Tsuyoshi let his fingers dance over the ivory and ebony keys, feeling the music. He had been waiting for Koichi to arrive, but had felt too restless. To calm his nerves, he had gone into the recording booth to play the piano.

As he reached the end, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Koichi, standing in the other room, staring at him. All the jittery nerves he had managed to calm down came back with double the force.

Hurriedly, he stepped back into the other room. “You’re here.”

Koichi rubbed the back of his neck nervously, having been caught red-handed staring at Tsuyoshi. “Uhm, yeah. Sorrry I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt you. I hope it’s alright?”

Tsuyoshi nodded hurriedly. “It’s fine. I’m just not used to having someone watch me play,” he admitted, dropping his gaze to the floor.

“Why not? You were mesmerizing,” Koichi blurted out, slapping a hand over his mouth as soon as the words left them.

Wide eyes met each other a Tsuyoshi looked up at Koichi’s sudden words. Both men then cleared their throats and shuffled awkwardly.

“Can I,” Koichi asked timidly, “see the song?”

Relieved at the change of topic, Tsuyoshi let out a breath and waved Koichi into the recording booth.

Koichi followed obediently, standing off at the side as Tsuyoshi ruffled through some music sheets on the piano.

“I got the DVD to your Endless SHOCK performance,” Tsuyoshi said distractedly, picking up some sheets before putting them off at the side with a frown. “Where did I put them?”

“Your voice is actually in the minor pitch, rather than major,” he continued, stopping a moment to look at Koichi.

The elder nodded his head. “Tatsuro-san told me that too, when I met him previously.”

“Tatsuro-san?” Tsuyoshi cocked his head to the side.

Koichi nodded again. “Yamashita Tatsuro-san. I met him several years ago. He wanted me to sing one of his songs. I think it was called ‘Garasu no Shounen’.”

Tsuyoshi’s eyes widened considerably. “Garasu?” He wanted you to sing Garasu?”

“Yeah, well, not just me. He said it worked best as a duet and he had the perfect person to sing it with me. Someone he said he couldn’t imagine singing the song with if it wasn’t me,” Koichi gave an embarrassed grin. “Sorry, did I sound too arrogant?”

Shaking his head quickly, Tsuyoshi held up the music sheets he found. At the top was the title, ‘Garasu no Shounen’.

“That song…”

Tsuyoshi gave a little laugh. “Hi, I’m the other person?”

Koichi’s jaw dropped for a moment before he smacked his forehead and began laughing. “You were the other person? I can’t believe it!”

“Hey, I’m no slacker when it comes to singing,” Tsuyoshi pouted.

“No, no! I didn’t mean it that way!” Koichi hurriedly added, but grinned again when he spotted the mischievous look Tsuyoshi was sporting.

Koichi made a thoughtful face. “Though I’d have to be the main singer and draw all the attention for us to succeed.”

“Hah! I’ll have you know I’d probably be the one with the bigger fanbase, since you’re so much like an old man,” Tsuyoshi countered, grinning from ear to ear.

The older Domoto sputtered indignantly. “I’m not an old man. Who told you that?”

At Tsuyoshi’s wink, Koichi grumbled, “Okada Junichi, you’re going to get it from me tomorrow.”

“Well? You feel like taking up this song now?” Tsuyoshi waved the music sheets in front of Koichi.

Koichi thought for a moment before he shook his head. “Let’s keep it for later. It doesn’t feel right.”

Tsuyoshi nodded understandingly. “How about a ballad then?”

“A ballad sounds good,” Koichi smiled.

~*~*~

“…aisenai,” Koichi sang, his eyes closed.

Tsuyoshi was in the studio, fiddling with the knobs and buttons. He looked up as Koichi finished the line.

“I missed the cue! Again!” Koichi growled in frustration, clutching his hair. Tsuyoshi continued to watch as Koichi fell into a heap below the microphone.

Shaking his head, Tsuyoshi stopped the recording and stepped into the recording booth. “Koichi-san, I’ll help you with the tune. Come over here to the piano.”

“Don’t wanna,” Koichi’s muffled voice was heard. He buried his head into his arms and lay on his stomach.

Tsuyoshi sighed and sat down cross-legged next to the older man. “Koichi-san?”

A mumble was his answer. Koichi shifted and peeked at Tsuyoshi.

“You have to finish this in two weeks. Let’s get to work, shall we?” Tsuyoshi offered a smile and a hand.

Koichi rolled over onto his back. “What’s the use? They won’t let me use the song anyway,” he grumbled, staring at the ceiling.

