Chapter Text
Sunlight streaming onto Shu’s face woke him up, squeezing his eyes shut against the light and warmth filtering in. He really should’ve made sure the curtains were shut before he went to bed. He could’ve sworn he did, but maybe the exhaustion was finally catching up to him. As consciousness took hold, the sheets and blanket around him being wrong hit his brain. Had Kagehira changed them without him realizing? It wouldn’t have been the first time. Another detail missed in his exhaustion. Though, the weight on top of him definitely couldn’t be attributed to exhaustion. He finally opened his eyes, finding a certain dark-haired individual practically wrapped around him. Shu scowled, trying to push him away, only for him to cling harder.
“Kagehira,” he hissed, trying to pull the other boy’s arm from around him. “Wake up.”
The boy had the gall to squeeze him and Shu wanted nothing more than to crawl out of his skin. A few strange noises were the only other sign of life before Kagehira craned his neck to look at Shu, blinking slowly. Shu scowled.
“‘S early, Oshi-san,” Kagehira mumbled, finally pulling one arm away to rub at his eyes. “Wha’s up?”
“First off, if the sun is up, then it’s late,” he said, barely containing the urge to shove Kagehira away. “Second, why are you in my bed and on top of me?”
While it wouldn’t have been the first time Kagehira had tried to crawl his way into Shu’s bed after a nightmare, Shu had made it abundantly clear that he needed to obtain explicit permission first, and that something, usually a pillow, would be used to create a barrier between them.
Kagehira finally moved off of Shu, shifting to instead sit with his legs folded under him. He stared at Shu as he sat up and Shu shifted as far away as the bed allowed.
“Are ya feelin’ okay, Oshi-san?” The boy tilted his head.
Shu ignored him, finally looking around and realizing this wasn't his room. It wasn’t any room in the house. Very few familiar things were in the room, the most obvious being Mademoiselle on the dresser in a nightgown he didn’t recall making. His blood ran cold, spine stiffening as he tried to process where he was.
“Kagehira… Where are we?!” He fought to hide the panic in his voice, watching Mademoiselle intently. Surely this had to be some sick joke on him, not that he could figure out how it would have been done but… There was little else in the way of logical explanation for this.
“Whaddaya mean?” The boy looked around the room as well before landing back on Shu with confusion on his face. “We didn’t go anywhere?”
How had Kagehira filled out so much without his notice? He was still bordering on concerningly thin, but now his costume wouldn’t fit at all . Shu would have to remake it from scratch, a feat he certainly didn’t need to undertake now of all times.
“I do not have time for your stupid games, Kagehira. I should have been awake hours ago and working.” Shu got up from the bed, pacing the room and trying to figure out where and how he’d somehow been moved in his sleep. “I know I’ve told you far too many times to stop eating all those sweets, and now look! I’m going to have to recreate your entire costume so it fits, on top of rehearsals and classes.”
“Oshi-san—”
“Do not interrupt me, Kagehira!” He paused his pacing to glare at the boy. “You truly have done nothing but make my life endlessly more difficult. Your lack of any kind of skill, your inability to do as I command you, and now this!” He motioned to the room around them. “Whatever the hell this is! At this rate, I’d be better off kicking you off my stage than trying to fix this. It is honestly so baffling how many problems you cause on a near daily basis. Did none of the caretakers at your orphanage think to teach any of you even basic life skills? I can’t believe I ever listened to Nito about you.”
The boy had been close to tears throughout his lecture, and they finally spilled over as he finished. He ducked his head, dark hair falling over his face as his shoulders shook.
“What are ya even sayin’ , Oshi-san? What’s wrong with ya?!” Kagehira shook his head. “Yer not makin’ any sense!”
“Well, how fitting then!” He threw his arms up in frustration. “None of this makes any sense, so why should I? How was I moved to an entirely different building in my sleep without knowing it, Kagehira? What did you do?”
Kagehira looked at him, tears still rolling down his cheeks and mouth agape with confusion.
“D’ya not recognize yer own apartment? I don’t even know anyone or anywhere in Paris to even try ta pull off somethin’ like that—”
“Paris?!” He nearly shrieked, the panic finally bursting loose. “How in the hell— You have to be joking, there’s no possible way we could be halfway across the damn world.”
