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soundczechTitle: "On Christmas" 1/1
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
soundczech
Disclaimer: I have no connection to Johnny's Entertainment whatsoever. No infringement intended.
Summary: Set in the future of Child Stars. Akio is a big fan of Santa Claus.
Author's Notes: This is schmaltzy Christmas fic. Incredibly schmaltzy Christmas fic. I apparently had some repressed sentimentality I had to work through in fiction. Also this morning I watched that clip of Jin with the little girl from Utawara last year fifteen times and couldn't stop thinking about what an adorable Dad he'd be. Ahh this fic is so embarrassing.
When Akio is five he becomes Santa Claus’ biggest fan. He walks through the Christmas streets with wide eyes, stopping to stare at the huge robotic Santas that laugh maniacally outside computer stores, at the old man who dresses up in the red velvet suit and hands small children boxes of Pocky on their way home from school.
“Stay away from that guy,” Kame says, herding Akio to the other side of the road, but Jin just takes the candy and tastes it before he lets his kid have any, just in case it is laced with cyanide or something.
“That’s not any better,” Kame mutters. “Why can’t we just go buy him a box of the candy?”
“It’s Santa, Kame,” Jin says, elbowing him. “You can’t just buy Santa’s Magic Candy.”
“It’s Pocky,” Kame says. “I can buy it at the conbini for 100 yen.”
“Don’t destroy Christmas.” He’s serious, even though at his age he should be joking. Kame sighs in exasperation as they kiss Akio goodbye at the door. Kame always waits for it to get easier to leave him behind and go back to work, and it never does. And it’s so much worse, because today is Christmas Eve.
“Stay home,” Akio whines and wraps his arms around Jin’s legs, because Jin is the easy one. He’s tall for his age and he smushes his face into Jin’s hip. Jin gazes down at him with an expression of unrestrained dismay. Kame has to maintain an air of stern determination or Jin will fall apart and they’ll never make it out of the apartment, and then they’ll both get fired and Akio won’t be able to go to a good school and then he’ll never go to college and he’ll have to become a host to support himself and his drug addict girlfriend.
“Jin,” Kame says and tugs gently at his elbow. “We have to go.”
Akio lifts his eyes to Jin’s face and they grow huge and a little watery. “Pop,” he says in a small, sad voice, like they’re about to leave him in a cardboard box on the side of the road. Suzuki is in the kitchen baking cookies. Kame knows that ten minutes after they’re gone Akio will have forgotten this entirely, but Jin will be upset about it all night.
Kame crouches next to Akio and tugs his arm. He turns those huge eyes on Kame. They look just like Jin’s when he knows he’s being childish, except that Akio is a child, and has no idea that he should be anything else. He sighs miserably as Kame smoothes his hair behind his ears. “Hey champ,” Kame says.
Akio’s lip trembles and he won’t look at Kame anymore. He crosses his arms and turns his face back into Jin’s worn black jeans. “Hey,” Kame tries again. Akio makes a sound in the back of his throat that sounds suspiciously like a prelude to tears and Kame’s stomach churns. He and Jin fight all the time about how Jin is always making him be the bad guy.
(“I’m not making you!!” Jin always objects. “If you would just let him have what he wants, no-one would have to be the bad guy!”)
“Baby,” Jin says now, and for a minute Kame isn’t sure if he’s talking to him or Akio, but he’s stroking Akio’s hair, his long fingers making bunches in the little boy’s hair. Kame’s always been a little bit jealous of Jin’s hands, because they’re so strong and reassuring, like the way a father’s hands should be.
Jin says Kame has the hands of a gay midget. Jin thinks he is hilarious.
“Stay here, Pop,” Akio repeats. “You’ll have more fun here with me.”
“Jin,” Kame says warningly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jin replies. He crouches down and picks Akio up, balances him against his hip like he’s a baby. They wander into the corner of the room. Kame can hear the low mumble of Jin’s quiet voice, but not what he’s saying.
Suzuki comes out of the kitchen and puts his hand on Kame’s shoulder. “He’ll be okay,” he says. It’s okay for him to say, Akio isn’t even his kid and he gets to spend all evening cutting cookies and singing carols with him while Kame has to go and let some aggressive photographer take photos of him snuggling up to Nakamaru.
Sometimes, life seems inherently unfair.
“REALLY?” Akio suddenly shouts.
“Shhh,” Jin says. “It’s a secret, you can’t tell anybody.”
“I WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY,” Akio yells. He’s bouncing up and down in Jin’s arms, his feet bruising Jin’s thighs as he kicks.
“You can’t,” Jin says seriously. “Santa-san is counting on you.”
“Okay, Pop,” Akio replies, all solemn brown eyes. He wriggles to be set free and runs over to Kame, flings his arms around his neck.
“Your secret is safe with me, Dad,” he says. Lately he’s taken to calling Kame Dad all the time, which Kame suspects is Jin’s influence. The kids at school think he’s a total weirdo but Kame kind of likes it.
“Thank you, Akio-chan,” he says, shooting Jin a bemused look. “I really appreciate it.”
“Tell Santa-san I said Merry Christmas!!!” he adds, and then, a little belligerently, “And that I’ve been a really good boy.”
“I’ll make sure,” Kame promises earnestly.
They leave Akio drawing Santa climbing chimneys and killing dinosaurs with what appears to be some kind of giant machete in crayon at the kitchen table. Sometimes Kame thinks Akio is not quite clear on what it is that Santa actually does.
“Did you just lie to our child?” Kame asks Jin as they wait for the lift.
“I had to!” Jin protests. “He was going to cry!”
“Well, I hope you remember this moment when he ends up in therapy,” Kame says, but he can’t help grinning as he presses a kiss to the soft spot behind Jin’s ear.
