A/N- Sorry this took so long and that it's so rushed! I may go back over this and edit as necessary, but I wanted something up. Life is kicking my butt at the moment, but I hope to get the next part of this up quicker than this. Hope you enjoy it!

000

"The hell?" Jad stood beside him and looked puzzled as he watched the girls run off. "Zane, what just happened?"

The damn smile wouldn't go away, so he just shrugged and turned to his friend, eyes gleaming. "I'm not sure yet, but it'll be interesting, I can tell you that."

His friend shot him an unsure glance. "Did you do anything to Ami? 'Cause if you hurt her or anything, I'm gonna hafta kick your ass. I mean, she's a real sweetheart, Zane, so if you-"

Zane held up a hand imperiously, cutting Jad off. "I won't hurt her, Jad. Promise. But I may confuse her right now, and I fully intend to take advantage of that to insinuate myself into her life."

Jad had a sudden shit-eating grin and Zane winced. He hadn't meant to say quite that much. "Into her life, huh? Sounds promising," then Jad frowned, blue eyes clouding. "But why'd she run off, Zane?"

A sigh escaped him as he ran a hand over strawberry blond hair, the memory of her lips curving his own again. "Because I kissed her." A glance over at Jad showed him turning purple with the effort not to blow up on the dance floor, so he snagged the other man by the arm and dragged him in the direction of the table the rest of the group was sitting at, talking quickly as they went. "It was a spur of the moment thing, man, and believe it or not, she didn't seem that upset, in fact she was kissing me back, but I think then her brain kicked in and she freaked out, okay? So I didn't hurt her or force her or anything so before you take my head off take that into consideration." Another glance proved Jad to be calming, no longer on his way to apoplexy. Relieved, Zane grinned at him.

Jad grinned back at him, so he released his arm and laughed. "Not mad at me anymore?"

Jad shrugged. "Wasn't really mad at you to begin with, but if you'd done something to make her mad or anything, well, she's one of the girls, you know? So, it's like a duty that one of us guys has to beat whoever hurts our girls. And when we say "our" girls, that means all of them, not just the ones we're dating specifically. These women come as a group, peacock, I hope you realize that by now."

Zane looked thoughtfully over at the bathroom door. "I'm definitely starting to. They certainly all shot off as soon as she was moving."

Jad nodded as they wound their way to the table. "They've been through a lot together. They're all closer than any other people I've ever seen, really."

As Zane pondered that they sat down, and Kenta, Naoki and Mamoru looked at them with expectant expressions.

"Well?" Naoki asked, meaning obvious as Kenta raised a brow and Mamoru gave Zane a bland look. "Want to tell us what happened?"

Zane flushed, suddenly feeling as if he was on trial with the three men staring at him his judges, and the one beside him his lawyer. Right…the girls aren't the only ones that come as a set, I think. And Jad wasn't kidding when he said "our" girls, as in plural, as in all the guys are rather proprietary… He cleared his throat. "Ah, well… We were dancing, and I kissed her. It wasn't premeditated, which I'm not sure will count for or against me, but it also wasn't forced on her or anything, and she seemed to enjoy it as much as I did until she ran away. I'm hoping that she ran away because it was unexpected, not because it was unpleasant. Is that what you wanted to know?"

Mamoru nodded slowly as his eyes pinned Zane to the seat. "For starters." The defacto leader of the group glanced at Kenta, who gave a brief tilt of his head in acknowledgement, and then at Naoki, who also nodded. His gaze transferred to Jad, and the blond looked solemn as he dipped his chin in deference. When those midnight blue eyes locked back onto Zane he felt a chill go up his spine. As silly as this should be with them acting like a cliché out of a movie, I don't think I'm amused…

"A club is not the proper place to discuss this, but we have things to talk about, I think. Tonight," Mamoru decided, "we will speak more about what you intend. For now, however, we'll just have a good time. Alright?"

Zane couldn't do more than bob his head in an affirmative, spine stiff with an emotion that wasn't quite fear and wasn't quite apprehension. Bemused, he answered as well as he could. "Ah, as you wish."

A definitive nod and Mamoru released him from that too-penetrating look, relaxing an infinitesimal bit. At that silent cue, the rest of them also loosened up and smirked at him. "More than you'd bargained for, hm, boyo?" Kenta rumbled, amused.

Zane just stared back at him helplessly, a bit adrift. "Ah…"

Kenta and Naoki exchanged merry glances and stood up, each taking an arm and lifting the bewildered Zane to his feet. "Let's go get a drink, peacock," Naoki suggested amiably, eyes twinkling.

"Mmhmm, drink," Zane agreed. Chuckling, the two led him to the bar, where he glimpsed Makoto and Rei making off with what looked like too many drinks for them to carry. He would've turned to watch them go, but Kenta and Naoki rather firmly planted him at the bar.

"Something strong for our friend here, would you?" Kenta instructed the bartender mildly as he slanted a look at Zane. "I believe he needs it at the moment."

"We are glad, you know," Naoki interjected cheerily. "Ami's been alone for too long, and we've all worried about her. But," he tapped Zane's cheek a little more forcefully than necessary, "as much as we like you and think that this is a good idea, we want her happiness above all things, and want to know that you'll be good to her. After all, she's like a little sister to us, and as big brothers, we have to make sure that anyone she starts seeing is a good one." Naoki's eyes darkened for a moment. "She hasn't had the best of luck in the men department…" A sharp glance at Zane had the blond stiffening again. "I love her dearly, and I won't see her hurt like that again." The glance softened and Naoki ran a hand through his chestnut curls and sighed. "But I don't think you will. Which is good." He broke off as the bartender handed the drinks around. "Here we go…"

Zane clutched at his drink, wondering how he'd gone from assured and assertive to bewildered and befuddled in so short a time. Aie, is the whole thing going to be a rollercoaster ride like this?

He was distracted from his thoughts as Kenta raised his glass and Naoki followed suit. "To the maybe's and possibilities, and the chance to find something worthwhile," Naoki chimed with a beam.

Kenta smiled and added, "And to making friends and keeping them."

Zane lifted his glass and joined the toast, making his own silent salute. To leaving loneliness behind…though I may be trading it for more confusion than I've ever known, I get the feeling it'll be worth it.

Feeling slightly better about the whole situation, Zane's "Kanpai!" was as strong as the other two men's, and he knocked back his drink with resolution. He would make this work, and he would make her his own.