Kana woke up Friday morning before the sun crested the horizon. She was excited to go on a date with Shuuhei even though they had never decided where to go. He had let go of some of his control and had begun to touch her more. Nothing sexual even though Kana wanted him. She had surprised herself when she tucked her fingers in to the waistband of his jeans last night.

Quietly she crawled into his bed. It was almost as if Shuuhei had been expecting her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

"What are you doing, Kana?"

"Starting our date early," she said quietly as she kissed him. "Do you mind?"

"No. I sleep better when I'm next to you."

"Maybe I'll have to sleep next to you every night."

"Maybe," Shuuhei said as he nuzzled her neck. Sleeping in her lap had been the best sleep he had gotten in the past week, and Shuuhei longed to sleep well at night.

As he laid there with her next to him, he wasn't thinking about sleep. His thumb rubbed her side and he tugged up the camisole she wore. His palm trailed over the side of her breast. Shuuhei kissed her as he took her breast in his hand. Her body arched against him, and he wondered why he had been denying himself.

"Shuuhei, I've never..." she trailed off, unsure of how to finish her sentence.

"Had sex?" he offered, moving his hand to her waist.

Kana laughed. "No. I've had sex. I've never gotten anything out of it."

"Never?" he asked.

"No. This has never been exciting for me." She looked up at him. "But it is now, with you."

"You know it's now become my personal mission to make sure you get something out of this. Giving you pleasure gives me pleasure, and I am in a very giving mood right now." He kissed her and could feel her hesitating. "Kana, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're a bad liar."

"I'm just nervous. I don't know what to do."

Shuuhei ran his hand through her hair. "Kana, we aren't going to have sex right now."

"You don't want to?"

"I want you to be sure." He kissed her, giving her tenderness. Shuuhei lay back so she was on top of him, her legs lying between his. He held her for a long time, content despite his earlier desires.

They were still in bed when the sun lightened the sky.

"What's next for our date, Kana?"

She smiled. "I guess we need to get up."

"I don't really want to, but I don't want to sleep through our date either." He touched her cheek. "When I'm with you, I feel a peace that I've never felt with anyone else."

"I can be myself with you. I don't have to be her."

"Kana, all I want is you. She doesn't exist for me."

"She doesn't exist for anyone."

"She exists for you," Shuuhei pointed out.

"I need to let her go. I'm not proud of some things I did as her."

"Let her go, Kana. She's part of your past, but she's not your future." He kissed her. "It's time to open up the memories of your past, and it's time to move on. It's time to open up the shadows of your heart, and it's time to move on. Cause it's a great time to live, and it's time to stand up and be counted."

"Are you giving me advice, Shuuhei?"

"It's something I wrote after everything that happened with my ex."

"I like it." She smiled at him. "I'll try to let her go. It's hard though."

"I'm here for you."

Support from someone close to her was something she never had before. Yet here he was offering it without knowing what had happened. She wondered if he had any idea how much that meant to her.

...

They walked hand and hand down the sidewalk. The strip mall had seemed like an interesting place to go. They parked Shuuhei's motorcycle on one side and meandered around, occasionally going inside a shop. One display made Kana stop, but Shuuhei didn't notice until she tugged his arm.

"Can we go inside so I can try it on? It'd be perfect for tomorrow night."

"Sure," Shuuhei replied as he opened the door for her. The shiny pale gold dress that hung in the window was taken down so Kana could try it on.

While Shuuhei waited for her, his phone rang.

"You're rehearsing tonight, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. I want to see you before you begin."

"Yes, sir."

Kana walked out of the dressing room. The strapless dress seemed to have been made for her. It fit her perfectly, flaring out at her hips to give the skirt movement. Shuuhei stared at her.

"Just you by yourself," the caller said.

"Yes, sir. I'll be there." He hung up the phone and tucked it back in to his pocket, his eyes never leaving Kana.

"Who was that?" Kana asked.

"You look amazing."

She giggled. "Thanks, Shuuhei. What shoes should I wear with it?"

"The black ones you normally wear on stage," he suggested knowing that those shoes also made her legs look a mile long.

"Maybe." Kana spun around before darting back into the dressing room. "Who were you talking to?" she asked when she reemerged.

"Kyoraku."

"What did he want?"

"He wants to see me before we rehearse tonight."

"Why?"

Shuuhei shrugged. "I didn't ask. He didn't say."

Kana paid for her dress. "Can you deliver it?" she asked the sales clerk.

