A/N: After reading such enlightening and positive reviews, these little fingers of mine could not help but gear up and start their little exercise yet once again! Thanks to Fanren, book-manga-freak, Mak41, the ever loved mrsFOON, Mask of Mirage, foxycat13, Aiko and silver Neko.

I apologise for the extremely LONG delay. I've been extremely busy at college and this year is my A2 course so it is most likely that updates will be extremely sluggish as 96 percent of my time would be spent on dating with delightfully thick textbooks. That aside, I thank you all for such lovely reviews! How I adore you all. XD

A little note though. This chapter contains a casino scene. Just so you know, I hold limited/no experience or knowledge whatsoever regarding gambling – never tried and I'm not particular keen on doing so. So if what I write is incorrect, do pardon such mistakes.

Warnings: Usual profanity, gorgeous beautiful men, shonen-ai in the works…and the disastrous aftermath of that infamous goddamn wall (partition, whatever…).

Pairings: Exclusively GacktxHyde…although slight GacktxYou as a side dish is delectable enough to devour as well.

Disclaimer: This story is purely fiction and is therefore not intended to be taken as fact. All publicly recognisable people in this story have been used for the work of fiction and the authoress DOES NOT have the intention to imply that these events have happened, will happen or should happen. The authoress has no absolute association with the renowned people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

F r o m L o n g D i s t a n c e

– a GacktxHyde story –

Chapter Two: A Match Made in Heaven

By s u I k a's w I n d o f t h e c e l e s t I a l

"Hold still."

Upon that, Gackt paused the ascent of his tea cup and glanced over at his close friend beside him, blue eyes regarding the other when the blond suddenly reached over and deftly slapped a clean antiseptic plaster onto the healing gash upon the bridge of his nose. Startled by sudden lunge, the brunet flinched at the touch of the band-aid, wincing visibly at the sharp jolt that came with it. A slight jerk of his body, though, caused the careless slosh of tea over the brim of porcelain cup he held, splashing a bit of its liquid content onto the surface of the small table as well as his fingers. "Ah – shit!" he hissed, withdrawing from the taller man's reaching fingers sharply and glaring at him heatedly, ignoring the angry red welt that was slowly forming upon his otherwise pale fingers. "Bastard, that hurts!"

You raised an eyebrow slightly before bringing his mug of coffee up to his lips and sipping it with notable delicacy. "Sorry."

Gackt pursed his lips into a taut line and frowned stiffly. "You don't sound sincere."

A smile.

"Why, of course not. Who would be, upon finding some bloody kid standing on my doorstep with a bleeding nose at fucking three in the morning? Really Gacchan, you never fail to amuse me," the blond man said with scathing dryness, though that fond upturn of lips said otherwise, "Now tell me, why on earth are you parading about the streets at this ungodly hour with a cut on your nose? Did you stumble down the stairs again? Look, I know how you tend to rush to work every now and then, especially with you juggling your jobs and all, but you've got to take precautions, you know?" You reached over and touched the plaster gingerly, ignoring the angry hiss that came with it. "I'm surprised that your nose isn't broken. What, you got into a fight again?"

Ooh, spot on.

My, how ironic it was for the blond to unsuspectingly mention the matter oh so effortlessly and yet so dead right.

An angry frown surfaced as the brunet snatched a handful of tissues from the box upon the table and began to clean the mess with deliberate harshness, an act to vent out some of frustration when his mind wandered back to the heated banter that had occurred mere hours ago. "Tch. Something like that."

Despite the brusque bitter tone that had been used by the young man, You offered a rueful smile. Why, it wasn't as if seeing Gackt being covered in ugly bruises and cuts was a rare thing. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Since high school, the brunet's nature of being very competitive and quite the 'anti-social brooder' (as many had labelled him then) had quite too often led him into a lot of trouble – most of which were uninvited, let alone wanted. Coupled with the fact that he was quite a beautiful youth, many foolishly challenged and provoked him into countless physical fights – all by which he had won unsurprisingly. Although the blond was glad that the younger man was able to fend for himself with ease (in fighting as well as building up his life), You was unable to prevent himself from being concerned about the other's welfare. The brunet, after all, was notoriously known for being extremely reckless with his safety. Why, there were many incidents by which the young man had daringly stared Death in the eye and got away with it. He was a lucky devil, alright. And You (always the one to clean and dress up the wounds of the brunet) was downright worried if that luck was soon going to run out. Gackt, after all, was still just a human being.

A derisive sound was made as the younger man set the stained napkins aside. "Anyways, you wouldn't believe it if I told you," he murmured offhandedly as he lifted the cup up to his lips once more and slowly sipped it.

Another sip of coffee. "Yes I would."

"You wouldn't."

"What? You got punched in the nose because you were wrongly accused at work of cheating with the cards again? Or did someone accidentally slammed the door on your face, like that time in 7-Eleven?"

There was a slight tightening of a jaw. "Really You, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you whilst swearing my sincerity to every single deity on this goddamn planet." Gackt drained his cup.

A quirk of an eyebrow. "Shoot me."

A slight pause.

There was a clinking of porcelain as an empty cup was carefully placed back onto its matching saucer.

