rabenhorst | (no subject)

Title: Touched a Thousand Times; Chapter 2
Author:

fonulyn
Rating: PG [going up to NC17]
Pairing: Die and Kaoru
Disclaimer: We own no one, only our dirty imaginations.
Summary: Dir en grey has been playing in the US, and the stressful touring is finally getting to them. Kaoru in particular has troubles controlling his nerves and bad mood, caused by the awakening jealousy inside of him, something he doesn’t want to admit to anyone.
Comments:

seinen_no: Hey Dears! Haha, I think I have to correct my statement about Kao's OOC-ness a bit… I was referring to the following chaps and I am sure you'll see what I meant. Of course we don't know them, but still, this is so unlike. Yet, I enjoyed it so much to write him there x) And I hope you enjoy reading^^ *hugs you all*

fonulyn: Well, I don’t know what to say x) I’ve written so many of these comments that it’s beginning to be harder to find out things to say as I’m trying to avoid mentioning too much about the chapter itself not to spoil it XD So, maybe this time I’ll just end this short and tell you to have fun with the story, and don’t take it too seriously x)

And feel free to add our journal if you like the stories!

Previously happened: Part 1

Touched a Thousand Times
Chapter 2

Once at home, Kaoru had slammed his suitcase on the bed and began to throw the dirty laundry on the floor with angry movements. How could he have lost it? And how could Die forget that they were friends as well. As it seemed, he didn't mean anything to him anymore. He had been able to deal with being unhappily in love with the redhead as long as he had known that Die was his friend, his best friend. But now everything didn't make sense anymore. Maybe the band didn't make sense anymore either...

A few hours later there was suddenly someone ringing the doorbell of his apartment. At first startled Kaoru, because he hadn't been expecting anyone to visit him that day. Maybe his bandmates had freaked out due to his behaviour and were just checking on him?

Sighing frustrated, he dragged himself to the door anyways. He didn't know if the sight that greeted him was welcome or not though, as the redhead stood there leaning against the doorframe, smiling tentatively. "Hi." As if fearing that the other might slam the door shut in front of him he hurried to add. "Kao, please, listen to me."

Bowing his head, the older stepped aside and opened the door a bit further, wordlessly inviting the other to come inside. His heart was beating fast and his throat was dry as he had no idea what the redhead wanted to say, nor what he should answer to any of the possible questions. "Want a beer?" Kaoru asked casually, trying to appear self-confident.

"No." Die shook his head and stopped as soon as he reached the living room, turning to look at the other. "Actually I'm here to ask you out." He smiled seemingly casual but if one knew him well it was visible that he was nervous.

"What?" Kaoru gasped, his eyes widening. Could it be that his friend was mocking him? That Die had counted one and one together finally and knew about his crush on him and now used the opportunity to pay him back? The words, the younger man had used didn't leave the question open that he was talking about a date, and not about hanging out with a friend.

"Get out." Kaoru glared at him. "I don't need you to make me feel like an idiot, 'cause I can do that very well myself."

"Come on. We haven't done anything together in ages." The redhead wasn't willing to give in this easily though. It had cost him a lot willpower to even try this, because after all he wasn't sure of what the other thought. It was all just assumptions after another. "You can't just throw me out."

"Why can't I?" The older guitarist kept on glaring at him. "That's my apartment." Something in his voice made clear though that he didn't truly want to get rid of the other. He would have so much wanted to believe that Die really wanted to spend time with him, but he couldn't help to be suspicious and afraid. Did Die now want to go out as friends or did he want more? And if it was the latter, what had caused the sudden change in his behaviour?

"Alright, I leave." Die shrugged casually, taking a step towards the other. "But I'll take you with me."

It caught Kaoru off guard when his friend grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the door. "Wait!" The older pleaded and couldn't help but to chuckle a bit. "Let me at least put on my shoes and get my jacket."

"Alright." There was a small smile tugging the redhead's lips when he released the other's wrist. "But try to run and I'll hunt you down."

"I won't." The older guitarist promised, shaking his head. When he bent down to lace his shoes, he looked up at the other, grinning. "You're faster than me anyways."

"I know I am. So you don't stand a chance." This time the younger man chuckled a bit even. "Any wishes where you want to go, or shall I take the lead today?"

Kaoru felt odd, a bit like a schoolgirl on prom night. "Since you asked me out so nicely, you can decide the establishment where you want to get plastered too."

"Alright. So hurry up." Die waited for the other to barely grab his jacket before he was already dragging him out of the apartment. He had decided for this one cosy club where they used to go often in the past times. There they would at least feel like home.

The fact that Die had grabbed his hand and refused to release it even when they were outside, caused Kaoru to blush. When they stopped at a red-light, he finally yanked his hand free, still uncertain about the reason why his friend was acting like that. Besides, he didn't like the confident smile on the redhead's face because it only made him feel even more insecure.

Only when he noticed where they were heading, Kaoru relaxed noticeably. So at least Die didn't go for some fancy place or even a romantic dinner. Although, what would've been wrong with a candle-light dinner?

Die hadn't really thought this all through and he heading straight for the familiar bar. Only then he spotted a restaurant, just across the street from there, he grabbed the other's wrist and determinedly changed the direction, heading there.