Shu stomped to the window, yanking the cracked curtain open more. It felt like something in him snapped, crashing down to the ground when the view outside was very clearly not Japan. His breathing quickened and he turned to look at the boy. Kagehira was finally moving off of the bed, grabbing one of two phones on the bedside table as he did. As he rose, it hit Shu that the boy was in nothing but a pair of boxers and a shirt that looked more like it would fit himself more than Kagehira. Shu clenched and unclenched his fists by his side.
“Kagehira. Why were you half naked in my bed?!”
“Nyegh?!” The boy looked down and back up, seemingly unbothered by his state of undress. “Ya said it was fine last night…?”
“Kagehira, you have three— No, two minutes to explain how and why we’re in Paris, wasting time we should be spending preparing for that damned DreamFes of Tenshouin’s—”
Kagehira stiffened at that, eyes wide and finally dry of tears. He looked down at the phone clutched to his chest and back to Shu multiple times before taking a slow, almost cautious step toward Shu.
“Oshi-san, I think somethin’s really, really wrong. I think— Hnngh, I gotta call someone, just, um… Stay here. I’ll fix this, I swear.”
“You’d better fix this,” he called after the boy as he scrambled to leave the room. “Or you’ll never step foot on my stage again!”
The door shut behind Kagehira and Shu let out a heavy sigh, shoulders slumping slightly. Kagehira was acting strange even for him. Far too friendly for Shu’s liking. He approached the dresser that Mademoiselle was on, reaching out to gently stroke golden curls for comfort.
“Ah, at least in all this mess, I still have you, my dear Mademoiselle. Perhaps the only thing that failure of a doll got right was ensuring you stayed nearby.”
The doll only stared in silence with her gentle smile. Shu scooped her up with shaking hands, the weight of her in his arms bringing some peace to his panicked mind. Her nightgown wasn’t a familiar one to him, a concerning fact, but it at least met the standards he had for what she could be dressed in at least. He shifted her to be cradled in one arm, opening the second drawer of the dresser. Inside lay neatly folded shirts, organized by appropriate seasons. The same way he organized his clothing at home.
A barely hidden tag on the collar of one of the shirts grabbed his attention. Shu set Mademoiselle back on her cushion. He pulled the shirt from the drawer, feeling the fabric between his hands. Definitely a nicer fabric, something he would choose. He moved the collar to inspect the tag— A signature, his signature adorned the tag. It wasn’t a garment he remembered ever making, but the tag said otherwise. It felt wrong. He returned the shirt to the drawer, moving instead for the closet.
The first few articles he saw were things he would never wear, just based on the style alone. The sizing was also entirely incorrect— They had to be Kagehira’s, but why were they in the same closet that held more things he would wear? He sorted through the hanging items, finding more with the same tag as the shirt. A maroon shirt with lace detailing caught his attention. In place of the tag, there was an embroidered rose. Another sign of something he had to have made even though he didn’t remember it. The embroidered rose was something he reserved for special creations. The costumes he made for Nito and himself always had the rose. Now that he thought about it…
Kagehira had told him to stay in the room, but what right did a doll have to tell him what to do? Shu huffed and followed through the door Kagehira had left through. His hope of finding his home on the other side and this all being a really elaborate prank fell as he was greeted with an unfamiliar living room. The only thing even remotely familiar was Kagehira, standing in the middle of the room with his back toward Shu and his phone pressed to his ear.
“—think he’s sick, ‘s gotta be somethin’ more. Ya think Nakkun would know more?”
The boy was entirely oblivious to him. Shu rolled his eyes and approached him. If Kagehira was going to talk about him, he had every right to listen in.
“I’m sure whatever is going on will clear up soon. Try not to panic, okay? Natsume-chan may know something.” A vaguely familiar voice spoke on the other end of the phone.
“Since when are you friends with the Boy?”
Kagehira yelped and stumbled forward. He fumbled to keep from dropping his phone, clutching it to his chest and looking at Shu with wide eyes. The boy slowly lifted the phone back to his ear, not looking away from Shu.
“U-uh, Naru-chan, I gotta go. I’ll text ya later, ‘kay? Bye!” He stabbed at the screen, presumably hanging up the call, before hiding the phone behind his back. “O-Oshi-san?”
