" Obietta mezuki de

ira datsu omoi

uwaki na kaze ni hakisutete

hibi-wareta rojou ni

toketa SHIGUNARU wa

kizuato dake nokoshite iku . . . "

It was always surprising to hear Shuichi sing. His voice was surprisingly deep, his face scrunched up in an expression of focus. Any passer-by would have stopped and stared as he sang.

Bad Luck was rehearsing their stage performance, preparing for their first tour. Despite their vocalist's protests, they were going to go ahead and travel around Japan.

Shuichi loves Bad Luck, but he and Yuki had just returned from New York.

He had thought their relationship was over forever, until he managed to convince K to tell him where his lover was. Comforting the older man as he was forced to remember the trauma he had endured, Eiri clinging to him. His face pressed to Shuichi's hair, warm tears flowing.

Shuichi. . .

Closing his eyes, lightly bouncing on his feet as he sings louder. His smile growing wide as he sings, hearing Hiro's cackle as he riffs his guitar, Fujisaki's giggle as he synthesizes on his keyboard. He loves singing, and he loves Yuki.

Does Yuki love him..?

He must, or something close to it. Wouldn't have put up with him all this time otherwise. Hiro said that, and Suichi believes him. It's a good point..

" Madoronda NOIZU ga

asu o keshi-saru mae ni

yabou ni hibiku

kutsuoto o oikakete! "

As the chorus begins, he looks past the stage they're performing. Winking at Mr. Sakano, who was crying happily. They were on fire today. Even the usually aloof K was lightly tapping his feet to the beat.

" Doko ni mo tomaranai

mitasanai Emotion

SHIKATO kimete

oikose yo

Furueteru SHAI na seikai no

nuke-michi o neratatte

tadoritsuku bashoe

I Want New World! "

Riding the wave of adrenaline from a good rehearsal, Shuichi cracks open a cold water bottle. Drinking deeply, pulling away and laughing. Droplets of sweat bouncing from his pink hair and gleaming in the stage lights.

Today was a good day.

"Ah! That was fun, everyone! Hiro, your guitar was going like brr! ZZz! So cool..!" He bounces over to the man he considers his big brother, imitating his guitar noises. The solo he had written for The Rage Beat always made Shuichi a rockstar.

Hiro grins, fighting the urge to ruffle the younger's hair, nodding his head and jokingly striking a pose. The pinkette's energy was infectious. He was glad the little fucker was happy, and he didn't have to beat Yuki's face in after all.

Meeting eyes with Mr. Sakano, he wipes the back of his brow and dramatically looks like he'll fall asleep. They had been practicing for most of the day, going through all the songs on the album. He wants to go home and call Ayaka.

"Haha, well done Bad Luck..! Thanks for your hard work, we'll be working with the venue owners tomorrow, so you should go home and get rest." Sakano steps forward, grinning wide and giving a huge thumbs up to the band members.

Hiro grins wide, putting his guitar into his case. Fujisaki was telling Shuichi about some dish his mother was going to make for dinner, and the older man was talking about a cook book he had been reading.

He joins the conversation a bit later, case over his back. Shuichi grabs his small bag, stuffing his lyric book into it. Small pins of animal characters and his favorite anime logos decorating it. Hiro stifles a laugh at the chibi Ryuichi idol at the front and center.

The three band members converge on the stage ground, their manager and producer joining them. It was already evening and all of them were looking forward to getting off of work.

The doors leading away from the auditorium are open, and a shadowed figure lingers. The sight of the approaching figure stops the group in their tracks. The person coming into light, Shuichi drops his bag in his excitement.

Running forward, squeals of delight leaving him.

"YUUUU-KII! YUUKI, YUKI! You're here! What are you doing here, ah?" He propels himself into the air, his small frame tackling Yuki in an embrace. A grunt leaves the older writer, stepping back to steady himself.

He sighs, letting Shuichi get his excitement out of the way. The boy was nuzzling his soft pink hair into Yuki's neck, embracing him tightly. Yuki keeps his arms at his sides, but his eyes briefly close. Savoring the contact, knowing that Shuichi would have to leave in a week. Shit.

"I came to pick you up, brat." His voice is hoarse and low, the words meant for him alone. Still, the group behind the boy can clearly hear him. Shuichi steps off of his tip toes, making their height difference stark. He finds himself missing the contact.

Violet eyes lighting up, practically holding the entire galaxy as they sparkle. "Yuki.."

Shuichi pulls back, loosely holding his lover's hand. He didn't mean to be so clingy, but he's so happy to see Yuki here.

Closing his eyes, tilting his head and smiling wide. "I love you! I'm so happy to see you.. Let's go home together, okay? I'll make your favorite and we can watch the newest episode of Nee Sensei, Shiranai No and cuddle.."

He rambles on and on, hearts and sparkles practically floating around him.

Yuki scoffs, but there's a soft smile on his regularly stiff lips. Hiro briefly pats Shuichi on the shoulder, putting the singer's bag by his feet. Fujisaki briefly says goodbye as he passes by, talking to Mr. Sakano about something or other.

K has wandered off as well, just Yuki and Shuichi standing together in the N-G Records building.

"Eiri.."

A smooth, veiled tone calls out, causing both of the lovers stiffen for different reasons.

