Author's Notes: Firstly, sorry, sorry so sorry for not updating sooner * scratches head sheepishly *….. been busy trying to pack and finish this story at the same time. I hope everyone likes it :)

Read, please review and enjoy!

PS: Read all the way to the bottom and the review section…you'll understand why…

***

`Toshi? Toshi…where are you? Hide wants to…' Yoshi pushed open the door to the guest bedroom but stopped when he realised that it was currently being used by a famous rock star and his girlfriend.

`Sorry!' he apologised quickly shutting the door but his lips twitched as he suppressed a smile. He walked quickly along the landing continuing his search but now being sure to knock loudly before attempting to enter any room. However each time he came up with nothing to show for his efforts and it was really starting to piss him off.

`In a house this big, he could be anywhere,' he muttered under his breath. However that was exactly what he had loved about this house in the first place. His home was the very epitome of spacious minimalist design, a marriage of pristine angular white walls and modern black patent leather furniture. It was his haven, situated at the very fringe of Tokyo's metropolis, where he went to get away and disappear.

However these days he was home less and less as X Japan seemed to be constantly touring, doing promotions or at the studio recording new material. It was so spotlessly clean that you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was a showroom, only the various awards and pictures on the walls showing that someone actually lived there.

From the landing, you were treated to a complete view of the foyer, which was normally empty save his gleaming black grand piano. Now however it was full to the brim, with people even spilling out onto the lawn despite the chilly weather. In the center of all that stood Hide, dressed in eye catching designer turquoise, the slightly tipsy sparkle in his eyes telling Yoshi that he was definitely enjoying himself, which made the drummer pleased.

`At least he's happy,' he winced a little as he caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror. As a sort of extra birthday present to him, the rest of X Japan had agreed to dress up the way he wanted….a decision they had all swiftly come to regret.

`Actually, I got off easy,' he thought ruefully looking down at the ensemble that Hide had picked for him. He had on leather trousers that were so tight that it was a minor miracle he was even able to breathe. It was held together by panels of transparent black fabric running the entire length of the sides revealing to the world that the drummer wasn't wearing underwear in any shape or form. His shirt was delicate handmade lace and the ends of his coloured hair feathered with wax so that it softly framed his face. His eyelids were coloured translucent cobalt blue and his lips painted a luscious shade of plum.

However in all honestly, the look wasn't that drastically different from what he had previously worn on stage. But his outfit paled in comparison to what Toshi was wearing, or more accurately what Hide made him wear. Hence why he was looking for him, the vocalist was hiding.

`There you are!' he exclaimed finally spotting him in the gym, `Come downstairs, Hide wants to show you off.' But the vocalist just stubbornly shook his head.

`I am NOT some prize pony to be paraded around Yoshi!' he protested hotly, the blood rushing to his cheeks. Yoshi sighed, only the slightest bit exasperated at his friend. Actually he could understand Toshi's awkwardness, for even when X Japan were all about Glam he always tended to be a touch conservative. Yoshi always had to push him to choose more daring outfits that were in keeping with their image and even then it was an uphill battle. And he had certainly never worn something like this before, which even Yoshi thought borderlined obscene.

Instead of trousers he had on lacy patterned leggings his modesty preserved only by a pair of vinyl hotpants, matched with what Hide had called `smack-my-bitch-up' boots. Over it, he wore a heavily embroidered floor length blue jacket held closed by a single button at his navel. His normally dark hair was now bronze thanks to the aid of temporary hair colour and glittery blue-black eyeshadow along with dark cherry red lip-gloss completed the look.

`Why the hell did I agree to…'

`Because it's his birthday and we all promised,' Yoshi interjected tugging at his arm but Toshi was surprisingly strong when he wanted to be. Seeing that his friend was definitely not budging, he sighed and said.

`Look, Heath and Pata have more to be self-conscious about that you and they're out there,' Yoshi pointed out. The drummer had him by the balls there Toshi begrudgingly admitted.

