Seven
"He's not your babe. Hands off my boyfriend," said Shishido.
The silver haired boy's head shot up to see him standing in front observing the whole scene.
"Well, well, well… If it isn't that sexy bartender Shishido Ryou. Quite a performance you gave us on stage there; but I didn't know someone as good looking as you had a boyfriend," said one of the guys. How he knew Shishido's name, Shishido didn't even wanna know…
"No shit I have a boyfriend and the only one whose allowed to call me sexy is him. The performance was directed toward my sweetie-cakes not you two, might I add. So why don't you go play with yourselves before I kick ass and take some names," suggested Shishido.
"Ooh damn. He has some spunk Vincent! You sure you're not willing to share your baby-doll with us? As well as you at that matter?" asked the other guy a drawl in his tone.
"As I told you, fuck off," snarled Shishido.
Both men smirked and walked away quietly before anymore hell could be raised.
"A-ah, I'm sorry to get you into all of that!" sputtered out the boy bowing.
Shishido softly smiled and helped him off the floor.
"No problem. Is this why you've been in here for the past.." he began.
"Yea…They've been stalking me for a month now. They can't harm me in a public place and I enjoy it here at the café, so there's no real problem unless I get somebody involved," explained the boy.
So that was this kid's reason. He was being stalked and met here every night because it was always crowded here.
"I saw your performance, you sing well," said Shishido.
The boy blushed madly and looked away.
"Y-You were amazing Shishido-san," he murmured.
"I never caught your name by the way. You know me but I don't know you yet," pointed out Shishido.
"Otori, Otori, Choutarou," replied the boy.
"Pleasure! I didn't mean to startle you with the whole boyfriend thing. Forgive me. It was the best way to get rid of those punks," said Shishido.
Otori turned a brighter shade of red.
"I-It's not a problem. Anyway, thank you Shishido-san," he said turning away.
"You'll come back here tomorrow night won't you!" called out Shishido from the sidewalk.
Otori looked shocked.
"Well…um…"
"I'll give you a ride home right now since I'm off if you're walking. That and if you'd like, to ensure you'll be here tomorrow, I'll ride you over here tomorrow night as well," said Shishido.
Otori gave a weak smile.
"I'd like that," he said softly.
--
Oshitari's fingers glided from one key to another as he typed up the beginning of a story furiously. He had to get his thoughts and emotions out some how. So much had happened in a matter of four days in Gatlinburg that it seem he had been there for a whole month more than a mere week. It was dark outside but he had left the windows open but his lights off in the apartment as he wrote. He would stop ever so often to think or to stare outside at the now dark city; as many things were closing up for the night. He wondered if Atobe would be okay.
Despite them being best friends and being there for one another, there were distances. Too many distances to be precise... Some of the distances were explained. Time had passed by, they had grown up… But there were other distances between the two that Oshitari couldn't explain and knew that Atobe or somebody else would have those answers.
Oshitari remembered why he was here. There were many reasons. To let his older sister Hoku have her chance at becoming something big and their parents become just as proud of her.
Then there were the other reasons. To figure out what Atobe had been doing since they had last been together. Obviously a lot of things to be here and to know people who hated him and liked him. There was also the writing in peace without the press up on you idea that was the first priority. That and to find an adventure. And maybe to find someone… Oshitari had no clue whom that was yet, but he prayed eventually that he'd be able to find someone who would stay by him eternally. Oshitari wanted to fall in love.
--
Shishido grinned as he stopped by the small apartment on his motorbike. Otori had exited the building looking nicer than usual. A clingy black t-shirt with some various kanji designs down the side was on him as well as some black jeans and some sneakers. As usual the silver cross hung around his neck. He smiled shyly as he made his way over to Shishido who took off his helmet to speak to him.
"You look nice," he said.
Otori blushed a little at the compliment.
"You do too…"
Why the hell did this sound like a date to Shishido?
"Get on, we'll be able to talk more when we get there and I start working," order Shishido to try to get off their current subject of awkwardness. He handed Otori a helmet and rode off. Otori clung onto Shishido's body for warmth and just to make sure he didn't fall off the bike. Both were stuck in the usual evening traffic until finally they got there, Shishido parked in the parking space for 'employees only' and chained his bike to a water pipe to make sure his bike wouldn't get stolen.
