[+][L-N+][P-UL] ~ SHOUNEN POP - 少年ＰＯＰ ~

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

"You don't piss me off....you just...frustrate me sometimes. And no, I won't let you go." Ryuukaze said as gently as he knew how. He just wanted to diffuse the situation now. If he had the power to travel back in time and change things, stop himself from speaking such foolish words, then he would.

Sliding an arm under Naoko's legs, the violinist maneuvered until he was standing holding the blond, the snow halfway up his legs. Sometimes he hated his height, even though he was very strong. It didn't always balance out. Trudging up the hill with Naoko in his arms was awkward, but he managed to get them back inside the resort.

"You know sometimes I just say things. All people do, sometimes. I was wrong for that. Please forgive me, Na-kun. You know I love you, and I haven't seen you in so long. It's Christmas, and we should be happy. I'm just...tired. I'm trying to do a lot of things...for a lot of people...all the time now, it seems. That doesn't give me the right to take things out on you, though. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." he explained, kissing the pianist on top of the head, wishing that they could just...stop hurting one another, for once.

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Naoko allowed Ryu to pick him up... mainly because he could hardly feel his feet by now, and it was a bit amusing to watch as the violinist tried to get them both back up the hill again.

Once inside though, the blond maneuvered out of his lover's arms and sat down on the inside step, fingers rubbing his red frigid feet. "Then stop." he said simply before his amber gaze fell on the violinist. "Stop doing a lot of things for a lot of people and just do things... for the two of us." the young man continued. "Look... I do things for Shou because Shou is Sai and you know that. But you don't owe Jun anything, Ryu-kun. You don't even owe Shou anything because to be honest you could do fine as a soloist again if you wanted. I don't do things for Shou because he's the leader... I do them for my brother. I do things for Ko-kun because... well... he reminds me of me. He's damaged like me. And I want to keep him safe and happy. But I too don't owe Jun anything. If it's too big a burden to do a lot for a lot of people then just do things for the two of us."

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

For a long moment, Ryu fell silent. Naoko wanted him to just...stop.
Could he just stop?
No.
Things were never that easy. If he didn't do it...then who would?
And...he felt that he did owe people. For many reasons. Simple kindness included.

"Naoko....I....I can't. And...I do owe Jun. Hon...if it weren't for Jun, I wouldn't be alive today, and you probably wouldn't be, either. Now...before you go saying that it's all Jun's fault to begin with...those things may have happened regardless of what kind of past you had with Jun."

It was one of many rationalizations...but he had promised himself that he would do what he was going to do. Help people who needed it. Help people who helped him.

At the same time, though...he hated not giving Naoko what he wanted. He wanted to indulge the blond, protect him and comfort him, do whatever he said....but no, that would be selfish of both of them.

"Naoko...just...let me help Jun out....for a while. He really needs it...and...and I know you do care about him, even if you're angry and bitter. Without me...without all of us...I really don't know if he'd make it, Naoko. And I'm not just talking about his music or his sanity. I'm talking about his very life. There's a lot on the line for all of us these days, but I can help do something about how things are. I can make things better and I know it. Just...let me try. Let me do it, and I promise you everything will get better for everybody."

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Naoko's amber eyes turned down, his hair falling to cover his face as the young man continued to rub warmth and life into his toes. "That's a lie and you know it..." he replied softly, feeling guilty for saying it but believing it the truth.

"How will helping Jun make things better? If it weren't for his past obsession with me, Hayato wouldn't have used me... or hurt you... that in itself is Jun's fault and he knows it. But... I don't just mean Jun, hun... I..." Naoko shook his head with a sigh. "I don't know... Nothing we do helps. Everything just gets happy for a few days... a week... a month... and then the fear and the pain and..." he shook his head again, getting to his feet and straightening the yukata.

The young man looked up, pushing his glasses up a bit more before sighing. "You can't make everything just disappear, Ryu... the world doesn't work that way, even if we want it to."

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

Naoko had a point. He had a point...and it hurt.
The violinist didn't want to admit that he was right, in a lot of ways. He didn't want to give up hope, admit defeat, in any way.

"If...if I don't do something...then tell me who will? I can't stand to just let things go, Naoko. I literally cannot stand it. It gets to me even worse if I keep out of things! And if I just let go and give in, how is that going to make things any better, either? Then nobody will be as much as trying to make things better. It'd be just you and me, yes...but it would be us watching as everything else went all to hell...up to the point that the fire burned us as well. If I can do something to make everybody happier, to make us all stronger, then, maybe then, we can escape this cycle! Shou will be happy, Sai will be happy, Ko will be happy, Jun, me, you....we would all be happy....and together....and safe. If we are all together, if we can all get our s**t together, then we can become untouchable. Just let me try. Let me try, Naoko. For all of us. Please." he begged, tears welling up in his eyes. This really was something important to him. Deep in his heart, he knew it was right, to at least make the attempt. Trying was better than doing nothing at all, and, in the end, this would benefit Naoko as well.
In the end...when all was said and done...it all boiled down to Naoko, anyway, even if he had to piss the pianist off royally to help him in the grand scheme of things.