For them Hide had picked almost identical outfits consisting of embellished jeans, tailored shirts, leather vests and lots of silver jewelry differing only in the colour of their shirts, with the bassist wearing blue and Pata wearing red. It was a nod that was as good as a sly wink from the guitarist in regards to their relationship.

`Fine!' Toshi stormed out into the landing but still unused to the boots, caught his heel on the thick white carpeting and almost fell headlong down the stairs if he hadn't quickly gotten hold of the banister. Yoshi instantly burst out laughing stopping only when the vocalist glared at him.

`Just WAIT! Hide is going to regret he ever…,' Toshi trailed off as he saw Yoshi look over the banister, staring as if transfixed at something at the door. He followed Yoshi's eyes and saw Omi and Aya just coming through the door. To be more precise, Yoshi's gaze rested on Aya who was dressed in gunmetal silk, the classic colour a foil for his unconventional looks.

A flicker of concern crossed the vocalist's face; it worried him actually this hold that this man seemed to have over his friend. Yoshi for all his mystery when performing, possessed an extremely down to earth, no-nonsense personality that delighted and disappointed fans in equal measure when they met him. Interestingly enough, Aya's personality mirrored that of Yoshi's stage one, aloof and sensual without meaning to be. He just hoped Yoshi knew what he was getting into.

`Lets go greet them shall we,' he said, taking hold of Yoshi's hand and pulling him down the stairs.

At the doorway, Omi was clearly in awe of his surroundings while Aya was looking decidedly less than impressed, in fact if there were a word to describe his expression it would be wary.

`We shouldn't be here Omi,' Aya said looking as if he would bolt out the door given the chance. Omi worried his bottom lip briefly before turning to his friend.

`Aya-kun please don't say that. Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in our positions? Please don't make a scene,' his eyes openly pleading with him now, the satin aquamarine shirt he was wearing bringing out their sapphire colour. It was a look that would have melted a heart of stone, unfortunately Aya wasn't so easily persuaded.

`Omi, I don't care. I just….'

`Glad you two could make it,' Yoshi quietly interrupted causing them both to jump rather guiltily.

`Yoshi-san,' Omi hurriedly said, `I am sorry we are late, but Hide-san's laptop took a little longer to fix than I thought it would.' The blonde was glad to see that Aya was just standing there quietly, his eyes downcast as if not wanting to meet the drummer's.

`Hello,' the greeting came from what appeared to be a drag queen standing behind the X Japan leader. Omi blinked, perplexed for a split second before recognition set in.

`Toshi….san?' he said cautiously, eyes wide with astonishment. The vocalist glowered.

`Hide..' he explained, almost snarling as he named the guitarist.

`Did I hear someone mention me?' Hide suddenly emerged from the crowd, his eyes immediately lighting up as he spied the new arrivals. `Its wonderful you're here,' he said and without warning scooped the small blonde up in a hug, holding him so close that Omi could feel his alcohol tinged breath brush his cheek.

`Happy Birthday Hide-san, from the both of us,' Omi said, feeling a little shy from the guitarist's spontaneous gesture but that was Hide for you, Yoshi thought fondly. It was times like this that reminded him why the rest of X Japan eventually gave in to the pink haired man.

At that moment, his kohl-rimmed eyes happen to glance at Toshi and his mouth immediately curved up in his famous half smile.

`Glad to see that Yoshi's jacket fits,' he said slyly. Toshi's brown eyes narrowed.

`Asshole!' he spluttered but Hide just blew him a kiss in response.

`You love me really,' he said carelessly before turning his attention back to Omi and Aya. `Come, let me get you a drink,' he clasped Omi's wrist and started to pull him towards the bar.

`Shall we follow?' Yoshi said with a smile. Aya hesitated for a moment before nodding his head, after all there was no use in him just standing there like an ornament decorating the front door.