“Well, Kagehira?” He motioned toward the boy. “I asked you a question. Answer it.”
The boy shifted awkwardly, finally looking away from Shu toward the floor. “He’s just helped me with some stuff. Nothin’ important. He’s way smarter’n me, so sometimes I ask him ‘bout stuff that doesn’t make sense.”
“A low bar to clear, but at least you made a good choice for that.” Shu crossed his arms as he spoke, staring down at the boy. “Call him, if you must, but the more you delay fixing this, the worse it is for you. ”
Kagehira looked back at him. “I gotta talk to him privately. Alone.”
“ Non! If you’re going to be speaking with him about me, you can do so in front of me.”
“I can’t—”
“You can and you will, Kagehira.”
The boy squirmed, mismatched eyes looking to something behind Shu. But what…?
The door. The bedroom door he’d left open. Surely he wouldn't.
“Don’t,” Shu hissed, making a grab for Kagehira’s shoulder but the boy was already moving, darting around him toward the door. Shu spun to follow him, nearly running face first into the door as it slammed in his face, the telltale click! of the lock cementing the separation. “Kagehira, open the door!”
“‘M sorry, Oshi-san! I promise I’ll explain everythin’ as soon as I know what’s goin’ on!”
“You—!” Shu seethed, trying the knob anyway. No luck. “Ungrateful, useless doll! Why do you continue to not do as I instruct?!”
The only sound on the other side of the door was muffled talking, nothing he could make out.
☆☆☆
Mika huddled down in the furthest corner of the room from the door, watching intently as the knob wiggled but the lock held firm. He wasn’t sure what would’ve happened if it hadn’t, with how Shu was acting, almost anything could be on the table. He scrolled quickly to Natsume’s contact, hitting the call button as soon as he found it. The ringing didn’t last long before cutting off.
“What an unexpected surpRISE, Mika-kun. I thought you were in FranCE?”
“I am, but, umm… Somethin’s wrong with Oshi-san. Like, really, really wrong. I dunno what to do ‘bout it.”
“Shu-nii-san? Hang oN.” The sound of rustling fabric filtered through the phone, muffling Natsume saying something to someone on the other end before a few moments of silence. “SorRY, I figured this would be better discussed in privaTE. I’m no doctOR, but I’ll see what I can dO. What’s going oN?”
“‘S like… He’s actin’ real weird and sayin’ a lotta weird stuff.”
“Shu-nii-san saying weird thiNGS? A fork is found in a kitchEN.”
Mika tilted his head in confusion. “Huh? Whaddaya mean?”
“Don’t worry about iT. What is he doing specificaLLY?”
“He’s talkin’ like he did back before…” A shudder ran down his spine. “Before Valkyrie was just me ‘n him. It seemed like he was jus’ a li’l confused at first but then he kept actin’ like he didn’t know where we were or ‘bout us ‘n then he said somethin’ about the DreamFes and… Nakkun, I think he thinks Nazuna-nii’s still a part o’ Valkyrie ‘n that we haven’t—” His breath caught in his throat at the thought and he swallowed thickly. “I dunno what to do. ”
Silence on the other end had him checking that the call hadn’t somehow ended. He chewed at his lip.
“... WelL, there’s two possibilitIES. The first is simple amneSIA. Something made him either permanently or temporarily forget the past few yeaRS—”
“P-Permanently?!” He squeaked, eyes wide with panic. “Nakkun, he can’t—”
“Calm dowN, Mika-kun. Permanent amnesia is extremely raRE, I highly doubt that’s what’s going oN. If anythiNG, it’s temporaRY. The other option is that he’s been mentally swapped with his past seLF. Think of it like he’s time travelLED. Our Shu-nii-san has been sent to the paST, and the Shu-nii-san of the past has been sent heRE.”
It sounded absurd. Frankly, it sounded downright insane. But none of the options sounded great.
“Is there any way ya could tell what’s goin’ on? If it’s that or just amnesia?”
“I would need to see him in persON. It may also just be a good idea in general for the both of you to return to JapaN. I’ll talk to the Kitten and see what we can do to get you both back here as quickly as possiBLE.”
