Author's Notes: Well, all I've gotten so far are positive reviews, so I'm going to continue writing this. I hope everyone continues to like it, whether you read "Christmas is a Time..." last year, or whether it's all new to you this year.

Please, enjoy, and try not to think about it too hard, XD

Uesugi Eiri frowned at himself in the mirror. His current state could barely be considered "dressed". Black dress-pants hung lowly off his hips, the fly wide open, revealing his dark-blue boxer-briefs. A white, button down shirt lay open across his chest. An undone dark-red tie was flung around his neck haphazardly. His wet hair stuck up at odd angles.

Shindou Shuichi opened the bedroom door and stepped in, wearing only a towel around his waist. His pink hair was dripping wet, as with the rest of him.

"Yuki," the younger man began, frowning at his lover, "you've been in here for fifteen minutes! Look at you, you're a wreck!"

Eiri growled at his reflection. "I can't find anything to wear without looking too spirited or too casual."

Shuichi beamed. It was surprisingly comforting to hear Eiri was that concerned about his appearance for the singer's concert.

"There, there." The pink-coiffed man strutted over to the closet they shared. He reached in and pulled out a few articles of clothing. "Try this."

Shuichi stepped in front of Eiri, blocking the blond's view of himself in the mirror. The vocalist had the clothing slung over his shoulder. He reached out and pulled Eiri's pants to the proper position and closed them, though not without running teasing fingers across his lovers exposed skin.

Shuichi smiled warmly as Eiri ran both hands back through the younger man's wet hair. The writer put his lips to Shuichi's forehead.

"If you put something ridiculous on me, I'll kill you," he warned. Contrary to his threat, his lips caressed his paramour's forehead with every word.

Shuichi laughed shortly. He titled back his head and caught Eiri's lips with his own.

The singer pulled back and smiled. "I'll make it so that all your little fangirls will go home with wet panties."

The author arched an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if that was the look he was going for or not... but it was an added plus.

The shorter man trailed his fingers up Eiri's chest and over his shoulders. Eiri dropped his arms, and Shuichi pushed the white shirt off, letting it pool limply over Eiri's wrists. The novelist assisted Shuichi by fully ridding himself of the garment and letting it drop on the floor. The tie fell with it.

Shuichi kissed all over Eiri's collar bone and throat while he proceeded to slip the new shirt on the taller man. Eiri joined in the effort to get the shirt on himself, making it easier so that Shuichi's mouth didn't pause for a second.

Eventually, however, the boy pulled back. He buttoned the honey-eyed man up and then retrieved the fallen dark red tie. Shuichi knotted up Eiri's tie for him, making it as snug as needed.

The singer stepped back and handed Eiri a blazer to complete the outfit. He grinned triumphantly when the blond finished dressing.

Stepping aside, Shuichi gave Eiri access to his reflection in the mirror once more. The older man seemed rather impressed.

Eiri hadn't figured wearing all black, save for the crimson tie, would actually look good. However, the ensemble managed to fit together rather nicely, especially how it contrasted with his light hair and eyes. Plus, he noted smugly, it gave him that "dark and mysterious" look he knew young girls swooned far. Shuichi was right - those girls would go home with wet panties.

"You like?" the vocalist cooed, grinning proudly.

Eiri smirked. "Yeah." He turned to the side to eye himself from a different angle. "Not bad. Though, when you're as attractive as me, about anything will look good."

The pink-haired man frowned. "You're welcome," he replied sarcastically. "Now go fix your hair - you look like a crazy man."

The writer ran a hand through the damp locks. "Right, right." He waved over his shoulder and sauntered out of the room.

Shuichi smiled widely as he watched his lover leave. He was glad that all the girls would be drooling over Eiri. It made the young man feel all the more important to be the only one Eiri had eyes for.

