A day before the travel

Band: Alice Nine&Kagrra,

Pairing: Tora&Akiya

Rating: 17+

Genre: romance

Warnings: referenced character death

Note: "Tora got scatterbrained and could forget even his own name as soon as he heard the word "suitcase".

Akiya had free time, so he could answer all the questions like "Aki, where's [name of the thing Tora was looking for]?"."

Akiya was sitting in an armchair and solving a crossword. Since yesterday it felt like his house is gonna be turned upside-down, because Tora was packing for the tour. And that was the reality any time the tour happened. Tora got scatterbrained and could forget even his own name as soon as he heard the word "suitcase". Akiya had free time, so he could answer all the questions like "Aki, where's [name of the thing Tora was looking for]?". He also hoped no one from Gazette won't call with some impossible question, because they need something at the last moment. Like they couldn't tell him sooner.

"Aki, have you seen my watch?" asked Tora, looking at Akiya with anticipation.

"The one you wear on your hand?"

"Yes...?"

"You left it upstairs" said Akiya, turning the page and solving another crossword.

"Thanks" Tora smiled and ran upstairs.

Akiya wondered what's the name of a breed of the duck for hunting, when he heard a swear word, loud hissing and through the door he saw Tora falling down the stairs. He froze, then threw the crosswords and pen to the floor.

"MASASHI!" Akiya ran to him as fast as he could. He didn't know he could move that fast. "Kami-sama, are you okay?!"

Tora opened one eye, then second, then he smiled.

"Everything hurts, but I think I didn't... Actually my ankle hurts more than the rest of my body. Maybe you should call an ambulance."

"I'm gonna get a heart attack because of you one day" said Akiya, choosing the number to the hospital. "What did you actually do?"

"I tripped on Chikin" said Tora, causing Akiya to facepalm.

"That's something that happens to Naoki Yamada and Ogata Hiroto, not you" former Kagrra,'s guitarist shook his head.

Tora sat under the wall and watched as his loved one talks through the phone with the reception. He could see how scared he was. Tora felt stupid, because he knew how strong Akiya reacts when something bad happens to people important to him. And how he's sensitive to the topic of death for over a years now.

"They'll be here in ten minutes" said Akiya. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're pale" explained Tora. "Come here."

Akiya sighed and sat next to him.

"You got scared, right?"

"I dropped my crosswords and pen. And I didn't know I could teleport."

"Aki, calm down or your hart will explode" said Tora, putting his hand on Akiya's chest. "You threw your pen?"

"That's only a pen."

"That red one?"

"That's just..." Akiya realised what Tora was talking about. "I hope it didn't break like your ankle. He wouldn't like it if I'd break a gift from him."

"I'm sure he'd understand" said Tora. "You saw me next to him, that's why you got so scared, right?"

"Yes" answered Akiya quietly, closing his eyes. "I wouldn't want to see both of you at the cementary, Masashi."

They both went silent.

"Can I stop feeding Chikin for a week?"

"Akiya!" yelled Tora, which made Akiya laugh.

"You at least found that watch?"

"Yes, on the drawer, next to that collage you made when you got bored" said Tora. "Hey, Aki?"

"Yes?"

"Will you go back to being a guitarist one day?"

"Maybe someday..." Akiya shrugged. "When the time comes."

Tora nodded with understanding. He didn't even try to push him to come back on stage right here right now, because it wouldn't work anyway. Fans who miss him will have to wait.

The end

Flashbacks from the past

Band: vistlip with MoNoLith in the background

Pairing: Tomo&Tohya with Umi&Yuh and Rui&Shuhei in the background

Rating: 17+

Genre: slice of life, soft angst

Warnings: based on true story, character death

Note: Tohya has a trauma about an accident and Tomo want to help him with it.

I blinked. I opened my eyes. It was dark. Car light was the only source of light. I blinked again. I've seen everything upside down. After a while I realized that I was hanging upside down. Then a moment later I realized that blood was dripping from my fingers. That was the moment when I felt that hellish pain. And realized what exactly just happened.

"Tohya, don't overthink so much" said Tomo, patting drummer on the arm. "Why are you looking at me like I woke you up?"

