Story: Knots of Gray

Genre: Dir en Grey, AU

Chapter: 2. The Ladies Taken

Author: The Last Kitten

Disclaimer: I don't own Dir en Grey and I don't personally know any of its members. I am not making any money off this fic, though I sincerely wish I were. I can't even afford to buy new socks. (Sad but entirely true.)

Author's Note: Apologies in advance for any oc'ness of the Dir en Grey members. I took what I saw of their personalities and pushed them to the extreme. This is what I imagine them being like in a parallel universe, if the events I put in had taken place. P.S. If you're in need of any Japanese to English translations just review the fic and ask.

"Lalala" Means talking.

'Lalala' Means thinking.

oooooooooo Means a scene change.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He'd completely forgotten the season when their fingers touched.

Instinct had called for seclusion and since childhood, whenever he felt the need for solitude, he went to the roof of whatever house or building he happened to be in. The heights calmed him, made him feel tall, inside. The roof touched the sky, and sat high above all the petty cruelties of his home.

Now they were standing on the roof of the exhibition building staring at the door. Their breath came out in visible puffs, and Skyler rubbed her hands up and down her silk covered arms as she turned to walk farther out on to the dark roof. Kyo stared at the door a moment longer before crossing his arms over his chest and following her.

The signs of Tokyo's nightlife provided enough light for them to make their way to the edge of the building, and neither of them spoke for a long time. They simply stood together…in silence.

Then a lighter could be heard and smoke filled the air.

"So…," Kyo sighed.

"So…."

"So…how long are you going to be in Japan?"

Skyler spoke softly as she sat down on the raised ledge. "I live here." Her movements were slow and delicate as she crossed her arms and legs simultaneously.

'Methodical,' Kyo thought as he shifted his eyes to watch her.

"I'd never leave if it weren't for…," she stopped herself and blinked up at him. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and she turned to stare at the roof door.

Kyo lifted an eyebrow. "I thought you lived in Russia with your husb…."

"Kuso," Skyler whispered.

"What?"

"I have to go." She stood and glanced between Kyo and the roof exit. "I made Aleksis promise not to leave me alone and I…." She shook her head and began walking back towards the door.

"Will it really matter if you're missing for five more minutes," he asked not turning from the ledge.

Skyler stopped in mid step. 'Would it matter?' "But Aleksis is probably looking for me," she whispered to herself.

Kyo turned a little to see her profile and took another drag. "Come on…five minutes. I'll even time you." He half smiled and gestured at his watch.

Skyler took one last look at the door before slowly coming to stand next to him. "Its freezing out here you know."

Kyo just smirked and reached into his pocket to pull out a flask.

"Saki," Skyler asked.

"Whiskey," he replied.

She laughed a little as she unscrewed the top and took a long drink. When the burn in her chest began to spread through her limbs she smiled and handed it back to him.

Their fingers slid together briefly and neither one made mention of it. They stood in silence until Skyler sat again on the raised ledge. Kyo watched her for a moment, and then sat himself.

Neither of them spoke as they continued to stare at the Tokyo sky line. Kyo smoked his cigarette and Skyler slowly rubbed her hands up and down her arms for warmth.

Five minutes became ten, and as Kyo turned to her to speak the first snow of the season began to fall. The two looked around and then back to each other before sharing a quiet laughter.

'Wow, that's cliché,' they thought.

Again Kyo opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the roof door burst open.

Skyler immediately stood, and Shinya and Daisuke glanced nervously at each other behind Aleksis.

"Skyler what the hell are you doing on the roof? It's snowing for Christ's sake!"

She walked quickly to Aleksis and he met her in the middle of the roof. He quickly pulled off his leather coat and draped it around her shoulders. It swept the ground as he tried to warm her.

Shinya and Daisuke went quietly to stand beside Kyo, and Shinya began to take off his coat, but Kyo stopped him. He calmly took a puff on his cigarette and ignored the worried look Shinya gave him. "I'm fine," he whispered. "I'm a big boy."

