A/N: Sorry this took a little while. This chapter touches on a couple important points and introduces some more important characters to the story. Also, I'd like to make a note that, no, Yukimura is not a girl in this fic. In the club, the lights are pretty dim and the only source of lighting are either glowsticks worn by other people or the colored lights that flash from above. Date mistook him for a girl because of his ponytail, and quite possibly his small figure. This is why Sasuke gets a bit angry at Date, because he thinks Date pursued Yukimura for his own personal needs...

Anyway! Hope you enjoy this chapter, and constructive criticism is appreciated. I'll have the new characters' references up after my vacation (August 11th to the 18th) on the tumblr page that is linked on my profile. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Equalizer

Sixty more seconds.

Jumping in place, rope smacking the floor at a monotonous rhythm to the fast paced music booming from the stereo, Yukimura focused his eyes on a particular spot in the distance across the gym. His rokumonsen bounced against his chest as he kept up the pace he had going for a good four minutes, the jump rope never missing a beat to the music.

Forty-five more seconds.

The brunette's lips parted ever so slightly as he tried his best to keep his breathing even in the final stretch of his warm-up. He allowed his eyes to close for a second and his head to lower as he stared at the checkered patterns on his shoes. Something was off about this warm-up... Heck, something was off in the music, the beat, the feel of it all. Yukimura just couldn't figure out for the life of him what it was that made him uneasy.

Thirty more seconds.

The front door opened then, allowing Sasuke, Yukimura's childhood best friend and housemate, to enter the boxing ring. He walked around the main arena to the weightlifting area kept behind it, where Yukimura was currently jumping rope. The training hall was owned by Master Shingen, who also happened to be their caretaker. Shingen was a renowned boxer, and his appearance definitely proved his worth as well as his underlying strength, but due to a career-ending injury he pulled himself out of the sport and now coaches both Sasuke and Yukimura (though Yukimura definitely proved to be the more dedicated pupil out of the two).

Ten more seconds.

Sasuke took a seat on one of the benches and placed Yukimura's bag, containing a change of clothes and a towel, next to him. His deep forest eyes set themselves on his best friend as he just about wrapped up his warm-up, slowing his pace until he was able to let the jump rope hang loosely in his hands. He panted heavily, the sweat dripping from his forehead down his face. Sasuke clapped slowly; less of an effort in praising the boy in red and more of a way to alert him of his presence.

"You ready to take a break?" Sasuke asked, pulling out a water bottle from the bag and throwing it to the brunette coming to sit next to him. Yukimura caught it effortlessly and nodded in response. Sasuke stretched his arms and propped a leg on the bench and rested his chin upon his knee, "That's a little odd, you seem a bit off today. I expected a… livelier you."

Yukimura smiled into the water bottle as he downed about a third of it. He sighed as he recapped the bottle and leaned back on bench while his eyes trailed up to the ceiling. With lips pressed in a firm line, he stared at the ceiling fans whirling around keeping his heated skin cooled.

"I guess you're right, something is a bit off..." he started, not looking at Sasuke as he spoke. Said boy was distracted looking for the remote to the stereo, which was still blaring insanely loud music into his poor eardrums. Seriously, how loud did this kid need his music for him to focus?

"Something on your mind?"

"You could say that."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"..." Once the stereo was muted, Yukimura felt a sudden chill run down his spine as if to bring him back into the present, "I've been thinking about that one night at the club. About that mysterious dancer I met."

Sasuke hummed in response and nodded slightly. Oh, that again. Was that man really that interesting to Yukimura that he would let one little dance affect his state of mind for three days after?

Deciding not to assume too much out of the situation, Sasuke let Yukimura continue, "And why the prolonged interest?"

