This is dedicted to Alexy-- thank you for all the lovely buttons and icons you’ve made for my sites. This contains Shonen ai.
~A Dir En Grey crossover fic~
* * * *
“You must have some respect for him...”
“Absolutely none, he’s an old sell-out.”
Toshiya reeled in horror, his eyes wide and unblinking for a moment, much to the red-head sat cross-legged on the sofa next to him’s amusement. “That was not a wise thing to say Kyo-kun.” Shinya remarked from over the edge of his Gothic Lolita bible, returning his attention back to the latest pictures of Mana in all his dark beauty.
“But, it’s true. He’s a stupid-boring-sell-out-has-been.” The little blonde retorted, leaning back in his seat to cross his arms petulantly across his chest.
Die bit his lip, turning his face away from them both and desperately trying not to laugh. It was only a matter of seconds now before Totchi spontaneously combusted and murdered their out-spoken vocalist. It was as if Kyo had insulted Kaoru’s idol, the eternally adored pink spider.
Kao-kao himself was outside discussing important matters with their boss and Die tried to concentrate on watching them talking, both with the same intensely focused expression and soft tones that filtered through the thin walls. There was no way he was going to be dragged into yet another of Toshi and Kyo’s legendary arguments.
“How can you say that?! Gakuto-san...he’s..he’s a god!!” That was it, the final straw as Toshi sprung from where he’d been curled up at Die’s side and leapt towards Kyo, grabbing the front of his artfully ripped t-shirt and yanking him to his feet. Kyo stared defiantly up at him and replied with strained sincerity, “He’s crap.”
The corners of Shinya’s magazine had begun to tremble and Die clamped a hand over his mouth, little muffled snickers sneaking through his fingers. Before Toshiya could answer Kyo, their leader opened the door and stepped back inside, turning only to bid Yoshiki a peculiarly fond farewell.
Die let his hand fall and winked at Kaoru very unsubtley causing the older man to frown and wonder if they really were that transparent. Shinya lowered his magazine and laid it neatly on his lap, smiling innocently at the purple haired guitarist, as if he didn’t suspect a thing.
“Toshiya-kun, put Kyo down. We have things to organize.”
“I thought you and Yoshiki had ‘taken care of business’ eh?” Die grinned and slapped the back of Kaoru’s thighs as he strode past to break up the miniature explosion of his band mates.
“ I’m not dignifying that with an answer, now sit down.” Kyo begrudgingly flopped back into his chair and Toshiya let himself be led back over to sit on Die’s lap, scowling all the time at Kyo as if he wanted to kill him.
Kaoru perched on the edge of the table in the centre of their dressing room, settling into his typical pre-concert role, mediator, organizer, the only sane person around; or at least he thought so anyway.
“ Yoshiki-san wants less vomiting, more fan service and more communication with the crowd. I think he was worried by that little strop you had during the Embryo perfromance.” His gaze slid towards Die, admonishing and ruthlessly effective. The red-head scruffed his spiky hair and looked down at the floor.
“Hey, I had a reason.”
“Not a good one though.” Shinya chimed in and earned himself a guilty glance from Die.
“Anyway, “ Kaoru quickly defused the conversation before it got out of hand again, “Please try to remember we’re being filmed for the new DVD tonight so do your best and don’t turn away from the crowd too often.” Toshiya rolled his eyes, Kaoru was such a perfectionist sometimes; overly worried about their economic situation when they weren’t performing and too conscious of his relationships off stage when they were.
“Okay okay, who’s with who?” Kyo demanded impatiently.
Shinya smiled demurely to himself and hoped they’d choose tonight to liberate him from the distant position he occupied on stage, not that he didn’t love playing the drums. It was an incredibly cathartic experience every night, but sometimes he felt left out, isolated, especially from the man sat just beyond his reach.
Die smiled at him sunnily when he glanced over, but not for the reason he might’ve wished.
“Toshiya and Die, Kyo and I. Yoshiki-san wants us to mix it up though, give the fans something to talk about.”
If I vomit over you it’ll give them something to talk about alright, Kyo thought with a vicious little smile, but his face remained impassive.
“Ganbatte!” Die exclaimed cheerfully and gave Kaoru a thumbs up.
Their leader smiled thinly, catching Kyo rubbing his hands together with glee. This was going to be a long night.
* * * * *
“Kyo-kun, you look....” Shinya paused trying to find the right words to describe Kyo’s blood splattered doctor’s coat and obscenely tight black leather pants. The platform boots the singer was stomping around in had raised him almost to Shinya’s height and he was beaming with the same maniacal excitement he displayed just before every gig.
