Chapter Four: Surprises and Working Late
I do not own YYH or any of the lyrics I use. The story line is mine.
Yusuke was still asleep when Kurama got up to make breakfast. His black hair was tousled and covered his eyes; warm golden sunlight caressed his one visible arm and his face. Kurama smiled and moved forward to wake him, when Yusuke jerked awake gasping and coughing. The smile was replaced by a frown and Kurama moved to comfort Yusuke, gently rubbing his back as the fit passed.
Leaning into the fox, Yusuke said, "Sorry didn't mean to startle you." Kurama gave him a small smile and replied, "I was about to wake you up anyway, you have exactly two hours before you go to work." A groan and indecipherable muttering was the only response he got. Kurama laughed and pulled Yusuke up then pushed him into the bathroom while saying, "Shower then come eat." Pivoting in place Yusuke saluted and barked, "Yes Sir!"
Kurama rolled his eyes and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Hiei meanwhile had gotten up, was dressed and had the bed made by the time Yusuke got out of the shower. Kurama met him in the hallway, handed him his cup of coffee with his usual morning hug and a request, "Koi would you please go get Yusuke?" Hiei hnned and sauntered off, the coffee mug held firmly in his left hand. After rapping on the door once, he walked in and came face to face with a half dressed Yusuke.
Yusuke blinked and took a couple of steps backwards before speaking, "Good morning Hiei, how are you?" Hiei hnned again before telling Yusuke to hurry up and eat breakfast. Aggravated now Yusuke grabbed his shirt yanked it on, then went to his backpack and pulled out the spare collar. Hiei scowled but changed to a mere death glare when Yusuke put it on. "Ok Hiei lets go." Yusuke said while latching onto the fire demon's arm and towing him into the kitchen. Kurama had already set their places and was just finishing putting food on the plates as they sat down. Once again Yusuke ate little of what was given him. This inspired Kurama and Hiei both to tie him to the chair until he ate his food.
Yusuke stood took the dishes and washed them then turned to the clock, assessing the time. Kurama and Hiei went to the living room with their respective drinks. Both of them curled up comfortably on the couch, in a meditative state. The front door bell rang and Yusuke answered it, his father was on the other side. Yusuke backed away keeping his eyes on the floor he asked, "Is there something you need sir?" Ralji smiled and answered, "No my pet nothing at all, just checking to see that you're still able to move and are still reasonably alive." Ralji slapped Yusuke and was about to beat the hell out of him when he remembered that Yusuke belonged to someone else for the time being. Ralji lunged, grabbed Yusuke's throat and whispered, "Meet me in the park after you get off of work tomorrow." Yusuke managed a nod, his stepfather released him and swaggered off laughing.
Once he calmed down Yusuke went to the living room and told the pair that he was going for a run and would be back around 10:30 or so. Slipping out the door Yusuke went to the park ran three laps and then headed to work. He just barely made it in at ten o'clock. Outside the club was just a normal looking warehouse, but on the inside it was alive with color, light, music and people. The walls were a rich shade of purple, the floor was tile that looked like real stones. The tables were black, with brushed steel designs on the tops and sides. The chairs were comfortable black vinyl or soft cream colored upholstery. The dance floor was being run over by the waxing machine and the rest of the floors were being mopped.
The DJ's station was being dusted and the CDs were being reorganized according to who the popular band was at the time. Yusuke grabbed an apron, and a spare mop and set to work. Once the floors were finished the tables had to be wiped down yet again, chairs and booths had to be checked for rips, stains or crumbs. The metal poles that kept the line outside the building orderly were being polished and new reflectors were being put on. The velvet ropes had been washed and were ready to hang. Once he was finished with the reflectors he had to go clean the windows and spray down the out side walls with the water hose.