"To be honest, I really don't know," Yukimura laughed, scratching the back of his head as he sat staring at the ceiling in deep thought, "Before that night, I never sensed much of a fighting spirit from anyone I danced with. There were a few exceptions, of course, but they were nothing compared to that man. The passion in his movements and the fierce intimidation in the way he moved struck something in me. It was like he was calling me out in war."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the poeticism in his friend's words, but listened to them nonetheless. It was true. Yukimura's drive for dancing had been caught in a sort of standstill before this unknown dancer swept him away that night. It was that dwindling fire that made Yukimura sneak out to the club a lot, as he must have spent that time trying to keep himself above the bar compared to the other regular dancers at the club. Sasuke noticed he snuck out more often and stayed out longer and longer, but even with all that effort Yukimura didn't seem like he had much fun at all. Despite that, the boy still refused to let his love for dancing die, but the fire within him had obviously dwindled over time.

No, it wasn't until he forced Yukimura home three days ago that he saw that old fire come back to his eyes again. That passion that made Yukimura the little tiger cub he was finally came back, but it wasn't thanks to a childhood friend who encouraged him daily. It was thanks to a mysterious man who, in the intoxicating atmosphere of the club, forced himself closer and closer to the young cub in an effort to woo a pretty little lady into his claws. Sasuke's face twitched uncomfortably as he remembered that feral look in the man's eye, like he was ready to-

"Sasuke?"

"Hm?" Green eyes met a pair of concerned brown ones. Sasuke easily put on a smile, "Called to war, I heard you. So you think he may be a key to you finding your dancing drive again?"

"Well, maybe," the brunette continued, seemingly convinced by the sly boy's fake smile, "I don't want to say he brought it back completely, as I know I still have a long way to go… But I do know I want to see this person again and challenge them more often. I feel they would make a very worthy opponent." And for the first time in a pretty long while, Yukimura's lips curved upward into a determined smile, one that had long since went into hiding since his Master's injury. Sasuke couldn't help but smile with him, and with a small inhale he stood up from the bench and turned to his best friend.

"Well, although I don't think it's a very good idea to be hanging around that guy very often, the least I can do for you is support you," Seeing the bright spark in Yukimura's eyes, Sasuke averted his own and set them on the clock over the main entrance to the boxing ring, "It's getting a little late, we should start heading home."

"Right! I've been here all day, so dinner sounds like a nice change of pace," Yukimura hummed with a goofy smile on his face, his hand on his stomach. Sasuke looked at him, an eyebrow rising as he thought over his words.

"You haven't eaten all day have you, Danna?"

The boy shook his head. Sasuke sighed, then waited as the brunette disappeared into the changing room to switch out of his sweaty clothes.

"We're back!" Sasuke called as he entered the apartment he shared with Yukimura and Master Shingen. He sidestepped away from the front door (making way for Yukimura barreling in) and took off his shoes, then casually made his way into the kitchen to find something for the three of them to eat. None of them were very good in the kitchen, but it turned into an unspoken rule to have Sasuke cook dinner, as he was the only one of the three who could at least use the kitchen without setting anything on fire. For breakfast and lunch, everyone fended for themselves (which resulted in takeout most of the time).

Just as Sasuke decided on what to cook, Yukimura finally made it past the genkan to greet the head of the house. "Oyakata-sama-!"

WHAM!

Sasuke sighed and winced a little as he heard Yukimura crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Even if this was a normal thing, he still couldn't fathom how the boy could stand the tough love Master Shingen showed him.

"Yukimura!" Shingen bellowed, his stern face not cracking a smile but to those who knew him showed he was rather content.

"Oyakata-sama!" The brunette sprung back up with a cheerful smile and a burning fire in his eyes, completely unscathed from the previous blow to the head. This piqued Shingen's interest, as he had not seen that spark in a very long time.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that spark in your eyes, boy," The renowned boxer mumbled as he and the boy in question walked to the living room to wait on dinner, "You've been acting strange since you came back from your last getaway… Did something happen?" He eyed the young cub suspiciously, his brows pinched in both concern and in intimidation.