Aleksis fussed and flitted around Skyler, rubbing her arms and shoulders. "Come on," he said with only a slight hint of anger in his voice. He reached one long arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards the roof door.

"I'm very sorry about all this," Shinya said on their way down the stairs.

"It's alright Terachi-kun, but I think we should be going. This has been more than enough excitement for one evening."

Skyler glanced back at Kyo and almost laughed when he smirked and winked at her. She leaned in to speak to Aleksis. "I haven't bought any paintings yet…and I haven't singed Andohara-kun's autograph."

Aleksis picked up their walking pace but made no comment. Skyler stopped walking and took hold of his hand when they were once again in the back room of the gallery.

"Aleksis," she whispered. "I'm sorry about wondering off but…"

Aleksis glanced angrily at Kyo and spoke harshly in Russian. "You didn't just wander off, you disappeared. You fucking disappeared…for fifteen minutes. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

Skyler looked down, ashamed, but then met his eyes. She touched his cheek and spoke softly. "I'm sorry," he held tight to the hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry sweetie...but it's my birthday and I really want a painting."

Kyo took one last drag on his cigarette and threw it on the floor, roughly twisting his foot to put it out. Shinya frowned at him but remained silent.

"No more than three," Aleksis said after a deep breath. "We're running out of walls to put them on."

Skyler smiled softly and walked over to the painting of her novel's protagonists. "How much is this one," she asked.

"Oh, the prices are…"Shinya spoke up, but Kyo cut him off.

"That one's not for sale," Kyo said from behind him. He didn't bother looking at her as he lit up another cigarette and crossed his arms over his chest.

Skyler frowned slightly. "Are you sure? It's my favorite…."

"How do you know? You weren't even in the gallery five minutes before our little…tryst," Kyo cut in with another smirk.

Shinya saw Aleksis's eyes flash death at Kyo and put a hand on Daisuke's shoulder to urge him back.

"Kyo," a loud deep voice came from behind them all. "Why don't you just show Mrs. Dimitre around the gallery so she can see exactly what is for sale?"

Kyo looked directly at Aleksis when he spoke. "Good idea Kao-chan." He took one more long drag on his cigarette and stamped it out, blowing out the smoke as he passed Aleksis.

"Mrs. Dimitre," he said as he extended his arm for her to take.

Skyler looked back and forth between Kyo and Aleksis and decided not to speak. She slid out of Aleksis's coat and pecked him lightly on the lips as she returned it to him. When she turned Aleksis caught her arm and squeezed. "You have fifteen minutes," he whispered in Russian and she winced slightly. "Find a goddamn painting and let's go." He kissed her cheek lightly and turned back to Shinya and Daisuke.

No one missed her wince, and only Shinya's steady hand kept Daisuke still. Aleksis smiled tightly at Shinya and called a waiter over for a drink.

As soon as Kyo and Skyler entered the main gallery they were surrounded by paparazzi. The flashes had absolutely no effect on Kyo, who coolly nodded and did his trademark smirk for the cameras.

Skyler on the other hand had that same plastic smile glued to her face. She nodded and bowed but soon began squeezing his arm.

Kyo glanced at her and a thought popped into his head. He leaned over and whispered, "Just picture them all naked."

Skyler stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. The paparazzi doubled their efforts, and when Kyo began snickering, Shinya patted Daisuke's shoulder.

"I think you should go ask for that autograph now."

"Honto? But what about all the cameras?"

"It'll be fine," he smiled. "Go on."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Natasha sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. The brandy in her glass swished as she took a sip, and the bright morning light shown through the balcony to make a rainbow on the table as she sat it down. At eight o'clock in the morning, the newspaper was still sitting unopened on the living room table. She couldn't bring herself to open it. The picture on the front page held her eyes, and the brandy held her tongue.

