Author's Note:
So I said I was going to commit to 3,000+ words and whoops, I wrote 4,500. My lovely beta reader FemL did get a chance to proof read this one so hopefully there are fewer grammatical errors than usual.
Big shout out to my awesome reviewers tryntee13 and Snow-Soar. You can all thank them for being my inspiration! This chapter starts to get into some good stuff, so I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. Reviews? Reviews!
Also, I've decided to try to commit to new chapters every Thursday. Hooray consistency!
Enjoy, xo
Rei looked distraught, eyebrow tweaking with irritation at the interruption, but Usagi paid her no mind. Her eyes were locked on the man next to her. His thick hair was tousled, a few strands of midnight bangs falling into his brilliant cobalt eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at the obvious recognition that twinkled there. He was taller than she remembered and somehow much to her dismay, even more handsome. Dressed in a classic black tuxedo...
Tap. Tap. Tap. The angry sound of a heeled toe on concrete snapped them both out of their staring contest.
"What is going on here?" Rei demanded, her sharp gaze gaining heat for every second of silence that passed. Usagi glanced her direction and then back to the man, processing the situation. They were clearly here together and she'd just interrupted an intense argument. Usagi felt hot bile climb the back of her throat, her drunkenness hitting her full force. Wordlessly, she spun on her heel and sprinted back towards the party.
"Wait!" She thought she heard her stranger call out to her, but she pressed on towards the low lighting and drowning music of the party. She slowed only slightly as she reached the wall of party attendees, frantically searching for the exit. Tears threatened to ruin her make up as she hurriedly pushed through red streamers, socialites, and suited professionals alike, getting tangled in their midst. She didn't bother looking for her friends. They'd surely expect some kind of explanation for her rash behavior and in all this time she still hadn't told Jin about the man that had dominated all her absent minded thoughts for the better part of a year.
So close. She could almost reach the cool glass doors that would lead to the outside. A slender arm extended, grasping for sanctuary, but her other arm grew taught and began to pull her back towards the party by her wrist. Her fingers grazed the cold handle but then fell to her side in surrender. Usagi looked back, chest burning. Her eyes reluctantly trailed their way down her own arm to his hand, and then up to his face. He released her from his warm grasp to reach for her hair. Smiling slightly, he gently pulled free a red streamer that was caught in her slightly tangled ponytail.
"Usagi."
Her breath caught, and a few moments passed before she was capable of coherent thoughts.
"Don't you have a girlfriend to get back to?" Her voice was as emotionless as she could manage.
"She's not my girlfriend." He gently grabbed her hand once more, sending electric waves up her entire arm. He guided her to the nearest available canopy with an empty couch. Usagi was instantly grateful to be sitting. The vodka tonics she'd slammed churned violently in her stomach, and she could hardly keep her eyes focused on the beautiful, concerned man who sat beside her.
How many of those damn things did I have?
"Am I dreaming?" She asked, meaning to think it. At that, he gave her a crooked grin and she slumped back into a thick cushion, positioning herself so that she didn't have to see his any part of his chiseled face. Her mind was still reeling and she couldn't bring herself to look into those swirling blue eyes. Even just thinking about them had her nauseous…
"Why are you here, Usagi?"
She shivered slightly at his use of her name, before bitterly remembering she didn't know his. She resisted the urge to ask outright, instead settling for a quick glare at him for eluding her for so long.
He continued, "Did Gaia scout you?" She felt an almost cautious hand graze her shoulder, and at the touch she had a moment of clarity.
"Why do you say that? How do you know I'm looking to be scouted?" She tried to think back to the night she met him in Niseko but her mind felt foggy. Did she mention singing? No, we only talked about him… He was blushing slightly, embarrassed.
"I...I saw you two weeks ago. You were singing karaoke," he admitted, shifting, as if nervous at the confession. "You were…" He trailed off, but left his warm hand on her bare shoulder. Usagi felt like his palm could burn a hole in her skin.
"You were there?" Why didn't you come find me? Why didn't you want to talk? She shrugged his hand away, temper flaring. She'd spent months stupidly searching for his face in every crowd, meanwhile he'd seen her and hadn't bothered to approach her.
"You were with your friends." He said sounding defensive, only furthering her irritation.
"Did you know I'd be here tonight?"
"No. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again after Niseko. It took me off guard to see you in Tokyo at karaoke. We'd only spoken briefly but I recognized you. And tonight, well frankly, I'm just as surprised as you that our paths have crossed again." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward.
