Sleepy Time

By

Chibijem

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.

Nanami Haruka was standing at the stove in Ichinose Tokiya's kitchen, stirring the dinner she was preparing. She was intensely worried about her lover: when he had called her earlier, he had sounded exhausted. She knew he and the rest of the group she had founded were currently dealing with other entertainment business entailing the idols: from making television dramas and hosting variety shows to making personal appearances and the like. Starish was very much in demand. In Tokiya's case he was currently filming both a drama and a part in a feature film. The drama also included singing the theme song so he was spending time with a composer and time in a studio. All in all, he was way too busy to her thinking. She was concerned he would collapse taking on such a schedule much like he had when he was finishing his obligations as Hayato and attending the Shining Academy then adding Starish to it.

All of this found her in the love of her life's kitchen preparing a hearty meal for him when he came home. He had told her he was in the middle of a string of long days of filming: from being on set before sunrise and not leaving until late afternoon or later. He had also confessed to not eating full meals but only snacking when he had the chance in between takes either on the set or the recording studio. She read between the lines in his contact with her, that he was not sleeping well: catching naps while being driven to and from various locations or in between shooting and recording. When he is finished with this ludicrous schedule, I am taking him away somewhere…anywhere…., the composer thought. She was so deep in thought she jumped when arms wrapped around her waist. "Tokiya!" She turned in the embrace and frowned when she saw exactly how exhausted he looked. "Sit."

"Tadaima," the tall singer replied, leaning down, pressing a quick kiss to his love's soft lips.

"Okaeri nasai." The tiny composer went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of cold tea. She placed it in front of the half asleep idol. "You need to go to bed." She told him sitting beside her love.

"Is that an offer?" He asked, sipping at his drink. "Though I am fairly sure I would make a fool of myself in my present condition." He added, ruefully. He took in a breath, "Smells wonderful but you didn't have to come cook for me." He reached over and entwined their fingers.

"You are in no condition to cook so what would you have eaten? I saw what's left in your refrigerator, anata." She reached out and pushed a lock of his silky hair out of his eyes.

"Ano….."

"Uh huh….I am doing what you always say I need when I get caught up in my composing: taking care of you." She stood to check on their dinner. "Why don't you shower and I'll finish getting everything ready."

Tokiya stood and stretched, "Aishteru, koiishi." He went to her, kissed her again and trudged out of the room.

Haruka could hear his heavy footsteps on the stairs and her golden eyes filled with worry. He looks much worse than he did when we all first started out. I just hope he doesn't collapse in the shower, she thought as she finished preparing the meal. Half an hour later, Tokiya still had not returned. Haruka entered the bedroom to find him, towel wrapped around his waist, laying across the bed, legs draped over the side, napping. She sat next to him and gently shook him, "Tokiya-anata?"

"Hmmmmm?" Was the sleepy reply as he turned his head in her direction without opening his eyes.

"Dinner is ready; you need to eat." She sat back when his steel-blue eyes opened, blearily. "You need to eat," she repeated. "You've lost weight."

"Hai, hai." The actor and singer scooted to the edge of the bed. "Can you…?" He smiled when his love handed him his lounge pants and a t-shirt. Dressed, Tokiya followed Haruka downstairs and sat at the table where his love had set their meal. "You are too good to me," he told her as he held onto her hand and pulled her down for a kiss.

"You needed a good dinner and not one of those 'snack on what's available' meals." She replied sitting next to him and dishing out the food, adding a bowl of rice to the tired vocalist's plate. "How much longer for the filming?" She queried as she watched him savor the first bite.

"My part will be done in a few more days," he answered after swallowing. "I believe there's a wrap party scheduled this weekend; come with me?"

"I'll check my schedule." They continued eating with little conversation. Haruka found out that Tokiya was scheduled for recording sessions the following week to get the theme song completed for the drama and was in discussions to do a song for the film he had just finished working on. "Will you have time to do that?" She asked as she cleared the table.

Tokiya stood, wanting to help but was pushed back into his chair. "I hope so, the composer had some of the music delivered to me on the drama set-it's pretty good. Not as good as yours….."

Haruka smiled at him as she carried tea to the living room; she handed a cup to her love as he sat on the couch. "I'm sure it is. Everything I've heard about the film sounds fantastic."

"Mmmmmm, I was honored to be asked to take the part," Tokiya reached for his bag and pulling out some music, handed it to his companion. "The director was thrilled with my scenes." He laid his head back and turned it to study Haruka as she read over the music. "What do you think?"

