Long and winding road

Band: UNiTE.

Pairing: Haku&Mio, mentioned Lin&Sana, Hikaru&Yui and Haku&Yukimi

Rating: 17+

Genre: romance, hurt/comfort

Warnings: melancholy

Note: Haku is depressed after Yukimi's depart from both UNiTE. and his life.

Maybe Mio, who's in love with him since forever, would cheer him up?

When Yukimi announced that he's leaving the band because of his back pain problem, they weren't shocked at all. Haku often was carrying him in a bridal way from scene to the dressing-room and from dressing-room to the car, because sometimes Yukimi couldn't even walk.

And he left them, leaving a band without a drummer and Haku with hate in his eyes, glaring at every support musician, taking the place of his beloved.

However, nobody foresaw the day, where bassist would come to the rehearsal room, slam the door and throw himself on the couch with a sad, if not depressed, expression.

"Haku?" Lin walked to him and poked his arm. "What happened? Someone died?"

Haku didn't answer. He was still laying and staring at the wall for unknown reasons.

"Yukimi left" mumbled Haku.

"Yeah, a month ago" reminded him Yui.

"He left me. He said that he doesn't want to stop me from my dreams. And he just left" Haku sighed and sat up. "Can we start this rehearsal already?"

Mio looked at him in shock, just like Lin and Yui. Haku and Yukimi were the perfect couple,always having eachother's back and willing to sacrifice everything for each other. Nobody ever thought that something like this would ever happen.

"As you wish" Mio nodded and got up.

He was, in fact, the only person, who never approved of this relationship.

He wanted to be Yukimi…

* * *

Haku has had depression for months and they didn’t think that he’ll ever get over Yukimi. But of course, the bassist was a man, not some sobbing teenage girl. So he didn’t cry all the time, didn’t sleep with a teddy bear or watch some melodramatic movies, eating ice cream from a box.

He just stopped smiling and started to drink a lot of alcohol.

“I’m miserable” mumbled Haku, when Mio was helping him walk to the bassist’s home. “Right?”

“You’re not. Your smell is miserable, though” Mio opened the staircase’s door with his leg and led Haku to the lift.

He pressed a button with Haku's floor number and leaned against the wall.

“Mio?”

“What?”

“Have you ever had a broken heart?” asked Haku.

“Yes. Many times” replied Mio honestly.

His heart used to break every time, when Haku was kissing Yukimi, when Yukiya jumped into Hiroshi’s arms, when Mio caught them having sex in the dressing room…

To be honest, Ryosuke stopped counting, how many times his heart broke and how much duct tape he used to repair it.

Mio pulled out the keys from Haku’s pocket and opened the door. He took off his shoes, led him to the bedroom and put him on his bed.

“Should I help you change?” asked Mio.

Haku shook his head.

All you have to do is take off my clothes, except my underwear."

Mio sighed and with trembling fingers unbuttoned Haku’s shirt, took it off and threw it on the floor. He did the same with Hiroshi’s trousers and socks.

“I’ll take them to the bathroom” announced Mio, covering almost naked Haku with a quilt.

He didn’t turn on the lights, so a whole flat was dark. Mio was glad for that, because he blushed and nobody could see this.

When Mio returned to the bedroom, Haku had fallen asleep already. Ryosuke put aspirin and a glass of water on the nightstand. He was standing without moving for a moment and staring at the face of his sleeping friend.

And then he leaned over him and pecked his lips softly.

It was his payment for looking after Hiroshi. He’s been doing it everytime. And as usual, he just turned around and left the bassist's house, locking the door. He will give him his keys back tomorrow.

But this time something was different.

“What the hell?” Haku blinked.

He wasn’t sleeping and Mio’s gentle gesture sobered him instantly.

Was it just another Ryosuke’s quirk or maybe it meant something more?

* * *

When Sana joined the band, UNiTE. started to live again. Especially Lin, who very quickly got together with his old friend and made him not only his bandmate, but also his life partner.

Yui, who’s been in a happy relationship with Kameleo’s vocalist for years, congratulated them and glared at Mio.

Yui knew.

As always.

“Can you tell him already?” asked Yui, leaning against the windowsill, on which Mio had been sitting.

Haku and Lin had a cigarette break and Sana tried to set up one plate, but it kept tilting.

“Haku doesn’t love me” replied Mio shortly. “He loves Yukimi.”

“Yukimi left.”

“But he didn't leave his heart.”

Yui sighed.

“If you don’t try, you won’t know, if Haku’s heart is free” noticed vocalist.

“If I don’t try, I won’t get burned.”

“Have you got burned in the past?” asked Yui. “Even if, they weren’t Haku.”

“But it was Haku” Mio growled. “Yui, I confessed my feelings before he got together with Yukimi. And I got met with denial.”

“So Haku knows?” Sana joined the discussion.

