Smile for Me HirotoxShou 1/2
Jul. 6th, 2010 06:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
write_my_dreamsTitle: Smile for Me
Author: ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
toiunplus
Pairing: Hiroto x Shou
Genre: Romance, fluff, minor angst
Warning/Disclaimer: Nothing to warn about. I own no one.
Rating: PG
Chapters: 1/2
Summary: Hiroto wants to help Shou get over his insecurities and realize how beautiful he is, but is too shy to confess his feelings.
Author's Comment: The idea for this fic came to me when I watched some older Alice Nine videos and looked at older pictures of them, and saw how much Shou hid his smile. So after that, I had to write it! This is my first time writing Alice Nine so bear with me :)
Shou made sure to avoid looking at his reflection as he brushed his teeth. He absolutely hated his crooked teeth. They hadn’t bothered him when he was a child, but as he’d grown older people had teased him about his teeth. The verbal abuse had hurt so much that Shou had learned to hide his smiles and his laughter behind his hand or simply not smile at all out of fear that he’d be mocked for his most-hated feature.
The vocalist spat out a mouthful of toothpaste and kept brushing, wishing for the thousandth time that he’d been born with perfect teeth. He’d have been spared a lot of emotional pain if he had.
Sighing, Shou rinsed out his mouth and put his toothbrush away before backing up a few paces and looking at his reflection. He hated his teeth even more now that Alice Nine was getting famous. He could hide his mouth behind his microphone when he sang and act serious in photo shoots, but he didn’t want to hide his smiles forever. Shou liked to be happy, but he was afraid to show it. If only he had a perfect smile like Kai, the drummer of the GazettE. That man’s smile was beautiful. If Shou had teeth like him, he’d smile all the time.
“Shou? How much longer are you going to be in there?” Hiroto asked, sounding tired. A mistake by the hotel staff had put them in the same room instead of separates, but Shou didn’t mind. He got along well with all of Alice Nine, Hiroto especially. So sharing a room was no problem at all.
“I’m all done.” Shou scowled at the mirror one last time before walking out of the bathroom, setting his day clothes by his suitcase. “You can take your shower now,” he added as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Will do.” Hiroto picked up his pajamas and bathroom supplies. He looked worn out from their live, and his hair was still styled for the stage. “I can’t believe our tour final is next week.”
“Me neither. It’ll be nice to go home, but I’ll miss touring. I love seeing our fans,” Shou said, lips curving into a smile. Hurriedly, he turned his face away from Hiroto before he could see it and got into bed. His band mates knew how much Shou hated his teeth and had told him countless times that it didn’t matter, but Shou was too insecure about his appearance to listen.
“Me too. I thought some of the girls were going to faint when I kissed your cheek.”
Shou laughed a little. “I thought I was going to go deaf from the screaming.”
Hiroto grinned. “They’d definitely faint if I kissed you on the lips.”
Shou giggled, raising a hand to his mouth as he laughed. “I bet they would.”
Hiroto frowned a little. “Why do you always do that, Shou?”
“Do what?”
“Hide your mouth like that.” Hiroto set his pajamas down on a chair and went over to him, sitting down on the edge of the bed and gently moving Shou’s hand away.
“Because of my teeth.”
“There’s nothing bad about your teeth, Shou.”
Shou shot him a look. “They’re hideous.”
Hiroto tickled him, making the vocalist giggle helplessly since his sides were horribly ticklish. “I don’t think so. You brush and floss twice a day, and they’re all white and shiny.”
“But they’re crooked!”
“So? At least you’re not missing any teeth or have long front teeth like some human beaver.”
Shou shuddered at the thought. Crooked teeth were bad enough, thankfully they weren’t abnormally long. “They’re still bad.”
“No they’re not. If you had straight teeth then you’d look too perfect since you’d be so beautiful,” Hiroto said, blushing a little.