As Shuichi dressed he hummed happily. He felt so blessed, sometimes, to have the blond in his life. Even if Eiri didn't show too much affection, there had been a lot of progress since the two had first met. Eiri was loyal and possessive, and it made Shuichi's heart swell. Eiri would never leave him, the singer knew. Eiri was totally, and completely devoted to Shuichi, whether he said it or not.

Shuichi heard a nose and turned his head toward the doorway. Eiri was leaning against the frame, a dangerous little smirk on his lips. His hair was slicked back, with many straggling bangs still falling forward.

"So, what do you think?" the older man drawled. "I'll probably get at least ten girls' phone numbers tonight, right?"

Shuichi sighed heavily. Yes, Eiri was completely devoted and had eyes for no one else...

Eiri stepped through the grand, gold-painted double doors. The hall in which the concert would be held was quite different from the previous year.

Last Christmas, the concert had been arranged just like any old concert. There were seats going all the way up a slope and then a whole other balcony floor above that. There was a simple stage with extraordinary lights. A band came out, performed, and then a different band came out, performed, and so and so forth.

This year, however, N-G had tried something new and a bit more personal.

Three-hundred-and-fifty lucky fans had managed to score tickets for the show. Fifty other friends and family members of those in N-G had been invited for free. Aside from those four-hundred, and the television crew, no one else would be allowed in the hall.

The set-up looked like any regular N-G party. The walls were lined with buffet arrangements and there were several round tables, each seating twelve. A few couches were placed where the buffet tables ended. One of the back walls was a simple two-foot high stage with barely any professional lighting. And, taking up nearly half of the other back wall was an extravagant Christmas tree, a good seven feet tall. It was decorated elaborately with fake presents littering the floor around it.

Eiri crossed through a crowd of people and made his way to a self-serve bar. He poured himself whatever was in the nearest bottle and drank it quick and straight. He was going to need it if he wanted to get through the night. All these people were already giving him a headache.

He looked at the stage, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of Shuichi peeking his stupid pink head out to get a look at the crowd. Eiri wanted to brutally murder the boy just about then. Shuichi had never informed him that the concert would be like this. Eiri had been hoping that he would just take an assigned seat in the dark, watch the damn performance, and then go home, no questions asked.

"Eiri-san!"

The said blond didn't budge. He didn't recognize the voice, which meant it was most likely some ridiculous fan asking for an autograph, or something.

"Eiri-san!"

He frowned at the person's persistence and poured himself another drink. Just as he was about to slug it down, Eiri felt a hand rest itself on his shoulder.

The nerve of this guy!

The writer turned around, ready to offer some fiery words of wisdom and then walk off. However, the face Eiri was met with was one he hadn't quite expected.

"Uh..." Eiri furrowed his brow. "Sakano-san, wasn't it?"

The man beamed. "Yes, that's right." He bowed shortly. "I'm sorry to - er - interrupt your drinking..." Both men's eyes fell to the bottle in one of Eiri's hands and the glass in the other.

The novelist quickly put the drinks down. "What can I do for you?" he asked curtly.

Sakano was flustered. "Ah, yes. The boss was looking for you," he sputtered out. The dark-haired man pointed towards the Christmas tree. "He's over there with his family." The droop in Sakano's voice at the end of his sentence didn't go unnoticed.

Eiri raised an eyebrow. "So, are you his search hound or something? Or just his bitch?"

The producer looked away in defeat. "I'm just doing my job, Eiri-san."

"Right." The blond waved a hand, as if dismissing the subject. "Well then, go tell your master I'll be with him shortly."

Sakano grimaced. He spun on his heel dejectedly and made his way back to the tree. Eiri only shook his head.

The author downed another drink and just loitered around for a little while longer. He checked his watch periodically, counting down the minutes until the blasted show began.

After a sufficient amount of time, Eiri made his way over to the tree. As he squeezed through the crowd, he received many looks of awe and delight. Apparently it made many fans very pleased to see Japan's number one romance novelist at his lover's concert. Eiri rolled his eyes.

