Tests Of True Love

~ Concert-Eve~

It was an hour before the concert, the stage was being set, Shuichi stood looking at the empty space between the back wall and the stage that would be filled with thousands of screaming fans in sixty minutes.

Hiro walked up behind Shuichi

“ we should start getting ready soon” he said softly standing there.

K walked up behind them placing a hand on each of their shoulders

“ you two should go and get ready the concert will be starting soon” he said leading them to the dressing room.

Shuichi nodded his head “ hey K is Yuki here yet?” Shuichi asked as he stepped into the dressing room.

K shook his head “ not yet but I’ll keep an eye out do you want me to bring him here if he comes before the concert?” K questioned.

Shuichi shook his head “ no, thanks for asking though” he said taking a seat infront of a large mirror and table.

“ If he’s not here by now then he’s not coming at all” Shuichi said softly trying to swallow a lump growing in his throat, he held in his tears he didn’t want to cry before a concert he thought of it as bad luck.

Hiro bit his lip slightly, “ I know he’ll be here soon, I’m sure of it” he said walking over and placing a hand softly on his friend’s shoulder. Hiro left the dressing room for a moment as Shuichi went into the bathroom and started to put his outfit on.

Suguru came in and sat in the empty chair looking at his reflection, when the door to the bathroom opened he glanced up in the mirror at Shuichi standing there.

“ that looks great no wonder you wouldn’t tell us about it last week.” Suguru said placing his choker on and clasping it. Hiro walked back into the dressing room and smirked

“ Hey Shuichi; a florist just dropped these at the back door for you” he said handing a vase full of flowers to his friend.

“ thanks Hiro, wonder who they’re from”

Shuichi mumbled placing the vase on the table he pulled the card out from the flowers and opened it, he gave a small chuckle. Hiro and Suguru looked at him “ hey read it out loud we want to hear what is so funny” Hiro said.

Shuichi smiled “ okay, hold on a second” he said.

“ Dear Shuichi,
Sorry for being such a complete ass last week,
I want to make it up to you. Look up in the VIP booth fifth seat from the left. I’m sorry,
You have a friend who really cares about you. It’s never your fault I’m mad. I’m just scared of getting too close, but not anymore. Hiro was right I do have a commitment problem.
Just never tell him that, I would never live it down.
I’ll love you always.... Yuki”

Hiro smirked “ I was right, I knew it he was afraid of getting close” Hiro said putting his hands behind his head.

Shuichi and moved over to a empty chair.

“ he’s apologizing which is great, but should I still do the song ?” Shuichi questioned looking at Hiro.

Suguru sighed for a moment “ I say go for it, not as a way to make him hurt but before you sing just say something about why you wrote the song.” Suguru suggested.

Shuichi sat there for a minute to think before the concert started “I’m going to sing it, I wrote it for a reason” Shuichi said getting up from the chair.

Suguru smiled and looked over at Hiro who grabbed his acoustic guitar and put it on the table

“ I think the fans will really like it since we’re touching a serious subject” Hiro said.

K walked into the dressing room, “ hey you three, get going your on in two minutes.” K said ushering them to the edge of the stage. The opening act for Bad Luck had just finished playing, Shuichi glanced up at the VIP box and saw Yuki clapping lightly uninterested in the opening band.

Finally Bad Luck was announced, the roar of the fans was deafening to Shuichi. Suguru took his place behind the key board, Hiro walked out from back stage with his acoustic guitar in hand he went over and sat on a stool placed for him infront of a microphone so everyone could hear him.

Shuichi walked out last the roar of screams grew louder as he walked over to the other microphone; in the VIP box Yuki looked at the outfit Shuichi was wearing a small smirk appeared on his lips.

He was interested at the fact that Shuichi would sing about something serious though he always took music serious.

Touma glanced past Ryuichi to look at Yuki to see his expression. Ryuichi was the barrier between Tatsuha and Yuki to avoid a fight. Soon everyone went quiet as Shuichi raised a hand.

“ I want to thank everyone for coming to see us; and to thank you I have a very special song that I wrote last week. I hope you all like it” Shuichi said as the stage went dark for a moment.

Then a few color lights came on, beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow lit the stage.

Suguru hit the sound button making the speakers roar like a fire, Shuichi looked up at Yuki for a minute

“ this song is called Burned” Shuichi said as the fire sound stopped roaring.

Everything was quiet as Hiro began to play the opening cords for the song just getting closer to the starting note ; Shuichi smirked as he started to sing.

Hiro smirked lightly as his friend sang about his own experience.

All my love for you, like a fire is burning bright.
But when I try to get close you pull away only to yell in my face.
I never mean to make you mad, but why are you always yelling?
Am I such a disgrace, is that why you burn me?
I’ll never learn to stay away from all the pain you give.
It’s because you’re my reason to live.
....Burning... Burning...I’m always getting burned, never have I learned
why can’t you change, is this love deranged?
Your heart is always pure ice, it’s just a throw of the dice to know
if I should be part of your life.
Is our love a twist of fate, or a cosmic joke? Your pushing me away
Don’t be late to save the fire of our love from dying out
...Burning... Burning....
The light that was once bright is going out
You’re the only one who can keep it going.
People ask why I stay with you,
even though you burn me I could never leave because I’ll never learn.
... Burning...Burning....Burning....