Her cerulean eyes bore into his, searching for any traces of dishonesty. She found none, yet her anger didn't waver. For some unknown reason, it almost hurt her that he was content to never speak to her again. And in some ways she felt exposed. He'd heard her sing, he knew her name, her dream, and she had nothing of his. Not even a name. And now, he knew that she'd wanted to see him again.
"Who ARE you?" She spat, throwing her hands up in frustration, but before he had a chance to answer Jin plopped down on the couch beside her. Close behind were Keito, Naro, and Zumi who also didn't hesitate to slide into a seat and interrupt the quarrel. The men chatted among themselves as if they didn't even notice the ebony haired man next to Usagi.
"Usagi, guess who I just got to meet?!" Jin said cheerfully before finally noticing the stranger shifting uncomfortably beside his best friend. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Jin! And you are?"
"The million dollar question." Usagi muttered under her breath, still angry despite her friends' presence.
"Chiba Mamoru, I work here at Gaia." He extended a hand to Jin and smiled warmly. Usagi fumed, unable to decide if she was more irritated at this Mamoru man or her friends for cutting her off when she was finally about to give him a piece of her mind.
"Chiba Mamoru?!" Zumi shrieked excitedly. "You wrote my favorite song on the Venom album! That guitar solo in 'Red Spot' is fucking rad."
Venom? No, this is a dream. A drunken nightmare.
"Whoa, you write for Venom?" Naro joined in. Even Keito gave Mamoru an enthusiastic handshake, obviously impressed. Usagi watched as her band mates exchanged pleasantries with Mamoru with wide-eyed horror. The room seemed to spin and their voices faded in and out. Black spots dotted the corners of her vision. She felt completely disjointed from her surroundings, almost as if she was floating above their private canopy, observing as an outsider. She heard Jin erupt into laughter as Mamoru made a wise crack about the party. She heard Mamoru question Zumi about their band.
"What is happening right now?!" She shrieked, standing abruptly and silencing the five men. Queasy at her sudden movement, she teetered before collapsing with a thud into Mamoru's lap. His arms wrapped instinctively around her small form and against her better judgment, she allowed herself to lay her heavy head against his strong chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of his breath against her cheek lulled her into a near sleep state. The men resumed their chatter as if her outburst simply hadn't happened. She wasn't sure how long she lay there. It could have been a few seconds or an eternity.
Jin cleared his throat. "Well Mamoru-san, it was great to meet you. Can I trust that you'll be taking care of our Usagi-chan for the rest of the evening?"
Usagi tried to protest but the sound was lost in the crisp white shirt of Mamoru's tuxedo.
"Of course." She heard him answer coolly. He and Jin exchanged phone numbers and out of the corner of her one open eye she saw her four friends abandon her. She was alone with her stranger, Chiba Mamoru.
"I didn't even get to tell Usagi that I met Nobu!" Jin wailed on the way to the bar. Keito fought the urge to roll his silver flecked eyes. He had never been the type to worship celebrity and the members of Blast struck him as incredibly average. The lead singer Nana possessed a certain amount of star power, sure, but her style didn't suit his personal tastes. He'd always preferred women with blonde hair. He thought again of Usagi and wondered for the thousandth time if it was wise to leave her with a guy they'd just met. Of course Jin had instantly trusted the man, assuring Keito that Mamoru seemed like a perfect gentleman.
Naive fool. Any man in a tuxedo seems like a gentleman, even me. He resolved to follow them quietly in the shadows when they left the party just to confirm her safety and location. It would be easy; after all, he had learned how to stalk his targets with near invisibility from experts.
"Jin, look! It's Rei from Venom!" Naro pointed towards the dance floor where woman in a sparkling purple dress sauntered close to dark suited man with fiery hair. The obviously intoxicated man blatantly ogled the woman's body, not bothering to hide his perverse intentions. Venom's guitarist didn't seem to notice or care, in fact, Keito thought she might even be enjoying the attention.
"Oh Kami." Jin's jaw dropped slightly at the sight of her. Keito watched his blonde haired companion eyes follow Rei intently, as she twirled and dipped to the music. Utterly mesmerized by the woman's beauty, he visibly bristled when her dance partner placed his hands on the small of her back.
He's hopeless, Keito patted Jin twice on the back before turning around.
"I'm heading to smoke." Keito dismissed himself, not able to handle much more boyish behavior. Instead of making his way outside where he knew he should go to light up, he decided to head towards the men's room. An evening of good behavior had Keito in the mood to bend the rules a little.