"We can take it with us," Shuuhei said.

Kana shook her head. "Not on your motorcycle. It will wrinkle."

"Right. We can pick it up before rehearsals. We have to come back by this way."

"That works," Kana said.

They stopped for ice cream before deciding to go back home. As they got on Shuuhei's motorcycle, Kana wrapped her arms low around his waist. He had worn khakis instead of his normal attire of jeans, and he was fairly certain that Kana had positioned her hands over him on purpose. She inadvertently stroked him several times during their ride home. Shuuhei felt the control he was holding on to slip with every touch.

As he parked his motorcycle, Shuuhei helped her off. "Not many girls would like to ride on a motorcycle," he commented as they walked into the building.

She remembered being nervous the first time she had been on it, but once they had gotten out on the open road, she found herself enjoying it. "I like it. I like the feel of the wind." They stepped onto the elevator with several other people and stood in the back. Kana stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. "I like the feel of being pressed against you."

Shuuhei watched the floor numbers crawl up. If they were alone he was sure she'd be pressed against him. After what felt like an eternity, the elevator stopped on their floor, and Shuuhei pulled Kana toward their apartment. Once inside, he trapped her against his body and the door as he caught her mouth with his. His hands were under her shirt, desperately fighting with her bra. Once it was free, he pulled it off along with her shirt. Control was slipping from his grasp.

His hands cupped her breasts, and she moaned against him. Her whole body seemed to yearn for his touch. When his mouth came down on her breast, Kana's hand fisted in his hair. Wrapping one of her legs around him, his hand moved up her leg slowly until he got to her center. Shuuhei kissed her, wondering if it was possible to devour her. He ran his hand over her before giving in to his desire and pushing aside her panties. As his finger entered her, Kana moaned into their kiss. Her hips moved against him. She held onto his shoulders as he took her up. Her whole body seemed to erupt when she peaked. Her nails bit into his back through his shirt as she called his name. She went lax against him, and Shuuhei held her to keep her from falling.

"Shuuhei."

"Hmm?" he asked, a little appalled that he had taken her against the front door.

"That was amazing." Kana turned her head to kiss him. "I have one request though."

"What's that?"

"Can we try someplace different next time? My legs are weak."

"I don't think that has to do with location." He smirked. "Would you like me to make your legs weak again, Kana?"

"Now?" she asked, unsure if she could do it again.

Shuuhei carried her over to the couch and slipped off her panties. "Now," he said as he kissed her.

...

"You wanted to see me, sir," Shuuhei asked as he walked in to Kyoraku's office.

"Yes." Shunsui picked up a magazine from his desk. "Are you familiar with this?"

"Yes sir. It's the magazine your company publishes."

Shunsui smiled. "Yes. I am in need of a writer."

"A writer?"

"You used to write before you moved here."

"With all due respect sir, that was just a small town newspaper."

"No need to be modest. I want you to write for us." Shunsui studied the young man in front of him. "We'll pay you by the word, and each article will have a minimum number of words it needs to be. I'll need your first article to be complete in a couple of weeks. Here is the information on it." He handed Shuuhei a piece of paper.

"Thank you, sir." Knowing that declining the offer wasn't an option, Shuuhei tucked the paper into his pocket. He left the office and headed down to the rehearsal studios.

"What did he want?" Kana asked when she saw Shuuhei.

"He wants me to write for the company's magazine."

"Getting back into writing?" Yumi asked.

"I guess so."

"Are you guys going to stand around yakking about Shoes or are we going to rehearse?" Ikkaku asked as he sat behind his drums.

With a laugh, Kana began rehearsals hoping that Kyoraku's offer would let Shuuhei quit the job he currently had.

...

Shuuhei stood on the threshold to her room. He rarely went into her bedroom, usually opting to stand at the doorway where he was now. But tonight he couldn't sleep. He'd tried for over an hour, but sleep still eluded him. It wasn't the gig tomorrow night keeping him awake. It was her. Taking a breath, he stepped into her room and lay on the bed next to her. Kana's bed was smaller than his, but it was big enough for the two of them if he held her close. Putting his arm around her, Shuuhei soon fell asleep.

Kana woke Saturday morning feeling wonderful. Unlike Shuuhei she had no problems sleeping. As she laid there debating on going to Shuuhei's room, she felt his arm around her.

Gently she rolled over to face him. Smiling, she kissed his jaw. He didn't stir. Kana watched him for a while, going through details for tonight's gig in her mind. Her hand ran over Shuuhei's chest, and she hesitated slightly at the waistband of his boxers.