Hiro played the last single note letting it just fade.

The audience was totally silent. At first Shuichi thought they all hated it till everyone just started to scream and cheer, Suguru gave a quick sigh of relief as Hiro brought the stool and his acoustic guitar back stage quickly and returned with his electric guitar.

Shuichi glanced up at the VIP box before Hiro and Suguru started to play a new song, he soon began singing a more up beat song.

Suguru laughed as he played their favorite song. Touma glanced over at Yuki again seeing his expression changed drastically from his normal calm demeanor to look of guilt and pain.

Ryuichi was listening closely to his friend sing on the stage, everyone in the VIP box was enjoying themselves during the remainder of the concert.

Just as soon as the concert started it was over. Fans cheered at the end as the band left the stage.

Yuki rose from his seat and grabbed his jacket and left without a word, he took a back way to the back stage area so he could try and speak to Shuichi.

Hiro was sitting in the dressing room with Suguru and Shuichi toasting a great show with three bottles of soda, they were all having fun laughing and releasing all signs of being tired after the concert.

Yuki followed the sound of laughter to the dressing room door and leaned against the door frame.

“ That song was about me wasn’t it?” he asked not looking at Shuichi, the singer looked up at Yuki

“ yeah it was, I wrote it the night you kicked me out” Shuichi said getting up from his chair. Hiro finished his soda and put the empty bottle down “ come on Suguru let’s go and give them time to talk” Hiro said getting up.

Shuichi turned around “ no you guys stay here I’m going to go home with Yuki.” Shuichi said picking the card up off the table and putting it in his jacket as he put it on.

Hiro shrugged his shoulders “ okay then we’ll see you later then” Hiro said sitting back down on the couch. Yuki walked out after Shuichi they went down another hall to a flight of stairs that led to an underground garage where the car was parked.

The minute Yuki pulled out of the garage he tapped his finger on the steering wheel for a moment,

“ Shuichi I’m glad you wrote that song” he said finally.

Shuichi looked over at Yuki “ thanks, I guess” Shuichi said softly looking at his hands.

Yuki drove the rest of the way home in silence, soon he pulled into the driveway he put the parking brake on as he turned the car off.

He climbed out just as Shuichi did, Yuki locked the car before they went to the door. “ Shuichi why did you pick that outfit for tonight?” he asked as he entered the apartment building with the pop star behind him grinning as they went to the elevator.

“ I don’t know, maybe to see what your reaction would be to it I guess” he said looking at Yuki smirking as it stopped on their floor. Yuki stood there for a second then realized what Shuichi meant, he shook his head as he walked toward his apartment door and unlocked it letting Shuichi in first to turn the lights on in their place.

Shuichi finished taking off his boots and left them in the front area as he padded into the living room and sat on the couch removing his gloves and tossing them on the small coffee table infront of him.

Touma left the civic center as he drove his cousin home, he glanced over at Suguru who had fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

K and Judy left heading home to their son who should have been in bed by that time.

Hiro left soon after Ryuichi and Tatsuha did he rode back to his apartment and parked his bike where he always did before going in to get some sleep.

Everyone had fun at the concert that night, K was glad that he was manager of such a great band though no one could take Ryuichi’ s place.

Yuki walked into the living room looking for Shuichi, he saw him laying on the couch still in his concert attire.

“ I now know why you wore that outfit. You did it because you know I can’t resist you in tight leather shorts” Yuki remarked climbing over Shuichi who was smirking up at him.

“ I honestly didn’t know that” Shuichi said innocently removing the choker around his neck and dropping it next to his gloves.

Yuki smirked he sat up leaned his head back of the couch, he closed his eyes to rest for a minute playing with the pop star trying not to show any interest.

Shuichi looked at the sandy blonde writer sitting next to him “ Yuki are you trying to ignore me?” he asked crawling onto his lap straddling him and played with some of Yuki’ s hair for a few minutes.

Yuki smirked “ got you” he said lifting up his head up and smirked at Shuichi and wrapped his arms around his small exposed waist. Shuichi grinned “ You think you have me but I have control of you” Shuichi whispered as he removed his vest and the small mid drift shirt revealing his bare chest, Yuki gave a playful growl “ now your just teasing me” he said pulling the pop star closer to him forcing Shuichi to un-straddle his lap.

“ I would normally would want to get you in bed now but I think you need your rest right now since you did have a long day” Yuki said moving Shuichi off him and into his arms and carried him to the bedroom. Shuichi smiled and rested his head against Yuki ’s chest and shoulder.

Yuki put Shuichi down on the bed “ you should hurry up and get changed already” he said going into the bathroom to get himself ready. Shuichi readied himself for bed as he fell asleep Yuki pulled his lover into his arms as he fell asleep.