Shou blushed. “You think I’m beautiful?” He didn’t think so. His teeth detracted from his face so much he couldn’t see his own beauty.
“I think you’re just as gorgeous on the outside as you are on the inside.”
Shou’s blush deepened, unused to hearing compliments like that. Hiroto must be overtired from bouncing around on stage. Or delusional. There was no way he could be described as gorgeous. That was a term used to describe someone like Saga, or the adorable Hiroto. Definitely not himself.
“It’s true, Shou. I hope you’ll be able to see it someday.” Hiroto ruffled Shou’s damp hair and got off his bed, picking up his pajamas again.
The vocalist nodded for his friend’s sake. “Yeah… someday. You should take your shower soon since we have to be up early tomorrow.”
“I know. Good night, Shou. If you start singing in your sleep at some horrendous hour I will kick you out of your bed.”
Shou chuckled. “I’ll try not to.” He curled up beneath the sheets and flipped off the lights, shutting his eyes as the bathroom door closed. He wished he looked more like Hiroto. He had great teeth and was always smiling and happy. Sighing, Shou shifted into a more comfortable position and eventually dozed off.
* * *
Hiroto thought back to that conversation weeks ago as he looked at Shou, who hid his smile behind his hand as he laughed at one of Saga’s jokes. Sometimes Hiroto wanted to grab Shou by the shoulders and shake some sense into him. Shou was gorgeous, and Hiroto didn’t care that the vocalist had crooked teeth. They were a part of him, and the words he’d said to Shou were all true. If Shou had flawless teeth, then he’d be even more beautiful, and surely he’d never even think of dating – let alone loving – Hiroto. Even with Shou’s current low-self esteem, Hiroto knew his dear vocalist was out of his league.
The guitarist continued to watch Shou, wishing he’d show his smile with pride. It hurt him to see how much Shou hated his teeth. Hiroto wanted Shou to be happy with himself, but it didn’t seem like that wish would come true.
“What’s the matter, Hiropon?” Nao asked, startling the younger man as he came up to him with his usual cup of Starbucks in hand.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re looking more serious than usual. So what’s the matter?”
Hiroto hesitated, but finally blurted out the truth. “Shou.”
“What about him?” Nao cast their vocalist a concerned look. “Did you two get into a fight?”
Hiroto shook his head. “No. I’m just… worried about him.”
“Why?”
“He hates his teeth so much I don’t think he’ll ever be happy with himself.”
Nao was silent for a few moments. “Maybe Shou needs a little push from someone to see that he really is beautiful. We all know that he’s gorgeous, Shou just needs to realize it himself.” The drummer nudged Hiroto. “And you need to stop pining for him. When are you going to tell him about your feelings?”
Hiroto flushed. “I’m not pining for him!”
“Pining for who?” Shou asked, looking curious. Hiroto had spoken louder than he’d thought, and his blush deepened as he realized the vocalist had overheard them.
“Aw, does Hiropon have a crush on someone?” Saga teased.
Hiroto’s blush deepened. “That’s none of your business!” He’d managed to keep his love for Shou a secret from everyone but Nao.
“So you do. Who is it?” Saga persisted.
“I said it’s none of your business,” Hiroto grumbled, casting Shou a brief glance to see if he was listening. The vocalist was busy adjusting his shirt and didn’t seem to be paying attention. Hiroto continued to watch him. Maybe Nao was right. He needed to stop pining for Shou at some point. Maybe he could take Shou out on a romantic dinner date and confess to him, or was that too cheesy? Hiroto could invite Shou over to his apartment for their usual video game night and admit his feelings after letting Shou beat him in a game. Hiroto immediately discarded that idea since it’d be pathetic.
“Pon?” Saga waved a hand in front of his face.
Hiroto jumped. “What?”
“You looked like you were undressing Shou with your eyes.”
Hiroto immediately turned red, as did Shou. “Saga!” the vocalist squeaked. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“I wasn’t undressing him with my eyes,” Hiroto added, blushing furiously.