Shuuhei's hand came down on top of hers. "That's very tempting."

"Keep your eyes closed and let it be very real."

"Kana," he began.

"Shuuhei let me do this. Let me give to you. You gave to me yesterday afternoon and last night." Kana leaned up and kissed him. His hand moved away from hers, and he stroked her hair.

It wasn't that he had anything to be embarrassed about. He was more afraid it would be over too quickly. No woman in his past had done what Kana was offering. Her hand was timid as she slipped inside his boxers, but Kana gained confidence with every stroke.

It lasted longer than Shuuhei thought it would and as he peaked, he opened his eyes to look at her. That was when he knew he was lost without her.

...

Backstage Kana held Shuuhei's hand. Someone counted down the time, reminding them of how many minutes they had left.

"One minute!"

Shuuhei turned and kissed Kana. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Tonight when we get home, I want to make love to you, Kana."

"Ten seconds! Where's Shuuhei?"

He quickly took his place on the stage just before the lights went up. As Kana walked out to the sound of screaming fans, he thought her smile was just a little wider. She glanced at him and gave him a small nod.

"Good evening! We're Rolling Star." She greeted before starting their first song.

...

They always greeted their fans after the show, but tonight Shuuhei could have gone without it. Kana had talked to everyone who waited. As they sat in the backseat of the limo that had picked them up, Shuuhei leaned over to whisper to her.

"That took longer than normal. Was that on purpose?"

She smiled. "No. I am very much looking forward to going home tonight." She kissed him. No one had ever wanted to make love to her as Kana. They always wanted the singer she had been.

"We have an audience," Shuuhei reminded her.

"I don't care."

"You don't care if the driver starts the rumor that you and I are dating."

"Not at all. We are dating." She kissed him again. It was heated, and they lost track of time.

"I want you, Kana," he whispered as his hand trailed up her skirt. "What kind of rumors do you think he would start if he looked back here and saw you laying on the seat and me on top of you?"

"I don't know, but we're home so I don't think we have to worry about that."

Shuuhei looked outside and saw that the limo was stopped in front of their building. Opening the door, he got out of the limo and helped Kana out. He kept her hand in his as they walked to their apartment.

Once inside, Kana took off her shoes. While Shuuhei toed off his, she took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor. He bent his head down to kiss her collarbone and up her neck. His hands ran up the back of her legs and under her dress. He cupped her butt, feeling the satin of her panties. Kana was glad she had changed her underwear before they left. Lifting her up, Kana wrapped her legs around him as Shuuhei carried her to his room.

He set her down on his bed and couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Did I tell you how great you look tonight?"

"You told me yesterday when I tried on my dress."

"It looks like it was made just for you, Kana." He leaned down to kiss her. "And I'm thinking I should take you out somewhere nice so you can wear it again."

"I'd like that."

Shuuhei helped her stand, and she turned around so he could unzip the dress. It slid slowly to the floor, and Shuuhei admired her lingerie. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he whispered in her ear. "You look sexy, Kana."

Turning in his arms, she faced him. "So do you, Shuuhei. How is it you make a t-shirt and jeans sexy?" She ran her hands up his bare chest while she kissed him. His hands roamed her body.

Shuuhei removed her strapless bra while Kana unbuttoned his jeans. His hands ran slowly down her and Shuuhei removed her panties. Kana sat on the bed so he could take them off her completely. After taking off his pants and boxers, Shuuhei leaned over to kiss her. Kana wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him onto the bed. She wanted to feel his body against hers.

Shuuhei took her up slowly with just his kiss and his touch. He didn't want to rush this for either of them. Kana arched beneath him as the first orgasm went through her. He took her up again, and as she was about ready to crest over the edge, Shuuhei slid in to her. She moaned his name. Using slow strokes, he brought her up again. He held himself back as she tightened around him. Shuuhei kissed her again as his pace quickened. This time when she crested over the edge, he let himself go with her, whispering her name.

They lay sprawled out on the bed, a sheen of sweat covering their bodies. After a few minutes, Kana shifted off the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," she said quietly, somewhat embarrassed.

"You're coming back here, right?"

She smiled. "I'll come back so you can sleep well."

"That's not why I want you to come back," Shuuhei said with a smirk.

"It's not?"

"When I wake up in the middle of the night wanting you, if you're here, I don't have to go far to find you."