Author:
soundczechDisclaimer: I have no connection to Johnny's Entertainment whatsoever. No infringement intended.
Summary: Set in the future of Child Stars. Akio is a big fan of Santa Claus.
Author's Notes: This is schmaltzy Christmas fic. Incredibly schmaltzy Christmas fic. I apparently had some repressed sentimentality I had to work through in fiction. Also this morning I watched that clip of Jin with the little girl from Utawara last year fifteen times and couldn't stop thinking about what an adorable Dad he'd be. Ahh this fic is so embarrassing.
When Akio is five he becomes Santa Claus’ biggest fan. He walks through the Christmas streets with wide eyes, stopping to stare at the huge robotic Santas that laugh maniacally outside computer stores, at the old man who dresses up in the red velvet suit and hands small children boxes of Pocky on their way home from school.
“Stay away from that guy,” Kame says, herding Akio to the other side of the road, but Jin just takes the candy and tastes it before he lets his kid have any, just in case it is laced with cyanide or something.
“That’s not any better,” Kame mutters. “Why can’t we just go buy him a box of the candy?”
“It’s Santa, Kame,” Jin says, elbowing him. “You can’t just buy Santa’s Magic Candy.”
“It’s Pocky,” Kame says. “I can buy it at the conbini for 100 yen.”
“Don’t destroy Christmas.” He’s serious, even though at his age he should be joking. Kame sighs in exasperation as they kiss Akio goodbye at the door. Kame always waits for it to get easier to leave him behind and go back to work, and it never does. And it’s so much worse, because today is Christmas Eve.
“Stay home,” Akio whines and wraps his arms around Jin’s legs, because Jin is the easy one. He’s tall for his age and he smushes his face into Jin’s hip. Jin gazes down at him with an expression of unrestrained dismay. Kame has to maintain an air of stern determination or Jin will fall apart and they’ll never make it out of the apartment, and then they’ll both get fired and Akio won’t be able to go to a good school and then he’ll never go to college and he’ll have to become a host to support himself and his drug addict girlfriend.
“Jin,” Kame says and tugs gently at his elbow. “We have to go.”
Akio lifts his eyes to Jin’s face and they grow huge and a little watery. “Pop,” he says in a small, sad voice, like they’re about to leave him in a cardboard box on the side of the road. Suzuki is in the kitchen baking cookies. Kame knows that ten minutes after they’re gone Akio will have forgotten this entirely, but Jin will be upset about it all night.
Kame crouches next to Akio and tugs his arm. He turns those huge eyes on Kame. They look just like Jin’s when he knows he’s being childish, except that Akio is a child, and has no idea that he should be anything else. He sighs miserably as Kame smoothes his hair behind his ears. “Hey champ,” Kame says.
Akio’s lip trembles and he won’t look at Kame anymore. He crosses his arms and turns his face back into Jin’s worn black jeans. “Hey,” Kame tries again. Akio makes a sound in the back of his throat that sounds suspiciously like a prelude to tears and Kame’s stomach churns. He and Jin fight all the time about how Jin is always making him be the bad guy.
(“I’m not making you!!” Jin always objects. “If you would just let him have what he wants, no-one would have to be the bad guy!”)
“Baby,” Jin says now, and for a minute Kame isn’t sure if he’s talking to him or Akio, but he’s stroking Akio’s hair, his long fingers making bunches in the little boy’s hair. Kame’s always been a little bit jealous of Jin’s hands, because they’re so strong and reassuring, like the way a father’s hands should be.
Jin says Kame has the hands of a gay midget. Jin thinks he is hilarious.
“Stay here, Pop,” Akio repeats. “You’ll have more fun here with me.”
“Jin,” Kame says warningly.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jin replies. He crouches down and picks Akio up, balances him against his hip like he’s a baby. They wander into the corner of the room. Kame can hear the low mumble of Jin’s quiet voice, but not what he’s saying.
Suzuki comes out of the kitchen and puts his hand on Kame’s shoulder. “He’ll be okay,” he says. It’s okay for him to say, Akio isn’t even his kid and he gets to spend all evening cutting cookies and singing carols with him while Kame has to go and let some aggressive photographer take photos of him snuggling up to Nakamaru.
Sometimes, life seems inherently unfair.
“REALLY?” Akio suddenly shouts.
“Shhh,” Jin says. “It’s a secret, you can’t tell anybody.”
“I WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY,” Akio yells. He’s bouncing up and down in Jin’s arms, his feet bruising Jin’s thighs as he kicks.
“You can’t,” Jin says seriously. “Santa-san is counting on you.”
“Okay, Pop,” Akio replies, all solemn brown eyes. He wriggles to be set free and runs over to Kame, flings his arms around his neck.
“Your secret is safe with me, Dad,” he says. Lately he’s taken to calling Kame Dad all the time, which Kame suspects is Jin’s influence. The kids at school think he’s a total weirdo but Kame kind of likes it.
“Thank you, Akio-chan,” he says, shooting Jin a bemused look. “I really appreciate it.”
“Tell Santa-san I said Merry Christmas!!!” he adds, and then, a little belligerently, “And that I’ve been a really good boy.”
“I’ll make sure,” Kame promises earnestly.
They leave Akio drawing Santa climbing chimneys and killing dinosaurs with what appears to be some kind of giant machete in crayon at the kitchen table. Sometimes Kame thinks Akio is not quite clear on what it is that Santa actually does.
“Did you just lie to our child?” Kame asks Jin as they wait for the lift.
“I had to!” Jin protests. “He was going to cry!”
“Well, I hope you remember this moment when he ends up in therapy,” Kame says, but he can’t help grinning as he presses a kiss to the soft spot behind Jin’s ear.