“...kawaxx.” A voice declared sarcastically over Shinya’s shoulder, the drummer felt warm hands slide over his exposed shoulders and Die grinned at Kyo, delighting in his indignant, “Fuck off.”
As Kyo sauntered off to annoy Kaoru and Toshiya Die whispered to Shinya, “Ready?” Shin-chan nodded, leaning back on Die a little and closing his eyes. It was such a luxury to be close to him, if only for a moment.
Toshiya however, was still furious over Kyo’s opinion of his latest hero and sat sulking just out of sight of the auditorium full to bursting with screaming fans. His rage was further intensified by the fact that all he’d been able to hear for the last five minutes was Kaoru chatting as close to cheerily as he could to Yoshiki on his mobile. At least someone was having fun.
“TOTCHI-KUN, QUIT MOPING ABOUT YOU’LL SCARE THE FANS AWAY!” Kyo nearly scared the life out of him as he bounded over, skidding to a halt inches from the curtain. Totchi merely scowled at him and adjusted the silky ties on his chongsam, smoothing the deep purple fabric over his slender hips. “I’m sure you’ll do that just fine with your singing.”
Kaoru tucked his phone into the bag he’d left sitting on a nearby table and wandered back towards the squabbling musicians. “Break it up children, we’re on in two.” He turned back to beckon Die and Shinya over, noting how cosy they both looked, stood together, hugging companionably.
“Now, remember who you’re paired with and Kyo, don’t throw up into the audience more than once okay?” The blonde pouted, but agreed reticently.
A technician came swishing through the curtains and bowed to them politely, “Your instruments are ready please, if you could go on now.”
Toshiya peeked out through a thin gap in the curtains and watched as the lights died and a sudden wave of screams broke out once more. Kaoru took the lead, grabbing Toshiya’s hand as they ran through the darkness to collect their guitars.
Kyo saw Shinya slip into his seat behind the drums, still squinting through the black to make out Die. As he ran up to the mic and gave the signal a sudden explosion of light snapped on around them and the whole crowd went mental.
“KOMBAN WA KYOTO!” Out of respect most of the fans quietened for a second to hear their idol, but the instant the first notes of Yokan pervaded the air they all descended into cries of adoration and frenetic dancing.
Kyo resisted the urge to smile, it wasn’t in his character, but the song always made him feel bright inside, warmed by the shared bonds he’d nurtured with the other band members. He looked out into the sea of faces, arms raised towards him and signs declaring their undying love.
He wrenched the mic from its cradle and ran the length of the stage towards Kaoru, captivated as always by the focused way he played his guitar, how he gave himself utterly to the beat, immersed so deeply that at first he didn’t even notice Kyo was by his side. Kyo held the microphone up to his friend’s lips and together they sang the next few lines, his arm slung round Kao’s shoulders.
As expected the crowd dissolved into hysteria.
Not to be out done, as Kyo returned to centre stage Toshiya conveniently forgot he played bass long enough to drape himself over Die, nipping playfully at his neck. The tall red-head played up the cameras and let his own guitar slip, pulling Toshi round to kiss him with a deliberate slow sensuality that made the fans scream that much louder.
From his seat Shinya frowned, but kept playing, each hit soothing his sadness.
When the first song came to an end nothing could be heard except the thunderous applause.
Kyo grinned insanely to no one in particular and waited until near silence fell again, before he brought the mic up again and closed his eyes, breathing heavily, raggedly, hard enough to make Shinya blush. His voice gathered strength culminating in a fit of demented laughter that left him breathless and shaking with anticipation.
Die drew his hand back and in perfect synchronicity with Kaoru and Toshiya they all blasted the audience with a wall of sound.
Yoshiki’s DVD was going to be amazing.
From the very back of the auditorium someone in the shadows watched, transfixed on the young blonde as he threw himself around the stage with delirious abandon. He was perfect and every inch of the stranger ached to steal him away.
* * * * *
*phew* Die set his guitar down and turned back to the crowd one last time, blowing them a kiss. Toshiya, Kyo and Kaoru were also saying their farewells and each disappeared behind the curtains. There had been three encores and Die’s whole body was finally being drained of its overwhelming ‘high’ Shinya stood gracefully and squeaked as Die took his hand, leading him to the front of the stage to say goodbye once more.
They had not taken pity on him tonight, but Shinya kept smiling nonetheless.
“Ja ne!!” Die cried, over the roar of the crowd, who looked like they weren’t going anywhere until the stage was utterly empty.
“Hey,” Die shouted in his ear, “Let’s give Yoshiki something juicy for the DVD hm?” The petite drummer blinked, not understanding until he was already in Die’s arms. Gasps echoed all around them and the whole room seemed to freeze as Die reached up and stroked his honey blonde hair.