"Ah, Eiri-san!"

The aforementioned man waved unenthusiastically. "Hi," he replied plainly.

Seguchi Tohma stepped towards his brother-in-law and smiled warmly. "Merry Christmas."

"Right. You, too." Eiri looked to Tohma's left. "Aneki - hey."

Seguchi Mika gave a little half-smile. "Happy Holidays, Eiri." The baby she held in her arms made a little noise. Her smiled widened.

Eiri couldn't help but grin. "Hey there, kiddo." He rested a hand on the baby's head, ruffling what little hair there was.

Tohma stepped to his wife's side. He looked to his son. "Say 'Merry Christmas' to Uncle Eiri," he teased, gently patting the baby's back.

"I'm not sure I like being called that," the taller man confessed.

Tohma laughed shortly. "Why not?"

"Well, do you like being called 'Daddy'?" Eiri retorted. "It sounds creepy, if you ask me."

The N-G president shook his head in amusement. "As much as I'd like to continue this, I have a performance to begin." He stepped back and waved. "See you three later."

"Good luck," Mika offered as her husband walked away. She watched his retreating back for a moment and then turned to her brother. "So, what are you doing for the holiday?"

Eiri's eyes slid to stare at the nearest wall. He was frowning deeply. "Shuichi and I are going to Kyoto to see the old man and Tatsuha."

Mika nearly dropped her son.

Before the eldest Uesugi could ask exactly what became of her brother, Tohma's voice came through the speakers placed about the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, smiling merrily, "welcome to the N-G Christmas Concert." The crowd clapped energetically. "I hope you all enjoy the performances of ASK, Bad Luck, Nittle Grasper, and the debut of our newest band, Plastic Chainsaw. At this time, please turn off all cellular devices. Flash photography and videotaping is prohibited, unless, of course, you're the television crew." The lights in the room began to dim considerably. "And now, please relax and enjoy."

The hall went dark for a few moments as the crowd burst into applause and cheering. Eiri even found it in himself to clap a bit, too.

The lights in the hall came back up just enough so that you could see the immediate people around you. Eiri was pleased - that meant he'd be able to see enough to get another drink.

Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper's members were poised about the make-shift stage. Nakano Hiroshi, Fujisaki Suguru, Seguchi Tohma, and Ukai Noriko stood towards the back of the stage with their respective instruments. Shindou Shuichi was placed further towards the front on stage left. A microphone stand was in front of him. On stage right was Sakuma Ryuichi with a microphone clipped onto the Christmas-y pajamas he wore. Kumagorou was held tightly in the singer's grip.

Eiri, along with the majority of the crowd, arched an eyebrow. Why on earth was Ryuichi wearing pajamas?

Shuichi's eyes shined in the blinding light of a spotlight falling on him and his idol.

A quick arpeggio was played by Tohma and Shuichi sucked in a breath.

"Christmas toys all over the place," he began singing sweetly. "Little Ryuichi wears a funny smile on his face/ Ryu has a secret, and he's the only one who knows..." Shuichi turned his head to Ryuichi and smiled. "He wants to tell somebody/ so he tells Ku-ma-go-rou..."

The sweet music playing the background by Tohma slowed considerably and Shuichi's last note rang out. There was a silent four count beat and then Hiro, Suguru, and Noriko joined Tohma in an uppity beat.

Ryuichi held out Kumagorou and sang to him. "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause! Underneath the mistletoe last night!!" He tiptoed in place. "She didn't see me creep/ Down the stairs to have a peek/ She though that I was tucked up in my bedroom fast asleep!"

Shuichi chimed in with Ryuichi at that point. The pink-haired singer stood still at his mic-stand, while the other singer acted out his words.

"Then I saw Mommy tickle Santa Clause/ Underneath his beard so snowy white!" Ryuichi shook Kumagorou in front of him while he and Shuichi continued to sing in harmony. "What a laugh it would have been/ if Daddy had only seen/ Mommy kissing Santa Clause last night!" The older vocalist added in a "na no da!" and laughed dumbly.

