Chapter notes - Well, time has been short for fun-type writing :) Please forgive this for being long-in-coming and for being less tidy than it should be! Also, this one will probably get me a "M" rating... Maybe? Someone will have to let me know if I should change it :)

Please read, enjoy and review!

In the morning Eiri tried to wake Shuichi in time to get breakfast on the way to the studio. He did this by kissing him. Shuichi woke up happy that morning and then suddenly he shoved Eiri off him, out of bed like a shot and screaming that he shouldn't have fallen asleep before finishing his work.

"It seems… that satisfaction will have to be delayed for a while."

Eiri fell back onto the bed, exhaling heavily. One shower later and clothed he was more composed and Shuichi was still in his underwear in the spare room, hard at work putting the final touches on his work.

"Are you almost done?" He asked in passing.

"Almost… Almost… Just a liiiiittle more."

"Don't forget to put clothing on."

"I won't!"

Washed, clothed and with his backpack bursting at the seams, Shuichi was ready to face the day. He leaned against the elevator wall, looking more than a bit stunned.

"Are you going to live?" Eiri wondered.

"I think so. I just hope I remembered everything... Umm… I'm sorry I pushed you off this morning."

"Yeah, me too." He smiled slowly and Shuichi blushed, "We might have time later."

"I hope so!" He gave up on looking stunned and rushed across the elevator to Eiri, hugging him, "You're being so nice to me, Eiri-kun!"

"I suppose I am." He patted Shu's head.

"Nothing can stop me now!"

"Good for you." It wasn't too tough to keep smiling for a switch.

They met Fujisaki, Nakano, Manager K and Producer Sakano in the band's reserved studio at NRG. Eiri's arrival caused a bit of a stir amongst the regular group. K immediately got up and approached the rarely present individual.

"What are you doing here?" K inquired of Eiri quite gruffly.

"I am here by invitation." He folded his arms, looking slightly up at the tall, annoyed American.

"K-san! I asked him to come along!" Shuichi started to unpack his things all over the table.

"What's all that?" Fujisaki looked at the mess of papers and MDs.

"I've been working on new songs." He smiled proudly.

K gave up on trying to intimidate Eiri upon hearing this, checked his empty hands, "And I am not holding a gun to your head… That's it! I'm dreaming!"

"I've been inspired. I've got some ideas that I want to share with everyone. I started talking to Hiro about it last night… Sit sit sit!"

They were all stunned but joined him at the table where Shuichi leaned forward and looked at them all with a proud smile.

"I have… enough song ideas for two new CDs." He said.

"What??"

"How is that possible??"

"You??"

"I know! I have not been so good in the past, but I have new inspiration." He nodded.

"You're not fighting with Yuki-san at the moment, you mean." Fujisaki frowned.

"Uesugi-san!" He corrected, "This is true, but that is only part of it… When Eiri came back from New York he brought a bunch of CDs for me to listen to and I have listened to almost all of them. It's English language music. It is all stuff that's outside of pop, but it's amazing. All of what is popular now and classics too. Deep bass, tight guitar work, incredible synthesizers, intense vocals… Not that I know what they were saying mostly, but they very much meant what they were singing!" He nodded, "I want to branch out from pop, to do different things too. I want to make us famous beyond Japan. To be in clubs, to be in cars driving down American highways, to be in movie soundtracks! We can be bigger than Grasper. Much bigger!" He threw his hands up in the air dramatically, only to be met by silence and shocked expressions at his speech, "Well??" His hands dropped to smack down on the tabletop again, "Don't just stare at me! Say something!"

"How do you think that will ever happen? We're a small band. We only just went on our first real tour!" Fujisaki frowned.

"But we will be big. I know it. We just need to work hard at it."

"Shuichi." K spoke up because their producer looked almost ready to faint, "The kid has a point. You have only one full CD and a few singles. It is made for a Japanese audience. It is J-pop. That is what sells here."

"Our next CD is going to be different. We're going to push our limits!"

"Not to mention, your English sucks." K added in English himself.

"I know! I'm going to work on it!" He yelled.

"NRG Pro is not able to take you international. Grasper didn't even make it."

"I know… We would have to go through Synergy." He nodded.

K laughed heartily at that, " Synergy?? Why would Synergy look at you now? You are only a half a year into being a recognized name, idiot."

"If their next CD sells well, I will be able to open that door for the band." Eiri mentioned.

"You?? You're going to throw yourself behind Bad Luck now?" The Producer was in even deeper shock than usual.

"It is my intention to do what I can to help Shuichi become as successful as he can be in what he loves. That would be music... I will not be putting my own career on the line for your band though. That is what I love. You will have to do the work and be serious about it. If you are, you will make my job easy."

"Your publishing house is owned by Synergy…" K nodded, "I see. You have friends in high places, don't you?"

