Warnings: Au, x-over, yaoi, possible violence as the story progresses, random moments of humor and/or fluff

Disclaimer: I own it all!
…Shyeah right.

Weiss Geräusche

'Prodigy,

Seguchi-san was really understanding about everything. He put off having us come down to the studio until I felt able to perform. It's been a week since the funerals. I've decided that I've held Bad Luck back long enough, it's time we've got back to work, so I've informed everyone that we're going to try and do some recording today. Things are finally starting to get back on track around here. Wish us luck.

Saki'

"Hey, Shuichi, get up! We don't want to be late to the studio. Tohma'll have a fit if we blow him off." Suguru stood over the sleeping boy with his hands on his hips. Shuichi once again had his hair dyed that disturbing shade of pink that turned his eyes into amethysts. Not that you could tell right at that instant because the pink boy was currently dead to the world. Suguru held back a growl.

"Omi!" he snapped. Shuichi jerked upright as if pulled by an invisible string. He stared around wildly, until his eyes landed on the green haired boy. Then he slumped slightly, relaxing when he realized it wasn't what he had thought it was. He stared blearily up at Suguru.

"Man, I thought I had a mission for a second there. Don't do that to me Sugar," he complained, brushing his hair away from his face.

"You do have a mission. Getting your butt up and getting down to NGR and putting out some demos so we don't get fired before we even get hired. We have to be there at twelve."

"What time is it now?"

"Eleven fifteen. You have to hurry if you're going to shower before we leave. Make it quick, punk." As he spoke Suguru's hand had automatically replaced Shuichi's and he began to stroke his fingers through Shuichi's hair, pushing the rebellious strands away from his face. The simple gesture was completely at odds with his impatient words, and Shuichi smiled sweetly up at him.

"Mission accepted" he announced cheerfully, bouncing out of bed and snagging some clothes from his closet. "How'd you get over here anyway? Hiro didn't drop you off without coming up to say 'hi' did he?" Shuichi spoke over his shoulder as he made his way to the bathroom. Suguru trailed after him so he could hear what his friend was saying.

"I hitched a ride with one of NG's drivers. Hiro is already at the studio with our songs and his guitar. We both showed up early to warm up, so we hung out for a while and played together." The bathroom door closed behind Shuichi. He raised his voice when he heard the water turn on. "When you didn't show up by ten forty I started to get worried, and decided to head over here. Hiro opted to stay there. He's trying to keep Sakano from flinging himself off of the building top."

"Ha, I bet!" was the muffled reply. "That guy needs some valium or something. He gets stressed way too easily."

Suguru laughed softly in agreement, and wandered back to Shuichi's living room to plunk out some of their songs on his keyboard while waiting for the other boy to get ready. Their driver was waiting downstairs. Fortunately Yoshimura had already been warned it would be awhile and was settled in with a good book.

It only took Shuichi another twenty minutes to get completely ready and they were soon on their way. They both arrived back at their assigned studio just in time to keep Sakano from having a brain aneurysm. Hiro grinned at them when they came in, rolling his eyes meaningfully when their newly assigned producer started flipping out over their 'almost not making it'. Suguru apologized and settled himself behind his keyboard. Shuichi just grinned.

Their first song up was the Rage Beat. They had decided to record the music first and then work on the vocals. If any of them messed up then they'd just have to re-record the song or the vocals, but not have to worry about both. Shuichi waited in the recording booth with the tech; a guy with a light blue shirt and a purple bandanna. With his hair like that you immediately recognized him as Sakuma fan. Suguru and Hiro shared a look with each other and then Suguru stared at the bandana guy. He caught on and nodded his own head in response. Soon the pulsing throb of their music pounded through the speakers.

Clapping greeted them as the final notes faded away.

When they finally finished Suguru glanced up to find a crowd had gathered at some point and were now crammed into the recording booth. Ryuichi, he noticed, was one of the people clapping. Also people seemed to be standing outside their studio as well.

Suguru gave a grin at the response they had received for their first playing in NG. He was about to get up and run to Shuichi's side to ask him what he thought about the recording, when he noticed a young woman push through to his side and start talking to him. He paused, wondering who she could be.