As he made his way across the floor, he surveyed the room. The party seemed to have died down. Most of the true professionals who come to the party just to show a little face had long since left, leaving only the true party animals behind. The glimmering creatures still present were drinking heavily and dancing with new hunger in their eyes. Their goal was obvious to Keito, they were determined not to leave alone.
He reached the restrooms quickly, thankful there was no longer a line of people waiting to enter. Smoking my Seven Stars cigarette will be an easy job, he thought, fingering the packaging in his pocket. At the Blast concert, Usagi had forced him to try one of her Black Stone cigarettes, egging him on with the old adage "When in Rome". After only two puffs off the thick black smoke, he'd felt sick.
"How do you smoke these?" He'd shouted over the music, handing her the still lit cigarette in disgust before reaching for his own Seven Stars brand. She'd grabbed the cigarette from him eagerly, taking a long drag before answering him with a deadly serious expression on her face.
"Well I start by not being a wimp."
He chuckled a little at the memory as he pushed open the bathroom door.
Upon entering the large space, he immediately heard the feint sound of feminine giggling coming from within a stall. He briefly wondered if he'd misread the sign on the door…
"Shut up and pay up. You still owe for last week!" A deep voice scolded. At the sound, Keito was able to easily locate the only occupied stall in the far back corner of the lavish washrooms.
"Okay okay, just shaaare." It was definitely a woman's voice, coming from the same stall. Curiosity getting the better of him, Keito lurked quietly outside the stall waiting to hear more.
"Look baby, you know if you don't have cash there are other ways of paying…" The woman didn't giggle in response this time. Keito pressed his ear to the stall door when he didn't immediately hear a response. He could make out the sounds of shuffling and increasingly distressed whispers.
"Get away from me!" Her voice rang out after a few more seconds, startling Keito into action. With a swift kick, he opened the stall to find a gruff looking man covered in tattoos standing ominously over the anxious woman.
"You heard the lady. Get away from her." Keito growled in a low voice, his protective instincts taking over.
"Wait." The woman called out to her now terrified pursuer. Her voice had no elements of surprise or thanks, and she did not seem appropriately shocked by Keito's intrusion. She sat, legs crossed on the closed lid of the toilet, somehow managing to look like a queen despite her less than glamorous throne. Her hair cascaded in waves over one shoulder, her other shoulder was bare, tanned perfection. Golden blonde, Keito let himself follow the trail of hair all the way down to her slender waist.
She beckoned to the tattooed man who was eyeing Keito suspiciously, clearly wanting to leave the small space where the three of them stood. Reaching for his back pocket without standing, she retrieved a tiny bag of white powder. He hung his head in defeat. At that she seemed satisfied and dismissed her ex-pursuer from the stall with a casual wave of her hand.
The shady man needed no further encouragement. He ducked around Keito and sprinted out of the bathroom, leaving Keito the golden goddess alone in the stall. An unusual feeling gripped him in the following moment, was it – awkwardness? He stood a few more seconds, perhaps naively waiting for some kind of appreciation. It never came. The woman sat playing with the bag of powder, a pensive look on her face.
Just as he resolved to leave, she spoke softly. "Aren't you going to tell me that it's bad for me?" She batted her thick lashes a few times and her blue eyes told him she was looking for something in his answer, but he wasn't sure what.
"It's your life," Keito shrugged, looking away. He'd strayed down too many dark roads to ever be able to judge another person's choices. She perked up slightly at his answer and offered him her dainty hand.
"Aino Minako. The one and only." she said with an exaggerated wink. When the sadness left her face, Keito recognized her quickly as the lead singer of Venom. Interesting, he mused, resolving not to ask her the thousands of questions that poured into his mind; the foremost being, Does your manager know about this little habit of yours? He helped her to her feet and she quickly straightened out her elegant metallic woven-lamédress.
"Soooo," her voice was all bubbles now, "let's continue this party at your place!" Before he could protest, she linked her arm through his and dragged him out of the men's room.
Most of the partygoers were too drunk or too distracted to notice the pair emerge together, Keito noticed with relief. Minako's red painted finger nails dug deeper into his white tuxedo clad arm as she quickened her stride. She was bee lining for the doors and Keito knew he had only a few more moments to locate his friends. He quickly found his brother putting moves on the bartender; And Jin was on the dance floor, likely still pining over Venom's guitarist…
His eyes flashed to the empty canopy where he had left Usagi and guilt washed over him. He had made a silent promise to make sure she well taken care of and now he was gallivanting off with the woman she hated most in the world.
