Title: The Present

Author: Kyoko Godaikun

Email: kyoko_godaikun@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: I don't own Domoto Koichi or Domoto Tsuyoshi. They own each other.

Warning: This story contains Yaoi. Do not read if you are offended by Male/male love

Archiving: The only place that has permission to archive this story is Katrinka’s page. No one else may archive this without the express permission of the author!

Time: New Years 1996

Domoto Koichi hated having a birthday on New Years day. His birthday was simply another very busy working day. The night before his birthday, the Kinki Kids took part in a countdown concert. The day of his birthday the Kinki Kids had numerous television appearances. The only person to wish him happy birthday had been his partner Tsuyoshi. He was never told happy birthday by anyone else. No one in the dorms ever remembered his birthday. Almost everyone else was more concerned about going home for the holiday.

Koichi was allowed to visit his family on the second. It had been a good visit. Three days of no work and no practices. But like all visits, it ended far too soon. Koichi's father had returned him to the Senior Dorms soon after daylight. Koichi had to use his key to get in. Inside the lobby was deserted. He checked his mail box. Usually management put a few of the many birthday cards that fans had sent for the birthday in the idols mail box. There was nothing inside of Koichi's mailbox. Koichi fought down the disappointment.

Koichi climbed the stairs to the second floor. The door to his room was unlocked. He went inside. In the half-light he could see his room mate Tsuyoshi asleep in his bed. He was curled around Mabo, the drummer of Tokio. Even though both of the teens were covered with a thin sheet, Koichi could tell they were both nude. Koichi felt a pang of jealousy. It had been the fifth guy in the past week to share Tsuyoshi's bed.

Koichi wasn't sure when his room mates habits began to bother him. It had been near the Bon festival when Koichi realized he liked Tsuyoshi more then just a friend. He had never told his partner his feelings. He knew if he did, nothing would change between them. They might have some fun together, and then Tsuyoshi would go back to his old ways. There had only been one time the two of them had been together. It hadn't really been sex, just rubbing against each other. Kochi still considered himself a virgin. The night he had been with Tsuyoshi, his friend had stayed out all night with a boy friend.

Koichi tossed his bag against the wall. It landed with a loud thump. He didn’t' care if the noise woke up his room mate. He was so jealous that he couldn't see straight. He resisted the urge to wake up Mabo and throw him out of the room. He wanted to tell Mabo to leave Tsuyoshi alone. Instead he unpacked his bag, putting the clean clothes in the dresser. He made sure he made as much noise as he could as he threw the bag in the closet and slammed the door.

*Calm, I must calm down.* He told himself. *I don't own Tsuyoshi. We're only friends.*

Then Koichi saw a wrapped package on his desk. He picked it up. The small tag read "Happy Birthday Koichi from Tsuyoshi." All the anger towards Tsuyoshi drained from his body. His best friend had remembered. He set the package down. He would wait to open it until his friend woke up.

He decided to go downstairs and get himself some coffee out of the machine. He knew he needed to calm down before he talked to his friend. He sat in the lobby, drinking the warm coffee. He tried not to think of Tsuyoshi being with someone else.

When he returned to the bed room after drinking his coffee, Mabo had left, and Tsuyoshi was now awake. He was making his bed. He smiled when he saw Koichi. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks for remembering." Koichi smiled.

"We're partners." Tsuyoshi's smile grew wider. 'You haven't opened your present."

"I was waiting for you to wake up."

That response seemed to please his friend. "Okay, sit down and I'll give it to you."

Koichi did as he was told. Tsuyoshi picked up the package and handed it to him. Then he sat down on the bed beside him.

Koichi opened it up. Inside he found a camera that he had been really wanting. 'Tsuyoshi, you shouldn't have."

Tsuyoshi's smile faded. "You don't like it."

"It's very expensive. How could you afford it?" Koichi asked suspiciously.

"I knew you wanted it, so I saved up for it." Tsuyoshi shrugged.