"Because you woke me up" explained Tohya, rubbing his eyes.

"Seriously?" confused Tomo sat next to him. "And I thought that only Rui can fall asleep so fast."

"As you can see, not only him" Tohya smiled radiantly.

Fake smile. It was all which he could give to Tomo in this moment. Another anniversary of their accident was approaching and he had the nightmares again. As always.

"Guys, the break is over, we should get back to work" said Umi, looking at everyone.

Yuh stretched lazily and looked at him.

"Give us another five minutes" he said slowly and yawned. "Or maybe we should go home, it would be the best."

"No, we have to work on some details" said Umi, standing in front of Yuh. "And you have some troubles with one guitar solo, honey."

"You are the only one who thinks that" snorted Yuh, turning around.

"One, two, three, humph?" Tomo laughed loudly. "Look, Tohya, Umi is gonna sleep on the so..."

The vocalist dodged, because Umi threw out his flip-flop in his direction.

"Alright, I won't say anything else. You are so sensitive today."

"They're probably constantly arguing about what we should give them as a gift. Since they're together, we give them only one" added Tohya and he also had to dodge, but Yuh's sandal. "Okay, but maybe stop throwing shoes at us? We should find our clumsy boy, because he's lost, if you didn't notice."

Umi looked around. Tohya was right, Rui wasn't there.

"If you are so smart, go and find him" said Umi, grabbing Tohya's hand and throwing him out of the room.

Tohya sighed and made only a few steps, when Tomo joined him suddenly.

"I decided to join you" said vocalist. "Maybe they just need to talk? When they make compromise, they'll be calm again."

"Do you think that they have quiet days?" Tohya chuckled.

"More like days, when they're throwing shoes all the time, even Rui was their victim today" noticed Tomo. "Twice."

"Right. I'm curious, where he left, when the break started."

"I bet that he left building and now he's talking with Shuhei about us. You know, that we bully him so much" assumed Tomo.

"Yes, and they threw shoes at me. Twice. One of them was dirty and now I have sand in my hair" they heard Rui's voice.

He was standing next to the exit.

"Okay, I have to end our conversation, because if I won't come back to rehearsal room, they'll hit me with a guitar. No, Honey, I don't know, if it would be Umi's or Yuh's. Okay, bye. Oh, what are you doing here?"

"Umi and Yuh sent us" explained Tomo, taking Rui by the arm.

"And we have to take you with us, or it will be a very bad end" added Tohya. "Okay, let's go. We don't wanna end as a bloody jam on the wall, right?"

Tohya followed Tomo and Rui and watched them closely. These two guys have always been best friends and they didn't change their behaviour even when Rui and Shuhei became a couple. He didn't know, what Shuhei would do, if he saw Rui and Tomo walking together, but Tohya was jealous. He wanted to be in bassist's place in this moment. He wanted to feel Tomo closely, in the other way than usually. He wanted to try, what is the taste of real kisses, not only the ones meant for fanservice.

Since when he loved him? Since two or three years? Maybe more? For sure he realized his feelings, when they had this nightmarish accident, but when it started?

"I'll check if we're not gonna die" said Tomo, abruptly ending Tohya's daydreaming.

They were already in front of their rehearsal room? When? Drummer didn't even notice it.

Tomo looked inside and jumped away from the doors, like the doorhandle electrocuted him or something.

"Umm... Who has his car keys? Because I won't go for mine, I don't want to lose my mind" Tomo trembled a little.

"I have mine" said Rui, showing Tomo his car keys.

"Awesome!" yelled Toshi. "Okay, so I won't have my phone and my car until tomorrow, if Umi and Yuh don't want to give me my bag, when they... end making a compromise...

A vocalist grabbed both of his friends' hands and went to the exit.

"Leader, ugh!" snorted Tomo, starting to walk faster. "If it was me, he would just throw me out the window, but he's allowed to do it. I'm not gonna sit on this sofa for a week!"

"Do you have a trauma, Tomo?" asked Rui, who could barely keep up with the almost running vocalist. "Oi, slow down! If you don't, you will be dragging me on the floor!

"Don't smoke so much and you'll be able to run after angry and scared Tomo" Tohya smiled maliciously.