After cleaning and repainting the front doors to match tonight's theme of fire, Yusuke went to the stage and tested the mikes, checked the wiring and the lights. As soon as he finished that it was time for lunch, the head cook made all the workers sit down and eat a bowl of ramen with an egg roll on the side. Lunch was finished around 1:00 and the head cook had Yusuke washing dishes while wearing coveralls to protect his uniform for the performance tonight. The band came in around 5:30 and set up, tuning and warming up as the crowd outside started gathering. The lead guitarist, known as Ice called for Yusuke to come warm up and lure the crowd of patrons inside.
/Don't tell me what to think cause I don't care this time./
The crowd loosed a deafening cheer and poured in through the open doors, settling in chairs and booths. Waiters and waitresses fanned out and began taking orders for food and drinks deftly avoiding colliding with each other as they ran through the smooth well practiced dance. Yusuke let a smile cross his face as he relaxed, letting the music soothe his turmoil.
/Don't tell me what to believe cause you wont be there to catch me when I fall./
Yusuke began to dance, his body moving in time with the beat. Ice shadowed his movements, closely followed by their back up guitarist Jade.
/But you'll need me when I'm not here at all./
The tidal wave of people had slowed and most were out on the dance floor, whirling and leaping to the music pouring out from the speakers and washing over them.
/Miss me when I'm gone again, yeah./
Kurama and Hiei slipped inside and took a seat at a table that was on the left side of the stage, close to Yusuke in fact. The speakers were arranged so that no one at the tables was blasted away by the music and that talking could still be heard. A waiter walked up took their order and left, then they turned their eyes to the stage. Shock and delight written across their faces. Yusuke spotted them mid-spin, he completed the move and flashed a bright smile.
/I'm going down in flames./
Ice whirled using Yusuke's back to stabilize the movement as he took up a mike and sang.
/I'm falling into this again, yeah/
Jade moved forward and to the right, coaxing the dancers onward and drawing them further into the beat.
/I'm going down in flames./
Yusuke let his voice underline Ice's as they came to the last line in the chorus. Their bodies twining together and spiraling away.
/I'm falling into this again./
Ice dropped the mike and began playing again as Yusuke started singing the next verse.
/Don't tell me how life is cause I don't' really don't want to know./
When the chorus came on he scooped the mike up and they sang together, their voices blending in eerie harmony. They continued in this manner until they reached the end. Ice sang solo right up to the last verse when the lights went out leaving only the band lit in a murky red, while Yusuke's voice flowed over the crowd. The dancers went wild as the wave of emotion and sound hit them. All attention was on Yusuke who had closed his eyes, tilted his head back and let the words rip free from the confines of his throat.
/I'm falling down again now I'm falling down./
The music stopped and the red light went out as the house lights went on. The spell broken and the crowd burst into cheers, applause and whistles. Yusuke slipped of the stage and into the kitchen where he grabbed an apron, a pad and pen and a tray of drinks. Ice stepped into his spot and said, "That was Going Down In Flames by 3 Doors Down. We're going to play a few more songs. After that feel free to request any song you want. Our singer Cursed will be back in a few." The band began playing, the guitar and keyboard starting the song and the percussion starting soon after.
While the dancers took a few minutes to rest, the people who had been sitting took the floor, couples gyrating and grinding against each other. Ignoring the frenzy of motion and sound around him, Yusuke weaved through the throng of people, dropping off full glasses and picking up empty ones to take to the kitchen to be washed.
Entering the kitchen, he put the glasses on a rack and slid them into the washer, when they came out he slid the rack over to the drying station ignoring the burns his hands were accumulating. Falling ended and the band took a breather, gulping down the bottled water. The head chef sent him out with an order of ramen, a plate of Pad Thai noodles and two drinks and instructions to take it to table 2. Yusuke wove a path through the tables and stopped at his destination without even glancing at its occupants.
Carefully setting the dishes down he didn't notice that his boss, Hiro had snuck up behind him. Yusuke set the drinks on the coasters and had just picked up the empty glasses when a booming voice behind him said, "Ok Cursed take a breather, You're off the clock starting now." Yusuke jumped then loosed an irritated sigh as he turned to face Hiro who took his tray and other items before shoving him into the empty chair. Yusuke started to protest, "But I was in the middle of-" His boss fixed an annoyed glare on him then spoke, "Boy you are on off the clock. It's about 10:00 and you got here at 10 this morning. Now don't argue, I know your last break was at lunch. So sit and I'll send some food your way." With a sigh Yusuke slumped slightly feeling defeated and said, "Yes Sir." Hiro laughed and sauntered away.