“Then why were you staring at him so intently?”
“I was lost in thought!”
“About Shou?” Saga grinned, amused as both of them turned even redder.
Nao, fortunately, stepped in to save them. “Saga, have you seen Tora? He’s been gone for awhile.”
“He said he was getting coffee.”
“Let’s go look for him then,” Nao suggested, practically dragging Saga out of the room and leaving Hiroto alone with Shou. An awkward silence descended as both of them recovered from their bassist’s teasing.
“Um, should we help them find Tora?”
“Saga and Nao can find him easily.”
“Oh, all right.”
Silence fell again, and Hiroto looked at the vocalist. Nao was right. Pining for Shou like this wasn’t good, and besides… what if Shou liked him too? Hiroto took a deep breath for courage. “Shou.” It was now or never.
“Hm?” The vocalist glanced at him.
“W-Would you like to go out to dinner tonight?”
Shou looked surprised at the offer. “Sure. Where do you want to go?”
Relief filled Hiroto as the vocalist agreed. “Um,” he hesitated as he thought of a good place for their date. He wanted to take Shou somewhere nice. Instantly, he remembered a restaurant he’d passed on the way home from the grocery store last night. He’d imagined what it’d be like to take Shou on a date there. Hoping Shou would approve of his choice, Hiroto suggested the restaurant.
Surprise crossed Shou’s face again, but he nodded. “That’d be great. I’ve wanted to go there for awhile and see what it’s like. We’ll have to dress up though.”
“I know. Um, I’ll pick up at seven?”
“That sounds good.”
“Great.” Hiroto beamed, smile widening as he received a faint smile in return. Shou seemed happy about dinner, so hopefully he would return Hiroto’s feelings when he confessed. If Shou became his tonight, Hiroto owned Nao a week of Starbucks.
* * *
Hiroto adjusted his jacket as he rang Shou’s doorbell, feeling nervous. It’d taken him an hour to decide what to wear, and he’d changed clothes so many times his room looked like a disaster. He’d even gotten desperate and called Nao for last minute advice on what he should wear before he’d finally settled on a black suit with a deep green shirt underneath.
The guitarist’s nervousness increased as he heard footsteps. Shou opened the door, looking extremely handsome in his own grey suit. Hiroto tried not to stare, resisting the urge to jump forward and kiss the vocalist senseless since Shou looked amazing. If only he’d smile though…
“You look nice,” Hiroto said.
Shou blushed. “I do?”
“Definitely.”
“Thanks, you do too.”
A faint flush spread across Hiroto’s cheeks at the compliment. “Um, are you ready to leave?” Shou nodded, stepping out of his apartment and closing the door behind him. Hiroto led the vocalist out to his car and waited until Shou had buckled himself in before driving them to the restaurant. He parked the car and walked into the building with Shou, waiting for a few moments before a waiter escorted them to their table. Shou sat down first and Hiroto settled in across from him. They ordered their drinks and the waiter left to fetch them.
Shou looked awkward as he adjusted his suit. “I feel underdressed.”
“You look fine. If you showed up in jeans and a t-shirt then you’d really feel underdressed,” Hiroto said, leaning his chin against his hand and looking at Shou. He couldn’t understand why the vocalist didn’t think he was attractive. Shou being unattractive would be like Nao cutting himself off from Starbucks and hating Gundams. Shou’s low opinion about his looks made no sense to him, since to Hiroto Shou was the most handsome man in Japan.
Shou still looked insecure. “Are you sure? This restaurant is really fancy. I’m almost afraid to see how much the food costs.”
“Don’t worry about it. Dinner’s my treat tonight.”
“No, I can pay for my share,” Shou protested.
“No you won’t. I said it’s my treat so you’re not paying a single yen tonight.”
“But-”
Hiroto scowled and put his finger to Shou’s lips. “No buts. “
The vocalist sighed. “All right. Next time we go out, I’m treating you.”