And a pair of deep blue eyes peered through lowered lashes at half-lidded brown orbs which watched with attentive expectancy.

A small bitter smirk touched full, sensual lips.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I got hit in the face by a fucking broom?"

A small choke and the lowering of a porcelain mug. "W-What?"

It was a small slip of composure, but it was more than enough to trigger a small bark of laughter upon the brunet's part as soon as he saw unadulterated disbelief slowly etching upon his dearest friend's face. Smirking, Gackt then reached over and began to absentmindedly wipe away the few droplets of coffee clinging upon the bottom lip of the startled blond with his thumb. "Hn. Thought so. But I'm serious, You. I really did got hit with a broom – by a goddamn fucking midget."

A violent sneeze.

And a spark of determination ignited within dark brown eyes in newfound vigour as a grip tightened around the telephone receiver.

A brusque sniffle.

"I'm telling the truth! And – no, I'm not sick – that's what happened!"

The frown soon faltered and disappeared, all to make way for a fervent nod. "I'm telling you Mama, this neighbour of mine is a horny freak. And what's more? He's interested with the anatomy of men. Yes, men! Can you believe it? He– what?"

A pause to listen, all soon before a haughty lop-sided smirk danced its way up to pliant lips, triggering a glint of callous glee within dark eyes. "Yeah, you bet I did. I took care of him, really, really took good care of him. I'll have to thank you for lending me your broom, Ma, think I understand why Dad hates it so much and– Ha? What was that? Ah! A job? You're asking about my job?"

A sheepish laugh, a slight cringe.

Behold the symptoms of guilt which will undoubtedly lead to…

"Yeah, yeah and about that… I…uh, I'm still searching. Yeah, still looking for it, alright! You– yeah, really I am! Really, really! Honestly! You see, I did apply for a job at this other place last time but I didn't get any response for it so-so I'm looking for another one and… yeah, yeah, that's what's happened."

Liar, Liar. Pants on fire.

Oh yes. Aside from his terribly apathetic nature of not doing anything productive from time to time, Hyde was also one sneaky little fibber. Well, that is, if the situation was of his parents inquiring about his progress in the big city. Why, it was most obvious that the young man clearly had no intention of dragging that sorry little ass of his out of his little alcove and into the real world. Really, the dark-haired male thought it seemed unnecessary for he had direct access to the family's rather large savings. Why do work when money was steadily piling up in his family bank account and just begging to be used? So yes, he certainly thought getting a job was downright unnecessary at that moment despite his parents' preaching.

Tch, the goddamn lazy spoilt brat.

Hyde got off his bed and walked over to his desk, pushing the piles of paper to the side. A few crumples of paper dropped off the table and joined a small heap that had gradually grown over the past week. The dark-haired man plopped himself into the worn chair and leant back, gazing at the ceiling. A small, fond smile had touched those plaint lips as he contently listened to the melodic quality of his mother's soothing voice softly flowing into his ear.

A blink as a query was asked.

"Curry…? How's the curry rice here?" he repeated, puzzled and frowned in thought. "Well, it's…"

In an instant, Hyde suddenly felt a fire of indignation flare up within his chest as he recalled back to the incidents of the night before. How his curry rice had miraculously disappeared, how he had almost went out of his room to actually do something… and how he had finally became acquainted with that horny voyeur-bastard next door.

Dark eyes flitted towards the insubstantial partition beside his haphazardly cluttered bed, up towards the miraculous gap above it.

…a small glimpse of a stunning copper sheen of brown hair and the swish of a long dark coat.

A faint scent of cool musk was left in its wake.

A tightening of grip around the slim body of the telephone.

A narrowing of eyes.

…a gradual, cautious emergence of deep blue eyes…

A gritting of teeth. An act of utmost dislike.

"…Absolutely disgusting."

The knitting of refined brows was accentuated with the downturn of displeased full lips. "You, really…"

The blond flashed a friendly smile. "Hey, it's no problem. It saves time and energy, no?"

"I don't want to trouble you," Gackt stated firmly, gripping his car keys tightly whilst resisting the huge urge to rub the bothersome plaster upon the curvature of his slender nose, "Today's Saturday, so it's most likely that I would finish work very late. I've already troubled you enough with crashing at your place and my lethargy at the studio this morning."

"Lethargy?" You sniggered with amusement as he acknowledged the brunet idly reaching into his coat and drawing out a packet of cigarettes. "It was more like tetchiness, if you ask me. I should apologise for that, actually."

Gackt raised an eyebrow questioningly, extracting a stick and lighting it. "Why?"

"Woke you up."

"Ah." A glint of understanding within blue eyes, closely followed with the exhalation of tobacco smoke.

It was apparently well known for a fact that dearest Gackt was one heck of grouch if he happened to be woken up by someone other than himself. True, true. If You could remember correctly, he had learned this fact the hard way. And it was indeed an unpleasant experience, back during their high school days. Upon one occasion where Gackt had fallen asleep on the floor of his room one time (apparently, the brunet had become intrigued with a senior playing the drums and thus was driven with competitiveness to master the instrument until he had overexert himself with lack of sleep and food) and poor innocent You was in for a wonderful treat when he reached over and gently shook the younger boy awake, unexpectedly dropping himself into his ill-fated doom. Overwhelmed with unbelievable crankiness upon being woken up "at such an ungodly hour", Gackt had practically hurled the older boy's boom box – it was apparently the nearest thing in reach, You realised later – squarely into the blond's face (You was sure he still had a scar from that incident) and downright refused to speak for the rest of evening, only shooting deathly glares and snarling in a beastly manner at practically anyone who was in range with him. Or anything that moved for that matter.

