Kana listened while they recorded the music to 3am. She wouldn't be able to record the vocals until that afternoon. She was volunteering, and she felt it was something she couldn't back out of. Keeping an eye on time, she listened as Shuuhei and Yumi played. Ikkaku would be coming in later to record the drum tracks.

Shuuhei looked out at her through the glass. He smiled at her as he played through the music. For the moment, he only saw her. There was no one else around. It was like he was playing just for her.

'I have to go,' she mouthed to him.

He nodded, never missing a beat in the song. He could play 3am in his sleep. It was their song or at least that's how he saw it. Shuuhei watched her leave, wishing he could kiss her goodbye and maybe even finally tell her what he was feeling. How was it that a man who had given up on love found himself so deeply in love?

They played for another couple of hours, finishing a few more songs. Shuuhei checked his phone and saw a message from Kana.

'It sounded really good when I left.'

He smiled and replied back. 'It'll sound better when you record the vocals. Yumi and I are stopping for the day. We're going to grab lunch before he has to leave.'

'I'll be there in a couple of hours. I can't wait to record.'

'I can't wait to listen.'

Yumi and Shuuhei walked to a nearby restaurant and ordered lunch.

"How long has it been Shuuhei?" Yumi asked, eyeing his friend.

"Since what?"

"Since you fell in love with Kana."

Shuuhei shrugged. It had been a couple of weeks since her mother had stopped by. While he had realized it that day, he didn't know for sure when it had happened. "It's different than it was with Rangiku."

"Different how?"

"I don't think I really loved Ran. Lust. Yeah. But not love. I think it was just the idea that I had what everyone else wanted." Shuuhei paused. "Proposing to her was just the next logical step. It wasn't what I really wanted." He looked at Yumi. "I started resenting her. When I just wanted to sit down with my guitar and be alone, she'd interrupt me. In the last 6 months we were together, I think I picked up my guitar twice."

"And Kana just sits back and listens whenever you want to play?"

"Kana understands." Shuuhei grinned. "When I first moved in with Kana, I spent a lot of time practicing. She never complained. Never asked me to stop and pay attention to her. Never told me I played too much. Most of the time, she sat and listened. Sometimes she sang." They had talked a lot while he played, and their friendship had grown over Rolling Star's music. "Living with Kana has never been awkward."

"You were hesitant about living with her," Yumi remembered.

"I was hesitant about living with a woman I didn't know."

"You know her pretty well now."

Shuuhei thought of Kana's past and nodded. "Yumi, she's different than any woman I've ever dated." He loved her more than anything, but he wasn't going to admit that to Yumi when he hadn't told her yet.

...

Kana sat in the recording booth listening to the music play in her headphones. When she had recorded as anKa, she had listened to the music and ran through the lyrics in her mind before she recorded them. Today though, her mind kept drifting to Shuuhei. She remembered the lyrics to this song waking her up and taking her to his bedroom where he had kissed her. She never told Shuuhei she considered 3am their song.

When she had offered him a place to live, she hadn't honestly expected him to stay long. He had looked for a different apartment some when he first moved in, but he had soon given up. Living together had never been awkward for either of them.

Kana remembered their first gig about a month after he had moved in.

"Shuuhei, where are you going?" Kana asked as she caught up to him after the show.

"Home," he replied, as he reached for the door.

"There's a car waiting out front to take us home."

"I know. I want to walk. It's not that far." He was too excited to sit in a car, but he didn't know how to explain that to her.

"Give me a minute, I'll walk with you."

"No. Take the car."

"Not unless you are." Kana paused. "I'll be right back." She disappeared but wasn't gone for long. "I told the driver to go ahead and leave. I didn't want him to wait all night for us." Smiling at Shuuhei, she opened the door and stepped out into the night air.

"Kana, you didn't have to walk with me. Can you walk in those shoes?"

"I wanted to do it, and yes I can. I always perform in these shoes. They are surprisingly comfortable." She looked up at him. "If my feet get tired you can carry me."

He laughed. "You and my guitar?"

"You use the gym in our building. I'll bet you could carry me and your guitar easily." She had seen him come in from the gym. His arms were well toned, and she had wondered if his muscle definition went further than his biceps.

Shuuhei shook his head at her. "It's a nice night."

"Yes it is." She watched him a minute. "How was it?"

A huge grin broke out over his face. "Amazing. I should thank you for letting me into Rolling Star."

She shrugged. "You came highly recommended. You're a wonderful guitarist, Shuuhei, and a perfect fit for Rolling Star."

He had been perfect for them; perfect for her. Opening her eyes, Kana looked out and saw him watching her. "I love you."

Shuuhei grinned and walked over to the sound board. Putting on the headphones, he turned on the microphone. "Can you repeat that?"

She giggled. "I love you, Shuuhei."

"I love you, Kana," he paused. "I have something for..." He glanced toward the door to the hall. "Unfortunately, I think it's going to have to wait." He pulled off the headphones as Kyoraku and a few others entered the room.

"Kana, are you ready?" Kyoraku asked as he put on the headphones Shuuhei had just taken off.

"Yes." She watched him signal the sound board operators. "Actually, can I talk to Shuuhei for a minute?"

Kyoraku looked back at Shuuhei. "Keep it short."

Shuuhei walked over to the door that separated her from them. Kana opened it and pulled him inside. She kissed him, sighing contently.

"I've wanted to do that all day," Kana said as she held onto him.

"So have I." Shuuhei kissed her forehead.

"I really wanted to kiss you after you told me you loved me."

"I love you, Kana." He kissed her softly. "I have something for you. Something I wanted to give you before you started recording." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet bag. Inside the bag was a necklace. In the center of the thin chain were three stars. The middle star, which was a little bigger than the other two, was solid silver while the stars on either side were outlines in silver.

"Shuuhei, it's beautiful."

He clasped it around her neck. "When I saw it, it reminded me of you."

"Thank you." Kana ran her fingers over it.

"Kana, your time is up," Kyoraku said over the microphone.

Kana smiled at Shuuhei. "I guess I should get to work."

"I guess you should. I love you."

"I love you." She kissed him. "Go and listen. I'll sing you a song."

Shuuhei kissed her again before he stepped out of the recording booth.

She sang to him and for him. To the man she loved and the boy she made a promise to. She hadn't been thinking about love, but when she had seen him, love filled her. With love in her heart, she recorded their song.