Rui only mumbled something as the answer.

* * *

The news that Asako is dead was probably the most terrifying news which I heard in my life. Until today I wonder if I could have prevented it. If I was more careful, would she still  alive?

Only the fact that you were barely injured was something like redemption for me. I would be depressed by a death of every of our firends, but... Toshi, what would happen, if you died like Asako? What would be with vistlip, with me, with our friends? Would we still be able to live normally after that? Even now we can't forget about Asako, and it would be worse, if you were in her place...

"Tohya, hey, why are you sleeping again?" Tomo looked at drummer, confused. "You didn't sleep well at night?"

"You're right" nodded Tohya.

"We are there. Walk you home?" asked Tomo. "You can fall asleep or even faint..."

"It's not so bad" replied Tohya. "But thank you for caring about me. Thank you for giving me a lift, Rui."

"You're welcome" replied Rui.

Tohya got out of the car and closed the door behind him.

"Don't you think that..." started Tomo, but Rui interrupted him.

"He's always like this before anniversary" said Rui. "Haven't you noticed? Oh, right. You don't notice anything. Go after him, so maybe one thing will stop upsetting him all the time."

"What thing?" asked Tomo.

"You" explained Rui. "And now go. Probalby you have only one chance."

"I don't know what are you talking about, Rui..."

"Seriously?" Rui moved to the back seat and sat next to Toshi. "Tomo, listen. Do you still remember, when you woke up after the accident?"

"In hospital."

"And do you know who got you out of the car wreckage?"

"Paramedics?"

"Nope" Rui poked Tomo's forehead. "Umi got out Yuh first, then me and Tohya got you. People from staff were able to do it themselves and they called an ambulance. And our Matsushita was sitting there, with you on his lap, waiting for ambulance. You know, you weren't awake for a long time. I woke up just before that when Tohya got you out. I even thought that you died like Asako..."

"I think that we are talking about it for the first time" noticed Tomo. "I don't know this version of story."

"Of course that we're talking about this for the first time! Earlier these memories were too painful for me."

"Umi and Yuh said something different..."

"What? Just facts, right? You know, they were thinking mostly about themselves, I didn't have to worry about my sweetheart. I didn't even know my Honey, so I could observe situation for distracting myself from these sad events" explained Rui. "Tomo, tell me... Do you love Tohya?"

"Don't ask me such questions!" yelled Tomo.

"Oh, so I was right. Good" Rui smiled a little. "You know, I just wonder lately, if he still loves you since then. And today I realized that yes, he still loves you. When we were walking to the rehearsal room, I turned back for a moment. He was sad and a little annoyed. Like he was gonna kill me. So I think that you can go to his home and tell our koala that you can be his panda."

"Panda? Wait, Rui, did you just..."

"Yes, I did it" Rui smiled radiantly and pulled out a phone from a pocket. "Oh, Honey sent me message that I have to hurry, because he made a dinner. Okay, so I have to go to pharmacy for some pills and herbals. Okay, go, before he gets mad at me, because I will be late."

"So..." Tomo sighed. "Wish me good luck."

Vocalist left the car and ran to the staircase. Rui just smiled.

"Observation, right" bassist started a car. "Oh, I didn't know if I can see something with closed eyes..."

* * *

I woke up. The last dream was strange. I was walking around the house, your photos were everywhere and I was thinking about what would happened if you died in the accident.

I went to the kitchen, because I wanted to make some tea and then I heard the doorbell. A little confused, I opened the doors and froze.

I saw Asako.

"Hi, Tohya, thank you that you let me meet with you" she said. "Will you let me in? Tohya?"

"Why are you here?" I asked, looking at her, being very confused. "How? Am I dreaming again?"

"Do you feel okay, Tohya?" she asked, putting her hand on my forehead. "We were talking through the phone and..."

"It's a dream, I have to wake up" I said, turning back. "Come, if you want, but... I know that you're not real."

"What are you talking about?" Asako turned me around towards her.

"You died in the accident" I whispered and she smiled sadly.

"Ah, right, anniversary is coming and you are in this defensive mood again, right?" she nodded. "Two years ago you thought that Yuh died, one year ago that it was Umi, now that it was me. Rui will be next, right? And those staff members..."