This didn't faze Yukimura, however, as his smile grew much wider. He held up a fist and clenched it tightly, "My deepest apologies for having left while you were at rest, Oyakata-sama," he began in a boisterous voice, one he normally only used at home or in the presence of Shingen, "But on that night three days ago, I ran into someone who may potentially come to be my equal in dancing! No… He must already rival me, the passion in his movements shined so brightly - it reminded me of none other than that of what you taught me!" Yukimura looked at his hand which had unfurled as he continued talking.

He stared at his palm for a while, as it remembered the feel of the man's chest as he stood so close to him by the end of their battle. It rose and fell with heavy pants; the man desperately trying to catch his breath in the event of another round of dancing began. Yukimura blushed faintly as he remembered that low, husky voice in his ear, the music attempting to drown out any means of communication besides physical contact.

"That was an incredible dance."

"Yukimura?" Shingen called to the boy, who was caught staring at his hand with a rather dark blush spread across his face. The brunette snapped out of it and clapped his hands over his cheeks, trying to slap sense back into him. Shingen cocked an eyebrow and watched as the boy struggled to overcome embarrassment. He allowed himself to chuckle, which caused the boy even more discomfort, "From what you've told me, it sounds like you have found quite a formidable opponent…"

Yukimura watched his coach as he thought over what he heard, analyzing it piece by piece. It was intriguing, truthfully, seeing the person that inspired him most lost in thought like this. Was Yukimura's meeting really this intriguing to Master Shingen? If so, then why? Yukimura concluded he may not ever find out, as Master Shingen tended to keep such details to himself.

"Nevertheless!" Shingen continued, making Yukimura's back straighten, "I'm very happy for you."

Yukimura deadpanned at his coach, who simply smiled a big old toothy grin. His nose scrunched up as he smiled, something unique to Master Shingen that made his smiles all the more meaningful and rare to Yukimura. The boy did his best to hold back most of his overwhelming happiness, but it proved to be a bit too much as he shot up from the couch and shouted with an indebted smile, "Oyakata-sama!"

"Yukimura!"

"Oyakata-sama!"

"Yukimura!"

"Oya—"

"HEY!" Sasuke called from the kitchen window that saw into the living room. The duo turned to look at their third family member, not finding anything wrong with their bouts of shouting. Sasuke stared at them in silence for a minute, then just as he was about to open his mouth to announce dinner to be ready Yukimura's cellphone rang from the bag he left by the coffee table. Yukimura dove for the phone, knowing that people normally don't call him unless it was something really important (otherwise they would text).

"Hello?"

"Yukimura!" a rather irritated voice called from the other end. Yukimura blinked in puzzlement.

"Ieyasu-dono? What's the matter?"

"There's not much time to explain, just get yourself together and meet me at the usual spot," Ieyasu demanded. Other voices could be heard in the background, some shouting and some trying to mediate – or taunt, Yukimura couldn't tell which.

"Alright, I'll be there soon." With a small nod, he hung up and clenched his phone tightly as he ran up the stairs to his room, "Sorry, Sasuke, but I'm gonna hold off on dinner!" he called before shutting the door to change. Sasuke stared at the doorway, mouth agape and head tilted in confusion. He then looked at Shingen, who only seemed mildly concerned.

"Might as well pack his dinner up and leave it in the fridge for him," The older man sighed and got up to join Sasuke at the dining table just outside of the kitchen. Sasuke frowned.

"You're not worried?"

Shingen scoffed, "I needn't worry about Yukimura. I'm not sure what changed him in the past few days, but I know he'll be able to fend for himself a little more from now on."

Despite the bubbling need to protest, Sasuke kept his mouth shut and clapped his hands together, "Itadakimasu."

Yukimura hurried to club, impatient to help his friend. He couldn't stay still on the train and ended up bothering a few citizens on the train, but he only apologized half-heartedly. Now that he was walking into the club, the feelings he'd felt for the past few days suddenly rushed back and overpowered his curiosity for Ieyasu. Yukimura felt as if he were dancing with that man once again. Though he wanted to relish in the overwhelming feeling, Yukimura shook his head clear once he caught sight of his friend clad in a golden colored hoodie and baggy jeans. With a little bit of an aggressive effort, he pushed through the thick crowd to meet up with him.

