Much Needed Time Off

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"Suichi, please calm down."

"How can I calm down when you invite a crazed gun slinger also known as K-SAN our MANAGER to go out with us tonight? HOW, Hiro!"

Hiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He figured it would be a good idea to warn Suichi ahead of time K might be at the club tonight, but now he thought it couldn't have been a worse idea. Suichi was halfway through putting on eyeliner when Hiro had mention the fact, and now a long, thick black streak ran from eye to cheek over an angry red face. "Suichi, it's not a big deal. Even K deserves some sort of a life outside of work, ya know. Besides, he acted like it might be fun." The last part was a lie, he knew, but if it worked to calm down Suichi it was a lie was willing to tell.

Suichi huffed and shook his head. "FINE! But if you get to invite K, then I'm going to bring someone too!"

"Fine, bring someone, I don't care. Listen, I'm going to head to the club early and grab our usual table. You know it gets taken quickly if someone's not there to reserve it. Plus, I'm meeting K."

"I STILL can't beleive you invited K! K, Hiro! Why couldn't you have invited someone like Ayaka?"

"..Ayaka doesn't like clubs, you know that. ANYWAYS... See you there later." Hiro headed out of the bathroom, waving to Yuki and his usual place at the computer on his way out of the apartment. "See you round, Yuki." He heard the novelist just grunt in response as he let himself out and walked to the stairwell. So he invited K- what was the big deal? Hiro was sure K wasn't that bad of a person when he wasn't reloading ammo or making sure contracts were filled with it. The man couldn't be that much older than Yuki, he reasoned, and might even be fun to be around outside of work. He got to the bottom stairwell and walked towards his parked motorcycle. The only thing he was worried about was wether or not K would show up in a suit. He started his bike and moved out towards the club, a knot of apprehension forming in his stomach.
* * * *

It was a quarter til eight...maybe he'd shown up too early, after all the boy said EIGHT and not a QUARTER til eight, or maybe Hiro got there EARLY and he'd missed him?..and why was he worrying about it to begin with? K sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glancing back to his watch as he did so. Maybe coming there early was mistake...maybe going there at ALL ws a mistake. Hell, for all he knew it could have been a BIG mistake to wear his-

He looked up as a familiar motorcycle pulled up to the sidewalk, the long auburn hair of the guitarest flapping around under his helmet. K smirked- back in America, long hair on men wasn't that normal- here in Japan, it was everyday fashion. He watched Hiro turn off and get off of his bike, remove his helmet and strap it to the back seat. The boy wore pretty much the same fashion wherever he went, except for occassions like tonight. He wore dark black jeans torn at the knees with a leather vest buttoned halfway up, hair down as always. K crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the building, waiting to see if Hiro would recognize him.

Hiro looked around, quirking an eyebrow as he scanned the crowd. He didn't see K anywhere, not a sign of the tall blonde manager in sight. He looked down at his watch- it ws about five minutes til eight- maybe K wasn't there yet? Hiro sighed with a small frown and wondered how much longer he would have to wait...

"Hey Nakano, you looking for someone in particular?"

The familiar, albeit playful voice of his manager rang out, and he lifted his head back up to locate the source. People were passing by, some giving him stares, but none of the eyes belonged to the man he was looking for. "Great, now I'm hearing things."

"Then there's no hope for you, is there?"

Hiro looked up as he saw someone move up to his shoulder, and he glanced over at the person. He narrowed his eyebrows momentraily before he recognized the unusal blue eyes staring back at him. "...K?!"

"As if there were any doubt?" K smirked as he stuck his hands in his jacket and tilted his head slightly at the expression on Hiro's face. True, he must have looked slightly different than the boy was used to. He'd kept on the jean and t-shirt just for the hell of it, tossed on some genuine all American shit kickers (cowboy boots, really, but that's what he'd learned to call them) and a plain old black, leather jacket. He'd gone out on a limb and forgone the high pony tail, letting his long, blonde hair fall down his back. Some of it was falling in his face and over one shoulder now, and the light pre-autumn breeze caught hold of it and pulled some out. It was the first time in a LONG time he'd worn his hair down in public, and, adding Hiro's wide eyed expression to the countless googling he'd gotten from women AND men in the past five minutes, must look good down. "You alright there, Nakano?"

Hiro blinked slowly and shook his head, trying to clear it out. "Uh yeah...m'fine. Just not used to seeing you....like this. I mean, dressed like that with your hair down, cause it's usually up...right?"

"Nice oberservation....where's Suichi? Didn't you say he was coming?" K looked around for the pink haired boy, oblivious to Hiro's continued staring.

"He'll...be by later." UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. He had a whole speech planned out about Suichi's dislike for K to be there, and in five seconds it had all vanished from his mind. Now all he could think of was how long K's hair really was...and how much better he looked with it down. He could have smacked himself just thinking about it, but he couldn't have done so without drawing K's attention. "We should, uh...go inside now."