The entered inside the already crowded restaurant, the music tonight was twice as loud. Just because it was by a new artists that teens and even adults loved. Damn Taki for burst everybody's ear drums with the singer who wasn't even that good.
"Sit near me while I work," said Shishido dragging Otori over to the bar. He went over on the other side and made some drinks while taking the boy.
"Yesterday….you told me you were a journalist."
"Yes. I do articles for the magazine 'Depth'. But there is also another reason I'm out here…" explained Otori his dark chocolate eyes casting down upon the shiny wood surface of the high bar table.
"And what might that reason be?" asked Shishido leaning in towards him. He placed his two fingers below Otori's chin to make the boy look up.
"To find my brother. My…half-brother. He's supposed to live near here or here. It's my main reason for leaving Japan and getting a citizenship over here," answered Otori.
"I thought your name sounded Japanese! That's odd, this town has been attracting a lot of Japanese lately. It's good culturally for this town though; the south is very sheltered about other races of people and cultures. Which part are you from?" Shishido continued to ask grinning.
" Hokkaido, Northern Japan."
"Awesome. I've only been to Japan once; it seemed like a nice place to live," said Shishido as he made another customers drink.
"Once? You look and sound very Japanese as well," said Otori blinking.
"My father is Japanese. My mother is from the US. I'm basically what most people call Asian-American or a half-breed if you deal with crueler terms," said Shishido.
"Explains a lot. Do you….Wait. Nihongo, hanashimasu-ka?" asked Otori quickly.
Shishido laughed.
"Hai, Doko-de Eego-o benkyou-shimashita-ka?" he answered.
"School. It's required. Where did you learn to speak Japanese?" asked Otori.
"My father. Mother and father are very fluent and my father refused to let me speak English inside the home when relatives came over to visit us in California. Once he refused to let my mother and I speak in English inside the household because we were so out of touch with our Japanese and my grandparents from his side of the family were coming over," explained Shishido.
Otori laughed. Really, to have just met they were really beginning to already become friends.
"How long have you been in the United States?" Shishido asked sliding a drink across the table. The contents didn't spill on the table once.
"A year."
"Wow, and your English is very fluent," Shishido pointed out.
"Your Japanese is…quite well…to be someone whose not from Japan," complimented Otori.
Shishido grinned cheekily. Someone whose not from Japan hm?
"Arigato gozimasu."
The crowd got larger and eventually Shishido ended up having to move all over the place and talk less to Otori who did what he usually did. He watched him work, but this time it wasn't from afar. Both had a lot in common, Shishido knew he himself was pleased. Otori was so sweet and quiet and probably was very educated and talented at what he did. Shishido had no clue how they had actually became such fast friends… It just happened as if they had been acquaintances that had ran into eachother and began to talk. Why did Otori watch him? Why did he like watching? Shishido found his job just to be a living. He could easily become a model. No problem, bunches of scouts had came after him actually. Matter of fact Shishido had previously been a model. That's how Shishido had met Taki in the first place. Both were from the family ties; and Taki's dad ended up being a photographer. And then… There was that day. When he was about raped by Taki's father because he was so beautiful. Taki had nothing to do with it even though it was his father, and he took all the blame. Shishido did know that this is why Taki stood by him even though he really really didn't have to.
Both stepped down from the limelight to work regular jobs like any regular person would instead of being people who could've been of value if they had stayed where they were at. Shishido knew what he was doing though. He may be a pretty boy, but that sure as hell didn't make him dumb.
(A/N: Thank you to those who have reviewed. - I wrote this story back in December so I'm basically two stories ahead and my writing style has changed a lot seven almost going on eight months of time. I'm glad that for those of you who are reading it are enjoying it! I had fun writing this! Ah just to give you a little over-view of how long this story is going to be! The thing on the compy says...it's 51 pages long...Nineteen chapters! Ah! I feel so lazy! Usually my stories go from 20 to 25 chapters long! Hopefully my newer fics will make up for this one! Anyway, see you next chapter!)