Hiro started a finger-tripping guitar solo as the other three instrumentalists accompanied him. Shuichi smiled out into the audience and Ryuichi did a silly dance with his stuffed rabbit.

Mika leaned in towards her brother. "So I guess that explains why he's in pajamas," she whispered.

Eiri's face was blank. "Acting like a ten-year-old sure seems to be his forte, huh?"

Mika ignored her sibling's statement and changed the topic while the music continued. "You said you're going to Kyoto?" she queried uncertainly.

The blond sighed heavily. "Yeah. Don't ask - it was a spur of the moment decision. He doesn't even know we're coming."

Tohma's wife eyed Eiri warily. "You didn't tell him? He's going to kill you if you bring Shuichi without telling him. You know he doesn't approve of your relationship."

Eiri groaned. "Shut up."

The musical interlude ended and the two singers continued their song. Meanwhile, the two Uesugi listened to each other with one ear and the performance with another.

Mika's eyes fell to the ring on her brother's left hand as she adjusted the baby in her arms. "You're not thinking of telling him about that, are you?" she questioned, tilting her head towards the ring.

Eiri looked down at his hand. "No, not really." His golden-eyes swung back up to his fiancée on stage. "I figured I should at least have the old fart get used to Shuichi for starters."

The brunette pursed her lips. "That could take a while."

Eiri tugged his tie a bit looser. "Yeah. Speaking of which..." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked to his sister. "Got any suggestions for a last minute present?"

Mika hung her head in shame. "You really thought this through, didn't you?"

"Not particularly," the novelist replied.

The big finish to Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck's song came. Even if Mika had continued the conversation, it would have been drowned out by the thunderous applause of the crowd.

Eiri found himself standing by the bar once more. He emptied his glass and placed it on the table. Apparently the first four drinks hadn't been enough.

The second song of the night had just ended. Three-hundred-and-ninety-nine people were thoroughly pleased - Eiri was the outcast.

At last year's concert, when ASK had performed on stage, the novelist had no qualms with watching "that bastard" Aizawa Taki sing. However, Eiri did have a problem this year.

The lights had come up a bit more after "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause" and the crowd had assumed it was just time to waste until the next act got set up. Everyone had watched the stage anxiously, waiting for another little Christmas jingle to meet their ears, but no movement on the platform had ever come.

Just as the audience was about to grow restless, music had come through the speakers. Everyone's heads had whipped around to the source of two electric guitars, one keyboard, and one saxophone. There, all set-up by the Christmas tree without anyone having noticed, Bad Luck and ASK had stood.

"Rocking around the Christmas tree/ at the Christmas party hop!" Shuichi had begun energetically. He had made his way over to Eiri and Mika, who hadn't moved since the last song. "Mistletoe hung where you can see/ Every couple tries to stop." The singer had winked at Eiri and gave him a little nudge. He had also waved to Mika as he passed.

It was then that Aizawa Taki joined in. "Rocking around the Christmas tree/ Let the Christmas spirit ring," the older singer's rich voice had come in. He had passed a plate of pie to some random, blushing girl. "Later we'll have some pumpkin pie/ And we'll do some caroling."

Taki and Shuichi had managed to come back to back and had begun to sing together. "You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear/ Voices singing 'let's be jolly!'" The two had spun around then and pointed their microphones at each other. "Deck the halls with boughs of holly!"

Eiri had started to tune out at that point. If Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck had been doing their duet out in the crowd like that, then he would have been much more pleased. However, seeing Aizawa Taki getting that close to Shuichi again had begun to get on Eiri's nerves. He especially hadn't liked how the two of them were acting so happy with one another.

They had continued to sing and dance together, pretending as though they were best friends. The crowd had eaten it up, cheering as their favorite bandmate walked by.