"It looks good."

"But?" He laid his long interlaced fingers over his flat stomach.

"It could use a little something in a couple of places." The composer turned golden eyes on the love of her life. "Is it set or can you make some suggestions?"

"If I agree to perform it, I have some say. What do you have in mind?"

"Let me think on it and I'll write something out for you to take."

"Like I said before: you are too good to me."

A couple of hours later, Haruka had been running notes on the keyboards Tokiya had moved into his apartment for her when she heard a thud. She looked up and saw her lover fast asleep on the couch, his script on the floor where it had fallen, pages askance. She smiled tenderly, he lasted a lot longer than I thought he would have. She stood and went over, bending to pick up the thick set of papers and set them on the coffee table. She knelt and gazed upon the peaceful face of the unofficial leader of the group she had founded. She was grateful the grueling schedule he had undertaken was almost completed; she would have to talk to him about learning to say 'no' to requests. She could not fault him for his decisions: both the drama and film directors had known him when he was Hayato and wanted to work with Ichinose Tokiya this time. She lifted a gentle hand, brushing raven locks away from Tokiya's strikingly handsome face. "Anata?" A deep breath was her only answer. "Tokiya?"

"Hmmmmmmmm….?" His deep voice rumbled, eyes never opening.

"You need to go to bed. You cannot sleep here." She ran a fingertip over her lover's soft lips.

"I am doing so now, or trying to." One steel blue eye peeled open.

"You'll mess up your back on this couch." She rose, taking his hand and pulling on it to get him to rouse enough to climb to the bedroom they now shared. "Just a few minutes and you can go back to sleep."

The tall singer rose to his full height and glowered at his tiny love, "You wake me to tell me to go to sleep?!"

Haruka giggled, "Gomen ne, I just want you to be comfortable so you can get a good night's sleep. You don't look like you've been getting any."

Tokiya tightened his grip on Starish's composer's hand and followed her up the stairs, "To be honest, I am so exhausted, I don't think I would notice if I were sleeping on a concrete slab."

Leaving him sitting on a chair near the bed, Haruka turned it down and fluffed the pillows. She made sure the bedside carafe was full and then taking Tokiya's hand again, steered him to the comfort of their bed. She smiled indulgently as she watched him get comfortable. She then gathered her sleeping attire, which consisted of one of her love's t-shirts, and went into the bath to change and ready herself for bed. Finished, she quickly ran downstairs to turn off the lights, her keyboard and made sure the security system was on.

Entering the bedroom, Haruka saw Tokiya fighting off sleep. She climbed over him when he lifted the covers and settled next to him, laying her head on his muscular chest. "Sleep."

He sighed, "I want you, my mind is willing, my body….."

"Anata, I can wait. There is more to loving than actual intercourse; I am perfectly happy being with you like this. There will be plenty of time later." She promised.

"I just feel like I am neglecting you." He turned his head and blue eyes met sun-kissed ones.

"You most certainly are not! How can you even think that?!" She sat up, blankets and sheets settling around her hips. "You are always calling, texting or emailing me. When we are not physically together, you are still there-I can feel how much you love me. Never think that I don't know that."

"When I am all done with the filming and recording, I promise to take you somewhere. No phones, no computers….just us."

"I would like that." She laid her hand on his flat stomach. "You know the others are thinking the same."

"Uh huh. I was thinking more of some alone time." He covered her hand with his own. "Maybe a visit to your obachan."

Haruka's eyes lit up, "Honto?"

"Hai, you've not seen her in a while and it's peaceful there."

"I know she would love to see you again. She always asks after you and the others." Haruka replied.

Tokiya smiled, "If you can find the time and can track them down, ask the others and see what they think." He could never deny his lady anything and he and the others always had a good time together whether it be work or play.

"Hai and I will let obachan know we will be descending on her en masse."

"I just hope she doesn't mind." Tokiya sighed.

"You all are family." Was all Haruka told him and that was enough. She felt her lover's body beginning to go lax and knew slumber was pulling at him. "Sleep now, we'll talk more tomorrow."

"Mmmmmmmmm…..Aishteru, Haruka." The endearment heavy with sleep as Tokiya gave in to his need for rest.

"Aishteru, anata." Haruka laid down, head on one broad shoulder and joined Tokiya in the land of dreams.

FIN