Tohma..

Yuki forces his scowl to fall into a poker face. He hadn't planned on seeing the guy, things were awkward since his return from New York. Something about their last encounter seemed.. off. More so than usual.

Even stranger is Shuichi's reaction to Tohma walking up to them. The hand in his immediately pulls away. Holding onto the strap of his bag, squeezing it tightly. His eyes wide. . fearful?

Whatever it is, it sets Yuki on edge. Big time. His eyes moving from his younger lover, to his brother in law.

"Mh? What is it?" He asks offhandedly, running his hands through his hair. Sighing. Tohma doesn't look particularly happy with his reaction, but Yuki couldn't care less.

Yuki had spent the entire day cramming, writing 8 chapters and drinking double the amount of coffee. He wants to go home and have Shuichi cook him a meal. Maybe he can fall asleep on the couch..

"Hey, are you listening to me? Eiri?"

Making a quiet sound, tilting his head as he focuses on Tohma again. "Yes, yes.." He mumbles, watching the president look behind him, glaring. Watching Shuichi shrink into himself at the action.

He listens as the man goes through inviting him to some dinner with Mika and disinterestedly agrees to it. Breathing a sigh of relief when Tohma finally walks away from them. Yuki is too tired to deal with him further, and without thinking he wraps an arm around Shuichi's shoulder. Pulling him closer.

God. His hair smells like strawberries.. like home.

"Hey." He grunts, ignoring how his heart beats erratically in his chest.

"You said you were going to make my favorite, right? The car is outside."

Shuichi looks up at him, his cheeks flushed. He shouldn't focus on his problems with the president right now. . Being with Yuki like this is a dream come true.

A bold laughter filling the air, the blonde man's chest heaving with the sound.

"Don't look so surprised. We can't walk from here, eh?" The singer holds the bag tighter to his side. Yuki is so handsome.. his golden eyes and hair make Shuichi feel like he's floating on air.

He barely even recognizes the walk to the car, moving along as Yuki does. Practically purring as the arm around his shoulders stay, both of them ignoring the stares from the receptionist and pedestrians as they leave the building.

His entire face turns beet red when they reach the car, his lover opening the passenger door and looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well?"

Shuichi's back straightens, and he rushes into the car stammering. "Ah, yes..! Th-thank you, Yuki.."

The door closes, and he briefly sits in silence while the man he loves goes to the other side. Listening to the engine purr as the car starts, both of them buckling up. His bag between his feet, hands folded in his lap.

Averting his eyes, looking out of the window as the car pulls out into the street. Their.. Yuki's apartment wasn't too far from N-G Records, but the drive was definitely nice. The sun was beginning to set, fluffy clouds in the sky.

Shifting his gaze from the window to the windshield, ignoring the way Yuki is trying to catch his gaze. Golden eyes burning into the rear view mirror. Biting down on his lower lip, hands fidgeting in his lap. Trying to push down the nervous energy rising within him.

"What is it?" Yuki asks, the quiet thrum of the car and the sound of the tires sliding along the road filling the uncanny silence of his normally peppy lover. It's an immediate sign something is wrong. Fighting down a sigh. He despises the quiet.

"Is it Tohma?"

As expected, that hits the head on the nail. Shuichi tenses, and Yuki clicks his tongue. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes. His damn family was always butting into his life. Tiresome.

"Mmmh. What did he say to you?" He questions, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he turns. Holding back another sigh at the silence that follows.

"Shuichi." Yuki allows some stern firmness to enter his tone, making his smaller lover finally speak up.

"I- it's nothing, Yuki.." His voice is quiet, subdued. It makes Eiri's teeth grind together, makes him think of Tohma's glare as he stood there with Shuichi.

"Obviously it's something." The writer huffs, shuffling his weight as he presses down on the gas.

Shuichi is quiet. It must be serious, if he's being so close lipped. Normally he was talking a billion miles a minute. Yuki finds himself unsettled, wanting to pinch the brat's cheeks until he smiled again.

"...If you won't talk about it, fine." The posture of the singer immediately relaxes.

Pursing his lips together, one would usually find a person who reacted so strongly unsettling. But Shuichi.. he's easy to read, most of the time. Except for times like this.

It's true that Yuki had opened up to him more than anyone else. Sure, he didn't know the full extent of his dark past, but he knew more intimate details of the writer than anyone else. They had officially been "dating" for nearly a year at this point, Shuichi had been living with him for that amount of time, anyway.

God. The thought of it makes foreign warmth pool in his chest.

Usually, his relationships were meaningless hookups. One and done kind of deal. But the little brat he had met that fateful night in the park... he stuck. Held onto him, like a tumor. A sweet, cute, loud and loyal little tumor..

And yet, he knew next to nothing about Shuichi. He had cried in the boy's arms, had been accepted into his body. But he couldn't account for anything truly important. Did he have family? What were his previous relationships like? How long has he wanted to be a singer?

The problems they've had so far.. Shuichi has never really confided in him. Always saying that he's fine, that Yuki shouldn't worry. Deflecting, staying quiet just like now.

Hah.. hopefully, by the time dinner is over he can break the ice and get him to open up. He won't be able to write anything with the boy on his mind.

Yuki desperately craves a cigarette. All he can hope for is a semi-decent evening.