Author note: I kind of like having a schedule to post by. It final. I'm never posting again unless I already have it written. I'm not having another disaster like 'Blame the Writer" on my hands...
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

"What do you mean 'he's lost his voice'?" Akira yelled at the cowering student. Daisuke had brought the news to Bar Still, arm in plaster up to the shoulder, to beg for Akira to take over singing for their incapacitated vocalist. The brunet had immediately flown into a rage.

"Please, Nikaido. The gig is in two days, and you already know the songs. It's just in case Peter doesn't recover in time."

"Oh, just do it." Aya snapped, abruptly breaking Akira's fury. "You'll agree eventually, if only because you've spent so long learning the music it'd be a waste of effort to give up now." An evil grin slid across her face. "And even if you did decide not to sing, Shirogane-san could just pout at you until you agreed."

"Leave me out of this." The silver haired man put his hands up defensively.

"Who?" Daisuke asked Kengo as Akira started arguing with Aya. The blond rubbed the back of his head.

"Shirogane is... how should I say this? Akira's... partner?"

"You mean Nikaido...?" Daisuke looked a little uncomfortable. Kengo shrugged. Kou chuckled and slugged him in the arm.

"I don't think Ken-chan meant it like that." The Rei knocked back his whiskey and signalled Master for another. "He's right though. Those two got real close recently, you know what I mean?" Master took the glass away.

"Sorry Kou, but I think you've had enough. You can barely stay in your seat. If I let you have any more, Mayu-san will try and take you to bed."

"Meh." Kou waved dismissively. "She's ain't interested in me. Wouldn't say no though: that girl's got amazing tits." Kengo hit him, harder than Kou had hit him.

"That's my sister you're talking about. Akira! Tell Kou-nii to quit hitting on my sister!" the brunet took a seat on the other side of Kou.

"Why? She does have a good figure – 92, 58, and 85. He's just jealous that she'd rather have me." Shirogane's blue eyes narrowed warningly. Akira noticed and shot him a reassuring smile. "I'm not really interested though."

"Will you please sing, Nikaido?" Daisuke begged, one last time.

"Alright." The young Shin finally agreed. "But if I have to sing, I'm changing the line-up a bit." Daisuke nodded eagerly.

"Totally fine, man. We expected that. You get to pick whatever you're comfortable doing." After a brief farewell, he scampered off to give the good news to his band-mates. Akira's forehead made contact with the counter top. Kengo patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry, you're a good singer." A single grey eye glared up at him until he retracted the offending hand. "At least you only have to do it just this once, right?"

"It's annoying." Akira shrugged. "I only agreed in the first place because..." he trailed off.

"Yeah, about that." Kengo sounded uncharacteristically serious. "We're all just glad you decided to stop hiding it." There was a moment's pause while Akira's brain caught up. Shirogane subtly edged away from his partner, expecting an explosion.

"What?"

"That you and Shirogane-san are together, of course." Aya joined in. Shirogane stopped edging away, stood up, and blatantly walked to the other side of the room, where he regarded the available chairs for a second, then floated up to sit on thin air near the ceiling. He felt much safer up there.

"Yeah, Aki-chan, its okay to have these kinds of urges." Kou winked. The Shin considered going into Shadow form. "It's perfectly natural for a guy your age, and Shirogane is pretty hot." Shirogane went into Shadow form without another thought and spent the next ten minutes staying out of the way as the drama played out below him, allowing the thrown glasses and bar stools to float right through him.

When Akira finally calmed down, he downed half a glass of the soda bought by a bruised and apologetic Kou.

"You know, we're not really together." Shirogane murmured, running a finger around the rim of his own glass. Kou glanced across at him, and then at Akira, who was sitting on the other side of the room ignoring Aya and Kengo. "We're just... trying something out. He's kind of letting me do what I like with him. I think he's confused by his own feelings, and he's using me to explore them."

"Is that wise?" Shirogane shrugged.

"Can't hurt, really. He's in total control, and he knows exactly how I feel about the whole thing. I just have to trust him a little."

TBC