Hiroto grinned at the thought of another date with Shou. “I’ll let you do that.”
Shou brushed his bangs out of his eyes and picked up his menu, looking through it. “I tried to work at a place like this once.”
“You did?”
Shou nodded. “I didn’t get the job though.” He made a face as he indicated his mouth. Hiroto held back a sigh. Poor Shou. Not getting a job because of his teeth must have been a major blow to his self esteem.
“Too bad, you could have told me funny stories about your snobby customers.”
Shou held his hand in front of his mouth as he laughed. “I could have.”
Hiroto grinned as he scanned his menu too, glad that he’d made Shou feel better. “What are you going to order?”
“Give me a few moments to decide.”
Hiroto nodded, glancing up as their waiter returned with their drinks. “Can I take your order or do you need more time to decide?”
“Shou?” Hiroto glanced at his date.
“I’m ready.” Shou ordered his food. Hiroto ordered as well, waiting until their waiter had left them before glancing at Shou again. Should he confess now?
Hiroto decided to be brave. “Shou, I…”
“What?” the vocalist looked at him curiously.
Hiroto chickened out. “I bought a new Dragon Ball game. Do you want to come over and play it after dinner?”
“Sure! Which one?” Shou asked eagerly. They kept their conversation oriented around video games for awhile before talking about their upcoming single. That conversation was postponed by the arrival of their food, but they resumed talking a few minutes later.
Hiroto finished his meal first and pushed his plate aside, feeling full. That had been a good meal. Shou was still eating though, so Hiroto nervously played with his napkin as he waited for the vocalist to finish. He’d made Shou happy tonight, but now came the hard part. The confession. Hiroto hadn’t been able to tell Shou about his feelings earlier, but he knew there was no better time than right now. Hiroto had been in love with Shou for months, but had been too afraid to tell him because he feared rejection. Tonight’s date had made Hiroto feel more confident about his feelings though. Shou needed someone to make him smile. Someone he’d feel safe laughing and smiling around. Hiroto wanted to be that person for him since he would never, ever tease Shou about his teeth.
“Shou,” the guitarist finally raised his gaze. “I… have something to tell you.”
Shou looked curious. “What is it?”
“I…” Hiroto trailed off again. “I like you. I really like you. And I-I think I love you. I can’t get you off my mind. Whenever I see you sad, I want to make you happy. I want to hear you laugh and see you smile. I want you to love me as much as I love you.” Once he got started, the words seemed to flow from him easily.
Shou’s eyes widened in shock. “Y-You love me?” he whispered.
Hiroto nodded. “I do. I wanted to tell you awhile ago, but I was afraid you’d say no. Some pushing from Nao finally gave me the courage to take you out tonight and tell you all this.”
Shou tentatively reached across the table and took Hiroto’s petite hand. “I like you too. Really like you.”
Hiroto’s face lit up in a radiant smile as he clutched Shou’s larger hand. “You do?”
A soft smile brightened Shou’s face, and for once he didn’t raise a hand to hide it. “I do.”
“Will you go out with me then?”
“I’d love to.”
* * *
Hiroto leaned back against Shou’s chest, feeling content. They’d just finished eating dinner and had migrated to the couch to watch TV. Hiroto had made Shou’s lap his new seat and was quite comfortable with his boyfriend’s arms around his waist. Shou’s breath stirred his hair, and Hiroto snuggled closer to him. They’d been an official couple for a few weeks now, and the guitarist was even more in love with him now that Shou was his.
There was just one problem though. Hiroto hadn’t been able to give him more confidence. Shou still loathed his smile. He continued to hide it behind his hand or avoid smiling at all. No matter how many times Hiroto told Shou that he was beautiful the way he was, the vocalist couldn’t believe him. Hiroto refused to give up though. It would take time to build up Shou’s self esteem, and he didn’t mind waiting.