Yusuke turned back to the occupants of the table and froze in surprise. Laughing emerald and stern crimson eyes stared back at him, their owners smirking. Kurama was the first to speak, "So Yusuke that was an entertaining performance you gave up there." Hiei nodded in agreement while studying the male in front of him. Pale face, and slightly tired eyes contrasted wonderfully with the black button up shirt and black jeans he was wearing. Hiei let his eyes wander, his attention focusing on Yusuke's hands, they were red and the palms were sporting weird shaped burns. With a growl Hiei asked, "Detective, what did you do to your hands?" Yusuke looked down at them and was about to reply when a waitress put a bowl of ramen and a glass of ice water in front of him.
After she left, he said, "I was doing the dishes and a couple of trays were still too hot for comfort." Yusuke wrapped his palms around the cold glass, hissing when the cold seeped into the burns. Hiei reached out and grabbed the left hand examining it then giving his opinion, "Second degree, not serious or damaging, just painful." Kurama sighed then turned his attention to his noodles. Hiei dug into his ramen with relish, seeing that Yusuke likewise was enjoying his ramen. Once he was finished, Yusuke downed the water in front of him and took their plates to the kitchen. Weaving back through the crowd he was caught by Ice.
Yusuke turned to Ice with a question, "What's up?" Ice laughed and said, "Need you on stage for the next song." Yusuke sighed dramatically and replied, "Do I have to?" Ice merely grinned and dragged him onto the stage and thrust a mike into his hands. Yusuke let the beat wash over him, standing silent and motionless, with his eyes closed and head down. After a count of 12 he raised his head, opened his eyes and stared into the distance, letting the music eclipse his voice he started singing.
/So clever, whatever, I'm done with these endeavors/
Hiei and Kurama gasped at the weight of sheer emotion being conveyed through the lyrics.
/Alone I'll walk the winding way/
Sorrow created the foundation, anger built the walls, and pain became the roof that completed the melody created from the words pouring out of his throat.
/It's over, no longer, I feel it growing stronger/
His body swayed and twisted to the beat. The lead guitarist changed the sound subtly so that it was hypnotic, seductive.
/I live to die another day, until I fade away/
Yusuke accordingly changed his tone and the dancers on the floor fell into a new rhythm, fast and passionate.
/Why give up? Why give in?/
One final time the tone changed to something wild and untouchable, making the dancers freeze in place as Yusuke raised his voice, and moved faster, the words holding each patron entranced.
/It's not enough, it never is/
Yusuke stared straight at Kurama and Hiei as the words flowed from his lips.
/So I will go on until the end/
The song ended abruptly and Yusuke bowed to the crowds wild cheering and walked off the stage, and out the back door for some much needed space and cooler air. Hiei and Kurama came out a few minutes later, Kurama had Yusuke's jacket slung over one arm. They watched him breathing as though air was going out of style, before approaching and pressing against him.
Hiei frowned as Yusuke sagged against him. Kurama quickly wrapped an arm around Yusuke's waist to keep him upright. Both demons turned as the door behind them opened and Hiro stepped out and told Yusuke, "Breath deeper boy, you'll hyperventilate at this rate." Yusuke drew in a deep breath and let it out slow, before managing to straighten.
Hiro stepped forward, halting three feet from the trio while saying, "I told you that you were off the clock, why did you go back onstage?" Yusuke looked his boss in the eye and said, "I like singing and besides the finale always brings in more people the next day." Hiro nodded agreement and handed Yusuke his pay check. Yusuke in turn gave it to Kurama before saying, "I need to go clear my head, and wind down I'll be home in an hour or two." Kurama nodded and gave Yusuke his jacket back, Hiei merely hnned.