“Okay… What should I tell him ‘till then? He’s demandin’ an explanation about what’s goin’ on and I dunno what all to tell him.”
“Don’t tell him about the result of the DreamFes. Maybe don’t mention anything about Ra*bits eithER. I don’t imagine he’ll take any of that welL. Try to calmly explain that he somehow ended up a few years in the futuRE. And that you’re going to go back to Japan as soon as possibLE. Not knowing the exact mental state he’s iN, I can’t offer much advice but be honest to an extent and see what his reaction iS.”
“Right. Thank ya kindly, Nakkun. ‘M gonna… Go talk to him.”
“Good luCK.”
The line did go dead this time and Mika dropped his arm holding the phone with a heavy sigh. Of all the things to happen… He shook his head and stood up, starting toward the door before pivoting for the dresser. While his Shu hated it when he wandered around the apartment without pants, this Shu would hate it even more. He pulled out the matching pants for the pajama shirt he’d stolen the previous night, nearly tripping as he tried to pull them on.
Hopefully this would go over well. Hopefully.
☆☆☆
Shu would never admit to snooping around the apartment while Kagehira locked himself in the bedroom. He was merely perusing what was in the space, not snooping. Especially since the bookshelf held his attention the most, the mix of titles in Japanese and French giving him pause. He couldn’t say for certain how long he spent shifting through the books, idly flipping through a few, before Kagehira finally emerged from the bedroom. He shoved the book he’d been holding back quickly, turning a harsh look on the boy. At least he had pants on now, not that those fit him well either.
“Kagehira. Are you finally going to explain what’s going on?”
The boy stopped just outside the room, phone held tightly in his hands. “‘M gonna try to but… Dontcha want breakfast first?”
A blatantly obvious attempt at a delay.
“Unnecessary.” He waved a hand in the air. “You’ve kept me waiting long enough.”
“Right. Okay,” Kagehira said with a sigh. He ducked his head and crossed the room to the couch, sitting to one end and looking at Shu expectantly. “‘Fore I explain anythin’... How long is it ‘till the DreamFes?”
Shu scoffed. “A week and a half. Not nearly enough time for all the work you’ve given me.”
The boy paled at that, muttering and nodding to himself. He dropped his phone into his lap, fidgeting with the shirt sleeves. “Okay. Well… I dunno what happened, Nakkun said he’d try to figure it out but… ‘S been almost three years since that DreFes.”
“You aren’t a comedian, Kagehira.”
“I ain’t jokin’!” he huffed, crossing his arms. “‘M bein’ serious! I dunno what’s goin’ on but ya graduated and yer goin’ ta university here in Paris.”
Shu frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. It wasn’t a far-fetched idea for him to study in Paris, it had been his preference, but he would remember that, surely. And what of his precious Valkyrie, if he was supposedly studying halfway across the world?
“Are you saying I’ve given up on my idol work for this? If I’m to believe I’ve left Valkyrie—”
“No! No, no, gosh, no. Well— Ya almost did? But ya didn’t! ‘S just less active ‘cause ya gotta go back to Japan fer anythin’ and ‘s gotta all be planned ‘round yer classes but—”
“And none of that explains why you’re here. Sleeping in what should be my bed, and in what looks to be clothes fitted for me. ”
The boy’s face reddened and he lowered his head. “That… ‘S harder to explain. Just… Um… Three years is a lotta time. I don’t think I can tell ya everything that’s happened ‘cause I don’t think you’ll like hearin’ some of it.”
Shu narrowed his eyes. “And where do you get the idea that you get to decide that? I presume you’re still somehow a part of Valkyrie if you’re here, so you’re still my doll. What right do you have to deny what I command, hm? If any of this is to be believed, then what a fool I’ve become to allow you to be so insubordinate. That should’ve been trained out of you long ago.”
Kagehira shuddered. “Lotta things change in three years, ya know? I’ve been workin’ real hard to try ‘n be yer equal.”
“Preposterous. Now I know you’re lying to me, the only person who could be my equal is Nito. Speaking of, why are you here and not him ?”
Shu approached the couch, stopping in front of Kagehira. The boy didn’t look at him, still fidgeting with the ends of the sleeves on the stolen sleep shirt. That wouldn’t do. He grabbed Kagehira’s chin, jerking the boy’s head up to look at him as he loomed over him.