Hiroto frowned as a commercial about toothpaste appeared on the TV, claiming that use of the product would give you a whiter smile. A woman with perfectly straight, white teeth beamed at the camera as she held up a tube of toothpaste. Shou always hated these commercials since it reminded them of his own teeth. Hiroto twisted around to kiss the vocalist, wanting to distract him. Shou returned the kiss, but drew back.
“Pon, I’ve got something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I have a dentist appointment tomorrow.”
Hiroto nodded, feeling a little confused. “Okay.” He’d had his own checkup a month ago.
“It’s not a regular checkup though.” Shou kissed his forehead. “It’s more of a consultation appointment. Now that I can afford to fix my teeth, my dentist and I are going to talk about the process of getting the smile I’ve always wanted. I haven’t told anyone else, and I wanted you to be the first one to know.”
Hiroto’s heart dropped. “Oh.” He knew Shou hated his smile, but he hadn’t thought he’d change it. “Do you want me to come with you?”
“If you want to, you’d probably just be bored in the waiting room though.”
“No, I’ll come with you.” Hiroto brushed his fingers over Shou’s cheek, feeling disappointed. He’d thought that over time he’d be able to give Shou confidence and make him see how beautiful he was, but he should have realized that was hopeless. Shou had had years to hate his smile. A few weeks with Hiroto wouldn’t change his mind, and the guitarist now realized that Shou would never be happy with his crooked teeth.
“Are you sure?”
Hiroto nodded. “I’m sure.” He leaned in for a kiss, sighing softly.
Shou looked concerned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really. I’m just wondering why you want to change your smile since I think your teeth look fine the way they are.”
Shou shuddered. “I hate them.”
Hiroto smoothed the vocalist’s bangs out of his eyes. “Well, if fixing your teeth will make you happy, then I’ll be happy.”
Shou smiled one of his rare, uncovered smiles and hugged Hiroto tightly. “Getting straight teeth will make me a lot happier. I’ll even smile more for you.”
“You better,” Hiroto tickled his boyfriend’s side, grinning as Shou giggled.
“I will because I’ll be confident about my smile, and I won’t have to worry about hiding it.”
Hiroto nodded. He still felt sad that he wouldn’t be able to give Shou confidence, but all that mattered to him was that his boyfriend was happy.
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Date: 2010-07-06 10:53 pm (UTC)Your master is very pleased *pats head*
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Date: 2010-07-06 11:36 pm (UTC)Haha I bet you are
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Date: 2010-07-06 11:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-06 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-06 11:39 pm (UTC)aw, I know what you mean! Kai is beautiful when he smiles.
“No they’re not. If you had straight teeth then you’d look too perfect since you’d be so beautiful,” Hiroto said, blushing a little.
I don't really ship anyone in A9, but I died from cuteness at that sentance. It's so perfect!
Hiroto chickened out. “I bought a new Dragon Ball game. Do you want to come over and play it after dinner?”
Awww, I don't know why I liked this bit so much but I did anyway. X]
This was nicely written and realistic, with a good mixture of description and dialogue. I liked ^^
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Date: 2010-07-06 11:43 pm (UTC)I'm new to A9 so I'm picking up pairings, but I've gotten hooked on this one. Aw really? I'm glad you liked it so much.
I enjoyed that line too. Poor Hiroto, trying to tell Shou but is too shy
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much
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Date: 2010-07-07 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-07 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-07 12:37 pm (UTC)Shou IS beautiful, haha. <3 Oh Hirotooo <3 He's so shy and cute, I love him here ^^
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Date: 2010-07-07 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-10 03:24 am (UTC)but yea, so true on shou's part - not just bout his crooked teeth, but i feel like throwing a frying pan at him whenever i read interviews of him saying he's not good looking -.- and his crooked teeth were adorableeee! and he was already so cute back then. now with his straightened teeth, he seriously just looks RIDICULOUSLY good looking, lol
hope u'll be writing more ShouPon, coz this was simply lovely ^^
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Date: 2010-07-10 03:39 pm (UTC)I know! I want to shake him and be all DO YOU OWN A MIRROR?! You are GORGEOUS! Yeah he was cute, he did have kind of bad teeth but it's not like he was ugly or anything. Yeah, with his new teeth he's soooooo attractive now. I just like how he smiles so much more, so you can tell he's happier about himself. If only he'd realize how gorgeous he is! Stupid Shou.