A white head in the crowd caught Yukimura's attention, stopping him on his way to Ieyasu once again. He looked at the boy that belonged to the wild head of white hair and couldn't help but feel just a bit nostalgic for some reason. He felt as if he knew the boy, but he couldn't place where he saw him before. Instead of dwelling on it, Yukimura focused his attention on Ieyasu.

"Ieyasu-dono, you called me here?" Yukimura asked putting an arm on the man's shoulder. Ieyasu turned to Yukimura with a troubled expression, but his face lightened when he saw the brunette.

"Yukimura! I'm so glad you're here! I need your help. My dear friend Motochika seems to be in a misunderstanding. I tried to talk peacefully with him and reason with him, but he seems pretty set on going against me here. Would you mind lending me hand?" Ieyasu asked with pleading eyes.

"Well, well, well, if I didn't just hear something interesting," came a low voice. Yukimura looked to see the familiar looking white haired boy from before walk towards them. He was accompanied by a much smaller white haired teen that looked absolutely irritated to be there. "If you still think that we're friends after what you put me through, then you're crazy!" The one-eyed teen pointed at Ieyasu, who was taken aback by such bold words.

"M-Motochika, can't you calm down? I know that we're still friends. Please, if we could just resolve this with the power of our bonds rather than fighting it-"

"Bonds, huh? That's a funny word coming from you. You got me kicked out of me house!" Motochika growled.

"Just give it up, Ieyasu. No one is falling for your 'talk of peace' act anymore," the smaller boy said in a detached tone. Though he sounded bored, Yukimura could feel, and even see, the anger radiating from him. Ieyasu feigned defeat, but his eyes proved otherwise.

"My talk of peace is no act, Mitsunari. You should know that better than anyone, but I guess if there's no other way, then we can go about this like you wanted. That is why Yukimura is here after all. I just hope you realize we won't back down. I'm not one to take to losing too kindly. Ready, Yukimura?" Ieyasu asked as he turned to look over his shoulder at his friend, who obviously wore his confusion on his face.

"What is this all about, Ieyasu-dono?" Yukimura asked. His brows furrowed as he felt uncomfortable for jumping into the middle of what looked like something rather personal.

"That bastard got me kicked out of my house! He says we're friends, but I can't forgive him for something like that! It's time to quit stalling. If you're a man, Ieyasu, let's battle it out, right now!" Motochika glared at Ieyasu as a fast song with a heavy beat started playing. Ieyasu and Motochika stared at each other before Motochika gave a sly smirk. "If you're not going to make the first move, then we will."

Motochika gave a curt nod to Mitsunari next to him, and then slowly they began jumping in place, assessing the beat of the music. Yukimura immediately noticed that they were jumpstylists, as the way they hopped in sync to the heavy bass while flipping and kicking their legs in well-trained patterns made it obvious. It angered Yukimura that the two danced so close to Ieyasu and himself, almost kicking them with their sporadic leg movements and threatening stunts. Ieyasu looked saddened by their actions, but Yukimura only grew more determined to help Ieyasu win.

As the two white haired teens backed away slightly, Yukimura grabbed Ieyasu's arm to pull him from his distracting thoughts. He gave him a comforting smile before they nodded at each other and began dancing as well, almost instantaneously breaking into a Melbourne Shuffle. Motochika and Mitsunari stopped dancing and back up a little more in order to watch Yukimura and Ieyasu shuffle and glide across the floor. The two carried themselves in a very confident manner, gaining attention from the crowd around them. Yukimura grinned in satisfaction, letting the beat carry his body across the floor in movements so smooth, it was almost as if he were skating. Once the beat slowed down, Ieyasu and Yukimura slowed their dancing and backed up, allowing round two to begin.

