'm also amused by Onozuka hanging up on Kikuchi.

Thanks once again!

[geri-chan.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it, especially Grandma Onozuka, since I had a lot of fun writing her. I'm glad the pace of K&O's relationship seems to be working, too. Onozuka is seriously in denial at this point, but I have big plans for the next story arc, hint hint! ~_^

Haha, I really enjoyed having Onozuka hang up on Kikuchi, so I'm glad people seemed to like it! Kikuchi tends to have the upper hand most of the time, so I thought it would be nice to let Onozuka get the better of him for once. ^_^