"Sounds good to me." K smirked, nodding his head towards the door before he turned and walked towards the entrance. "I'll get us a table."

"...Meet you inside." Hiro all but stuttered it out before K disappeared into the crowd again, and Hiro leaned against his bike. His knees were shaking, and for some reason he was out of breath. What was WRONG with him? He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt someone latch around his neck. "WHAT the-..Suichi?"

"HIRO, I thought you were saving us a table?"

"He was probably either threatened by trigger happy man or stayed out here to wait for you, you stupid brat." Yuki sighed as he watched his younger lover scowl at him over big, puppy dig eyes.

Hiro blinked before his jaw fell slack. "YUKI-SAN? What are you doing here?"

"HE," Yuki pointed at Suichi, "wouldn't stop whining until I agreed to go with him, all because you had to invite your insane manager along for the ride. Do everyone a favor next time and ditch the man, alright?" Yuki snorted as he moved past the two boys towards the club, groaning as Suichi detatched himself from Hiro and clung to him instead. "And get the hell off of me!" was what Hiro heard as the two men entered the building.

WHAT THE HELL? Why was everyone against K? It's not like the guy was THAT bad, right? Hiro sighed and followed the two, hoping to keep a distance away from the happy, albeit loud, couple.
* * * *

K looked up as the chair opposite his was pulled out from under the table, and a disgruntled looking Yuki sat in it. "Ah, Yuki-san. What an unexpected surprise. Get dragged her by Suichi, I take it?"

"What the hell do you think?" Yuki's frown narrowed as he did a once over at K. "what the hell's with the hair?"

"Well, you know what they say. 'When in Rome, do the Romans'."

"I thought it was, 'when in Rome, do as the Roman's do'?"

"Well, what and who exactly do you think the Romans did?" K smirked as he sipped from the longneck beer he'd ordered from the bar as he came in. Japanese beer, in his opinion, wasn't quite as good as American beer, but Japan had a lot of things over America, too. Like it's people. They were friendly, and polite, and loved life...and boy were they a beautiful bunch. Every single one of them, and even the surely man in front of him was no exception. He looked around the bar- yep, not one bad looking person in the crowd. He scanned everyone, and his eyes came to rest on the backside of one Hiro Nakano. Now THERE was a mystery in the making. He looked back at Yuki, wondering if some pointless conversation would take his mind off a certain someone. "So how's Suichi and you doing?"

"Kid's a damn, annoying brat as ever, what do you think?" Yuki had lit a cigarette and took a drag off of it as he stole K's beer. "What about you, huh? Didn't think the wife liked having her husband off in another country doing God knows what?"

K's happy smile slowly faded into a frown, and he snatched his beer back and downed the rest in one fell gulp. "Well, looks like I won't have to worry about that anymore."

Yuki didn't say anything at first, but he didn't feel like he needed to. K's words and expression said it all. He was about to comment when out of nowhere, Suichi popped up and drug him out onto the lively dance floor despite the loud and curse filled refusals Yuki was giving him. K had just watched the fiasco with no hint of surprise, and barely noticed Hiro taking a seat beside him in the booth joining the table. "Hey, you look thoughtful."

"Nah, I'm selfish...Why aren't you out on the dance floor, 'shakin your thang' like the rest of the people your age?" K stole a glance at Hiro wiht a quirked eyebrow.

"Dancing isn't really my thing- I'm a musician, not a ballerina." Hiro reached out and picked up the beer bottle, pouting when he found out it was empty.

"Hey, I got it." K smiled as he stood up, and carefully made his way through the throng of dancers to the bar. The same, bouncy and large breasted (and barely dressed might he add) waitress from before was there, and gave him a wink as he walked up.

"Heya blondie, what can I do for ya?"

"Two more beers for the road."

"Oh, ya going already? The night's just started, blue eyes."

K bit back a grimace at her obvious flirting, and wondered breifly if she knew she was hitting on a man twice her age...literally. "Nope, gotta go and get home. Cat to feed and all that." He put the amount of Yen he knew would pay for the bills and keep her quiet for a few seconds before he took the two beer bottles and made his way back towards the table. Hiro was still sitting there, staring out into the throng of dancers when he got back. "Hey...let's get out of here."

"You bored already?"

"About as much as you are. Comon." K handed the beer to Hiro, waiting for the guitarist to stand up before he made his way towards the door. He had to squeeze past a couple making out in the doorway, but once he was outside the night air felt great. He watched Hiro step up beside him. "Aren't you cold?"

"No. Aren't you hot?" Hiro looked at the thick, black leather jacket K still wore.

"Well, if you think so Hiro, that's flattering. Comon, let's go get something to eat, I'm starved." K nodded towards the downtown area, and started off at a brisk walk.

Hiro shrugged and followed, not yet realizing he'd just been flirted with.
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AN-....FOUR AM!! MUST SLEEP!! /die/ 9~6