The picture on the front page of The Japan Times was an enormous shot of Kyo and Skyler, arm in arm, laughing hysterically at a whispered joke. Natasha looked at the picture again and frowned. Skyler's laughter hadn't been forced. It was genuine, real, authentic, true, present, and a host of other words that all mean the same thing. That man made her laugh. Even after ten years Skyler rarely laughed. She smiled, smirked, and even chuckled sometimes, but laugh? Her laughter was reserved for South Park, Bernie Mac, and Presidential elections. It was rare for her to laugh at anyone's jokes and even rarer for her to laugh out loud in public.

Natasha looked around the room and sighed when her eyes fell on their silver framed black and white wedding photo. Her smiles and laughter hadn't been forced that day either. Their wedding had been one of the biggest, untelevised, events in Russian history. Dignitaries and businessmen from all over the world had begged to be invited, but one look in Skyler's eyes told Natasha that she didn't want the shadow of politics to cloud their day.

In the end they only invited fifty of their closest friends and family. The wedding was small and intimate, the exact opposite of what Natasha wanted, but every time she looked at their wedding photos she knew it was the right choice.

Her frown lifted and she took a deep drink just as Skyler came in the front door. She smiled brightly at Natasha, breathing hard and covered in sweat. Slipping off her running shoes and placing them neatly in the row near the door, she rested her hands on her lower back and stretched.

"Hay," Natasha said, sitting her drink down. "How was your run?"

"It was crazy," she laughed. "I had to run an extra two miles, hop three chain link fences, and scale a wall to get away from all the paparazzi."

Natasha raised an eyebrow in concern. "What?"

"I was just running past the Imperial Palace when about thirty photographers came out of nowhere!" She dropped tiredly onto the couch in front of Natasha. "They chased me for almost two miles!" She couldn't control her laughter and shook her head. "It was just…crazy!"

Natasha frowned slightly at her words, but her real concern was Skyler's laughter. It was such a rare thing that she decided not to break her mood. She stood and went to get her a bottle of water from the kitchen.

"I was afraid this would happen," Natasha said wearily.

"It's alright sweetie. I knew it would happen eventually." Natasha came to kneel in front of her and Skyler lowered her eyes. "I can't hide from the world forever," she said with a sad smile.

Natasha kissed her hands and pressed them to her cheek as she laid her head in Skyler's lap. Skyler bent to kiss the top of her head and Natasha snaked her arms around her waist holding on tightly.

"Sky…?"

"Hmm?"

"You'd never…leave me…would you?" Natasha buried her face in Skyler's shirt.

"I love you Natasha…and what we have is forever." She stroked her hair. "Forever…you're stuck with me forever, sorry," Skyler smiled.

Natasha wanted to believe her, and part of her did. But when she'd disappeared with Kyo yesterday that belief had been shaken. Then there was the picture in the paper…and her face as she smiled at him.

Natasha held on tighter.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The phone only rang once before he picked it up.

"Moshi moshi."

"Judging by the photo in this morning's paper I'd say things are going well."

"They disappeared together for almost twenty minutes. Aleksis was furious." The man's voice was strained and tired.

"We may have hit the jackpot with this one," the other man said, apathetic and monotone.

"I don't like using Kyo like this. We should have left him out of it, he doesn't deserve this."

"Oh, now why the concern? That man is little more than a toy to you."

"He's not a toy…."

"Regardless, it's done. Arrange the next meeting."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The room seemed to tilt in slow motion as his glasses flew off his face, and the canvas he'd been holding appeared suspended in mid air. His head made an audible thud when it hit the floor, and Matsu winced.

"Do you have any idea who that was last night," Kaoru shouted. "Do you have any idea whose wife that was?"

Kyo didn't move to get up off the floor, and he absently noted the blood coming from his nose. The clock on the wall read eight o'clock am, even with the numbers fuzzy and moving. He almost laughed. His head already throbbed from a hangover, but now it hurt so badly it seemed easier to just lay there.