"I do. They are my friends mostly because I bring in the recognition for the publishing house and the capital to their accounts. It is business. That is what this is too."

"What exactly is business about this? You're backing a lover, giving him a chance where there would otherwise be none." K scoffed.

He shrugged, "Yes, I am supporting my lover. I can't force anything however. It's not a free ride. They way they are now, I couldn't float them to my contacts even with a prayer to every god."

"Interesting…" K sat back in his chair, thinking about it all.

"You have been in this business a long while and can see things from a Japanese and American prospective. You know they will need to go beyond pop music to make themselves accepted in other markets."

K chuckled, "You're always the one that's been the first to say that Shuichi has no talent in song writing."

"I have seen some evidence to the contrary lately. It only matters what the public thinks in the end."

"True, true. Shuichi, you will need to go to classes to learn more English!"

"I know! I know… Eiri also said he would write for us."

"WHAT??" Sakano shrieked and with that final shock, the over-taxed Producer did actually pass out.

"Ah, Jezis… Not again." K rolled his eyes and went about his part-time job of picking up the nervous guy from his faints. No one else seemed to notice the rather regular occurrence of the limp man being lugged over to the couch and deposited there.

"What brings this sudden change of attitude, Uesugi-san?" Fujisaki asked.

"A change in life. That is all." Eiri sat back in his chair and crossed his legs, already searching for his pack of cigarettes.

"Please stop focusing on Eiri. He's only going to try and help if I absolutely need him to. Focus on this… on this new material." He patted his pile of papers, "I want to know what you think of it. I've put together a few things for you to get an idea of what is in my mind. Hiro listened to some of it last night and liked it."

Fujisaki gave Hiro a look, "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Hiroshi nodded, "I was shocked it came out of his head, actually."

"So please listen!" Shuichi squeaked.

He put in the MD and showed them the lyric sheets for the demos he had put together. Everyone was impressed. Stunned to silence again. Even their producer finally came around and heard part of it.

"What band was that?" He asked, eyes crossed as K was still fanning his face with a newspaper where he was stretched out on the sofa in the studio.

"That was me!" Shuichi smiled proudly.

"You? No… Who was it really? K-san. We should sign them." He looked up at K who laughed at him.

"It's ME!" Shuichi insisted.

"It is true, Sakano-san. You missed the introduction." K told him, "Shuichi… I can't believe I'm saying this but… I am seriously impressed."

"My brain works better when there's no gun to my head."

"So I was wrong." K shrugged, "Weaponry has worked to motivate you before… If the world is what you want, you are on your way. I will be interested to hear the rest of it."

"Good! Fujisaki!!" He thrust a finger in his direction, "I need to know from you… Are you here to be part of this band or are you here to keep an eye on me for your cousin?!"

"I am here… to prove myself and my skill. I don't want to be known as just Seguchi-san's incompetent little cousin that cannot make it by himself. I am in this because I am a musician, not because I am a spy for him. He does not ask me anything about you."

"Good! Because you are going to have to work very hard on the two ambient compositions. I will need your very best efforts because I want to post this song for download from our web page next week!" He held up a lyric sheet.

"Download? Next week??" The Producer stood up, wobbling slightly before K steadied him, "You are too ambitious!"

"Before you said I was too lazy." He frowned.

"You want to give away the song for free?" Hiro inquired.

"Yes. I want people to hear something different from us. I want to get it across the internet as fast as possible. I want to make sure that Americans hear it too!!… I want to know what people think…"

"It's a good idea. A taste before buying the meal. Get people interested in what you will be coming out with next… especially since you are fresh from tour. Good news to follow a good tour. Saying 'thank you' to your supporters with a free song. I am liking how I can spin this." K rubbed his hands together greedily, "Sakano-san… Get the agreement from the IT staff to post their new song next week."

"I will…" He wiped his brow, slumping back down onto the sofa beside K, "This is too much excitement for early in the morning."

"And you…" K turned his attention back to Eiri, "I can use you to promote their next CD."

"No… You cannot."

"Why not? Aren't you going to write for them?"

"If Shuichi wants me to, I will. Right now, he's been tackling it all by himself. Either way, you are not going to promote the band with my name attached. They have to make it on their own. I will only be a minor player in the background at most."

"You need to get credit for your work, Eiri." Shuichi worried.

"I will be happy with a note as your English editor in the CD liner." He smiled, "Don't distract your fans by adding me to the mix. This is about your work. Not mine."

"Alright… K… I know you're really interested in anything that can generate press… but if he wants to keep quiet about it please let it be that way."

"If I must." He scowled.

"They will do just as well or better without throwing my name in." Eiri nodded.

"Uesugi-san, your fans are eager to see you write something for Shuichi to sing." Fujisaki said, "I saw the interview. I've seen the comments on the Morning Tokyo web site, on the NRG site, and on your own publishing house's pages for you… Not to mention many other music related fan sites…"

He nodded, "All the more reason to keep things quiet. This is not about me. With any luck, you may not need me at all."