"What about Tomo?" I blinked, looking at her more and more terrified.

"Tomo?" Asako sighed and her eyes filled with tears. "Matsushita, it was Tomo who died in this accident."

"Tohya, you forgot to close the door!" cried Tomo, walking into Tohya's place. "Tohya?"

Vocalist stopped. Tohya was sleeping again, on the sofa this time. He just took off the shoes and went to sleep. Tomo went to Tohya and knelt down next to him. And it was a moment when he realized that Tohya cheeks are wet.

"Why are you crying?" Tomo was confused.

He wiped tears from drummer's cheeks, who woke up because of that.

"Seriously, why?

"What why?" mumbled Tohya, sitting down. "And what are you doing here?"

"Why are you crying?"

"It's just like that sometimes" replied Tohya. "Especially when I have a bad dream."

"Bad dream?"

"I dreamed that Asako was alive, but you weren't" explained Tohya, closing his eyes.

Tomo looked at drummer even more confused and sat next to him.

"Do you often have such nightmares?"

"Do you mean Asako as the main character of them? Yes, often. Especially just before anniversary" replied Tohya.

"It wasn't your fault, Tohya" said Tomo firmly.

"But what if it was my fault?" asked Tohya, clenching his fists. "If I could do something to make this accident never happen? And now I feel like a murderer. If I killed her with my own hands..."

Tohya froze, when Tomo hugged him.

"Don't say such thing" whispered Tomo, closing his eyes. "Nobody accuses you of anything. You are innocent."

"Do you seriously think that it's not my fault?" asked Tohya.

Tomo laughed shortly.

"I'm serious."

"But... You woke up in the hospital! I thought that you died like Asako" Tohya grabbed Tomo's arms. "Rui also didn't wake up for a long time, but..."

"For a long time?" Tomo was confused again. "He said that he saw you..."

"Me?"

"When you got me out of this car wreck" explained Tomo.

Tohya sighed.

"He didn't see anything. I just told him about it" he corrected him. "I just coudn't let you stay there. I couldn't let you die."

"Why?" asked Tomo, looking in Tohya's eyes.

"Because I love you, Toshi. And I realized it because of this accident" Tohya looked down. "And that's because I feel so much guilt."

"I really understand you" said Tomo, getting closer to Tohya. "But it can't change a fact that I would love you even if you were guilty."

Tohya froze, when Tomo kissed him, but after a moment he kissed him back. Finally he was happy. And maybe Toshi will find some way to make him forget about this hellish accident.

* * *

"And what about Panda and Koala?"

"Tohya doesn't answer phonecalls, so I think that they're very busy now. And if I know Tomo, when he heard ringing phone, he found it and threw it at the wall."

"And Umi and Yuh?"

"Leaving for such a long time was a good idea. They made it up and tomorrow they probably won't throw shoes at us."

"You should start love counseling."

"The fact that I am the clumsy boy in the band doesn't mean that I'm not a good observer. But I don't want to tell anyone about it. It's okay as it is now."

The end

Complicated band relationships

Band: MoNoLith

Pairing: Takafumi&Hayato, with Ryu&Keita in the background

Rating: 17+

Genre: comedy, romance

Warnings: -

Note: Takafumi has a crush on Hayato, who has a crush on Shuhei, who has a crush on mystery person, who only he knows.

Poor Ryu and Keita don't understand.

Takafumi locked the door and went to the car. He turned on the radio and sighed, when he heard his own band's song.

"And of course you had to write this song" bassist started the car. After a moment, he started humming this song.

Takafumi rushed into rehearsal room, because he was worried about being late. But he saw only Hayato, who was sitting on the sofa and was looking at an unknown point.

"Hi, Hayato" Takafumi smiled a little. Hayato flinched and after a moment slowly looked at him.

"Hi" said drummer queitly.

"Where is everyone?" asked Takafumi, sitting beside Hayato.

"In home, I think" replied Hayato. "Or on the way. I don't know. Maybe..."

Doors opened suddenly and Shuhei stood in the doorway. He looked around then looked at Takafumi.