"Yamete, Kao-kun," Daisuke shouted as he ran over to crouch next to Kyo.

"What did you say," Kaoru raised his hand to strike the man but Shinya caught him by the wrist.

"That's enough," he said calmly. "What's done is done and he's not going to see her again. So it doesn't really matter." Kaoru yanked his hand back. "The show was a success and that picture in the paper has already doubled his popularity. There are dozens of paparazzi still outside the gallery right now."

"That's all well and good but…what if Aleksis Dimitre decides to blacklist him or something," Matsu asked worriedly.

"He won't! Sora-chan wouldn't let him do that," Daisuke said annoyed and angry. He helped Kyo slowly sit up and reached for the box of tissues Toshiya held out. He silently prayed that none of the paparazzi had managed to sneak in to the gallery. It would be a tabloid frenzy if a shot of the famous artist, being beaten up by his art dealer, got out.

"You're on a first name basis with her already?" Shinya raised an eyebrow and Daisuke grinned.

"I am too," Kyo smirked.

"Why you little…" Kaoru lunged at Kyo but Shinya Toshiya and Matsu grabbed hold of him.

"Oniisan, will you get him the hell out of here," Toshiya yelled while struggling with Kaoru's arm.

Daisuke helped Kyo up and they quickly left the room.

When they were sure Kaoru wouldn't snap and go after the two, they let him go, slowly. He rolled his head to loosen up his neck and pulled out a cigarette.

"That little…baka…," the string of curses that came out of his mouth made even Shinya's jaw drop. "He has no idea what he's doing! Not a fucking clue!"

Kaoru put his palms over his eyes and sat down on the couch near the window.

"Ugh, I don't want to sound dumb or anything but who is Aleksis Dimitre anyway," Toshiya questioned.

Kaoru looked up at him and scoffed. "Matsu, you should go," he said quietly.

"Gladly," she exhaled. She quickly pittered over to him and dropped a kiss on his bowed head. "Call me later. Ja." She waved as she slipped out the door.

"I'll explain this in as few words as possible because I have a headache." Kaoru sat back on the couch and lit his cigarette. "Aleksis Dimitre is a businessman, a very, very, very rich businessman. It's been estimated that, over the last twenty years, he's acquired weighty shares in over one-third of the major transport companies in the world; inadvertently giving him more political pull than you can possibly imagine." He stopped to take a puff and laughed grimly. "He was actually offered the Russian presidency, but people say he turned it down because he had more power as a businessman."

Toshiya looked dumbfounded and Shinya looked disinterested.

"What's worse is the official reason he declined the presidency."

That caught Shinya's attention. "I remember reading about that," he said.

Toshiya looked back and forth between the two. "Well, what did he say?"

"Aleksis Dimitre's official statement about the decline of his presidential nomination was that he had almost no privacy as a businessman, and being president would afford him even less. He said that he wanted to protect his wife and his future family from the harshness of politics and the media." Kaoru shook his head. "In the seven years they've been married, no one has ever been able to get close to his wife. Even when they let it slip that she was the famed Drako Sky, no one could get close to her. She's never done a single interview, book signing, or anything public. Hell, before the art exhibition last night, they'd never even been seen together." Kaoru took a drag. "He's seemed hell-bent on keeping her to himself for the last seven years. And if he was telling the truth, that would mean he gave up the presidency of his country for that woman. Can you imagine what a man like that might do if he felt threatened?"

Toshiya ran a hand through his hair. "It's probably nothing for a guy like that to blacklist Kyo…or even have him killed."

"Wakaru, you were trying to protect Kyo," Shinya nodded.

"Hai. Like I said, he has no idea what he's getting himself into," Kaoru grimaced.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"So he's a rich businessman. I don't give a fuck who he thinks he is." Kyo looked out over the city from the ledge of the roof. He took a long pull on his cigarette and smirked back at Daisuke. "She seemed more interested in me anyway."