"So we have a lot of work to do. Let's get started!" Shuichi hopped up and down a little, bursting at the seams with energy.

Eiri took his leave so they could get to it. K wasn't about to let him get away without questioning him further so he followed Eiri out into the hallway.

"Hey. What's in it for you?" He asked in English.

"Nn?" Eiri stopped and turned to look at the big American sidelong.

"Fess up… What's your hidden purpose in supporting the band? You can't be doing this just because 'you feel like it'. There has to be something in it for you."

"I simply want them to do well. It is in my best interest to keep Shuichi happy."

"You're saying you're doing this to promote harmony in the home?" He smirked.

"Harmony in our lives. Is that not what people do for one another? Help…"

"It's not your way to involve yourself. Are you saying that you're suddenly settled with him?" He scoffed, folding his arms, "Or is this just your latest inventive round of torture for the kid?"

"Torture?" Eiri turned to face him now, "That's what you think this is all about?"

"Pretty much. That's your track record, guy." He nodded, "Everything you do sends shock waves through that poor kid. That means he doesn't perform the way he should. It's my job to make sure his life is stable so he gets his shit together and produces. None of this 'Oh, Yuki's mad at me, I can't go on' or 'Yuki kicked me out again, I'm going to kill myself'… I thought he would be able to get on with his life once you blitzed off to New York like that. I thought he'd finally wise up and move on… But no… He had to go after your ass… You just love seeing him squirm, don't ya? Couldn't let it go. Couldn't be humane and just cut the kid off."

"Chh… You're the last person on the face of this damn earth that should be talking to me about relationships…" He scowled, "Your track record isn't so stellar, is it? Should we go into that?"

K cringed slightly but kept on, "This isn't about me… It's about you getting your jollies over fucking with NRG's rising star…"

"I have news for you, smart guy…" He started to walk back down the hall toward K, coming to stop in front of him, face to face and glaring, "Shuichi Shindou is mine. He's not NRG's… I'm graciously loaning him to this place. So don't get the wrong impression, Winchester. Are we crystal clear now?"

"We're crystal clear that you're a psycho who likes emotionally torturing teenagers." He continued to scowl back at the intense stare he was receiving.

"Does he look tortured to you? Seems to me that he's been more inspired than he ever has been."

"Yeah, right now… What happens in a couple days when you decide to burst his balloon for kicks? Huh? You're a real shitty human being, Eiri Yuki... Uesugi. Whatever!... I've watched you for a lot of years so I think I have the right to say so. He's a good kid, he has a lot of talent and he damn well doesn't need you in his life, screwing things up."

"I have no intention of screwing things up for him. I do, however, have every intention of making damn sure that everything is the best it can be for him. If that's not going to happen here, I'll use my connections to move him elsewhere, faster than you can blink. The second you fuck up, I'm pulling him out of here. If you let anything happen to him while he's under your watch, I'll definitely make you regret it… and that's not an idle threat." He snarled.

"Damn…" K chuckled uneasily, "What turned you from his worst critic into his growling guard dog?"

"It's none of your business. I am done with your questioning. Keep me out of their news. That is the best service you can provide them now." He turned and walked away then.

"Oh, don't you worry, I'm going to do my job. You're a cold man, Uesugi. Good luck with that... Asshole."

"I don't need luck."

Shuichi came home tired but happy. He found Eiri on the sofa with his laptop, working away with some music playing on the stereo. It was unusual to see him working out there like that. Usually he liked to hole himself up in his office, often with music playing on the stereo system he kept in there.

"Hi…" He sat down beside Eiri carefully.

"Hi." His eyes didn't leave the screen even for a flicker.

"Umm… Do you want dinner?"

"Mmh."

"You're busy… I'll quit bugging you and go make something."

He got up and gave Eiri a peck on the forehead before going off to the kitchen without so much as a snide comment about his cooking skills coming from Eiri's lips. Shuichi was weary but felt like doing something to offer his thanks to Eiri for being at the studio that day. Even though he didn't understand even 5 percent of the English dialogue that had gone between Eiri and K in the hallway, he knew it wasn't a happy conversation that he was eavesdropping on. At least he knew better than to get involved. Sometimes it was best just to let them work things out on their own. He sighed, looking at the kitchen and blinking for a while, poking through things in the cupboard.

"Shu…" Eiri had followed him in.

"Hnn?"

"Are you tired?"

"Yeah. A lot. It was an extra long day." He smiled.

"Don't burn the place down. Let's go out."

"I want to cook for you some day…" He pouted.

"Maybe when things are less busy you can take cooking lessons." He walked over and rumpled Shuichi's hair affectionately.

"I think I'll fall asleep in my dinner if we go out."

