Author note: Hey look! This vaguely resembles the beginning of an actual plot! I can't believe how damn short these chapter are. I kind of hate it, but if I join them up to make them longer it doesn't flow too well.
Warning: Sex (eventually), tiny bit of bondage, more OOC than I'd have really liked.
Pair: Shirogane and Akira Nikaido
Disclaimer: Monochrome factor is not, however much I'd like it to be, mine. Kaili Sorano owns the characters and the universe they live in. :D

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Akira paid more attention to Shirogane's flirting than he did to the lessons, but that was normal. His friends noticed, of course, that he paid more attention to the flirting than usual and even flirting back occasionally.

Aya dropped her pen twice watching them – once when Shirogane perched on Akira's desk and offered a hand-job in the toilets (he was ignored and discreetly pushed off the desk), and once when she caught Akira (the ice prince who never showed an interest in anyone, ever) watching Shirogane with a slightly wistful expression. She doubted he even knew what he was doing.

"Alright, how long has this been going on?" She and Kengo cornered their classmate on the way out of school. Shirogane raised an eyebrow and kept walking.

"How long has what been going on?" Akira asked tonelessly.

"This. This thing. The kisses, and the touching, and the watching, and all that." Kengo flailed. Akira didn't look at either of them as he started down the flight of stairs to take them to street level from the school.

"There's nothing new going on."

"So...you and Shirogane-san have always been lovey-dovey?" That was the closest thing to a snide tone they'd ever heard from Aya. Kengo fell down the stairs. Shirogane laughed.

"Of course! Akira-kun is so cold, you don't usually see it."

"Shirogane." Akira's voice was full of warning, and the silver Shadow immediately fell silent, not willing to push his luck. He was gratified, however, when Akira didn't correct his statement.

They headed back to Bar Still, having already planned a strategy meeting with Master and Kou in the morning. Master gave them a cheerful greeting as they sat down, Aya and Kengo still somewhat nervous. Kou noticed immediately, and threw his arms around the two.

"Hey, hey! What's up with you two, huh?" Conscious of Akira's presence, neither spoke for a moment, then Kengo laughed and pushed Kou's arm off his shoulder.

"Why would something be up, Kou-nii?" he punched him companionably on the arm. "S'all totally cool!" Whatever Kou may have said in return was cut off by the door slamming open and two boys stumbling in.

"There he is!" the next thing they knew, all three were on their knees in front of Akira. "Nikaido! We need you!" Akira raised a disinterested eyebrow, and sipped his coffee.

"I'm not interested."

"Come on, man! You're good." Akira's eyes narrowed slightly in warming, but the begging continued. "Daisuke broke his arm a couple of days ago, and we have a show in just over a week. Please! We need a guitarist!" Akira turned back to his coffee, ignoring them. "We'll make it worth your while."

"Sorry, boys, but if Akira says no, Akira tends to mean no." Aya pointed out. "We've tried bribing and threatening him into doing things before now, but it practically never works." The wrestling and tennis debacle was still fresh in her mind. Akira hadn't been gentle with her and Kengo after finding out they didn't really know his 'shameful secret'.

"No! It has to be Nikaido!" The tallest insisted. "He's practiced with us a couple of times, and it works. We don't have time to find someone who can play well enough, and work with our usual sound. There is no-one else."

"You know, Akira-kun," Shirogane leant across the table, a seductive smile already curling across his rosy lips, "I'd quite like to see you play properly. It always gets me all hot and bothered watching you practice at home. What you can do with those fingers..." Kengo and Kou both choked on their drinks, earning funny looks from the band. Akira had turned slightly pink. "Think of it as a favour to me." Shirogane pushed a little more. Akira sighed.

"Goddamnit." He turned to the two boys, who were still on their knees. "Fine, I'll help you out this once." He stood up and stretched, working a couple of kinks out of his back. "Wanna get started now?" he followed them out of the bar, but dawdled a little so he could speak to the others first. "Shirogane, stay here for now, I don't want to be distracted for the first practice. I'll see everyone in a couple of hours, try and have a plan of action by then." He went to leave, then seemed to change his mind and turned back. "Anyone who's particularly uncomfortable with PDA, look away now." He grabbed Shirogane by the collar and hauled him forward for a quick kiss, before vanishing out of the door.

TBC