"This is serious Kyo. I remember Shinya telling me something about him once…"

"Oh you mean while you two were snuggling in the afterglow of…"

"That is nowhere near funny," Daisuke blushed furiously. "You know I have a girlfriend! She would kill us both if she heard you talking like that!"

"Awww," Kyo pinched his cheek. "But you two would make such a cute couple."

"Yamete!" Daisuke was now completely red faced.

Kyo chuckled lightly but then turned serious. "Daisuke…you should tell him."

"Nani?" He looked out at Tokyo. "Tell him what?"

Kyo just looked at him and took another puff. Then he turned away to watch the cars stuck in traffic below them. "Have you ever heard the saying 'I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I'm not'?"

"Wakaranai, Kyo-chan. I love BoA." Daisuke reached into his coat pocket to pull out a cigarette of his own. He lit it and sat down on the snow covered ledge.

"Is it because of your father? Is that why you won't tell him? You're afraid he'll do something to him?"

"I…"

"What's that about Andohara-sama," Shinya said walking up behind them. Daisuke put on his sunglasses to hide his flustered eyes and turned to face him. Kyo rested his chin on one hand and continued smoking with the other.

"We were just…saying that…," Daisuke struggled for a lie.

"Nothing," Kyo saved him. "What time is it Shin Shin?"

"It's about eight-thirty, still too early for lunch."

"But not too early for a drink," Kyo said merely, flicking his cigarette off the roof.

"Mate, Kyo-kun. Kaoru wanted me to tell you that he's sorry, and that we're all having lunch together today. A new restaurant just opened downtown and they called begging him to bring you to eat there. They need publicity, and the Chef's daughter is a big fan of your work."

"What kind of food do they serve," Kyo asked.

"It's a very upscale traditional Japanese restaurant. The motif is traditional Japanese palaces. I hear it has sliding paper doors and everything."

"Humm…sounds stuffy," Kyo quipped, pulling out another cigarette.

"I've no doubt," Shinya replied, "but Kaoru wants us to go."

"Yea, yea," Kyo's cigarette bobbed between his lips as he spoke, and he crossed his arms.

"Daisuke, could you tell Kaoru that we'll be down in a minute to finish up in the gallery," Shinya asked in a low voice.

"Hai." Daisuke only hesitated for a moment, and when he was gone Shinya continued.

"Kyo, you don't know this but I know Aleksis Dimitre, personally. He taught a class at my college once and we became…friends."

Kyo froze just as his thumb touched the ignition on his lighter, and he stared at Shinya with wide eyes. He knew what Shinya meant by "friends".

"When I graduated I went to work for him." Shinya slowly made his way around the roof as he spoke. "It was nice. I'd always wanted to travel and see the world. I'd told him that years before, and when he hired me it was because he'd remembered. He made me his personal secretary and I jet set all around the world with him. The pay was great and the…benefits were exceptional." He stopped speaking for a moment.

"Why are you telling me this Shin-chan," Kyo asked worriedly.

"Because I want you to understand who you're dealing with. Aleksis Dimitre is a dangerous man." He took a breath. "On the rare occasion that he actually cares about someone, he will bring hell itself down on the person who threatens them." Shinya stopped walking and turned to look directly into Kyo's eyes. "Have you ever heard of Adelbert Bergen?"

"Iya."

"He was a German businessman Aleksis had dealings with about nine years ago. One day, after a meeting, Aleksis and Adelbert were joking and carrying on while his secretary and I compared notes. Then Adelbert said, 'Why does a fine upstanding businessman, like yourself, have some skinny chinc as his secretary?'"

Kyo's mouth dropped open.

"They'd been using English as a common language so I understood what he said."

Shinya took a deep breath and continued. "In all my travels I'd never been referred to with a racial epitaph." His eyes became anxious. "Aleksis's face is what I remember the most about that day though; he was livid. It was the same face he had watching you flirt with Dimitre-san. Now, I'm not afraid of much in this world, but that face…."

"What did he do," Kyo asked calm and unfazed.