The blond, meanwhile, had sauntered over to the bar by that point and had downed another two drinks. And now, even when the song was well over, he remained there, figuring the comfort of so much liquor around would keep him safe the rest of the night. And it would, quite possibly, keep Eiri from murdering the lead singer of ASK. However, the author denied himself the comfort of another drink. Just as he decided on that fact, one Claude Winchester slung an arm around Eiri's shoulders.

"Hello, Mr. Yuki," K greeted in English. The gun-toting manager smiled cheesily.

Eiri rolled his eyes. Maybe he did need that other drink...

"Hello, Mr. K," Eiri replied back in English mockingly. K's grin only widened.

"Enjoying the show, are we?" K questioned, looking down on Eiri from his five-centimeter height advantage. He removed his arm from around the shorter man and picked up an empty bottle of rum. "I hope you didn't drink this whole thing by yourself."

Eiri eyed the bottle and shrugged with one shoulder. "Maybe. Not sure." He looked to the stage. "Is this thing almost over?" he grumbled.

K laughed heartily. "Of course not! We're only on the third song!" The boisterous American opened a bottle of wine and poured himself a glass.

As if on cue, the lights in the hall began to dim again and the stage lights came up. This time only the members of Bad Luck visibly graced the stage. A slow punk-rock version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" began.

Eiri's ears immediately perked when his lover's sweet voice rang out. It seemed especially wonderful to hear right then, most likely because Aizawa Taki was nowhere in sight.

K noticed the almost invisible smile on Eiri's lips that stayed there during the whole song. The American grinned broadly.

When the song was finished, over the roar of the crowd, K leaned down close to Eiri's ear.

"If you like what Bad Luck's done so far, then wait until tonight's finale," the manager whispered

Eiri turned to K and eyed him. The man with the gun-fetish only smiled and shrugged. The novelist opened his mouth to speak, but K disappeared into the crowd.

The next three acts were painfully slow for Eiri. Not only had countless strangers come up to him to ask for autographs or what not, but the camera crews came up for an interview during the intermission. As if all of that wasn't bad enough, the last three numbers consisted of either ASK, Nittle Grasper, or the two of them together.

Eiri currently sat at one of the circular tables placed farthest from the bar. He used all the restraint in his body not to guzzle down every bottle there. The first six drinks didn't seem to be affecting him too much. Sometimes the writer cursed having such a high tolerance for alcohol.

The blond drummed his fingers along the table top with one hand and poked with a fork at the plate of food in front of him with the other. Mika had landed the plate there a good ten minutes earlier, but Eiri had barely touched it.

He sighed anxiously. It had been at least five minutes since the last performance. What on earth was taking them so long?

The last song of the night was coming up and Eiri was getting impatient. Not only did he want to get the hell out of there and head home, but he was also curious as to why K had made the comment he did. What was going to be so great about the finale? Better yet, even, what hare-brained thing was Shuichi going to wind up doing next

"Mind if I sit down?"

Eiri swung his head up to see Tohma smiling above him.

"Go ahead," he mumbled, gesturing lethargically to one of the empty seats.

Tohma sat and smiled. "You don't look like you're having a good time," he pointed out. Eiri only glared at the President in response with a "gee-you-think?" look. Tohma laughed. "Don't worry. The final number is coming up. I think you'll enjoy it."

"So I've been told." The younger blond frowned at Tohma. "I'm gathering, since you're sitting here, Nittle Grasper won't be in it?"

Two aquamarine eyes blinked. "Shuichi didn't tell you?"

Eiri furrowed his brow and leaned in. "Tell me what?"

Before Tohma could answer his brother-in-law's question, Eiri made an almost inaudible sound of surprise. Warm, light, suggestive fingers had just danced along the back of his neck.

The novelist straightened. He whipped his head to the direction in which the person was moving. A man with black hair and a lithe frame caught his eye. Eiri arched an eyebrow.