Pushing aside the unpleasant memory, You watched as the grey wisps of smoke lazily drifted up into the cold autumn air, his gentle brown eyes following the idle swirls fashioned and dispersed by the slight breeze. A frown touched his lips and a slight narrowing of eyes occurred.

Adding to that, it was also a well known fact that the brunet harboured a bad habit of smoking. You had still yet wondered and pondered upon who and what influenced him to do so during their high school days. To be honest, the blond didn't quite approve this unhealthy deed, despite the fact that he himself has his small share of cancer sticks. Telling the brunet so, however, would only prove to be quite a waste of breath for it was also a well known fact that his beloved Gackt bore the hard-boiled stubbornness of a rebellious donkey.

You came over and leaned against the door of the brunet's car, his side gently pressed against the younger man's side. A small torrent of warmth passed between the two bodies.

Quietly chuckling, the blond then raised a hand to other's hair. The fond ruffling onto soft russet tresses was accompanied with an affectionate smile. "Chill out. Don't let it get to you, eh?"

A nonchalant grunt was all he received from the brunet's behalf, although You could have sworn he saw the ghost of a smile flit across the younger man's full lips.

Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, but Gackt was indeed extremely grateful for the presence of the amiable blond beside him at that moment then. It was a funny thought, really. Upon musing about it, the brunet had then realised that You could easily see whether he was in trouble or not, despite the impassive mask that he carefully crafted and put on as his façade. It was like the blond had a woman's intuition, and the charm of one, perhaps (seeing upon how the blond was able to easily breach through his emotional defences). Hell, if it weren't for the fact that You had a dick and a height that extremely surpasses the average women's, he would have looked at the blond as an older sister. Or a mother.

Deep blue eyes flicked over and carefully regarded the other as full lips encircled around the end of a smouldered cigarette.

The end of the stick emitted an amber glow.

And the affectionate smile merely intensified.

Exhaling another puff of smoke, Gackt lowered the half-smoked cigarette before he leant over and pressed his full lips against the blond's smiling ones.

The faint sounds of cars rumbling down the main road could be heard and the fleeting echoes of chattering and laughter from Gackt's dwelling reached the young ears of both youths. The cigarette twitched a little, balancing between long nimble fingers. Speckles of amber-grey ash fell away and disbanded into the air, each miniscule fleck plummeting down to the asphalt pavement in one swift motion.

Black loafers added more pressure upon the ground as the younger of the two moved a little closer.

Thank you.

After a brief pause, a strong hand soon reached up and grasped an arm, holding it quietly, promisingly.

Assurance.

It's okay.

"Sure you don't want a ride?" You asked soon after the younger man pulled away and dropped his cigarette, squashing it with the sole of his shoe. "I'm on the way to Rhoji's anyway."

Unsurprisingly, Gackt refused the offer. "It's alright. I have to meet with someone first."

"Ah, is that so?" A knowing little smirk was playfully delivered. "Well, drive safely, yeah? And slow down, will you? I don't want you crashing your car again."

"Hn," the brunet uttered negligently and climbed into his car, inserting the key into the ignition without another thought.

Rhoji's. Gackt frowned in thought as he started up the car, glancing at the rear view mirror to see his dearest friend climb into his own car and send him a mock salute as a parting gift before driving off. The young man's refined brows furrowed sharply in conjunction to the dubious purse of his lips. Since when did the blond start eating…?

Gackt blinked.

…a pair of jet-black wings…

Angels' wings, to be precise.

Almost instantaneously, those deep blue eyes narrowed dangerously as an all-too-very-familiar voice literally hollered in the back of his mind in all of its reverberating richness.

"I'M STARVING! ARGH, GOD DAMMIT! I WANT MY CURRY RICE!"

The gash on his nose throbbed unpleasantly.

Long nimble fingers tightly gripped the wheel.

And an angry little scowl touched those full pink lips.

"Fucking little shit."

"Ah…Ah-choo!"

A slight stagger of feet and the dark-haired youth had just managed to catch himself, regaining balance upon the soles of his nimble feet as cool hands unexpectedly aid to steady him. A sniffle was made in conjunction to the involuntary twitch of a slender nose.

Good gracious. That was absolutely uncalled for.

Hyde resisted the huge urge to pull a face of utter incredulity, sweeping away the obscuring dark long bangs away from his frowning yet slowly reddening face with deft fingers.

How unpleasant it was indeed.

"Ah, is that my Hachan?"

A bewildered look had fleetingly crossed the young man's face and Hyde quickly pulled away from those frail hands. Dark eyes widened with disbelief as he stared into the amiable face of the elderly landlady.

A gentle upturn of aged lips.

A twitch of a tautened jaw.

Oh God. No. Not today. Please God, save me. Not now. Anything but to-!