“We don’t know that yet,” Tsuyoshi coaxed, slightly amused at the childish behaviour Koichi was displaying.

Koichi made a face. “They said they want me to sing that dance number. ‘Lose Control’ or whatever it was.”

“What’s wrong with that song? I thought it was quite catchy when you showed it to me,” Tsuyoshi asked.

‘You didn’t choose it for me’ didn’t make it past his thoughts.

“It makes me look like a piece of meat. And have you seen the choreography?! Atrocious, I tell you. I’m never letting KABA-chan choreograph anything ever again,” Koichi ranted, rolling in place. “He-I mean, she kept making me point to my…. you know, there,” Koichi pouted.

He wanted to say more, but a quiet chuckle stopped him. “What’s so funny?” he frowned at Tsuyoshi, who was hiding his smile behind the back of his hand.

Shaking his head, Tsuyoshi took a few moments to calm his laughter. “No one would think of you as a piece of meat if they were looking at you now.”

“That’s because I’m not a piece of meat,” Koichi protested, thumping his fist on the floor. “If I’m going to do this idol singing thing, I’m sure as hell going to do it right.”

Tsuyoshi grinned. Koichi had unwittingly provided him with the opening he needed to get on with the recording.

“That’s the Domoto Koichi I remember. Now, let’s show them your determination, shall we?”

Koichi blinked at the hand that was once again outstretched to him. Gingerly, he took the hand and let himself be hauled up to his feet.

~*~*~

“How are things going?” Okada asked, flopping down onto his bed.

The voice on the other line paused for a moment. “It’s going well. He’s a better singer than I expected. And he’s very focused on his work, so there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Okada sighed and rolled his shoulder. “Why would I want to know about him and work? I want to know the juicy details about you and him. Has anything happened so far?”

“There’s nothing, and there won’t be anything between us, Jun. You know that as well as I do.”

Rolling his eyes, Okada settled on his skateboard, wheeling himself towards his window. “You’re gloomy, but I never thought you’d be as gloomy as this, Tsuyoshi. You’re giving up even before you’ve tried anything.”

“It’s complicated, Jun,” was said quietly. “It’s been so many years. It’s just not meant to be.”

“Just go with the flow. And be more direct. No one can resist you,” Okada reassured. “Especially not with those puffy cheeks of yours,” he added cheekily.

An indignant huff was heard before Tsuyoshi cut the line with a curt “Bye.”

~*~*~

Koichi doubled over from shock when he flopped onto his bed. It was three in the morning and he had just finished filming for the night.

Incoherent groaning was heard before Nagase Tomoya’s head popped up from under the covers. “Ko-chan?”

“Nagase! What the hell are you doing in my bed?!” Koichi all but shrieked.

Nagase got up slowly, giving Koichi a good look at his tonsils as he yawned to his heart’s delight. “It’s our dinner night. You weren’t here. I got sleepy,” came the summarized answer.

Both men looked at each other for a moment before shuffling out into the living room. “I’ve got leftovers,” Koichi offered, rummaging through his refrigerator.

“Coffee, for now,” Nagase replied, grabbing his mug from the cabinet and proceeding to make himself a cup.

While Nagase made the coffee, Koichi busied himself with reheating the food in the microwave.

“How are you doing?”

The question caught Koichi unawares, and he just shrugged. “What do you mean?”

Nagase resisted the urge to smack his best friend on the head, less he accidentally made Koichi any more dense than he already was. He draped an arm over Koichi shoulders and stared into the other man’s eyes.

“Ko-chan, you can’t tell a lie to save your life,” Nagase stated matter-of-factly. “Now, how are you doing?”

Breaking eye contact, Koichi mumbled an answer. “Okay, I guess.”

“How okay is okay?” Nagase pressed. He knew Koichi was uncomfortable with the current arrangement.

He had been the one Koichi poured his worries out to after the kissing scene in Ningen Shikaku.

“What’s wrong with me, Tomo?” Koichi held on to Nagase’s arms, a pleading look in his eyes. “It wasn’t natural! What’s going on?”

Nagase was at a loss. He truly had no idea what was going on. He only knew he had never seen Koichi look so torn and desperate. Not only that, Koichi looked as if he had not slept a wink the night before.

“What happened, Ko-chan?” Nagase asked worriedly, sitting Koichi on the grass. “Tell me what happened.”

“I-I…. I don’t know!” Koichi wailed, leaning back onto the tree trunk.

“Tell me everything!” Nagase pressed on, knowing he had to get answers soon, before the bell for the first period rang.