Oh I will :) I have the second part of this that I'll be writing and then I've got a couple more fic ideas. I just need to get some other stories out of the way then I'll put up Part 2 and work on more with this pairing
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Date: 2010-07-11 02:33 am (UTC)XD I know it's none of the many cute and adorable lines (like in the scene where Hiroto confesses his feelings) but it's soooo funny ^^
I really love this story! It is great.
I love how shy Hiroto is acting ^.^
Oh!! And Saga's teasing is awesome!! I so see him doing that XDD
I totally understand how Shou feels though, and also that he changed his teeth.
But Shou claiming he's not beautiful?! I had no idea he really said that before I read this ... poor guy, he was always so cute and beautiful but couldn't see it ... *hugs Shou*
hey, I need an a9 icon!!I can't wait for the second part :)
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Date: 2010-07-11 02:40 am (UTC)Aw, thank you.
I thought a shy Hiroto worked best for this story, plus Shy!Hiroto is adorable.
Haha yes, me too
Yeah, I don't blame him. Poor Shou doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence about his appearance. I read one interview where he wished he could be as beautiful as Saga. I'm a recent Alice Nine fan so I don't know for sure if he's said he's not attractive, so don't go by this XD *hugs him too*
I almost changed mine to a cute one of Hiroto kissing Shou on the cheek but I enjoy my Hyde icon too much (and it goes so well with my layout too)
I'll try to have it out soon :)
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Date: 2010-07-11 07:14 am (UTC)wow ... to imagine him saying that Saga is beautiful is so very cute ^^
sure, saga is pretty, but he's a camwhore ... no offense saga, i still love you ^^;awww I want to see the picture pleeeeaaase :3
yay, the Hyde icon is cuuute ^^
YAY! ^.^
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Date: 2010-07-11 03:38 pm (UTC)Haha yeah, I thought so. I think Shou's more attractive than Saga though. LOL it's very true.
Sure, http://media.photobucket.com/image/shou%20hiroto/alice_nine_love/Alice%20Nine/kiss.gif?o=91
He is, I adore my Hycon XD
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Date: 2010-07-11 03:54 pm (UTC)Aww <3 the pic is so cute :3 I really love it *goes back to stare at it* ... sorry ^^;
XD
hihi ... Hycon ^^
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Date: 2010-07-11 04:04 pm (UTC)Aw isn't it? I stared at it for awhile too, haha. lol have you seen Hiroto picking up Shou bridal style? So cute.
XDD I thought it was a fitting name. Hyde's so cute
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Date: 2010-07-11 04:20 pm (UTC)No I have not :(
could you show me the pic? :3
oh yes the name fits ^^ he is cute ^.^
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Date: 2010-07-11 04:25 pm (UTC)It does
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Date: 2010-07-11 04:27 pm (UTC)I will watch it as soon as I get that thing to load ^^;
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Date: 2010-07-11 04:31 pm (UTC)Ah yeah, the dreaded "wait for it to load" enjoy the cuteness :)
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Date: 2010-07-11 06:01 pm (UTC)they are cuuuuuuute <3
... and so very funny ^^
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Date: 2010-07-11 07:10 pm (UTC)Aww yes they are.
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Date: 2010-07-11 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-11 07:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-11 07:35 pm (UTC)Is it okay that I added you?
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Date: 2010-07-11 07:39 pm (UTC)That's fine. I just post stories here so the more the merrier!
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Date: 2010-07-11 07:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-11 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-11 07:42 pm (UTC)