"I love it." Koichi kissed Tsuyoshi very gently. His friend sighed and kissed him back. Koichi pulled away from him. "I shouldn't have done that."

"There's nothing wrong with a birthday kiss." Tsuyoshi reached out, touching Koichi's face. Then he kissed him. The kiss was gentle, loving. Koichi put his hand on the back of Tsuyoshi's head. The kiss increased in intensity as Koichi opened his mouth and Tsuyoshi's tongue darted in. A thrill went through the older teen as his tongue battled his friends.

Koichi pulled away from Tsuyoshi. "I'm sorry, I crossed the line."

"It's okay Ko-chan." Tsuyoshi tried to re-assure him. "I wanted it too."

"This is wrong." Koichi put the package on the nightstand. "I can't be your boyfriend."

"Why can't you?" Tsuyoshi asked confused. "I want to be your boyfriend."

"That doesn't matter." He could feel his face redden. "I can't be with you knowing that I'll find you with someone else!"

"Who says I'll be with anyone else?" Tsuyoshi told him. "I won't cheat on you."

“It will happen! You know it will! Every day you sleep with another guy!" Koichi couldn't keep the pain out of his voice. "I come home from visiting my family and find Mabo in your bed."

"If it bothered you, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I know the only change that would happen would be you slept in their bed instead of yours." Koichi tried to control the anger he suddenly felt. "I shouldn't have fallen in love with someone who shares his love."

"You love me?" Tsuyoshi gasped.

Koichi got to his feet. He went to his desk and put the gift on it. "As much as I appreciate your present, I can’t take it."

"If I stopped sleeping around, would it change your opinion of me?" Tsuyoshi said quickly.

"Giving your love is a part of you." He could feel a tear trickle down his cheek. Annoyed, he wiped it away. "I wonder why I had to fall in love with someone like you. Why couldn't I love someone who would only love me and not the entire dorm?"

"If I knew it bothered you, I would have stopped a long time ago." Tsuyoshi said softly. "I wouldn't intentionally hurt you."

"I'm called the sluts roommate. I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm like you!" Koichi turned around. "Why can't you be like everyone else? Why can't you have just one boyfriend?"

"There is a pain in my heart caused by the abuse I suffered. Sleeping with someone makes the pain go away." Tsuyoshi told him. "But the pain always returns, so I have to do it again."

"You don't have to sleep around. It's just an excuse." Koichi insisted.

"If I stopped dating others, would you reconsider your feelings for me?" Tsuyoshi asked.

"If I went with you I would be just another name of on your list of boyfriends." Koichi told him. "What does it matter how I feel for you?"

"It matters because I feel the same way." Tsuyoshi told him. "I love you."

Koichi couldn't believe his ears. "You show that love by sleeping with half the dorm?"

"I could change." Tsuyoshi told him. "I could stop dating others."

"I can't take your word on it." Koichi told him. "I know you too well. You'll have to prove it to me."

"Give me time to prove it."

"How much time do you want?" Koichi asked skeptically.

"What about six weeks?" Tsuyoshi suggested. "If I can't prove it, I'll never mention my feelings again."

"You mean until the middle of February?" Koichi asked unbelieving. "Can you really go that long without sleeping with anyone?"

"I won't betray your trust." Tsuyoshi vowed.

"If you can go until Valentines Day, I'll believe you." Koichi decided.

*******************

The weeks passed quickly. No longer did Koichi wake up and find someone else in Tsuyoshi's bed. His friend didn't stay out all night. In fact, Tsuyoshi spent most of his time with Koichi. They spent evenings doing homework, or playing video games. His friend hadn't brought up the deadline that Koichi had given him. They had talked about school, concerts just about anything except for their relationship.

Valentines Day finally arrived. Koichi had been given a huge amount of chocolate from girls at school. He hadn't turned down any because he didn't want to hurt his fellow student's feelings. So he stacked the various presents on his desk. As he did, he tried to think of a way to get rid of it all.