They weaved through the crowd but never got further than a few steps at a time as people kept stopping Yoshi to make small talk. When they finally did arrive at the crowded granite topped bar, they found Omi flanked by Pata to his left and Toshi to his right. Aya got himself a Vodka and cranberry while Yoshi opted for straight up Southern Comfort but before he could even take a sip, a man dressed in smart black sidled up to him and started whispering something into his ear causing his calm expression to shift to one of irritation.

`Fuck!' he swore slamming down his shot glass. `Excuse me,' he apologised brusquely before disappearing into the crowd.

`Ah, the perils of being a host,' Aya inclined his head in the direction of Toshi who was nursing a bourbon on the rocks, `you get summoned the minute something goes wrong.'

`Hmph,' Aya replied.

This flippant gesture really irked Toshi for he considered X Japan more than just his workmates; they were his family and none so more than Yoshi. He couldn't understand how his friend could have fallen for a man who had about as much charm as a block of ice. For one wild moment, he felt like flooring him but instead just gave him a tight smile.

`Come,' he said his tone just about civil, `I'll show you around.'

For the rest of the evening, Aya found himself being constantly shuffled between groups of people. Some of who were nice, some of who were famous and most of who were too drunk to walk straight. But then who could hardly blame them for the alcohol flowed like a river throughout the night and he found himself drinking more than he normally would have.

Without realising it, he found himself constantly keeping an eye open for Yoshi but was only able to catch glimpses of him in the crowd. Once Yoshi had actually caught him looking and gave him quick apologetic smile that had made the redhead flush.

Aya would have never admitted it to Omi, but he wouldn't lie to himself and say that it hadn't crossed his mind about a hundred times throughout the course of the day about backing out of this party. But every time he decided he wouldn't go, citing a dozen very good reasons why…..an image of Yoshi would appear unbidden in his mind, those soft almost melancholic hazel eyes seemingly able to look right through him.

And suddenly the decision didn't seem so easy or clear-cut anymore.

*

The crowd stared to peter out around 2:30 am, with people leaving in staggered groups mostly draped over the shoulders of their designated drivers. Toshi and his girlfriend had left a little earlier followed closely by Heath and Pata, who seemed to have only each other on their minds. It was now the birthday boy's turn to leave but not before he fell on Yoshi and gave him a bone-breaking hug.

`That was an ab-so-lute-ly fucking blast! Sank you Yoshi,' he said, his words slurring a little as he gave Yoshi a hard kiss on the mouth which looked innocent enough but only Yoshi could feel the quiver of a tongue and a quicksilver nip of teeth. Laughing, he pushed both Hide and his girlfriend out the door and with them gone that just left…

Yoshi started.

Aya…

Sure enough only Aya was present in the living room; his coat draped over his arm while he repeatedly glanced at his watch. Yoshi raised one eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

`Where's Omi?' he asked sitting next to the redhead.

`He got a call from work around midnight. Something about an important server breaking down so he had to go and deal with it.' Yoshi nodded his head in understanding, he recalled now seeing Omi pacing outside his cellphone pressed to his ear earlier in the night.

`God you must think I am bad host,' he said a little shamefaced, `not noticing when one of my guest's leaves.'

`How could you have noticed? There were hundreds of people around and you had things to attend to,' Aya said trying to sound matter of fact despite the lingering effects of the large amount of alcohol he had consumed.

`Still,' Yoshi flicked back a lock of caramel coloured hair, `will he be coming to pick you up?'

Aya nodded.

`Well, until then….you want another drink?' Without waiting for a reply, Yoshi extracted a square bottle and two shot glasses from a nearby cabinet. Aya opened his mouth to protest, but his judgement that was blurred somewhat by alcohol made him decide to throw caution to the wind.