"Minako, can you hold that door for me?" A familiar voice called out to them.
"Sure Mamoru!" She sang in response. She glanced pointedly at Keito, obviously expecting him to be the one to deliver on her words. Seconds after he obliged, a disgruntled looking Usagi emerged from the party, being half carried half led by Mamoru.
One of her buns had come undone and colorless strands of hair fell into her flushed face. She hiccupped twice before glaring directly at Keito, triggering another tidal wave of guilt. She knows! He mentally braced himself for a verbal lashing, but Usagi only hiccupped again and took a long swig of the bottle of wine he just noticed she haphazardly carried in her right hand.
"Who gave her that?" Keito asked, astounded. Icy eyes looked purposely at Mamoru and the ebony haired man sighed in resignation.
"After a little nap she was rearing to go and she somehow convinced the bartender to give her an entire bottle of their finest cabernet."
Usagi flashed a proud smile before slumping into Mamoru's arms once more. Mamoru's black tuxedo jacket hung on Usagi's shoulders and he had rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, revealing his muscular arms. Noticing for the first time how tenderly he touched Usagi, Keito let himself off the hook for the night. He stole a sideways glance at Minako, thanking his lucky stars that Usagi seemed too inebriated to recognize her.
"Honestly," Mamoru continued, exasperated, "I don't know how you guys have kept her alive this long."
Keito's lips curved into a smile as he stepped into the street to hail a cab. In seconds a driver waiting to accept passengers with open doors. He beckoned to Mamoru that he could have the first ride. When Usagi had safely slid into her seat, Keito firmly grabbed the tall man by his shoulder and held him there.
"Let's make a deal, Chiba Mamoru." To Keito's surprise, Mamoru did not shy away form the rough gesture. I might actually like this man after all.
"I'll take care of your princess for the night, if you promise to do the same for ours."
Mamoru nodded once in understanding and then flashed a confident smile.
"Deal."
Minako talked a thousand miles a minute for the entire fifteen-minute taxi ride to Keito's apartment. Keito barely got a word in edgewise but truthfully he preferred it this way. Halfway through the tirp, he had thought it wise to text Naro and instruct him to stay with Jin tonight. He could only imagine what his celebrity obsessed band mates would do if they found out he was spending the night with Venom's lead singer, though he imagined it'd be better by half than what Usagi would do. Keito mentally kicked himself for not asking Mamoru to keep his secret for him before they parted ways.
"Damn, I didn't realize you lived in China!" Minako giggled at her own jest as the taxicab navigated through the dark streets of his rundown neighborhood. The sound was like a gentle stream in a quiet forest to Keito's ears.
"So what were you doing at the Gaia party? Are you a producer or something? You look so edgy, you've got to be in the business!" Her red lips parted to reveal a perfect white teethed smile as she pulled a strand of his silvery hair loose from its ponytail. Keito fought down an uncharacteristic blush for the tenth time in their short time together. Minako's charm was overwhelming and magnetic; he felt very much like a helpless moth drawn to a flame. The flame destroys the moth, Keito thought somberly but as Minako stared at him with those unnaturally big eyes, he found it hard to care.
"Actually, I'm in my own band. We were invited by a pure stroke of luck it seems."
"Luck indeed." Minako purred, inching a little closer to him. "So what do you play?"
"I'm the drummer."
"I've never dated a drummer before." Another inch of space between them disappeared.
"We're here." The cab driver called back to them, saving Keito from Minako's spell. His walls of ice resurrected, he briskly opened the door and slipped the cab driver all the yen in his wallet. Minako stepped out, barely bothering to investigate her surroundings.
"Which floor do you live on?"
At the sight of her standing in the large dirty space the apartment complex dared call a lawn, Keito suddenly felt uneasy. Even in the dim flickering light of the closest street lamp, her long form fitting gown and golden hair sparkled. She doesn't belong in an unscrupulous place like this. Why didn't he insist they go to a hotel downtown?
"The fifth." He answered her, deciding it was too late to do anything about it now.
Minako strode fearlessly towards his rugged apartment building, lifting her skirt to avoid dirtying it on the unpaved path.
"You coming?" She yelled back to him and he couldn't help but smirk as she gracefully began to climb the stairs in her towering heels. She'd reached the fifth floor before he'd even made it to the second.