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Do whatever you want, Ryu. I can't stop you." Naoko replied, walking past the man and heading back to the suite he, Shou, and Ko-kun were all sharing.

Yes, the pianist was still pissed... but if it was that important to the man... then he would let his lover do as he pleased.

For a moment however, the blond stopped and glanced over his shoulder. "Merry Christmas, Ryu." he said softly, then continued down the hall.

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

That glance...the soft "Merry Christmas" Naoko had spoken...

Ryu was up off the step quick as a flash, grabbing Naoko by the wrist and spinning him around roughly, right into his arms, where, before the blond could as much as gasp, he claimed those rosy lips as his own, kissing the pianist with more passion than he had in a long time.

Pulling back after a moment, Ryu smirked his cocky smirk.

"Don't you dare just walk away from me on Christmas. I'm not done with you, yet. We've been apart for far too long, and I intend to see you happy by the end of this night..."

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

The world was a blur of color as suddenly, Naoko found himself held tightly in his lover's arms, his cold lips claimed by ones equally as frigid as his own.

For a moment... the blond couldn't speak. But then Ryuukaze's words sunk in and he frowned. "You think this is going to make up for everything?" the pianist asked, arching an eyebrow at his partner. "Yeah, we've been apart but..." he pouted. "But I'm still mad at you right now..."

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

"Then just get un-mad or I'll carry you off into the snow again..." Ryu teased, his hands slipping down and squeezing the pianist's bottom. He was bound and determined to make this a good holiday, no matter how angry Naoko might be at him in this moment. The pianist could never stay mad at him for too long, just like he could never stay mad at Naoko.

"I'll make up for things...in time. Life takes time, Na-kun...but for right now, you're going to give me my Christmas presents." he chuckled, kissing those pouting lips again, a bit rougher this time.

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Naoko's lips were claimed a second time, and with Ryu's hold on him, there wasn't much of a way to get out of the kiss.
Sure, he was angry... angrier at the violinist then he had ever been before...
But it was Christmas... wasn't it?

Pushing back, the blond shook his head. "What makes you think you deserve presents?" the younger Oumori asked, arching an eyebrow at his lover.

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

"What did I just say to you? You don't listen..." Ryu sighed, though there was a mischievous glint in his eye.
Suddenly, he hoisted Naoko up in his arms and began to cart him back outside in the snow.

"Either you get un-mad...or you're getting the snow. I have to cool you off one way or another...before I can warm you up again." he threatened with a smile on his face. Oh, he would do it. He would absolutely do it. It wasn't a threat as much as it was a promise.
Naoko may have wanted his way, but so did Ryu...and in this relationship, Ryu was the stronger willed of the two, the vast majority of the time.

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Naoko said, amber eyes turning a darker golden shade as he stared at his lover.
His lover who was holding him in the air... above the snow... him... the man in naught but a yukata with no socks...

"I can't just get un-mad, baka! And if you do this and I get a cold, YOU get to tell Shou why I'm sick." the blond pouted, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

"You can so just get un-mad. You can kiss me. You can hold me and we can both just let all the bad things go...if you choose. Life is choice, Naoko. You know this. Now come here...gimme a kiss...or get the snow." Ryu warned a final time.

"I'm only gonna give you another moment to make up your mind. I absolutely will dare, Na-kun. Now...either you be happy and love me....or get very very cold...and love me anyway. Happily."

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Naoko glared at Ryu. "Fine. You win." he said, not really wanting to get completely soaked by the snow.
Already his thin body was shivering and his feet were starting to get red again.
"Damn it, Ryu... Put me down." Naoko, of course, was still angry... but he couldn't just stop being angry on a dime.
He wouldn't fake happiness for Ryu... because he wouldn't lie like that.

 

[Ryuu Minamoto]

~( Lonely ) Mayotta nara~
~( Try again ) Nando datte~
~Yarinaosu koto dekiru kara~

"Damn it? Put you down?" Ryu tilted his head, a wicked smirk on his face.

"If you insist, you angry little thing, you." and with that, he dropped Naoko into the snow. He was gonna piss Naoko off just a little more, yes, but by the time he was through, he fully intended to have the blond smiling and laughing, the way he preferred to see his lover.

Whether Naoko wanted to cooperate or not...

~( I’m here )~ Soba ni iru wa~
~( Believe me ) Osorenai de~
~Shinjiau koto....~
~FOR YOU~