"Ryu and Keita didn't come yet?" asked confused.

"They didn't" replied Hayato loudly, jumping up from the sofa. "How are you, Shuhei?"

"It's okay, nothing interesting" Shuhei smiled a little and looked at the window. "This snow probably won't leave us alone."

"It's February" noticed Takafumi. "What did you expect? Cherry blossoms on the roads, warm water in the sea and apples on the trees?"

"Alright, alright, you don't have to get angry so fast" said Shuhei. "I just don't like the Winter. This constant freezing weather annoys me."

"Yes, yes, Winter is the worst!" Hayato clapped his hands.

Takafumi didn't like when Hayato was acting like that. Why? Because Hayato supported Shuhei in everything, so Shuhei could be pleased. And Shuhei? Shuhei just didn't care about Hayato's feelings, Hayato's love was boring for him and he was tired because of it. Shuhei tried to force drummer to get out himself from his mind, but it didn't work.

On the other hand, Takafumi wanted to be Shuhei. He wanted to be a reason for situations, when Hayato became so much energetic and passionate, when he had just seen him.

"Hello, everyone!" Ryu went to rehearsal room, with Keita just behind him.

Shorter vocalist jumped on the sofa and looked at confused Takafumi.

"What? Have you never seen a happy human in your life?"

"Not you, for a long time" replied Takafumi. "By the way, why do you come here as the last ones recently? And why together?"

Keita choked on water, but Ryu only laughed shortly.

"Because we are together, silly Fumi" Ryu brushed Takafumi's hair. "And don't ask about such things, because my uke would drown in the cup."

"Ryu" growled Keita, visibly annoyed that other vocalist called him "uke".

"Since when?" asked Hayato, for a moment stopping looking at Shuhei.

"For a week now?" Ryu looked at Keita, who confirmed it. "And you didn't notice it?"

"I started to figure it out" said Shuhei, leaning on the windowsill. "So? Will you spend Valentines together?"

"We aren't teens, we don't have to..." started Ryu, but he saw Keita's murderous sight. "Of course, of course, why not? And what are you doing on this pink-red-heart day?

"Normal day for me" replied Takafumi. Hayato shrugged.

"I have my valentine already" said Shuhei. "But I have to tell them about it first."

Hayato smiled brightly. Takafumi sighed. Why everything has to be so hopelessly complicated?

* * *

Takafumi stood in front of Hayato's house, crumpling lollipop's paper. He looked at the candy. It was bland, generic lollipop in the shape of a heart. For what he needs it?

"I have to make Hayato happy, I have to" Takafumi went to intercom and pressed button with number 1.

"Hello?" after a moment he could hear some woman.

"Good morning, flyers" replied Takafumi and went into the staircase. He put lollipop into Hayato's mailbox and left.

* * *

Takafumi went to rehearsal room. Hayato was sitting on the couch, playing with... lollipop in the shape of heart.

"Probably Shuhei gave me this" he said suddenly, when he noticed Takafumi.

"If you think so" Takafumi smiled a little. It was according to his plan - giving Hayato a bit of meaningless hope, so he could be happy for a moment.

"Good morning!" Ryu rushed into the room, smiling radiantly. "The world is beautiful, don't you think?"

"Keita, do I want to know, what did you do to him, before you came here?" asked Takafumi, peeling the orange.

"I don't know, if you want to know, but it could break your mind, if I'd tell you, what I let Ryu do" said Keita.

"I'd rather not to choke on an orange" replied Takafumi.

Shuhei went into the room. Hayato looked at him and he showed him the lollipop.

"Thank you" drummer smiled radiantly and that's why Takafumi's plan ended in a disaster.

"Hayato, you probably have some silent lover and I'm not them" Shuhei pat Hayato's head.

Drummer get sad and didn't say a word for a half an hour.

Rehearsal was almost over, when they heard knocking on the door. Shuhei got up and opened the door.

"Hi, Honey!" someone, who was smiling, picked up Shuhei and spinned with him. "Hello, everyone!"

"Oh, Shuhei?" Keita looked at "Honey", and then at "Sunny", as he knew life and guitarist.

"Rui, let me go" Shuhei swung his legs. "Shunsuke!"