Motochika and Mitsunari jumped and spun around as the beat picked up, getting closer and closer to Ieyasu and Yukimura. At one point, Motochika had actually accomplished kicking Ieyasu in the shin, though it was a discreet move to the crowd around them. Ieyasu grimaced but said nothing to his opponent. Yukimura was about to take action when he was kicked in the back of his leg by Mitsunari, which also went unnoticed to the roaring audience. He turned to glare at Mitsunari and was met with equally cold eyes. Soon, Mitsunari and Motochika regrouped for Yukimura and Ieyasu's turn, a deadly tension rising as they seemed to look down on their opponents.

Yukimura and Ieyasu began shuffling again, this time creatively gliding across the floor in elaborate patterns that, to the trained eye, proved to be very challenging feats. Then, in an unspoken agreement, the two began shuffling to their opponents, spitting back as much intimidation and threatening fire as they did prior. The two white haired teens were startled, but stood their ground as they grew closer. Yukimura then looked up from the ground at Mitsunari's face and stuck out his tongue at him, his eyes fixated on the white haired man's in a menacing showdown. He smirked at Mitsunari's appalled face and began shuffling so that his feet would force Mitsunari to stagger backward a little. Mitsunari gave an impatient growl while Yukimura laughed and pulled away smoothly as he and Ieyasu finished their turn.

Motochika grabbed Mitsunari in a fit of rage, and the two began jumping around again for round three. They faced each other, performing a sort of choreographed flurry of kicks and punches that allured the crowd surrounding them. Yukimura knew then that they were gearing up for their big final move. Mitsunari jumped up high and landed in Motochika's cupped hand. With a little amount of force, Motochika lifted his hand as Mitsunari jumped and performed a perfect backflip, earning a large amount of applause from the crowd. Motochika gave a sly grin to Ieyasu as they stopped, waiting for their final retaliation.

Yukimura gave a confident nod to Ieyasu and they made the dance floor theirs again. Ieyasu glided in a small circle gaining momentum for what Yukimura knew was coming. Ieyasu threw himself to the ground in a coin drop and Yukimura quickly glided around him, speeding up and slowing down to the articulate beat of the music. Ieyasu eased himself from the coin drop into a flare, allowing his legs to fly around him in a circle. Yukimura's feet moved in patterns on the ground while his legs seemed to create the illusion of moving faster than he was. His feet illustrated the main beat of the final seconds of the song while his legs seemed to ride on the off beats that followed. The two continued this wild display until Ieyasu pushed himself up and ended back to back with Yukimura, both allowing a cocky smirk to grace their faces. They stopped just as the song ended and the crowd erupted in cheers and veneration. Yukimura smiled widely and turned to shake Ieyasu by his shoulders.

"We did it, Ieyasu-dono! We won!" Yukimura cheered, though his reddened cheeks and heavy panting were proving it to be difficult to cheer for long. The brunette hadn't thought about it, but as the adrenaline rush died down, he felt a pounding headache disturb his jubilations. Ieyasu gave a small smile, then glanced towards Motochika who looked livid. He approached Ieyasu and grabbed a fistful of his hoodie.

"Ieyasu! You weren't supposed to win!" Motochika growled over the loud crowd, which after seeing how angry he was quickly hushed and back away in the event of a fight happening. Ieyasu gave Motochika a determined stare.

"I warned you that I wouldn't go easy on you. Now if you'd let me go, hopefully you could try listening to me this time," Ieyasu said.

"As if I'd ever listen to you!" Motochika shouted pulling his arm back. Pushing his personal pain aside, Yukimura quickly ran and slipped between them, grabbing Motochika's arm.

"Please wait, Motochika-dono! While I may not completely understand the situation here, I think you should listen to what Ieyasu-dono has to say. He is a kind person, and he will not lie to you. You must know that if you two were indeed friends!" Yukimura said struggling against Motochika. Motochika glanced at Yukimura before sighing and shoving Ieyasu away from him.

"Fine. I'll at least listen to you, but if I was right about Ieyasu, I'm not stopping for anything. Let's talk outside," Motochika said, heading to the balcony at the left of the room. Ieyasu quickly gathered him composure and followed Motochika outside. Yukimura stood with Mitsunari in the room, watching Ieyasu and Motochika talk outside. Yukimura chanced a shy glance at Mitsunari and averted his eyes under his cold gaze.