Apparently Shuichi was wondering the same thing because he looked just as confused for a second. Then his face transformed from a look of confusion into one of utter delight. The two hugged each other and began speaking animatedly. Short reddish brown hair curved around her face, framing blue eyes. Her clothing was simple, a skirt and blouse with a pair of sensible boots. She looked quiet and serious, but seemed absolutely delighted to see his Shu-chan. His eyes narrowed. Shuichi pulled away from the girl to rush into the room where Hiro and Suguru were still standing.

Suguru felt his brows furrow in a frown. He flicked a glance at Hiro who just shrugged as if to say 'I dunno know either, man'.

"Hey guys!" he bounced at them, "how long do you think it'll take you to get a good demo recording of all the songs we have?"

"If things go as smoothly for the rest of them as they did for the Rage Beat? A few hours. But I wouldn't count on it though," Suguru spoke doubtfully. "After all, we perfected Beat before the concert. The rest of our songs are going to be pretty rough compared to it."

"So at least a couple of hours before you need me for anything though right?" he asked somewhat impatiently.

"Probably," Hiro agreed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because, I need to talk to Michiru about something. I thought I'd take her out to lunch for a bit and then get back in time to record some songs. You guys cool with that?"

Suguru didn't respond, he just stared at his singer in disbelief. Hiro noticed Suguru's reaction and hastened to respond for them both.

"Yeah, go on. We'll wrap things up here. You got a cell phone on you?" At Shuichi's happy nod Hiro finished with, "Okay, if you're not back when we need you we'll just give you a ring to let you know that we're ready for you. So don't go to far away okay?"

"Okay! I'll see you guys in a bit. You're the best!" Shuichi glomped them both and then hurried back to the side of the brunette girl. The two made their way through the gathered employees who continued to cluster around their studio in excitement.

Suguru watched them leave with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He glanced back over at the recording booth to see the tech guy waiting for them to show that they were ready to keep recording. Beyond Bandana's shoulder was a serious Ryuichi who stared at Suguru with knowing eyes. He cast a challenging look at the other man, who he knew saw far more than he was comfortable with. The older singer didn't respond to the challenge, merely watched him with something akin to sympathy in his gaze.

"What song do you want to work on next Hiro?" Suguru asked, jerking his eyes away from his cousin's friend.

Several hours later the two had worked out most of the music that they were submitting in demo form to Seguchi-san. They had decided to just work out the music completely before they asked Shuichi to come back and sing for the tracks they had already laid down. Hiro called Shu's cell and told him to take the rest of the day off. They would do his part of the recording tomorrow.

When they were packing up, and everyone else had already started heading home Suguru finally broached the subject that had been bugging him all afternoon.

"Hey Hiro?" he spoke pensively as he gathered his sheet music and tapped it against a music stand to even the white pages.

"Hm?" the red head responded absently, packing his guitar away.

"Who do you think that girl was that Shu-chan wandered off with?" He slipped the papers into a folder and neatly tucked them into his case.

"I'm not sure. Some old friend of his I suppose. He'll go hang out with her for a bit and then things will be back to normal around here. As normal as they get anyway. I wouldn't worry about it man. He obviously feels like she needs something from him or he wouldn't have wandered off."

"Needs something from him?" the green haired musician paused to look over at the taller boy. "What do you mean?"

"Just that." Hiro shrugged. "Shuichi will do everything in his power to give anyone he cares about everything that they need, even if it's not what he wants, or what he needs." Then he looked at Suguru with a sober expression on his face. "It's something you have to watch out for with him, because that's the part of him that pushed him to stay at his old job so long, the part that's gotten him nearly killed on more than one occasion. So we'll have to keep an eye on her and make sure she's okay for Shuichi if it turns out she wants more than a friendly ear from him."

The keyboardist and guitarist stared at each other in silence.

"But as soon as he straightens out whatever is up with her, things will go back to normal. You'll see. So no worries, Su-kun. I'll see you tomorrow." Hiro pulled his guitar strap onto his shoulder and adjusted it. "Bright and early this time. That crazy blonde guy is going to have us up here as soon as the building opens right?"