"Alright, alright" Rui put him on the floor.

"You are vistlip's bassist, aren't you?" asked Ryu.

Rui nodded.

"Oh, so you are Shuhei's valentine?" asked Keita.

Rui nodded again. Hayato jumped up from the sofa and ran out from the room. As it was all normal.

"Run after him" Ryu pointed the door, looking at Takafumi. "Don't look at me like that, run!"

Bassist nodded, threw his jacket on and ran after drummer.

"Honey, what just happend here?" asked Rui.

"Nothing, Sunny, we just finally won" Shuhei kissed him on the lips.

* * *

Takafumi stopped for a moment, taking a breath.

"Hayato!" he called him, but drummer didn't listen. "Hayato, wait!"

"Leave me alone!" yelled Hayato, then he tripped and felt on the snow. He stood up immediately, but this moment let Takafumi almost catch up to him.

"Hayato, please!" almost, because he still couldn't catch him. "Hayato!"

Hayato suddenly felt that someone pushed him against the tree. He looked at Takafumi.

"Why... you... again?" he asked with trembling voice. "Why you and not him?! Explain! Why he doesn't love me, but Rui?! Why he doesn't care about me?! He doesn't love me! He never loved me! And I was so stupid! Because..."

Hayato's voice cracked. Drummer sat on the ground, because Takafumi didn't hold him so strong too stop him for doing it.

"Because nobody loves me. Nobody can loves someone like me..."

Well, since hundred years everyone knows that the best way to show someone that you love them is the kiss. So Takafumi chose this old, non-verbal way, because he wanted to prove Hayato that someone cares about him. But Hayato did something shocking - he kissed him back.

"Hayato?" Takafumi looked at him, confused, when they stopped kissing. "Why are you smiling so weird?"

"I just wonder... If Rui didn't come today to our rehearsal, would I have to sleep with Shuhei to make you do something about our relationship?" replied Hayato.

His mental breakdown disappeared without a trace.

"Hayato, what are you talking about?" Takafumi blinked.

"When I tried to flirt with you, you didn't react, so I had to choose some other way" explained Hayato. "And it worked!"

"Hayato..."

"Yes?"

"You never loved Shuhei, right?"

"You are genius, Fumi" Hayato smiled radiantly. "And yes, everybody knew, if you want to know."

"I'm gonna to kill you all some day" said Takafumi.

"But can you drive me to my home?" asked Hayato. "I'm cold."

"Because you didn't bring your jacket, silly."

"And you couldn't bring it, because?"

"Do you think that I remembered about something like that, when I thought that you were gonna commit suicide or something?"

"Did you really think that I could do that, because of a broken heart?"

"Seriously? Yes."

"Oh, so I am a super talented actor" Hayato smiled radiantly.

"But you aren't modest at all" replied Takafumi. Hayato smacked him on the head because of this.

* * *

"Fumi, did you see my eyepatch? Fumi!" Hayato sat on the bed and crossed his arms.

"What happened?" asked Takafumi, when he went into the bedroom.

"I can't find my eyepatch" explained Hayato. "I woke up and now I have to put it on my eye, but I can't find it. Confirm it, you took it and hid it, right?"

"Did you check under the pillow?" asked Takafumi, leaning on the wall.

Hayato sighed and he put his hand under the pillow, then he started laughing.

"It was there, wasn't it?" Takafumi smiled, when still laughing Hayato was putting his eyepatch over his eye.

"Yes" Hayato nodded.

"Dress up, because if we will be late again, Ryu and Keita will assume that we are addicted to sex."

"And Shuhei will mumble something about him and Rui. That they can last without it for a day or something" said Hayato. "Honey and Sunny... It's so..."

"Bland?" Takafumi laughed shortly, tying a shoelace.

"I wanted to say "sweet"..." corrected Hayato.

He stood up and sat on the floor, next to Takafumi.

"I love you, you know?"

"I know" Takafumi kissed him tenderly. "But we have to go, because I want to live."

Hayato smiled radiantly and he reached for the shoe. Truth is that he never felt so much happy.