"How much chocolate did you get?" Koichi asked Tsuyoshi.

Tsuyoshi took a small package out of his book bag. He placed it on the desk beside his friends pile. "That's it."

For a moment Koichi felt sorry for Tsuyoshi. "I can't' believe you received only one gift."

"There's a girl in our class who doesn't understand what "I am gay." means."

"You told the girls at school you're gay?" Koichi gasped.

Tsuyoshi shrugged. "Most of them knew anyway."

"You have more guts then I do."

"I have something for you." Tsuyoshi finally told him. He put down his book bag, then he took something out of his drawer, then he handed it to him. "Think of this as only in friendship. I don't deserve anything else."

"You broke the agreement." Koichi guessed.

"I stayed true to you." Tsuyoshi picked up one of his textbooks and sat down on his bed. "I have a lot of homework. I better get to it."

Koichi opened the present. It was the camera he had turned down for his birthday. "Tsuyoshi."

His friend looked up to him. "There's no tie to this gift. I simply want you to have it because you're my friend and you'll enjoy using it."

Koichi put the camera up to his eyes. He looked at Tsuyoshi through the view finder. "When I get some film, can I take some photos of you?"

"Of course you can." Tsuyoshi smiled at him.

Koichi went to his dresser and took out a package. He then pressed it into Tsuyoshi's hand. "Happy Valentines Day."

"Thank you." Tsuyoshi opened it, his fingers glided over the materials inside. "You gave me art supplies. How did you know I wanted some?"

"I noticed a few weeks ago you looking at them in a catalog. You told me they where too expensive." Koichi tried to explain. "You're so good at cartooning, I thought you needed them."

"Thank you Ko-chan, it's the best present I've ever had."" Tsuyoshi stood up, hugging Koichi. Tsuyoshi kissed him gently. Then he pulled away from his friend, there was regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you'll never feel that way towards me. I've done too much to hurt you."

"You changed Tsu-chan." Koichi reached up, touching his friend's cheek. He was surprised to feel his friend tremble under his fingers. "You've proved yourself to me."

"I'll never betray you." Tsuyoshi vowed.

"I know." Koichi kissed his friend.

They stood for several minutes kissing. Then Tsuyoshi pulled away from him. "We have to be careful. The rules say we can't be involved."

"What do the rules matter?" Koichi pointed out. "You broke them with the others."

"The other men I dated were different. I can live my life without them." Tsuyoshi paused. "I can't live my life without you."

"Why are you suddenly worried about rules?" Koichi asked. "You hate the Manager's rules as much as I do."

"Mori is being fired from Smap. He got caught breaking the rules with Nakai." Tsuyoshi told him.

"I thought he was quitting because he wanted to race motorcycles."

"That's just the cover story." He went to his dresser, he took out a tabloid. He handed it to Koichi. On the front cover was a picture of Mori and Nakai. It read that the story was on an inside page. He opened it up. A photographer had stalked Mori and Nakai. There where photos of the two Smap members kissing, and walking hand in hand. Some of them together at a night club, they where dancing close and kissing. Another photo showed Mori leaving Nakai's apartment early in the morning.

"I don't believe this. I thought Nakai would be more careful." Koichi groaned.

"Mori is sacrificing himself for Nakai. If he hadn't, both would have been fired." Tsuyoshi told him. "I'm afraid the same thing will happen to us." He took the paper and put it back in its hiding place.

"We'll be careful." Koichi promised. "I can't loose you."

"I don't want to loose you either." Tsuyoshi kissed him again. "I've changed Ko-chan. I'm not like I used to be. I'll never cheat on you."

"Forgive me for doubting you?"

"There's nothing to forgive." Tsuyoshi told him. "I'll prove to you that you're the only one."

Koichi put his arms around his friend. For the time being the promise would be enough. He had Tsuyoshi, and that was all that mattered.