"My, Hachan! Well, well. I haven't seen you in ages! Good heavens, dearest me! It's been a long time since we have settled down for a lovely chat. Come, come child! Come in and have some tea, it's just been freshly brewed," the woman beckoned to him, grasping his hand in order to usher him into her humble little abode.

Damn.

Hyde gave her a weak smile, feet shuffling back in the slightest of steps in hopes of making a jolt for it. "Oh no, it's alright, I was just passing by and I –"

"Nonsense!" she interjected boisterously as she tugged the man's hand with insistence and drew him into the cosy vicinity, sliding the door shut behind her firmly. "Come, come! Why, we have plenty to catch up with! Now, tell me, how is your dear mother doing?"

"Mama? Oh, she's fine," Despite how displeased he was with the situation he had unwittingly fallen into, a small fond smile had unconsciously surfaced – a subtle upturn of usually frowning lips, "She's very well, if you–ah…ah-choo!"

Another brusque sniffle and the swift sweep of fingers across slender nostrils, cleaning up any – if any – unpleasant mess. Another little twitch of a slender nose.

Dammit.

Involuntarily pursing his lips, Hyde began to wonder if he was developing some sort of allergy (seeing that he seemed to be sneezing at many odd moments for no apparent cause, as he observed). How uncanny it was.

"Sorry Kyokosan," he murmured with discomfit upon noticing the elderly woman looking on to him with a surprised look. "That was…uncalled for. So sorry."

A small look of concern was etched upon those kindly features as those withered fingers reached out and touched the youth's arm gently. Her touch that of maternal warmth. "Oh my! Heavens dear, are you alright? Are you sick? You poor, poor girl. Oh, we must find you some medicine before that terrible cold gets worse! Goodness me, even your voice has become deeper! Do you have a sore throat? Oh, poor girl, you're starting to sound like a boy!"

Oh hell no.

The young man bristled, peeved as sinewy shoulders stiffened and cheeks were puffed out in incredulity.

Not again.

Pursing his lips with utter discontentment, Hyde soon parted them in order to notify the elderly woman that she had, indeed, made a terrible, terrible mistake. "Kyokosan, I'm not a–!"

A feeble hand was raised in interjection. "Now, now Hachan. You mustn't be stubborn! Why, how would your mother feel if she knows that her precious daughter is, as of this moment, coughing and sneezing away to her very death? Heavens, the dear woman would be devastated! Oh, you poor child, I suppose you've come down here in search for medicine, no?"

Good gracious.

She did it. Again.

Pride wounded, Hyde could not help but feel the nudging urge to simply slam the door open and storm out of the room with grumbles of incoherent vulgarism under his breath. That would be delightful. But a twitch of a sharp eyebrow was only all he had managed to muster then as the young man delicately thread his composure together. "No I didn't, Kyokosan. And I'm not a gi–" was all he managed to grit out before–

A tsk. "I accept no objections and – dear me, Hachan. Is it just me or is your hair getting a bit longer? Are you sure you can see with your hair in the way? I can barely see your face."

In a moment, all thoughts of telling the woman off for her definite mistake had dispersed to naught and dearly beloved Hachan was left blinking perplexedly upon her recent inquiry.

"My hair…?" Hyde absentmindedly touched a strand of his dark bangs.

"Yes dearest, it's getting a bit long. Now, I know that long fringes are one of the trends among you youngsters nowadays but I certainly see it unnecessary for you to cover that pretty face of yours. Really!" A spirited smile had stretched across Kyoko's lips as she bid the young man to sit down beside her at a low table, folding her legs neatly beneath her as she settled down to pour two cups of freshly brewed tea for the both of them. However, upon the moment when Hyde settled down opposite her and naturally crossed his legs, a fleeting frown had touched her lips and she suddenly eyed him acutely. Very closely – a scrutinising appraisal in fact, all before she finally added in a soft tone that concealed her astonishment, "Heavens child, you're quite a late bloomer, aren't you?"

Ha?

The young man blinked, at a loss.

Kyoko frowned a little in thought, eyes strangely fixed upon the youth's chest before they eventually lit up with understanding and sympathy. "Ah, I see. No wonder you don't leave your room and go out to looking for a boyfriend. Oh you poor unfortunate girl, I'm sure they'll grow soon."

GROW?

Hyde choked.

Dark eyes widened drastically in the matter of mere seconds. The deliciously warm teacup that was carefully cradled within the supple palms of his hands had almost dropped.

What. The. Hell.

Now that was absolutely uncalled for.

The young man could not help but sputter with disbelief, a splash of scarlet slowly crept up his neck and cheeks in response to this newly acquired (and certainly unnecessary) piece of information. "K-K-Kyokosan! That–that–!" Thoughts of constructing proper sentences was abruptly dismissed as the scandalised youth clamped his mouth shut and trust himself to speak no more. Good gracious. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Hyde felt the tips of his ear burn in discomfiture as he fidgeted on the spot with uneasiness.

Pray tell, was this really how women naturally converse with one another on a daily basis? It was unbelievable!