The end

Frosting

Band: Alice Nine with ViViD and Anli Pollicino in the background

Pairing: Saga&Shou, mentioned Shin&Shindy

Rating: 17+

Genre: comedy, romance

Warnings: -

Note: It was a strange rainy day, when Saga has been clumsy and Shou has gone crazy about frosting and cookies.

"What else?" hissed Saga, when his key broke in a lock.

It was raining. Basist didn't take an umbrella with him, so he was soaking wet now. To make things better, some nice car driver drove at full speed into a puddle, decorating Saga's white jacket with mud stains. It couldn't be seen as much on his black pants. Earlier he tripped on some dog that crossed his path causing him to hit the pavement with his behind. In this moment Saga wanted to yell from the rage.

"Hiroto is the clumsiest one in the band, not me!" he growled, kicking thr door.

Then he saw the remains of his key falling out of the door lock and slightly confused Shin appeared in the door to the hall.

"Good morning, Saga-san. I was checking my mailbox, when I noticed you" he said looking at his outfit. "Now you know how it's like to be me. Welcome to my world."

"Thank you for opening the door, Shin-kun" said Saga, passing by him.

He actually was tired of this annoying kid, who kept following Shou and threw sparkles as soon as he saw him. It's weird that Shindy allowed such behavior. Shin was seme here, so he should act more mature, but what does he expect from such kids?

As soon as Saga opened his flat's door, his nose was hit with a nice smell coming from the kitchen. When he went there, he saw Shou, wearing an appron, with his face covered in flour and fingers covered in remains of dough. All surfaces in the kitchen were covered with bowls full of cookies.

"Kazuma? What, for Buddha's sake, are you doing?" asked Saga, forgetting he's soaked with water.

"Oh, Sakamoto, you're back" Shou smiled while taking out more cookies from the oven. "You're drenched?"

"No, it's a new fashion trend, you know? Water collection. All clothes are wet" said Saga.

"I'll make you some tea and you go change then come here and help me with decorating the cookies" Shou smiled even more.

Saga thought it's only possible for Nao and Hiroto. Or Tora when Akiya sends him text messages about... Nevermind. He shouldn't go through his friend's text messages, because it leaves him traumatised.

"Whatever you want" said Saga, then let out a heavy sigh and went to look for clean clothes.

When he came back, Shou looked more like himself, but he still had his appron on. After a closer look Saga realised the spots on the appron aren't spots. They were ladybugs. Smiling ladybugs.

And he thought Shin was childish?

"What kind of frosting do you want?" asked Shou, putting Saga in front of a mountain of cookies. "Because I have a basic white one, but I also bought red one, green one, blue one, purple one, yellow one and glitter one. Look."

The vocalist took one cookie and put some bright pink frosting on it, making a pink, sparkly star-shaped cookie.

"Kazuma, sunshine, listen, it's not really fu..." Saga couldn't finish, because Shou put a cookie in his mouth.

"So what kind of frosting do you want?" asked Shou again.

Saga pointed to the red one and looked at his koi. He was in a good mood today, or wanted to put himself in a good mood?

After decorating with colorful frosting half of the stars, teddies, cats, dogs, moons, clovers, piggies, pandas, elephants and apparently owls, Saga wondered what will happen if they'll run out of one of the frostings. And why did they have so many cookies.

"And we're out of the glitter one" said Shou sadly, looking at an empty container.

"What if we run put of frosting?" asked Saga, painting a cat cookie to be Harry Potter.

"I can make some more of the white one" said Shou, taking the blue frosting. "It's raining so much today, just like the sky was crying."

"Because of sky's moods I have a dirty jacket, bruised butt and broken key, so the angels better buy themselves a mountain of vanilla ice cream and cure their depression" complained Saga, painting the cat-shaped cookie yellow.

"Such things happen to Hiroto or Shin, not you" noticed Shou, painting the elephant blue.

"Something is bothering you, Kazuma?" asked Saga.

Shou looked at him, then at the picture on the wall.

"I just remembered about something. That's all" said Shou, taking the teddy cookie out of the bowl. "And I think it's better to not talk about it."

"Hey, Kazuma?"

"Yes?"

Saga poured some blue frosting on his finger and poked Shou's nose.