"Right. See you tomorrow!" Suguru gave a big fake smile, the one that he had perfected by watching his cousin. As soon as the red head was gone the smile fell from his face as if it had never been there at all. The other boy's words kept repeating in his head.

"Shuichi will do everything in his power to give anyone he cares about everything that they need…"

He knew Hiro had been trying to be reassuring, but he couldn't have been more upsetting than if he'd announced that she was old fuck buddy of Shu's that was back in town and wanted to hook up. He made his way out of the studio and upstairs toward Tohma's office. They would be going hometogether since he now lived with him.

"…even if it's not what he wants, or what he needs."

Was that all that the night they had spent together meant to Shu?

He felt sick at the thought.

If that were the case then Suguru had practically forced the other boy to make out with him. Shuichi had held onto him all night and comforted him, kissing and petting him until he was too exhausted to stay awake any longer. But the next morning they had gone back to behaving like they always did. There was a little more warmth, a little more contact between them than before, but essentially they maintained their previous relationship.

Suguru had figured that the pink boy had been as uncertain as he was on how to behave and had retreated into the only behavior that they knew as a result. That was why he had never questioned their relationship before today.

Seeing that strange girl with Shuichi made him realize just how much he wanted what he had shared with Shuichi that night on a more regular basis. And it also brought home just how easily that could be snatched away by anyone more pretty or talented than himself that might come along.

Only now… now he had to wonder if what he'd thought they'd shared that night was something Shuichi wanted also.

"Su-kun, what's your hurry, na no da?" a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

Suguru turned around to see Ryuichi playing with his pink bunny on a lounge chair in the hallway outside of Tohma's office.

"Tohma-kun's busy with papers!" the thirty something year old nodded firmly to the stuffed toy, who nodded in return. "Hey Su-kun, you said you were going to introduce me to your friends. They look interesting."

"Do they?" Suguru changed his course and settled on the chair next to Ryuichi's. Ryuichi smiled at him.

"Kumagoro thinks so too! Tell us about them."

"Well there's Hiro. He's the bigger guy with the long hair. Hiro is really solid and practical. He plays the guitar. He hangs out with this girl that he likes who's staying in Tokyo to try and find her fiancé, and he's trying to help her even though he wants to date her himself. And I think he's having a vivid love affair with his brother's bike. But we don't talk about it because it would make his bike upset and she would explode in a jealous rage."

Ryuichi giggled at the last bit. "He sounds nice! Tell us about the pink boy who ran away and made Suguru sad, na no da," the older man instructed. His words were spoken playfully, but there was an edge of command underneath that Suguru couldn't quite bring himself to ignore. Somehow he knew the singer would get angry if he tried to evade the issue. Brown hair fell down and covered blue eyes though, so he didn't know how serious the man he was talking to was actually being. Somehow he didn't want to find out.

"His name is Shuichi Shindou, and he's our band's singer and songwriter. He has pink hair, and likes strawberry pocky. He's loud and cheerful, and can be kind of obnoxious when he wants to be. And underneath it all, it never really matters what he's done or what he might do because there's nothing that will change the fact that his heart is pure gold."

"Su-kun likes Shindou-san, then. Just as we thought, huh Kumagoro?" the last was stage whipered to the plush in Ryuichi's lap.

Suguru sighed, and slumped back in his chair. "Yeah Su-kun likes him. If only there was some way I knew he felt the same way about me…"

Ryuichi straightened up and gave him bright, child's smile. "Cheer up Su-kun! Everything will be a-ok!" His eyes swiveled to the side, and he bounded up from his chair. "Come on! Tohma's ready to go home, na no da!"

Suguru turned his head to follow Ryuichi's gaze. His blonde cousin was flicking off the lights in his office. He stood up and quickly gathered his belongings so that he would be ready when his cousin finished locking up.

"Are you spending the night with us again Ryuichi?" Suguru asked curiously.

"Yep, yep! Me and Kumagoro are having another sleepover with you and Tohma!"

Suguru smiled at the brunette's infectious cheer. "Sounds like it'll be another fun night then huh? But we have to actually get some sleep tonight. We all have to be back here early in the morning."