Sipping her tea daintily, the elderly woman smiled at the youth genteelly. "Oh come, come. There's no need to be ashamed, dear! Why, just give it about a few months time, I'm sure they'll grow beautifully. And – oh goodness! I'm straying away, aren't I? Good heavens, dear me! Oh do forgive me, Hachan. Old women like me tend to think back to our youth when we see growing young ladies like you. Why, I was once quite the late bloomer, see? But I was quite a beauty, I assure you! Why, you and I are very much alike, Hachan!" She laughed, a gentle youthful one whilst Hyde, on the other hand, was utterly chagrined upon being wrongfully accredited yet once again. Blissfully oblivious to the youth's displeasure (ignorance more likely, Hyde had thought darkly), Kyoko merely carried on. "Let's put that aside, shall we? Now, what medicine were you looking for, child?"

Hyde pursed his lips into a taut line, the corner of his mouth twitched with utmost displeasure. "I'm not sick, Kyokosan. There's no need for you to worry. I think I must have inhaled some dust on my way here, that's all."

"Dust?"

"Yeah. I suppose it's probably because my…" A twitch of tensed fingers occurred before those deft digits stringently clenched the small rough folds of dark jeans, "…neighbour hasn't cleaned his room lately." Like a distasteful bittersweet candy rolling on his tongue, the dark-haired youth fought the sweet urge to retch in revulsion upon recalling the obnoxious jerk who resided in the dark room beside his.

A gritting of teeth.

A tightening clench.

Stupid perverted freak.

"Ah yes, that young lad," the landlady smiled distantly and touched the side of her ageing face, a mist of admiration clouding her eyes as she sighed, "Oh, such a lovely man, he is. Very polite and indisputably beautiful, indeed! Why, he's a walking god with the beauty that could definitely rival Narcissus, I tell you! Heavens, I'm jealous that you get to live right next to him, Hachan! Perhaps I should move him to Mr. Hiraishi's room after all!" The woman giggled girlishly.

A bitter smirk, a minute quirk of quick eyebrows.

Go ahead. Take him if you want, the bastard's all yours.

Before lips could part to speak, Hyde was startled when the older woman had suddenly leant towards him and squinted with intense scrutiny, a mischievous smile dancing upon her aged lips. "So, what do you think about him, eh? You've lived next to him for about a week or so…anything juicy?"

Hyde could have sworn his jaw had just dislodged itself and fell crashing onto the hard wooden floor. "J…Juicy?"

"Yes, yes, come now, girl. Speak, speak! Now I'm sure you've come to good old Kyoko to share some. I heard that you and him have start to hit it off (oh, young love!) last night, so as the other patrons say – they complained that you two were pretty raucous, but they don't understand the true meaning of young love well as you and I do. Now, tell me, how was he?"

Now the woman was literally nose-to-nose with the poor disturbed youth, her beady eyes keenly attempting to gouge out any scrap of 'juice' regarding the impudent prick. Hyde backed away a little, deeply disturbed. "Well…he's…"

An absolutely sick horny prick! One that should damn well be put under lock and key for all eternity! He definitely should not be left prowling about the streets, for all we know he could be somewhere seeking out innocent young boys at this moment! The shameless, disgusting–!

"…He's…nice."

Goddammit.

Kyoko looked deflated, disappointed at this painfully scarce piece of information. "Oh. That's it?"

"And…"

"And?" she pressed on eagerly, fingers clutching her teacup with uncontained earnestness.

"He's…uh, tall."

Despite her dissatisfaction of not being able to gouge out the latest 'scoop' upon her beloved Hachan and the beautiful man who lived upstairs, the elderly woman gently smiled nonetheless and touched the youth's arm with an air of compassion – if that was it. "Ah, so it's still in the works, eh? Well, I'm sure sparks will fly in time. Why, with a pretty girl like you, I'm sure he's bound to like you."

A wry smile was flourished, though inwardly the dark-haired man seethed with absolute lividness.

You have no idea just how wrong you are. The jerk just doesn't want to like me. He wants to screw me.

A slight gritting of teeth.

Dirty bastard.

"Yes, yes, a pretty girl like you would be able to entice him, no doubt about that."

A bristle of outrage.

Sweet heavens above…

There was a disgruntled downturn of lips, a sharp accentuated tug of plaint lips as a scowl had hastily etched itself upon the young man's darkening face.

The dark-haired youth scowled darkly with distaste as the elderly woman smiled at him with an air of pleasant correctness. Her dainty aged fingers graced the clay teapot, cradling and manoeuvring it with acute delicacy.

Really.

There were times when Hyde actually wondered if he really did look like a girl.

"Oh, speaking of which, Hachan. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've noticed that you haven't been eating your curry rice for today and yesterday. Now Hachan, I understand that you want to look your best, as all girls do, but simply starving yourself will not do you any good. You're already skinny enough as it is. Why, people could even mistake you for a boy if this goes on! A word of wisdom, child, that it would be much better if you top up that lanky frame with a few curves here and there. Men love curves, see?" Kyoko stated as she filled their cups up to the brim with more steaming tea.

A twitch of an eye.

Or there were times when it was plainly obvious that the poor woman was simply downright deranged.

Hyde's scowl deepened, the knitting of his dark eyebrows was ever more pronounced with the sharp downturn of pliant lips.

There was nothing else in this world that could describe the growing dislike he directed towards the landlady at that moment then.