"Don't be sad. It'll be alright" he said, smiling. "What's with the cookies, though?"

"Shin found some baking forms and asked if I need them. So I decided to try them out" said Shou, then laughed.

Saga shook his head.

"Not a bad idea, though. Bring him some of the cookies. He'll be so happy he'll start running on the ceeling.

"Sakamoto, Shin is not some obsessed fan" Shou tried to be threatening, but he looked like he tried so hard not to laugh.

"Whatever you wish for" said Saga, looking at Shou. "You have some frosting there, you know?"

"Where?" asked Shou. "I wiped the blue one off my nose."

"Here" Saga left a smudge of red frosting with his finger on Shou's lips, then he kissed him. "What a sweet frosting."

"Do you want to up my mood even more?" asked Shou, smiling.

"Yeah. The worst that could happen is Shin being traumatised like me after Tora's and Akiya's text messages" Saga laughed and pulled Shou towards the door. "Don't worry. We'll finish decorating the cookies later. But we should close the door to stop your cats from licking the frosting."

"They can be a bit hungry" Shou chuckled and did what Saga asked him to do.

* * *

Shindy murmures domething in his sleep, when a phonecall woke him up. He found the source of annoying sounds and pressed the green button.

"Yes?"

"Shinya, where are those earplugs you bought last time? I cannot find them."

Shindy only laughed. Being Shou's neighbour had a lot of good sides and only one downside - horny Saga.

The end

Hourglass

Band: 168 -one sixty eight-&Migimimi sleep tight

Pairing: Aoi&Ryohei

Rating: 17+

Genre: angst, slice of life

Warnings: character death, based on true story

Note: Based on true story about Aoi's parents.

Emptiness. It surrounded me and didn't want to leave. The cellphone was in my hands, since I hung up. I looked at a wall, like I was trying to see the answer there. About what should I do now.

Powerlessnes is when all you can do is cry.

I looked around. I was sitting on the floor, leaning on a drawer, which I didn't even notice until now. Maybe the moment I heard the news, my body fell to the floor? That's possible.

I got up and walked to the desk. I wrote something on my blog, so my fans could know I'll be away for a few days.

I don't even know when I've found myself on the floor again, after sliding off the chair. Childhood memories showed in front of my eyes. All bad and good ones.

Then suddenly I found myself in our home's garden. Both of them were sitting on a swing and looked at me with care. I started running to hug them, but as soon I reached out my hands towards them, mom's dress stopped swaying on a wind. Dad dissapeared shortly after.

I woke up from this trance when I heard my phone calling. I layed down on the floor to reach it, because my legs refused to move. I managed to reach it but the sound stopped. I looked at the screen to see three unanswered calls from Ryohei. I don't care. I really didn't care about anything in that moment.

I picked up the fouth time though.

"Hi, Aoi, how are you feeling?" he asked worried. "Inzargi checked out posts on the blogs and said I should probably call you. When I asked why, he only pointed to the screen. Aoi, you don't even know how sorry I am because of what happened. Are you there?"

"Yes, I am" I said in a voice so weak like I've been walking through the desert for half a year.

Ryohei went silent for a moment.

"So you're feeling bad" he answered his own question. "You sounded like that when your mum died. Can I come over?"

"I'll manage" I said with my voice shaking.

"Yeah, I can hear that. I'll be there in half an hour" said Ryohei, hanging up.

And loneliness again. Maybe I did something in my previous lfe, which made me loose all the people I care about now?

I didn't feel the passage of the time, because I heard footsteps. I closed my eyes? Weird, I didn't even notice.

"You didn't lock your doors" I felt Ryohei's hands on my arms.

I opened my eyes. He looked worried.

"Don't cry."

He wiped the tears from my cheeks. I just notice they were all wet.

"Oh, Aoi, I feel so sorry for you" said Ryohei, shaking his head, then he hugged me.

I put my arms around him and pulled him closer. That's when I let everything go. I started crying and tears were going down my cheeks into Ryohei's black hoodie.

The garden with swing disappeared. It won't ever come back. Life goes on fast. Too fast sometimes. It's leaking through fingers like a sand in a hourglass and ends when you expect it the least.

The end