Koichi fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve, attention completely focused on them. “I liked it. I liked it more than when it was Emi-chan,” he mumbled out.

His eyes widening, Nagase finally understood. They had laughed about it the day before, when Koichi had shown him the script and the part where he had to kiss his co-star. Emi was Koichi’s crush back in middle school. She was also the first person Koichi ever kissed.

“You don’t mean-“ Nagase was cut short as Koichi clamped his hands over his ears and stubbornly refused to face the matter.

“Even after all these years,” Nagase began, gently leaning his head on Koichi’s.

To his surprise, Koichi pulled away. “I never got over it, alright?” he said in a frustrated tone. And then a quieter “Are you disgusted?”

Nagase sighed, wrapping his arms around Koichi from behind. “I could never be disgusted with you. And you’re not doing anything wrong, so don’t beat yourself up about it,” he said quietly, giving Koichi a reassuring squeeze.

Released from the embrace, Koichi was forced to turn around by Nagase. He looked at his best friend, only to find conformation of his words.

“There’s nothing wrong with preferring men. And there’s nothing wrong with having a decade long crush,” Nagase said, earning him a chuckle.

Patting Koichi gently on the head. “If you ask me, he’d be completely insane not to fall head over heels in love with you.”

“Or he could just be normal,” Koichi retorted, finding it hard not to be influenced by Nagase’s positivity.

“Bah, normal is over-rated. Why do you think I’m here in the middle of the night?” Nagase waved it off.

Now it was Koichi’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Lover’s quarrel?”

“Let’s just say she gets unnecessarily jealous,” Nagase shrugged. “Of you.”

Koichi stared at the taller man in shock. “What did you say to her?”

His reply was a shrug and a wave of the hand. “Just that you look absolutely adorable when you’re freaked out by me staring at you from the toilet.”

“NAGASE!!!”

Nagase winced at the backhand Koichi dealt to his upper arm. “I was just telling the truth! Women are supposed to like honesty, aren’t they?” he whined.

“Not when you say things like that!” Koichi gave Nagase another backhand for good measure.

Nagase rubbed his sore arm. “But it’s true!”

The two men looked at each other for a second before bursting into laughter. It took them a few minutes before they caught their breaths.

“That’s better. You’re always more handsome with a smile on your face,” Nagase said, draping his arm over Koichi’s shoulder again as they watched the food turn around in the microwave.

“Don’t worry. Things will work out. Good things happen to good people, right? Just be yourself, and everything will sort itself out.”

Koichi smiled at his friend’s comforting words.

“Hey, wanna know how the microwave heats up your food?”

~*~*~

The initial awkwardness between the two men melted away as they spent more hours working together.

Koichi found he welcomed the refreshing pace Tsuyoshi took to working. He had always been more detail-oriented and did everything properly.

Tsuyoshi, on the other hand, did things more on feeling. That was not to say that he slacked off. The work was still top-notch, but he would change things and make Koichi sing a line differently just by listening to it. When Koichi questioned him, he would just shrug and say it was a gut feeling.

In Koichi, Tsuyoshi was exposed to a fresh perspective to his love for music. Usually, everyone would just agree with him on any of his suggestions. This had less to do with them being shy than it had to do with them being overwhelmed by his reputation as a music prodigy. Koichi would often question his decisions, and he would be able to see how the same piece of music could be interpreted differently.

As they settled into a relaxing friendship, neither found it in them to willingly disrupt the delicate balance they achieved.

The casual camaraderie they shared was usually the highlight of their days. Both men began to have a deeper understanding for each other and look forward to the few hours they would share in the recording studio.

~*~*~

Okada watched in amusement as Koichi frowned and tried to sneak in a piece of carrot onto Tsuyoshi’s plate.

When he got no reaction, Koichi sat back with a satisfied smile. As he turned to call the waitress, the piece of carrot was quickly deposited back onto his plate.

Okada rolled his eyes, not missing the confused frown crossing Koichi’s face when he turned back to continue with his supper.

“Honestly, just pretend I’m not here,” he said, and the two Domotos blinked at him.

“A-ah, I wish I had a girlfriend,” he stretched his arms behind his head. “Watching the both of you makes me feel like settling down.”

Tsuyoshi’s scowl spoke volumes, and Okada could not resist teasing his best friend further. “Am I right, Tsuyoshi?”

“You’re settling down?” Koichi asked, the ends of his lips curving upwards as he studied Tsuyoshi’s face. Tsuyoshi’s eyes widened in panic, and he hurriedly denied everything.