`You'll have to settle for Tequila, it seems to be the only thing that's left,' Yoshi filled the squat glasses full to the brim with the pale gold liquid. They clinked their glasses together and simultaneously downed the potent liquid in one shot. The liquor felt thick on his tongue and made his lips tingle, its effect almost immediate. As Yoshi poured them another shot, Aya couldn't help but notice how quiet the surroundings had become; even the catering staff had gone home.

`So is it true,' Aya suddenly queried in his deep baritone, wanting to break the silence `that in addition to playing drums and piano, composing and writing X Japan's songs, you also can also play guitar and bass?'

Yoshi nodded.

`Forgive me if this sounds presumptuous but,' Aya idly traced his finger around the rim of his glass, `is there anything you cant do?'

Yoshi blinked at first and then threw his head back and laughed.

`Well I can't sing, I'm nothing compared to Hide and I am nowhere close to Toshi's level,' he smiled behind his shot glass.

`Sorry if I find it hard to believe that the band leader of X Japan can't sing,' Aya said skeptically.

`I'm not a rarity, you'd be surprised how many band leaders would prefer to play rather than sing,' Yoshi said as he slid a cigarette into his mouth and lighting it.

Aya however still didn't look convinced, so Yoshi lead him to his grand piano and sat him on the edge of the bench. He tapped his chin as he contemplated what to play and after a few minutes of deliberation, played the opening chord to `Say Anything.'

`Sawameki dake ga kokoro o sashite, kikoenai mune no toiki,' he sang in his husky tenor, ` toki o wasurete motome samayou takanaru, omoi nurashite.'

Aya immediately winced a little. Yoshi was right, his deep voice with its rough-hewn edges was not suited to the smooth rather romantic melody, in fact he sounded a little off pitch.

`All right, all right I believe you,' Aya said conceding defeat, `will you stop singing now.' The last statement wasn't said as an insult as Aya had a teasing half smile on his face as he said it, which caused Yoshi's breath to catch his throat.

`See I told you,' he said hoping his voice sounded steady. `And anyway,' he added slyly, looking up at the redhead through his lashes, `how do you know I play bass and guitar?'

Aya flushed a little at the question but still answered without missing a heartbeat.

`Omi,' he said dryly, `he wanted to make sure that I knew everything about X Japan so I wouldn't embarrass him and played me all your songs in continuous loop.'

`Omi,' Yoshi said casually tracing a figure of eight in the piano's highly polished surface, `is he your koibito?' The minute the word left his lips, Yoshi could have kicked himself for his artlessness. He had only meant to say boyfriend but instead lover came out. Gratefully however, Aya didn't seem to notice his slip.

`Omi? God no, what would make you think that?' Aya said bemused, `he already has a boyfriend but I am single at the moment, why?'

`Oh, no reason…just that you guys are always together that's all,' Yoshi said, sounding nonchalant but inside he was almost stupidly happy at the fact that the redhead was unattached.

`Well in that case, let me ask you a question,' Aya tilted his head to the side so he could get a better look at the pianist, `is there anything between you and Toshi?'

Yoshi returned Aya's bemused smile with one of his own.

`The tabloids and fangirls would admittedly like there to be something, unfortunately we must disappoint them. We are just good friends, also he has a girlfriend whom you might have seen earlier,' Yoshi absentmindedly ran his fingers up and down the keys playing a nameless tune.

Aya kept silent, the trace of wistfulness in the Yoshi's tone made him wonder whether the drummer at one point may have wanted things to be different. He looked at him out of the corner of his eye, watching as he played a scale, his shoulders slightly slumped over the keyboard. His fingers suddenly itched to brush back the strands of sand coloured hair and trace slender line of his jawbone.

`So…do you have a favourite song?' Yoshi asked, trying to lighten the mood. Aya exhaled slowly, glad that Yoshi had spoken effectively stopping him from doing anything idiotic.

`It would have to be `Tears',' he said simply, he didn't add how well he had related to the lyrics or how they had seemed to echo his own thoughts.