“Die-kun?”
The guitarist smiled and leant over, pressing his lips tenderly against Shinya’s; feeling a soft, shocked murmur from his friend and deaf to the feverish screams all around them. Before Shinya could respond Die was leading him back to the curtain and he was left with only the treasured memory of their kiss.
* * * * *
“We’re going downtown to celebrate with Yoshiki-san.” Kaoru allowed himself a tiny, indulgent smile as he addressed Kyo, Die and a rather flushed looking Shinya.
“Drinks are on me.” Toshiya added, obviously over his earlier stroppiness. Die reluctantly let go of Shinya’s hand and tugged his sleeveless black t-shirt over his head, unaware of Shinya’s embarrassed reactions as he stripped off to change into his street clothes.
Toshiya was already disguised as a typical Japanese youth and Kaoru had just pulled on a floor length black coat to hide his already quite conservative stage costume.
“I’ll pass.” Kyo muttered, as he too transformed himself into someone innocuous. It took significantly longer for the singer though, because a thick coating of black and red slime had adhered itself stubbornly to his skin. Eventually however, he resembled his usual adorably grumpy self.
And by then, the other band members having chosen to accept his pathetic excuses had left.
* * * *
Foregoing the fleet of minders other Japanese rockstars travelled with and the lavishly extravagant cars he was usually piled into Kyo chose to slip out of the fire exit and walk home. To enjoy the night as he hadn’t had a chance to in too long. It was warm, a summer evening filled with a damp heat that wormed its way under his skin and forced the blonde to divest of his jacket, tying it round his waist.
As he retreated into the darkness a voice cut through the shadows.
“Kyo.”
Great, he thought morbidly, another autograph hunter, or maybe a journalist lying in wait.
“I’m busy go away.” Without a backward glance he carried on walking.
“Kyo, stop.”
His feet suddenly betrayed him, grinding to a halt as if bound by invisible shackles and Kyo’s eyes widened. The voice, oddly devoid of any inflection and yet imbued with a commanding authority reached his ears once more; closer now.
“You are..very beautiful when you sing.”
Kyo struggled, trying to wrench his feet from the imaginary mire in which they seemed stuck, “Nan de yo?! Who are you??” His angry cries died into plaintive whimpers and a light breeze whispered past him. Though he couldn’t see very well he knew instinctively the stranger was infront of him now.
“You do not recognize me ... a shame, but you will in time.”
In an instant his legs were freed, left weak and trembling as he was shoved back harshly; his back hitting a rough brick wall. This was it-- Kyo’s thoughts raced to an inevitable conclusion, he was about to be murdered-- and for what??
Silently the anonymous person laid a pair of delicate hands on his chest and moved closer; close enough for him to feel light gusts of breath against his dry lips, close enough to feel every inch of the lithe body pressed tightly to his own.
“What do you want...?” He uttered, frightened for the first time in years.
A whimsical laugh broke through the black and slowly Kyo’s eyes adjusted until he could make out his attacker’s features. Full lips curled up into an amused smile as his pale eyes raked over every inch of Kyo. The man gazed back at him from under a tousled bracken of dark strands, that framed his exquisite face; dull glints of silvery light refracting off the adornments strung round his neck, which disappeared beneath the edges of a half open black shirt.
“I’ve come to claim you Kyo...to make you mine.” He replied cryptically, reaching up to caress Kyo’s cheek. The singer turned his head away, feeling powerless to resist, but overwhelmed by a bitter resentment. No one controlled him, let alone a man he despised so completely.
“Leave me alone.” He spat, wincing as the man’s nails dug into the skin just below his jaw and he began to feel insensate, drawn into the nightmare that had befallen a chosen few in his profession. Numbed, as his head was pushed to the side, skin scraping against brick and torn so easily, Kyo closed his eyes.
“It’s better this way.... you’ll see.”
“The stories, they were true.” Kyo mumbled, barely able to think as a strange spell leeched his defiance.
The man chuckled softly and nodded, “Hai, every word.” A sharp, stinging pain cut off anything Kyo might have been trying to say and he hissed, kicking uselessly. He could almost feel the life being stolen from his body, and replaced with something horrific and new. It was not enough to merely kill him, the stranger was bestowing his own dark gift upon Kyo and he knew it.
“C-camui..iie..”
By the time he struggled the words out it was already too late.
Gakuto licked his lips, wiping the last vestiges of crimson fluid from them and held Kyo close, ignoring his ragged sobs.
“Teaches you to insult me.”
* * * * *
~Owari~