Shaking the incident from his mind, Eiri turned his attention back to Tohma.

"What the hell are you grinning like that for?" the cranky writer demanded.

Tohma only shook his head and laughed. "Nevermind." The N-G President stood from his seat. "I'm going to go see how Mika-san is doing with the baby. Enjoy, Eiri-san."

Eiri sighed in exasperation. He turned his head back to where he had seen the man with black hair. Eiri frowned, realizing he was long gone, and turned back to his plate.

The blond picked up the dish full of food and trudged over to one of the garbage cans in the room. He dumped the meal into the can and then put the plate down in a pile with all the other soiled ones.

A sweet, bell-sounding melody came from behind Eiri and he slumped with relief. Finally, the last song!

He turned to the source of the music but only found a sea of people blocking his view. The novelist made his way through the crowd, no one giving the famous man any trouble getting to the front. When Eiri reached the opening of the audience he only stared in surprise at what he saw.

There, on the couch, was a young woman dressed as though she lived in the 1930's. Her light brown hair was pinned up in little coils underneath a simple felt hat. What was presumably her coat hung on a little hat tree next to the couch. Sitting next to the gorgeous young woman was a man dressed in a style of the same era. His coat was thrown over the arm of the couch next to him. His black hair was slicked back and his tie undone. The couple was staring into each other's eyes lovingly.

Eiri struggled to keep his jaw from dropping. That was the same man who had brushed his neck. But, before Eiri could think any further, the young woman began to sing.

"I really can't stay," she began breathily.

The man next to her leaned in. "Baby, it's cold outside."

Eiri blinked. He recognized that voice.

"I've got to away," she continued.

"Baby, it's cold outside." The man's smile was charming.

Eiri knew that smile.

"This evening has been..." - she stood and picked up her scarf from the hat tree and wound it around her neck - "so very nice."

The man sang over her, remaining on the couch. "I'm lucky that you dropped in..." He stood and took her hands. "I'll hold your hands, they're cold as ice."

Eiri could have sworn that the confident, handsome man before him was Shindou Shuichi...

She smiled in embarrassment. "My mother with start to worry..."

"Beautiful, what's your hurry?"

No - Eiri creased his brow. That wasn't possible.

"My father will be pacing the floor."

He turned her head to look past the hat tree. "Listen to that fireplace roar."

She turned back and shook her head. "So, really, I'd better scurry."

It couldn't be Shuichi, because up until a half-an-hour ago, Shuichi had pink hair.

He unwrapped the scarf from around her neck. "Beautiful, please don't worry."

The woman nearly melted in his arms. "Well, maybe just one drink more."

And besides, this man...

"Put some records on while I pour," he sang to her and winked.

...this man was too straight to be Shuichi.

The woman put on a record while the man poured their drinks. "The neighbors might think..."

"Baby, it's bad out there." He handed her a glass and took a sip of his own.

She took the glass from him. "Say what's in this drink?"

"No cabs to be had out there," he sang to her dramatically.

"I wish I knew how--"

"Your eyes are like starlight now."

"-- to break your spell."

He reached out and caressed her face. "I'll take your hat/ Your hair looks swell."

Eiri's breath nearly caught in his throat. There was no mistaking it. The second he caught glimpse of those unforgettable amethyst eyes, Eiri knew for sure. This man, this seductive, suave, heterosexual man, was his Shuichi.

"I oughta say 'no, no, no sir'..."

Shuichi slipped in behind her. "Mind if I move a bit closer?"

She leaned against him weakly. "At least I'm gonna say that I tried..."

He pressed his lips to her ear. "What's the use of hurting my pride?"

Eiri swallowed hard. There was something alarmingly sexy about Shuichi right now...

She bit her lip meekly. "I really can't stay..."

He took her empty drink and rested it on the side-table along with his. "Baby, don't hold out."

The two of them swayed together and sang in harmony. "Baby, it's cold outside!"