`What about `Forever Love'?' Yoshi kept a close eye on the redhead as he asked the question. He saw Aya's amethyst eyes instantly become shadowed with what looked like sorrow and immediately wanted to take his words back.

`It was…it was the favourite song of someone I used to know,' Aya said quietly, `he always used to love to sing it although he himself admitted he could hardly carry a tune….'

`Aya..'

At the sound of his name, his lifted his head to see Yoshi's face mere inches away from his. He had been so lost in the thoughts that he hadn't notice the drummer moving closer. Slowly, almost as if he were dreaming, he saw him lift a hand to brush away a crimson eartail.

`I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…'

But his next words were drowned out by the loud blast of a horn from the outside, startling the both of them. Sanity and reason rapidly came back to Aya in a rush.

`Id better go,' he said a little shakily as he gathered his things, `thank you for everything.' He practically jumped off the bench wanting to put as much distance between him and the rock star.

`Aya, wait!' Yoshi caught his sleeve, which Aya roughly shook off.

`What do you want Yoshi!?' he snapped, the coldness in Aya's tone shocking him but he wouldn't be dissuaded.

`We finish the tour on Thursday, on Saturday if you're free…..would you like to have dinner with me?' Yoshi said firmly.

Aya's breathing hitched.

`Are you….asking me out?' he said, the ice turning into pure disbelief.

`You don't have to answer me now,' Yoshi tore off a sheet of paper from the pad he kept on the hallway table and hurriedly scribbled something on it. `Here's my number, you don't even have to call me, just text….yes or no.'

He knew he should have told him that what he wanted was impossible right there and then. But he took one look at the intensity in Yoshi's eyes and almost against his will he felt his own eyes soften. For a moment he sounded very much like Yohji when he was determined. Taking the piece of paper, he spun on his heel and left.

`Hi Aya-kun,' Omi greeted cheerfully as Aya slid into the passenger seat, `sorry I'm so late, the problem turned out to be much more complicated than they let on, the bastards. God, I am going to kill them for making me miss the rest of Hide-san's party.'

He kept talking as he pulled out of the driveway, telling Aya how everything had almost crashed and how he had gone about fixing it. It was only when they were on the highway that Omi realised that Aya hadn't said a word since stepping into the car. He frowned as he saw the strange expression on his friend's face.

`Aya..kun? Are you ok?' he asked concerned. The blonde saw the skin of Aya's throat move as he swallowed.

`He…Yoshi….just asked me out,' Aya said the words barely audible.

Omi stared at him, his mouth wide open and almost drove into the steel divider if Aya hadn't caught hold of the wheel.

`Omi,' he growled, `eyes on the road!'

`Sorry, sorry,' he apologised forcing his gaze back to darkness that stretched before him. They drove in silence for a while until Omi, after making sure there were no other cars on the road, turned his attention back to the redhead.

`Are you....' Omi paused tentatively, `are you going to say yes?' Aya didn't meet his eyes, choosing instead to stare out the window.

`I don't know,' he said quietly. It wasn't the thought of the date that disturbed him, it was Yoshi. There was no use in denying it, he was attracted to him, and tonight's incident had just brought those feelings to the forefront. Although the time they had known each other had been brief, somehow the leader of X Japan had gotten to him.

The part of him that was sensible didn't want to go any further with this, to nip in the bud whatever…this…..was. But the part of him that was stubborn wanted him to face it and prove to himself that his attraction to the rock star was nothing more than a passing feeling that would last as long a summer spell.

The two sides battled, shouting their reasons to each other in his head until finally, Aya reached a decision. Taking his phone and the number Yoshi had given him out of his pocket, he flicked his fingers over the keys spelling out his reply.

`What's your answer?' Omi asked. When Aya showed him, he bit his lip. `Are you sure?' he asked, not wanting the redhead to regret it later.

Aya pressed the `Send' key.

`Yes,' he said softly as he sank back into his seat.

***

That night, Aya dreamt about Yohji for the first time in months.

*

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