Voice of Reason [Oneshot]

[h_itoshi]

Title: Voice of Reason
Fandom: NEWS
Pairing(s): Massu/Tegoshi
Rating: PG
Wordcount:  1034
Notes: Another one of these I-don't-even-know oneshots. But it's written so might as well post it right? It's a bit different than my other ones.

Somehow, everyone assumes that he's the strong one in their relationship. The one who doesn't need much reassurance because he appears to never feel insecure about things. Almost like he doesn't care what happens, like he can handle anything.

Maybe it's not that weird, Massu supposes, considering their vastly different personalities.

Massu is calm and grounded and neat and always does things his way without worrying what others think. Tegoshi on the other hand is vibrant and demands all attention wherever he walks in, flirts and chats with everyone and occasionally drops some rather controversial comments.

When they're interacting, Massu mostly comes off as annoyed and like he's putting up with all of Tegoshi's shit because he's paid for it, while Tegoshi flutters around and twirls someone's hair and hugs someone else, then returns to bug Massu once he's bored with the others.

He can see how people get the idea of him not being too bothered with anything Tegoshi does, because that's what they look like on the outside, so really, there's nothing weird about anyone assuming that's how things are.

Except that it's unsettling when people are convinced that it's true; that Massu genuinely finds Tegoshi annoying and that Tegoshi only cares for him as a last resort. Especially when it comes to the closed circle of those who know that they've been a couple for years.

Because those few (basically their bandmates, closest friends and families) should know them better. They've seen how Massu falls asleep in Tegoshi's arms when he's exhausted and how Tegoshi's eyes always dart back to Massu no matter who he's flirting with.

So when he sits with Ryo in a dressing room couch at a music show while Tegoshi's off asking the cute sound tech guy about his equipment with an overly interested smile on his face, and Ryo suddenly takes their conversation a whole new direction, Massu doesn't even know what to answer.

"Doesn't he get on your nerves like this? I see that he keeps coming back to you but you seem like you don't care much whether he does or not. Are you just past caring or what?"

Massu actually turns to stare and gape at him, and that's apparently uncharacteristic enough for Ryo to realize that they're not close enough for him to say something like that anymore, because he laughs a little awkwardly. "Sorry, that's not really my business, is it? Sorry."

It shouldn't bother Massu as much as it does, since this is how their relationship works in public and has worked for years, but the words make him realize that he doesn't even appear to care whether he's with Tegoshi or not, even to someone who knows him well.

It gets worse when he's out with Nakamaru and a couple of Kat-tun members and Kame is drunk enough to bluntly ask whether Tegoshi sleeps with any of the people he keeps seducing before Massu's eyes. Thankfully Nakamaru hits Kame's head and calls him rude and ridiculous before Massu even gets a word out.

And so, he starts thinking about what their relationship looks like and wonders how he got the role as the manly man who just shrugs a shoulder at what his lover does.

It's disturbing in a way, that nobody seems to see that he loves Tegoshi so much it hurts, even though the point is that no one should know.

"Do you think that I care too little about you in public?" He ends up asking Tegoshi just as they're about to go to sleep, after having pondered the issue for a while.

Tegoshi lowers his phone and turns his head to look at Massu, mouth open in surprise. "... What?"

"People seem to think I don't care about whether you sneak away with someone else or that I just find you annoying." Massu says seriously. "Do you think that's a bad thing?"

Tegoshi frowns but seems to think about that seriously for a moment.

"No. It still works for us, right?"

"Mm." Massu agrees, crawling close enough in bed to rest his head on Tegoshi's chest, hearing his heartbeat and it's the best sound in the world. "I'm just so surprised every time it comes up, like I could manage just fine without you."

It's ridiculous really, because he couldn't. Tegoshi is his everything, the one who knows him better than himself, and in every big turn of their lives, Tegoshi's been there for him. When they learned about Yamapi and Ryo leaving, Massu was the one clinging to Tegoshi for dear life, holding him so close he almost couldn't breathe and made him promise never to leave him.

Tegoshi chuckles softly, making Massu's head rise and fall with the movement, and then there are fingers sifting through Massu's hair.

"I know you love me, and you know that I love you. I don't think it needs to be more complicated than that. If they get off on the idea of me sleeping around and you not caring, let them think so." He says, and it sounds simple enough. "They need to have something to wonder about, right?"

"I guess." Massu agrees, smiling as he thinks that saying these kinds of things is what makes Tegoshi the stronger out of the two of them.

"I hear it too." Tegoshi says, voice more serious now. "Questions about why I keep trying when I can't catch your attention, or if you're boring me. It just shows how little they know about us, and I don't think it's something to dwell upon."

"Sounds reasonable." Massu agrees, fingertips drawing slow circles against Tegoshi's stomach. "Good thing you're so reasonable."

"Yeah, I suppose someone has to be." Tegoshi says, and Massu can tell he's smiling at the irony since mostly, Massu is the one talking sense into Tegoshi when he wants to do something stupid. But concerning things like this, Massu is happy that Tegoshi is the grounded one when he himself sinks too deep into thoughts of what others think. Tegoshi's right after all, Massu thinks and wraps his arm around Tegoshi's waist in a tight hug; as long as it works for them no one else matters.

~*~