Shuichi reached for the record player and pretended to get it to play. The instrumentalists to Bad Luck and Plastic Chainsaw, wherever they were hiding, started a jazzy beat. The two singers danced with one another. The woman kept getting shy and pulling away and Shuichi kept drawing her closer and closer.

Eiri watched the two carefully, making sure not to miss a single second of it. Although on the outside he appeared disinterested, on the inside he was nearly melting. He had always though of Shuichi as sexy in a moaning, submissive type of way. Seeing this side of his lover was... quite different, and quite arousing. He even felt a bit jealous that this girl was receiving all the attention, and not him.

The couple's little jive finally came to an end, and the woman pulled back, flustered.

"I simply must go!" she pleaded, trying to walk past him.

Shuichi caught her by the wrist. "Baby, it's cold outside."

"The answer is NO." She yanked her hand free.

He flashed her a begging smile. "Baby, it's cold outside."

"Your welcome has been--"

"Been lucky that you dropped in."

"--so nice and warm."

Shuichi slid up next to her and gestured dramatically. "Look out the window at that storm."

Eiri stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from clenching his fists.

She flushed and took a step back. "My sister will be suspicious."

Shuichi countered her step. "Gosh, your lips looks delicious..."

"My brother will be there at the door."

He took her face in his hands. "Like waves upon a tropical shore.

Shuichi leaned down and brushed his mouth against hers as she sang. "My maiden aunt's mind is vicious..." she sighed.

Eiri's stomach knotted up.

"Gosh, your lips are delicious."

Her knees nearly gave way. "Well, maybe just a half-a-drink more..."

He pulled her close. "Never such a blizzard before!"

The beauty pried herself away. "I've got to get home!" She brushed past Shuichi.

He spun to her. "Baby, you'll freeze out there!" he cried.

She picked up his discarded jacket. "Say, lend me your coat?"

"It's up to your knees out there," he continued, pretending to be frantic.

She reached out and ran her fingers across his hand. "You've really been grand--"

Shuichi swooned. "I love it when you touch my hand..."

"--but don't you see?!"

He shook his head, pleading. "How can you do this thing to me?!"

"There's bound to be talk tomorrow," she continued, stepping back.

He extended an arm for her. "Just think about my life long sorrow..."

"At least they'll be plenty implied..." She turned away, horrified at the thought.

"If you caught pneumonia and died!" Shuichi looked away as well.

She looked back at him then, disappointed. "I really can't stay."

He spun on her then. "Get over that old out!"

Shuichi yanked her body close, crushing the two of them together.

"Baby, it's cold outside!!!" the sang together.

On the last beat of the music Shuichi dipped the woman and kissed her roughly. The audience burst into whooping and cat-calls. Eiri merely stood there, frozen.

The novelist had never seen Shuichi kiss another person before and never thought that he would. He especially didn't think that he would ever catch the singer kissing... a girl.

Shuichi and the woman pulled back and grinned happily at the crowd, straightening themselves. They stepped closer to everyone and laughed, shaking hands, giving out hugs, signing autographs.

The rest of the performers that night also came out and joined in on the little party. The television crew closed in on the celebrities and made sure to get a few words from everyone.

In the midst of all the mayhem, Eiri sank back into the throng of people and scurried over to the bar. Even if he had promised himself no more alcohol, he really, truly needed a drink then. There was something way too kinky about Shuichi acting the way he just did and that thought needed to be doused with a nice brandy... or two.

Shuichi snuggled up against Eiri's arm as the two made their way out of the hall. Many onlookers either blushed and giggled, sighed dreamily, or just plain ignored the blatant show of affection. The cameras, of course, watched their retreating backs until the couple was no longer in sight.

"So, did you enjoy the show?" Shuichi purred, staring up at Eiri through his lashes.