“And just how many times have I told you to look at me when you’re talking to me? Likely far too many if it really has been three years somehow. Do you learn nothing?”
The boy had a dazed look, face reddening further as he stared up at Shu. Something finally registered in the boy’s empty head and he jerked away from Shu. His hands flew up to cover his face with some kind of strange whine.
“S-Sorry!” He peaked between his finger’s at Shu. “U-Um. N-Nazuna-nii’s busy with university back in Japan.”
“That only answers part of my question.”
“Ummm. I don’t think yer gonna believe the rest of it. Or like it. “
“Again, what makes you think you can decide that? Spit it out, Kagehira.”
“I’ll tell ya when we get back to Japan, promise. Nakkun’s figurin’ out gettin’ us on a flight.”
“Kage hira. You’re wearing on my patience. Spit it out already.”
The boy squirmed and hid his face behind his hands again with a drawn out whine. “Ya gotta know, three years ‘s a lotta time ‘n there’s things I can’t tell ya ‘cause ya gotta remember ‘em yerself, ‘kay? But, um, we’re kinda sorta datin’?” He peaked one eye out to look at Shu.
A chill ran down his spine. Whether the heat on his cheeks was anger or embarrassment was beyond him.
“... Do not lie to me for your own delusional fantasies, Kagehira. I would never be in any kind of intimate relationship with anyone in that wretched school, much less with you of all people. If this is what your strange obsession turns into—”
“H-hey, quit it—”
“—Then maybe I should be reconsidering your position in Valkyrie. For the good of everyone, it’s better to cut ties and nip this in the bud early. Ah, but it would have to be after the DreamFes, you’re needed for that. After we win that, Nito and I will just return to the old choreography. You were never truly a vital part of Valkyrie, so it won’t be hard going back to being a duo.” Shu had turned away from Kagehira, pacing the length of the living room as he mused.
“Wait a minute—” Kagehira reached out to him as he passed the couch, but Shu waved him off, continuing on his path.
“It won’t be hard to repurpose your costumes— You can’t be allowed to keep them, I’m sure you understand, yes? Of course, you’ll also have to move back home. There’s no reason for me to keep housing you when you’re of no use to me. It’s a shame, you had potential, if you had only done as I told you, but I refuse to let your delusions run wild,” Shu said with a sigh, shaking his head. It really was a shame, all that work he’d put into the boy was going to waste. “Ah, I hope Nito isn’t too cross with me for this, he really is fond of you.”
“Can ya shut up already?!”
Shu froze, slowly turning to look at the boy with narrowed eyes. “Excuse me?”
“Ya don’t know what yer talkin’ about.” Kagehira had his fists clenched in his lap, glaring at the coffee table. “Nothin’ yer sayin’ is gonna matter when ya get yer memories back ‘n I don't wanna hear it.”
The boy seemed near tears again. He truly only had himself to blame for it.
“Throwing a fit because your ridiculous prank backfired? Perhaps you should’ve thought about that before doing something so absurd. Does Nito know about your idiotic trick?”
Kagehira let out a frustrated noise, throwing his head back to glare at the ceiling instead. “This ain’t a prank! I dunno what I gotta do ta make ya believe me, but ‘M bein’ serious! I wish this wasn’t real, but it is , an’ ‘M really hopin’ goin’ back to Japan fixes yer memory 'cause I’m already sick of this!”
Shu crossed one arm over his chest, resting his elbow in his hand and gesturing around the room. “I would love an explanation of how you managed to move me to some other building in my sleep and made such a realistic city set outside.”
If he thought too hard about actually being in a different country halfway around the world, he might actually lose it. Acting like it was all fake was the only thing keeping him on the thin line of keeping it together.
“I— You—” The boy let out another frustrated noise and rose from the couch. “I ain’t gonna keep arguin’ this. ‘M gonna go pack ta go home, do whatever ya want. Just… Don’t leave ‘cause I can’t help ya if ya get lost. I don’t know a lotta French.”
Shu rolled his eyes at the boy’s retreating form. He wasn’t following Kagehira’s instructions, what right did a doll have to tell him what to do, he was merely choosing to remain in the apartment of his own volition.