Shinya looked at him slightly annoyed. "First his face went completely blank. Then he stood up and said 'I think we should go'. Adelbert and his secretary just sat there laughing. I was upset that Aleksis hadn't defended me and I gave him the cold shoulder for the next couple of days. Then one morning, about a week later, I was watching the news and there was a special report about Adelbert Bergen and his family going missing. The report said that his wife, three kids, secretary, and his secretary's family had all gone missing…but…." Shinya's eyes were wide and unfocused. "Later the reporter said that the police were still searching Adelbert's house for all the missing pieces of his body."

Kyo stared at Shinya expectantly, and finally lit up his cigarette. Shinya pinched the bridge of his nose and began pacing again.

"Funny thing was that there was no blood found that belonged to his family or his secretary's family. They were all just gone. I never asked Aleksis what happened to them, and he just smiled at me over dinner that night. It wasn't long after that that I left him to work for Andohara-sama. He may be Yakuza but at least he's sane." Kyo narrowed his eyes briefly at that statement, but stayed silent. "Aleksis and I don't talk much anymore but we still keep in touch." Shinya paused to look at Kyo again. "Kyo, you're my friend. That's why I'm telling you this. He's dangerous, which makes her twice as dangerous. For you and the people you lo…care about, you have to stay away from Skyler Dimitre. If he loved her enough to actually marry her then I know he wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he feels threatened. He's very feral with the people he loves."

Kyo raked a hand threw his hair and let out a deep breath. He turned back to the horizon to gather his thoughts. "I know I should stay away from her…she's another man's wife." He sat down on the raised ledge. "But…just being near her…and those eyes…."

"Kyo I'm serious," Shinya yelled, a rare thing, and Kyo looked back sharply. "He'll kill you! Do you understand!? He. Will. Kill. You. Swear to me that you will stay as far away from her as possible."

"I…."

"Swear it!"

"Scouts honor," Kyo jokingly held up three fingers, but he couldn't meet Shinya's eyes.

Shinya rubbed tiredly at his eyes and laid a hand on Kyo's shoulder. "We all love you Kyo, even Kaoru. Even though he doesn't act like it sometimes, he does. We're all just trying to protect you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Shinya checked his watch. "It's about nine. They're probably wondering where the hell we are. Let's go finish up."

Kyo stood to follow Shinya to the roof door, but stopped halfway. "Hay, Shin Shin...do you have any…you know…." He scratched the back of his neck anxiously.

Shinya turned to him and smiled. "I was saving that for the party tonight."

"Aw, come on Shin Shin. This headache is never gonna go away. Give me a taste and we can save the rest for the party."

"Alright," Shinya chuckled, "one line each. That's it."

Kyo bounced up and down as they went down the stairs.

"I'm serious Kyo. Last time you cleaned me out before we even got to the party, and I only got three lines and a bump. I brought enough to kill an elephant this time, and we are going to share it. I thought Kaoru was going to kill us for doing his share."

As they reached the studio door Kyo laughed. "Yea yea…share the blow. What's the name of the restaurant?"

"I think it was Midori Nihon."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Hay Sky," Natasha called.

"Dammnit! Why won't this loc stay down!?" Skyler fought with her hair. "What was that?"

"A restaurant called my secretary and begged us to come to lunch…no doubt for the publicity. Do you want to go?"

"What type of food do they have?"

"She didn't say."

"Well what was it called?" Skyler poked her head out of the bathroom.

"She said," Natasha looked over the message again. "Midori Nihon."

"Sounds good."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dun! Dun! Dun! Chapter two endith here! Tune in next time for chapter three! Muhuwahahah P.S. The quote that Kyo told Daisuke was one that I found on the internet somewhere. I think it fit the situation nicely. Oh and don't forget to click that little review button down there. Please…Onegai…PLEASE! Ahem…I'm ok. I'm ok. If you have questions or comments the only way I'll know about them is if you review. Ja!