"Which apartment number?" She called down to him from the balcony.
"Four!" He shouted up to her, quickening his pace.
"Ooooh unlucky number four." She retorted, making a reference to the fact that the Japanese word for four and the Japanese word for death sounded similar. Keito was already all too aware of that misfortunate information. Minako erupted into another string of lovely giggles but halfway through the sound turned shrill. She was screaming.
He sprinted up the final staircase and down the hall to his door where he found her collapsed on the floor. Her beautiful face was twisted in fear as she pointed towards his apartment.
He smelled it before he saw it; a dead rat nailed to the number four on his door. Its blood trickled down and stained his welcome mat.
They had found him.
"I don't like you very much."
The words didn't sting because Mamoru could tell instantly that she was lying. Her lip jutted out in a pout and her arms were crossed, but her blue eyes gleamed with amusement. Above his head, he held her half empty wine bottle as they rode the elevator to the thirtieth floor where his apartment waited for them.
"Give me my wine, Baka." She said with a bitter drawl. She'd had spent the cab ride giving him endless grief for not properly introducing himself in Niseko and had since refused to use his actual name.
She stood nearly a foot shorter than him but it didn't stop her from one last desperate jump for her bottle of wine. Her hand barely reached his elbow before gravity claimed her and she landed in a heap on the elevator floor.
A long exaggerated wail pierced his ear drums.
"Shhh Odango!" He scolded, "It's 3AM! You're going to get me evicted!"
"Don't call me that!" She seethed, glaring up at him with glassy drunken eyes. She was an absolutely obnoxious drunk, but he couldn't deny that he found her adorable, even now. The elevator dinged signaling their arrival, but she remained sitting stubbornly on the floor. Crouching down to her level, he offered her the object of her desire, the warm bottle of cabernet.
"Want a little wine with that whine?" He grinned at his own cleverness. She smiled slightly at his dumb joke before closing her eyes and passing out. Fuck.
"Need me to hold the elevator door open for you?" The amused voice of his neighbor Mizuno Ami startled him. He turned to find her already standing in the metal doorway. She was wearing periwinkle scrubs and looked fresh faced and perky.
"Night shift?" He asked knowingly. She nodded in response before examining the blonde woman sprawled at her feet.
"So, I'm guessing the Gaia party went well?" She mused as Mamoru scooped up the unconscious Usagi, spilling a few drops of red wine on the carpet in the process.
"Oh yes. Real shame you had to miss it Ami." He exited the elevator, immensely grateful that she'd been there to assist. She didn't press him for further information on the blonde's identity - it wasn't her style to be nosey.
Ami hurried down the hall to unlock his door for him. He'd given her a spare key when she'd first moved into the building, in case he ever needed her to water his many plants. Of all the people he interacted with on a daily basis at Gaia, Ami was by far his favorite. Her quiet personality and desire for greatness beyond Venom was something Mamoru deeply admired.
Usagi hung limp in his arms, surprisingly heavy for such a skinny girl, and he entered his apartment quickly.
"Thank you Ami-chan!" He called to the blue haired woman and she smiled in return.
"Make sure she sleeps on her side." Ami warned him seriously before shutting his door and leaving them alone in Mamoru's immaculately clean apartment.
Mamoru began to panic. Do I put her in my bed? Do I put her on the couch? Should I leave her in her dress? He paced in his living room, Usagi still weighing heavily in his arms.
He moved to his bedroom, deciding he'd lay her there unchanged and he'd sleep on the his uncomfortable futon. He set her down, gently positioning her on her side per Ami's request, before pulling his navy covers over her lithe form. He couldn't help but notice the seductive curve of her hipbone under her thin white dress.
Focus Mamoru. This girl was nothing but a sharp-tongued nuisance. He reminded himself that he was only taking care of her tonight as gratitude for sparing him an uncomfortable conversation with Rei. Never mind how natural she'd felt laying on his chest at the Gaia party and never mind how she kept showing up everywhere he went.
Absentmindedly he reached for the red steamer he'd pulled out of her hair at the party. Why he'd kept it, he couldn't be sure, but knowing it hadn't fallen out of his pocket on his journey home brought him comfort. He found himself staring at Usagi's angelic face memorizing how sweet she looked, when suddenly her eyes shot open.
"Mamoru." She said his real name for the first time and his heart skipped a beat. She groaned weakly as she reached for the plant by his bedside table.
And then she was vomiting into the vase.