"Then we will have something brought in. Pretend you are cooking for me and choose something from the phone book."

"I can do that." He nodded.

"Good." He bent and kissed him warmly.

"Eiri…" He sighed, "I'm sorry I'm too tired to get a suit again."

"There is still tomorrow. Don't worry."

"Are you mad?"

"No."

"You don't seem exactly happy right now…"

"Don't be nervous."

"Can't help it."

"Just go pick something. We'll talk."

"Okay."

He ordered out for them, asking for delivery, and let the front desk know they would be coming. He then joined Eiri on the sofa where he had just started a cigarette.

"Umm… So… Did K make you mad?"

"No more than usual." He said.

"What's wrong? Please tell me."

He exhaled a stream of smoke before sitting back and answering, "We are definitely going to Kyoto Saturday. I spoke to my mother just before you got back. That is probably why I am a little off right now."

"Oh… What did she say to you?"

"She was very upset. She saw my interview. Apparently even the careful manner in which I comported myself on Morning Tokyo has sent her to hysterics. She begged me to leave you. It was not good."

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

"It's not your fault."

"It is. I'm with you." He shrugged.

"Shuichi… No matter what hysterics happen, that won't change."

He nodded, glad to have Eiri's arm go around him.

"I just wish… that your family could be alright with this."

"Yours isn't…" He reminded.

"But they're less hysterical about it. My mom doesn't call up sobbing and begging me to leave you."

"True… Your family is far less traditional."

"They live in the suburbs… Not a temple."

"Indeed."

"Besides... mom likes your books. So does my sister."

"My brother likes you." He offered.

"A little too much in some ways…" He shivered, "Does your family know that Tatsu likes boys too?"

"No. They probably won't. He will be the good son and stay in the temple. He likes being a monk too much."

"Weird."

"Yes he is." He agreed.

"What do they think of your sister and Touma?"

"They think he is too flashy… But then that is how Mika has enjoyed life… being the power wife."

"And then there's me…"

"You do make an impression." He kissed the top of Shuichi's head of bright hair.

"Thank you for talking to me. I feel so much better when you talk to me."

"I know. I'm trying my best to give you what you need."

"It's not easy for you. I know. I really appreciate it." He looked up into Eiri's face to check his expression.

"Then you can go down and get our food when it shows up." He smiled.

"I will."

"Why don't you tell me how things went after I left."

"Really well… We're going to work on it again tomorrow. It'll definitely be ready to go out next week."

"The Tokyo After Dark thing?"

"Yeah. That's the one. Fujisaki's doing amazing things with expanding on what I started with. He really is very good. K is already working on firing up the media. He's calling it a 'fan surprise gift'."

"I hate to admit it, but he is good at what he does, even if he is an American in Japan."

"Why did he come here anyway? Do you know?"

"You haven't figured it out?"

"No… I guess not."

"He's here because of Ryuichi."

"You're totally kidding." He sat up and looked at Eiri, "They have something going on??"

"For many years now."

"But... they don't live together…"

"No. They did once."

"Makes sense now that he was over and bugging Fujisaki at K's place. I don't think their personalities match much, actually."

"How do I put this? Ryuichi is an… interesting individual... K is just insane. The two of them together sometimes works. It seems that they are mending things right now."

"So that they can be all lovey??" He squeaked.

"I don't know about that. I think that's been over with for a while now… Maybe just so they can continue to be insane together."

"Wow... Your brother will be soooo jealous…"

"He has no chance with Ryuichi anyway."

The door buzzer rang.

"Dinner! I'll be right back."

Later on he found enough energy to make up with Eiri for pushing him off in the morning. He woke up in the middle of the night and kissed him.

"Eiri…?" He whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, good. You're awake." He smiled and embraced him.

"Awake enough now."

"Then I can make up to you for this morning." He kissed Eiri again.

Again their love making was taking on that affectionate tone that made Shuichi melt. It was so different from the beginning.

"Eiri…" He sighed, "It feels so good now…"

"I'm glad… I want you to feel as good as I do…"

"I love you… so much."

"I love you too… Shuichi… You're mine."

"Oh, Eiri…" He pressed his thighs to Eiri's sides, kissing him deeply, "You can do it harder if you want. I won't complain. I promise."

"No… I don't want to… I want to be slow like this. So you feel good. I don't want to hurt you… It feels good this way… Not to rush… Just to hold you… Touch you… Kiss you… I love you… Shuichi… I love you." He moaned softly.

"Eiri…" He wept, fading completely into the emotion and sensation, for the first time finishing with Eiri inside him.

"You know…" He said as they were laying together quietly afterward, looking at the city lights again, "I suppose I love Tokyo after dark too… Because you are here."

Shuichi smiled, hugging Eiri's arm around him, "Yeah, that's the best part about it. Being together with you."