"Um, that was some great dancing you and Motochika-dono did, Mitsunari-dono," Yukimura said to quell the awkward silence. Mitsunari glanced boredly at Yukimura before looking back to Ieyasu and Motochika.

"What do I care of what you think? Besides, you and that bastard won, so it makes no difference how well I danced," Mitsunari stated in a flat tone. Yukimura pouted a little. That wasn't a very positive way of looking at things…

"Well, I suppose, but you still-"

"Look, if you have nothing useful to say then just shut up. I have no interest in listening to your babbling," Mitsunari declared while walking towards Motochika and Ieyasu who had just re-entered the room. Yukimura continued on as well, standing by Ieyasu's side. Motochika seemed to be in thought while Ieyasu seemed relieved.

"I knew the bastard didn't like me, but to go as far as that… I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Ieyasu. I swear the next time I see that god damn rat I'm gonna-"

"Easy now, Motochika. While I agree that Mori Motonari overstepped his boundaries here, there's no need for violence," Ieyasu said cutting off Motochika in his threat.

"But this war between Mori and I has been going on longer than this. I swear I'm gonna make that bastard pay somehow," Motochika growled, clenching his fists by his sides.

"And when that day comes, I will support you in any way I can. Meanwhile, why don't we all go out to celebrate? I'd say that avoiding this crisis is a cause for celebration," Ieyasu offered. Motochika mused over the idea.

"That would be fine with me, but where would we go?" Motochika asked. As the two men discussed the plans for the evening, Yukimura held his head and muttered a faint curse under his breath. The headache still didn't pass and by now he was sure he could hear his stomach growling in his head.

"Could we possibly go out to dinner? The truth is I haven't eaten all day," Yukimura admitted sheepishly, a blush decorating his face.

Soon enough, the four teens were at a ramen shop waiting for their orders to be fulfilled. Yukimura had ended up sitting between Motochika and Ieyasu while Mitsunari sat on the other side of Ieyasu. Motochika turned to Yukimura with a large grin.

"I don't think I ever really introduced myself to you. I'm Motochika Chosokabe. It's a pleasure to meet'cha," Motochika said.

"Ah, you're right. I'm Sanada Genjiro Yukimura, loyal student of ex-boxer Takeda Shingen! It's a pleasure to meet you," Yukimura announced loudly and proudly. Motochika gave a laugh at Yukimura's fervor in his introduction.

"You really are a little spitfire aren't you? You remind me of someone I met the other night, but I'm not sure who," Motochika trailed off in thought, letting his eyes stare into space as he did so.

"Motochika-dono, you look quite familiar as well. Have we possibly met before?" Yukimura asked. Motochika gave a thoughtful hum.

"It's definitely possible… If you dance that well, then I'm sure that wasn't your first time to that club. Maybe we've only seen each other there?" Motochika guessed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Maybe, that is likely," Yukimura agreed dully, lost in his thoughts still. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but not only did Motochika look familiar, he sounded rather familiar too; especially when he was yelling in the club earlier that night. Yukimura drummed a finger on his cheek as he thought, though said thoughts were soon overshadowed by his obnoxious hunger clawing at his stomach.

"Well, let's not worry too much about it. We may have met before, but we're friends now. That's what really matters. Though I'm impressed with your skills, I have to say that it didn't seem like that was the best you've got to offer," Motochika said as everyone's ramen appeared. Everyone grabbed their chopsticks, gave an "Itadakimasu," and then started eating. Ieyasu, who had heard Motochika's comment, put his bowl down after the first slurp.

"That reminds me, Yukimura, are you alright? You seemed a bit out of it tonight and also easily angered," Ieyasu said, his concern showing. Yukimura quickly slurped the rest of his noodles and smiled at Ieyasu.

"I'm fine! The anger was partly due to the fact that I hadn't eaten all day," Yukimura said.