“No. He thinks that I got over him” Mio looked throug the window. “And I don’t want to correct him.”

"If you're so afraid of getting burned, you'll finally freeze up”  said Sana. “Mio, I've known you for a month, and yet I have never seen you smile offstage!”

Mio flinched. This kid, who joined their band, was right. For years he’s been smiling only on the stage and at work.

Never in private life. Never to someone else.

Never  t r u l y .

But…

“It’s not that easy.”

“If you want to change into an iceberg, because you're terrified of pulling out a match out of a box, that’s okay. But don't make us look at it” said Sana.

"He's right” admitted Yui. “Hey, Sana, maybe you want to write something? You have a potential to write good lyrics.”

“Me? Oh…” Sana looked a little embarrassed. “Okay, I can try.”

Mio looked at them, then at the door opening.

“Something is wrong with Haku” said Lin.

“Why do you think so?” Sana was confused.

“Probably because he ran away. I won’t chase him” Lin shrugged, then he looked at Mio. “But I know, who should do it, not only because of being a leader.”

Mio sighed like a tormented martyr and jumped off the windowsill. He left the rehearsal room and called Haku.

Bassist picked up the phone for the third time.

“Hello?”

“Haku, where are you?”

“On the bridge.”

“What are you doing on the bridge?!” Mio was terrified.

“I’m standing here and watching the flowing water, because it calms me down.”

“But on the right side of the railing?”

“What? Mio, do you think I want to kill myself? Who am I, some depressed teenager?” Haku laughed loudly, though the laugh was empty. “If you want, you can come.”

“Actually, I see you already" Mio hung up and saw Haku hiding the phone in his pocket.

He was really just standing by the railing and looking at the river.

"I can see you too” Haku smirked.

"Why are you standing here, Haku?" asked Mio.

“We both forgot, didn't we?” Haku sighed, turning his back to the railing.

“About what?”

"How to smile” replied Haku. “Mio, Yukimi called me.”

“It's... I think it's good” guitarist could already feel the heat of fire.

"He wanted to tell me he’s dating someone new and told me to enjoy life” Haku extinguished the match before setting fire to another. “Well... I wanted to ask, if you would remind me how to do it, but I realized you don't remember either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“How many times did you kiss me while I was sleeping drunk?” Haku asked, grabbing Mio's arm. “You did it once, or…”

“Everytime.”

They were standing in silence for a while and staring at each other. People were passing them and didn't care about them completely.

“So you still love me. You lied to me” Haku glared at Mio. “You never stopped, did you?”

“Never.”

“In my case..." Haku moved away from Mio.

The fire was burning again.

“In my case, you can expect me to love you too. It's just a crush so far. After all, people start to feel love after four months, right?”

Haku put hands on Mio’s cheeks and kissed him. Ryosuke got over the first shock after a moment and kissed him back.

“But Ryosuke?” started Haku, when they were coming back to the rehearsal room.

“What?” Mio was surprised by hearing his real name from Haku.

“Smile.”

“But now?”

“Yes.”

Mio looked at Haku. His mouth twitched, then he smiled brightly.

“Beautifully” Haku ruffled Mio’s hair. “Let’s go, they’re probably vexed.”

Mio nodded and walked into the label’s main building.

There was still a long and winding road ahead of them, but they had just seen its end.

* * *

“Mio!” Lin called him and jumped on his back. "Leader-sama, don't sleep while awake!"

“Lin, get off me, how old are you?” Mio shook his head disapprovingly. “Besides, my back will hurt if you hang on me like that.”

"Sorry” Lin got off him and sat down next to Sana.

“Maybe we'll finish a little earlier today?” suggested Yui. “I would like to go with Saito to the restaurant before it closes for the New Years break.”

“Saito?” Sana was confused.

"Hikaru” Lin explained to him. “You know, he and Yui are an old married couple, they call each other by their first names.”

"Lin” Yui glared at him. “So what is your decision, Mio?”

"No problem, you can go” Mio shrugged.

"In fact, we can all go” Haku grabbed Mio's hand. “Let Lin and Sana close the door.”

"Hiroshi, what are you..." Mio felt confused as Haku pulled him out of the rehearsal room.

They went to the bridge, like three months earlier. Haku sat Mio down on the barrier and smiled.

“You know, Ryosuke, there is something I want to talk about…” he started, gesturing like a theater actor. “The first act of our play didn’t work out a bit. There was a declaration of love, there was a kiss, but I guess I screwed it up.”

“In fact, that's right.”

"So again” Haku leaned over him. “Do you love me, Ryosuke?”

“Yes.”

"I love you too” and he kissed him again.

This time with more emotions, more real.

And even if they had been together for three months.

Even if they’ve been sleeping together.

It was this day that was the true beginning of their relationship.

May they never forget how to smile again.

The end