Keeping his tensed fingers to himself, he spoke through gritted teeth. "If you must know, I'm not starving myself Kyokosan – seeing that I am not a gir–" Kyoko had spontaneously (purposely, to Hyde's eyes) coughed at this moment, seemingly not hearing the youth's confrontation and thus making him grit his teeth even more in irritation, "– it's just that the curry rice down the street isn't that tasty anymore, so–"

"Ah, in search for another place, eh?" Kyoko said and frowned a little in thought. "Well I overheard from Eboshisan – come now, you know her. The one who prefers younger men? The one who is currently seeing a high school freshman, ten years her junior? Yes, the gorgeous one, that's her – apparently she says that there's one place downtown called Rhoji's – or was it Ryoji's? – she said that the curry rice is excellent, along with it's handful of good-looking waiters! Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, I think she's also dating one of…" On and on the woman went, spewing out what seemed to be the latest 'juice' that dwelled within the ever peaceful lodging.

Not that Hyde paid any actual attention to such 'goss' that crept and skulk about the place. As if he ever give a damn about the latest scoop. He wasn't a girl, after all (no matter what the poor woman thought or wrongly assumed).

A knitting of eyebrows and a pursing of pliant lips, Hyde frowned and found himself pondering in deep thought. His hands embraced the warm cup, dark eyes absent-mindedly watching the wispy swirls of stream as they lazily dispersed in the air as he abstractedly listened to the elder woman ramble on and on…

There was a pensive moistening of lips.

And a small resolute glint behind dark eyes.

Alas, the birth of a startling revelation.

"Yeah, just there…"

A teasing upturn of sensual lips. "Here?"

"Oh…yeah, there. Bit to the left…down…the – oh…"

Gackt watched the other, a flicker of amusement resided behind deep blue eyes as long deft fingers skilfully danced across smooth white material in minute circular motions. "Better?"

A sated smile could be seen aside obscuring long bangs of ebony hair. "Much better."

Pale fingers reaching up to sift through the curtain of black silkiness, Gackt leaned forward and pressed the tip of his nose affectionately against the other's temple, gently inhaling the light floral fragrance. "You know," he breathed in a hushed tone, smirking with satiation as the older woman shuddered involuntarily, "I often wonder how it would feel to have your hair brush against my skin again…I suppose it would be very stimulating, wouldn't it? Just like that night…"

"Oh yes…" the woman whispered, arching her neck slightly to expose the expanse of creamy skin. Her fingers reached up and touched the side of the young man's beautiful face. She tilted her head towards him, parted lips seeking his, "Gackt…"

A subtle brush of lips against ebony strands. "I have to go."

A surprised blink and the woman found her fingers hanging in mid-air, the warm lean body that had leant against her now gone. She turned and found her younger lover leaning back against the cushioned seat, glancing up into the overhead mirror and smoothening down the russet strands across his deep blue eyes. Disappointed by the offhanded nature of the young male, she wrapped her arms around her slender frame as her lips were pursed into a small pout, "Surely you can stay for a few minutes more? You know, come in and have a cup of coffee or something."

Of all things. Coffee.

Gackt looked over and gave her a small rueful smile, albeit the slight grimace that had touched his lips briefly. "Sorry but I have to go work. My boss would kill me if I arrive late. So sorry."

"Will we see each other again?"

It was an unfortunate spark of hope.

The brunet shifted his eyes away.

An offhanded shrug was made as pale strong hands gripped the steering wheel. A tentative moistening of full pink lips. "Who knows."

There was a stubborn glossy pout, one that shimmered within the dim interior of the car as delicate fingers effortlessly opened the door. "Well, just so you know – if you're feeling bored or anything, you can just drop by here. You're always welcome."

"We'll see," the young man nodded curtly. He looked at her carefully with calculating blue eyes as she slipped a slender leg out of the vehicle. A disappointed clack of a stiletto heel resounded against cold, dry pavement.

A small sigh.

Grasping her hand before she could pull herself out of the droning vehicle, Gackt gently tugged the woman close towards him and brushed his lips against hers.

A simple kiss. A sign of assurance. A gesture of mild affection.

Nothing more.

"I'll be off then."

"Take care."

Indeed he was off. With a black leather loafer ardently pressed upon the gas pedal whilst strong hands grasped the steering wheel in a painstakingly tight clutch. Coming around a tight corner of the street, Gackt merely pressed on, progressively accentuating the speed of his car. Clearly, the young man had breached the safe speed limit of the area, driving the vehicle at a whopping 100-120 miles per hour. Which was, allegedly, his normal speed.

Good gracious.

May you be blessed, you foolhardy daredevil.

A small smirk tugged upon his lips as he forcefully steered the protesting vehicle to the side, narrowly missing another vehicle whose enraged passengers threw a handful of coarse words and gestures his way.

Why, compliments for such proficient skill. How flattering, indeed.

Gackt chuckled with amusement and simply reclined back against his seat, practised hands deftly manoeuvred the car from lane to lane as a skilled windsurfer would smoothly tack through a calm sea.

Well now, if meeting and dating new people every now and then was not that much of the thrill of his life, then this undoubtedly and definitely was.

A quick glance was directed towards the black strap watch that was bound to a strong pale wrist.