"Why hadn't you eaten today? Has something been troubling you?" Ieyasu asked.

"Oh, no, not at all! I've just been lost in thought for the past few days. You see, the other night I met a man who had danced with me, and he danced with such passion that it stirred up something inside of me as well. I've been itching to dance with him again in order to feel that passion once more, so since then I've been training really hard to get back into the swing of things. Lately I've been slacking, but this man seemed to bring me back to reality," Yukimura said, allowing himself an embarrassed laugh at admitting he let himself become rusty in his dancing. Motochika observed Yukimura closely, almost able to pinpoint exactly where he's seen him before, but then soon gave up in his thoughts and returned to eating his ramen.

"I take it this man was a great dancer then?" Ieyasu asked.

"Yes, if the two of us were to have a dance battle much like tonight's, I'm not sure who the victor would be," Yukimura said, his admiration lacing his words.

"Well, I wish you luck, Yukimura. Hopefully you can meet this man again and dance until a winner is determined," Ieyasu smiled at the beaming brunette before continuing to eat. Yukimura nodded slightly.

"Thank you, Ieyasu-dono," Yukimura said before quickly finishing his ramen. He paid for his meal separately before turning to the others. "Please enjoy your meal! I've got to go back home. I'm sure Sasuke and Oyakata-sama are waiting for my return. I'll see you next time!" With that, the boy quickly ran out of the ramen shop. Ieyasu's words had filled Yukimura with some sort of hopeful knowledge that he would indeed meet the man that had plagued his thoughts for days now. Not only would they meet, but they would also dance together again and feel the same passion as they had that night. The hope alone sent shivers of anticipation running down his spine as he hurried to catch the train home, and throughout the entire ride, Yukimura's smile remained settled upon his lips.

Motochika slammed the door to the apartment shut as he returned. He found Masamune lounging on the couch and dropped a shopping bag on his stomach. Masamune sat up in surprise and grabbed the bag before it dropped. "There's your milk you wanted," Motochika announced sitting next to Masamune, his face showing nothing but indifference. He didn't just spend hours to fetch some milk, what are you talking about? Masamune glared daggers at the man beside him.

"You asshole! Did you have to drop it on my stomach?! What even took you so long by the way?" Masamune asked, slamming the milk container on the coffee table in front of them.

"Oh I went to the club to deal with Ieyasu. Turns out he wasn't the one to kick me out. It was Mori, that bastard," Motochika growled. Masamune glanced at Motochika confused.

"You went to the club? Why would you do that?" Masamune asked.

"To have a dance battle with Ieyasu. I knew I could beat him since I had brought Mitsunari, but he brought some little guy with a lot of bounce in his step. He was quite the great dancer. With that little guy, Ieyasu beat me. I was about to punch him, but the little guy stopped me. He talked me into listening to Ieyasu's side of the story and that's when things were settled," Motochika explained, feigning any interest while flipping through the channels on the TV.

"I was watching that, but I guess I'll let it slide since you got your friend back tonight. Who was that great dancer you were talking about? Was he someone we should look out for at the club sometime?" Masamune asked.

"Totally. He glided like it was nothing! It didn't even look like he was touching the ground!" Motochika said, a smirk visible as he recalled the brunette's impressive dancing.

"So you got his number right? You can ask him to come to the club when we want?" Masamune asked hopefully. Motochika froze and didn't look Masamune in the eye, the smirk now looking more like a hollowed out attempt at a poker face. Masamune glared at Motochika. "You mean you didn't get his number? What the hell have you been doing all night?!"

"S-So it slipped my mind. We can still ask Ieyasu when he's going to the club, so calm down!" Motochika cried desperately. Masamune groaned and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine. I guess it's okay so long as I have a chance to meet him. I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted after staying up all night waiting for you," Masamune said standing up. He grabbed the milk and put it in the fridge before going upstairs towards his room. "Thanks for getting the milk by the way." Motochika gave a smile to Masamune and Masamune continued on to his room to get ready for bed.