Okada looked around for the nearest wall, so that he could either smack his own head, or Koichi’s head, against it. His gaze, however, landed on a vaguely familiar man who was trying to hide behind an ornamental plant.

Paparazzi?, he thought, wondering if he could use the situation to his advantage.

Before he could think of anything else, the man noticed he had been spotted and made a beeline for their table.

“Ko-chan!” a loud voice boomed across the restaurant. “You went on a date without telling me!”

Whipping his head around quickly, Koichi had only seconds before he found himself engulfed in the embrace of one Nagase Tomoya.

“Nagase,” Koichi’s muffled groan was heard. “What are you doing here?”

Nagase released Koichi from the embrace to beam at him. “Stalking you, of course.”

Tsuyoshi stared curiously at the exchange, and more importantly, the large smile that adorned Koichi’s face.

His eyes met Okada’s across the table, but he looked away quickly.

“Tsuyoshi-san, this is Nagase Tomoya,” Koichi introduced, keeping a hand on Nagase’s arm to stop him from saying anything unnecessary.

Bowing slightly, Tsuyoshi was shocked by the unexpected hug. “I’ll have you know that Ko-chan here is a very innocent boy. If you’re planning to date him, I won’t allow any intimacy until the fifth month. And no teaching Ko-chan any naughty stuff like bondage or weird kinky stuff, you hear me?”

“Nagase,” a low growl interrupted Nagase’s rambling.

“And he likes strawberry milk, so make sure you always have that stocked somewhere. And he’s ticklish just behind the ears, so use that to your advantage but don’t let him know I told you that.”

“Nagase Tomoya,” Koichi threatened again, his face going beet red.

Okada sat back to watch the show unfold. Tsuyoshi kept nodding after Nagase’s every sentence, his gaze flitting over to Koichi every once in a while.

“He’s horrible in the mornings, especially if he hasn’t gotten enough sleep. So I’m setting a midnight curfew on your dates. No staying over at each other’s place. Oh! And he likes to sleep nake-,” Nagase was cut off abruptly when Koichi’s hand clamped over his mouth.

“Tomoya, that’s enough,” Koichi’s eerily calm voice whispered into his ear, causing the hairs on the back of Nagase’s neck to rise.

As he turned to Tsuyoshi to apologize for Nagase’s behaviour, Koichi found his line of vision blocked by Okada.

“Does that mean my best friend is allowed to take your best friend out on a date?” Okada asked.

~*~*~

“Sorry about that,” Koichi said uncertainly, slowing his car outside Tsuyoshi’s apartment building. He had offered to send Tsuyoshi home as an apology for the way the evening played out.

After Okada’s sudden question, Tsuyoshi had stormed out of the restaurant, stomping his way towards the nearest bus stop. Not even the pouring rain could slow him down.

Koichi had hurried off quickly after him, grabbing an umbrella from a convenience store they passed. All his calls and apologies were ignored by Tsuyoshi as the younger man continued determinedly to his destination.

It took all of Koichi’s pleading and puppy eyes to convince Tsuyoshi to be dragged away, soaking wet, from the crowded bus stop into Koichi’s car.

The ride back was silent and awkwardly tense. Koichi was quite certain he spent more time looking at Tsuyoshi from the corner of his eye than keeping his attention on the road.

Tsuyoshi had spent the entire ride staring steadfastly out of the window, not uttering a single word.

“Why are you apologizing?” Tsuyoshi finally spoke, his gaze still fixed outside the car.

Koichi rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. “I’m not sure. But you’re not happy, and I feel bad.”

“That automatically makes me the bad person, right?” he said, smiling sheepishly when Tsuyoshi turned to him.

Tsuyoshi’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. It wasn’t your fault to begin with,” he offered a small smile.

Relief swept through him as Koichi broke into a wide grin. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise!” the older man chirped.

With the tense atmosphere gone, Tsuyoshi made a thoughtful face. “Then, it’s dinner on you.”

Koichi nodded. Tsuyoshi decided to push his luck.

“I want seafood.”

A nod.

“In Nara.”

A pause before a slow nod.

“With black beer.”

A blink.

A bemused Tsuyoshi could see the thoughts racing through Koichi’s mind. Where was a good place to eat seafood in Nara? And what exactly is black beer?

“I’ll work out the details. You just have to make yourself, and your wallet available. Deal?” Tsuyoshi offered his hand.

Koichi did not hesitate to grasp it in his own and shake it firmly. “Deal.”

TO PART 3