Two minutes left till opening time.

More pressure was simply added upon the gas pedal – the vehicle roared to life.

A simple widening of a delighted smirk. "No problem."

"Here's your stop."

An uneasy look was hastily replaced with a small smile. "Thanks."

Dropping the few bills into the taxi driver's large hand, Hyde then slowly climbed out of the large vehicle and soon found himself rooted to the spot in the middle of a foreign land. Blinking owlishly at the bright lights that glared down at him from the overhead streetlamps and neon labels and signs, the dark haired man stared at his surroundings in a sense of distress and aimlessness.

The young man blinked once. Twice. Make that three times.

Hyde awkwardly stood his ground as hordes of active young adults inattentively brushed past his rigid form, barely acknowledging the lone figure that stood in their path, poised in a dazed slouch. In the swarm of colours, it would be quite an understatement to say that the young man blended right in with the night-life scenery of downtown. In actuality, the poor man very much stuck out like a sore thumb. Like a black spot in the middle of a colourful kaleidoscopic mess. Yes, he definitely felt very much like the outcast as the metaphorical black spot he had portrayed himself as.

There was an uneasy shuffle of worn sneakers against grey pavement.

And the clumsy tangle of long fingers within folds of olive material – fumbling. A blatant act of utter discomfort.

Hyde swallowed, though it deemed to be a futile attempt to moisten his suddenly parched throat as his dark eyes hesitantly glanced up at the neon sign of the building before him.

Ryoji's.

Pursing his lips in determination, he curled his fingers around the hem of his t-shirt a tad bit tighter instinctively.

"Right."

A defiant look was forcefully etched upon the young man's face as he determinedly pried his fingers from the comforts of his shirt and clenched them into a fist of dynamism.

"Curry rice, here I come!"

Brushing aside his feelings of uneasiness and anxieties towards the unfavourable situation he had placed upon himself, Hyde zealously marched forward with newfound vigour towards the vicinity where his dearly beloved curry rice basked, awaiting to be salvaged by the fatalistic Curry Rice fanatic himself.

Or so he believed.

Why, if only the youth would stop and look for once. If he did, he would have spotted the bright neon sign of Rhoji'sjust down the block. He would have stopped to inhale the delicious, distinguishable aroma of curry spices, bask in the sight of luxurious warm silks and waitresses wrapped in colourful saris daintily carrying trays of piquant curry rice to tables tucked with Curry Rice fanatics like himself.

But he didn't.

A minute smirk touched sensual lips.

A discreet gleeful glint soon resided behind half-lidded blue eyes as dexterous long fingers gracefully laid down the designated cards that had been benevolently blessed with luck.

"Full House. Dealer wins."

Embittered grumbles of defeat and the widening of impressed eyes was the response Gackt received as his clients bitterly threw down their cards and grudgingly surrendered their money.

"Hmm. Bravo, Mr. Dealer. Such impressive skill and luck you hold. Why, it's no wonder you are one of the Top Dealers of Ryoji's," an elegant woman drawled with a sensual smirk, her arm curled seductively around the tense arm of her male counterpart who heavily smoked his cigarette in rigid tautness. "And so young as well. How old are you, twenty-one? Twenty-two?"

A charming smile was delivered. "Why, thank you Ma'am. I'm very much flattered by such praise. I'm nineteen, actually."

A look of surprise as glossy red lips pursed with astonishment. "Nineteen? Amazing…and I heard that you have just started work a week ago, is it?"

"Yes, thank you for acknowledging me," Gackt nodded, his fingers instinctively collected all the cards that had been laid upon the table in one elegant sweep of a pale hand. Gathering them in his grasp, those long fingers worked their magic, deftly shifting and shuffling through the pile of cards in proficient speed that once again impressed the clients that had gathered around his table to play and watch the adept skill the young man possessed.

Whilst the players placed their bets and Gackt deal out their hands, those deep blue eyes absentmindedly looked up and speculated the atmosphere of the casino. As promised on Saturday nights, Ryoji's was unsurprisingly packed with many clients, young and old, who were shuffling their way through each table in hopes of striking it lucky that night. The brunet looked over at his co-workers, watching them as they laughed and entertained their clients at their tables with their own card skills.

There was a laissez-faire feeling lingering within the air, dotted with resounding laughter and cheers, playful rowdiness and the swirls of cigarette smoke.

Contented with the fact that less violence was going to erupt that night (it was usually his table which caused the most problems – a particular one noted was a violent outburst which had resulted to a good punch to his nose when the ass of a client had accused him of cheating), the young man allowed his gaze to lazily survey across the multitude of bodies bustling here and there when those deep blue eyes fortuitously fell upon the lithe figure of a young man with long dark hair tied into a loose ponytail which trailed down his back. The loose strands of ebony that had escaped framed the sides of highly refined cheekbones, swaying slightly with every motion made. Behind obscuring bangs of black, a pair of piercing dark eyes idly surveyed the area with disinterest.

The card dealer blinked, a mild look of interest had fleetingly crossed his cool and collected features.

A sudden, unpleasant twitch had acted beneath the plaster that was draped across the bridge of his nose.