The blond ignored the large, twinkling eyes blinking at him. "It was okay." He still hadn't quite gotten over Shuichi's last performance, even if the singer had reverted back to his normal behavior in a split second. "What happened to your head?"

Shuichi pulled at an errant strand of black hair. "I thought I'd look more dashing and straight if I died it black."

Eiri mentally admitted that it worked.

"And, besides, I think I'll be more presentable to your father without pink hair."

The novelist nodded. "That's true. Speaking of which - I got two good things out of tonight."

Shuichi grinned widely. "Yeah?? Like what?" He tugged on Eiri's arm playfully.

"Well," the novelist began, "I thought of what to give my old man for Christmas."

Shuichi pursed his lips. "You know, I was thinking about that... Isn't your dad a Buddhist monk?"

Eiri looked to his fiancée. "Yeah," he answered unsurely.

"So then... why does he celebrate Christmas?"

The older man nearly laughed. "He doesn't exactly 'celebrate' it. It's more like... he joins in the materialistic festivities that Christmas holds, without actually supporting the religious belief."

Shuichi only blinked.

"Oh, come on." Eiri rolled his eyes. "Are you actually thinking of 'Jesus Christ's birth' when you wish everyone a Merry Christmas?"

The vocalist looked up in thought. "No... I guess not..." He looked to Eiri then. "I'm not even Christian," he added lamely.

"My point exactly."

The younger man pulled on his paramour's arm. "Well, well? What are we giving your father as a present?"

Eiri explained the details of the gift to his hyperactive lover. Shuichi beamed in delight.

"That's great!" the singer chirped. He tugged again. "So, what was the second thing?"

"Huh?"

"You said there were two good things tonight - what's the second thing?" he repeated.

"Oh, right. Nevermind. I lied."

In truth, Eiri had been thinking about how he had seen a completely different side of Shuichi, however, he didn't really want to bring that up.

"Awww, come on! Tell me!" the shorter man whined.

The two reached the top of the staircase leading down to the lobby of the N-G building. Eiri frowned and hesitated a moment.

"Yuki?"

The blond glared at the steps grimly. He learned something new just then.

"Here're a few words of advice for you, Shuichi." Eiri pointed to the steps. "If you're standing at the top of a staircase and the steps look like they're going up, not down, then you know you've had too much to drink."

Shuichi's jaw fell. "Yuki!" he cried. "How much did you drink tonight?!" The man's high-pitched voice grated on Eiri's already sensitive nerves.

"Apparently not enough if I can still hear your whining..."

Author's Notes: I swear on whatever the hell you want me to swear on that I had meant to get this chapter out on the Monday before Christmas. I had written the whole thing up and sent it to the wonderful Aja-sama to beta for me. The second I was to get it back from her, I would fix it up, post it, and then labor over the last chapter. However, things never go as planned with me, huh?

My computer broke, you see, and I can't get it to start anymore. The damn thing has been giving me trouble for quite some time, and I'm damn sick of it. Thankfully, I had sent the chapter to Aja-sama before it crashed. She e-mailed it back to me, and I persuaded my mother into letting me use her computer today, in order to download the beta'd chapter and post it.

I am so, so, so, so sorry that this is a week past Christmas. I really am so upset that I couldn't get this out for everyone.

But, with all that being said, I must once again force you to worship Aja-sama. When I finished writing this chapter it was pretty late and I was very tired. I was WAY too lazy to reread what I had written and just sent it to her. I feel terrible… Upon reading her revisions I feel like an idiot. Everyone, thank her like you've never thanked anyone before. I made some of the most idiotic mistakes in the world when writing this… kisses Aja-sama's feet

Alas, I am done here, children. Try to stay in the Christmas spirit long enough to deal with me while I finish this fic.

I'm not giving an estimate for when the next chapter will be out, because chances are something will go wrong again and I'll miss the deadline. So, in order to not get anyone's hopes up and to keep you on your toes, I will just say this: the chapter will be out sometime before I die.

Thank you.