Ignoring the unpleasant throb, Gackt absentmindedly swept up his cards and held it close to him albeit his eyes which were still trained upon the individual with involuntary earnestness.

A pique of interest had surfaced.

Who is he?

He cursed.

Silently. To all the goddamn deities up there who were selfishly too ignorant so as to help a poor, disoriented man who had assertively and initiatively made the effort to search for a new source of his very well craved curry rice. No, instead of flaunting their supposed goodness to those in need (like himself), they had decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

Hyde scowled.

Dammit.

Just where exactly was that goddamn curry rice shop?

Surveying his surroundings, Hyde was distraught to find his surroundings invigorated with more carefree laughter, swarms of bodies hustling and bustling here and there, and the distinct reeks of tobacco smoke.

A waiter passed him, elegantly tipping over his tray a little to present the tall, gleaming glasses that were splashed and filled with sparkling pale-yellow liquid. Upon noticing this, Hyde absentmindedly reached over and took one, cradling the glass with nimble long fingers. He lifted it to his lips and took an almost-delicate sip.

More laughter.

Occasional cheers.

Frequent exhalations of inhaled cigarettes.

And Hyde sputtered, droplets of cheap champagne dribbling down his chin. "What…what the…?"

Heaven forbid.

A gritting of teeth had occurred as the youth resisted the urge to pour his drink onto the nearest waiter's head. Miffed and disoriented he was, Hyde gripped his glass tightly as he refrained himself from retching at the unpleasant taste of bubbly tang that swam within his mouth.

Shit.

Just where the hell is he?

It had been fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes of card play. Fifteen minutes of playful banter and light hearted cheers. Fifteen minutes of absolute distraction.

Truth be told, Gackt had to admit that he had never been so intrigued with such a person.

That person, whose lithe lean body had been lingering by the small champagne fountain since entering.

That person who had been frowning darkly, quick brows drawn together in deep thought. Slender shoulders attractively poised in a slight slouch, long bangs of ebony framing refined cheekbones as dark eyes narrowed in silent ponderings.

That person who was currently tipping his glass over in quiet and apathetic manner, allowing its sparkling contents to churn into the fountain.

A smirk had emerged, one that of amusement.

Interesting.

Sweeping up his cards and tucking them neatly within the palm of his hand, Gackt retreated from his table and called over his co-worker, who passively took over the youth's station. Without another thought, Gackt coolly made his way over to the beguiling man, quietly appraising the young lean body with calculative glances.

Yes, yes.

The brunet allowed a small quiet smile to emerge.

It seems tonight's events have taken a rather unusual turn.

Hyde watched, mesmerised as he observed the small droplets of the pale drink swirl down towards the rim of the glass. Watching the small drops of yellow plop and splash into the confines of one of many glasses that had been skilfully constructed into miniature fountain.

A small frown of displeasure.

A scathing harrumph.

Hn, stupid drink. Down you go.

It was a moment of content then. For some reason, the act of doing something discourteous as this had eased the painstaking reality of what was amiss then. It was like he was pouring out his tensions, watching them swirl and swirl and swirl in a mesmerising glows of soft gold. Swirling and swirling and…

And then, out of the blue, there was a gentle clearing of a throat. As well as the gentle touch of deft fingers upon a velvet red sleeve.

"Excuse me, sir."

Hyde frantically looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes soon widening in unadulterated surprise and blatant guilt as soon as they met a pair of deep blue ones.

…a gradual, cautious emergence of deep blue eyes…

Like a deer caught in headlights, his shoulders were held stiffened in alarm as a hand remained poised in mid-air, nimble long fingers loosely held the champagne glass over the fountain. Hyde stared at the taller man, rather rigidly. "Wh…"

Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop.

There was a blink of hawk-like eyes.

A foreigner?

The tall brunet slowly raised his hand, a glimpse of black spades and glossy sheen of white could be seen between deft pale fingers. Under the dim light of the vicinity, sheens of copper glazed over russet tresses, obscuring those deep blue eyes. "I was simply wondering, what with you seemingly bored…"

…a stunning copper sheen of brown hair and the swish of a long dark coat…

Plop. Plop.

Hyde moistened his lips, his dark eyes lightened with a small glint of wariness and curiosity. His fingers shifted, tilting the glass even further down. Thick yellow ribbons of pale liquid swiftly snaked downwards, trickling over enticing glass rims and down into the fountain in a sluggishly rushed manner.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly parched.

Drip.

There was an sensual upturn of full, pink lips. A glint of interest could be seen behind blue eyes.

Drip.

A small flush of pink had unwittingly flourished upon refined cheeks. Another moistening of lips – an act of awkwardness.

Drip.

And the young man slowly – languorously - leaned in a tad bit closer (too close, in fact) to Hyde before he huskily whispered: "Are you interested in playing a friendly game of poker?"

A faint scent of cool musk was left in its wake.

Plop.

The champagne glass was empty.

A/N: Suika apologises for such a sluggish update. I had been experiencing the disastrous effects of motivational juice insufficiency. It's not very favourable /sobs/ Anyhow, with all the torturous exercise of dancing fingers across the keyboard, I finally managed to 'work it'. Reviews are delightfully embraced – the more, the merrier as they say. Pray that the next update won't be as sluggish as the last.