"Die, what are you doing?" Kaoru resisted. He had gotten used to the thought to spend a relaxed evening in the pub, if one counted out the jetlag he was still suffering from. But that seemed to be like blown away anyways right from the moment when the redhead had knocked on his door. "I'm not hungry," he tried to argue while the other dragged him across the street easily.

"I don't really care." The younger man turned his head to grin at him. "We're going to have a nice dinner anyways." Kaoru didn't have time to resist any further before they were already there, the redhead opening the door for him theatrically.

The gesture earned him a glare and Kaoru rolled his eyes before he stepped inside obediently. The place was nice and he knew that the food was good, because he had been there once before. Still, this was the kind of restaurant where one didn't just gulp down his food and afterwards hit some clubs. This was the kind of place where one had dinner with special friends or lovers.

They were even guided to a table, and for a moment Die considered helping the other to his seat, but quickly discarded the thought. He figured the other might think he was mocking him which wasn't the intention.

A short silence landed amongst them since they both fixed their eyes on the menu. "You pay?" Kaoru asked grinning after reading the menu carefully. He received a nod and his grin widened. "In that case, I'll take the 24 and 13 together with Sake." He tried to sound cool, as if it happened every day that Die invited him to dinner, but inwardly his thoughts were racing and he asked himself what this really meant. "As you wish." The redhead had to chuckle at the other's expression.

When the waiter had taken their orders and disappeared again, Die rested his elbows on the table and leaned a bit closer to the other, smiling. "You still mad at me?"

"No," the older drawled, shaking his head a bit. "I dunno," he added quickly. And it was true, because all this confused him so much that he had no idea what he was thinking at all. He wasn't used to being looked at like that from his friend and it caused him to shift nervously in his seat.

"You know, you scared the shit outta me when you just stormed off." The redhead gave away, chuckling a bit about his own reaction and the remembrance of the moment.

"I'm sorry." For the first time Kaoru was sure about what he felt. "I somehow snapped. I don't even really know why." The last sentence had been a lie though, meant to protect himself.

"Or is it just that you don't want to admit it?" Die leaned back in his seat, his eyes locked on the other man's. His voice was soft, but still somewhat demanding in a way.

Kaoru pursed his lips and shook his head defiantly. "I don't know what you mean. I snapped and I'm sorry. It probably was the stress."

"Alright." There was something disappointed in the younger man's tone, but he tried not to show it and instead spoke up again. "I understand that you're afraid to tell me. The real reason for it, I mean."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru stared at him with wide eyes which gave away that he felt caught. Did the other know? Or maybe he just had a hunch and tried to make him give away his secret by tricking him like this?

"I mean just what I say." Die stared right back at the other. He was pretty sure that he was right, more likely that Kyo had been right since he had hinted that Kaoru considered him something more than a mere friend. But he wanted to have his suspicions confirmed, not to make a total fool out of himself.

For a moment, the older just looked at him and tried to read his expression. Sighing, he made up his mind to give away at least half of the truth, thinking that they wouldn't go anywhere with this conversation otherwise.

"Maybe," he began, taking a deep breath, "maybe I was jealous that you get along so well with everybody. And maybe," another breath, "maybe I was jealous because Pig and you are such good friends."

"You know you still mean more to me." The words were out before Die had considered them twice, but he didn't flinch when he noticed what he had said. It was the truth anyways.

"No, I don't know that." Kaoru shook his head. "It didn't feel like that at least since you had so much fun with your NEW friends and kept on forgetting about me. Even when you took me along, you ended up being surrounded by others and just left me behind." Kaoru too had spoken without thinking, the words flowing directly out of his heart.

The redhead sighed and cast his eyes down before looking back at the other, searching for his gaze. "I'm sorry, I really am. I know it's a lame thing to say, but I don't know what else to do."

"Wasn't that the reason why you took me out? Because you're sorry?" The older man asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Not really." Die shrugged. "If I just had wanted to apologize I would've bought heaps of alcohol and appeared at your doorstep, hoping we'd end up wasted and pass out on your floor."

"So why didn't you then?" Kaoru felt much more comfortable now that he was the one asking questions instead of being asked. "It would've been a lot cheaper for you."

"Maybe I wanted something else than apologize." The younger man grinned, and was spared of further explanations as their food was brought.

Kaoru unwrapped his chopsticks and took a sip of his drink, but then turned his attention back at the redhead opposite to him. "What did you want then?" he asked as casually as possible. His heart was racing though and he held his breath for a moment. Could it really be that Die was serious? That he wanted this to be a real date?

"Find out what you want." The answer came instantly, and the redhead didn't turn his eyes from his food. He knew perfectly well what he wanted, but he still needed confirmation for his suspicions first.

"What I want?" Kaoru asked a bit louder than necessary, still looking straight at the other and ignoring his food. "Since when does it matter what I want?"

"It always mattered." Finally Die looked up, meeting the other's eyes, his gaze totally honest. "It might not seem like it, but it's the truth."

"But there are always things that are more important than what I want. The band, album releases, album recordings, the press, interviews, Kyo, Toshiya, Shinya," Kaoru hesitated a moment before breathing out the last word, "you."

"It's just how you choose things to be. You need a bit of selfishness for God's sake." The younger man even raised his voice, but forced himself to calm down again. It would do no good if he now just lost his patience. "Just stop for a moment. Close your eyes, go inside your own head and tell me what YOU want. It doesn't matter what it is, just be honest."

Originally he had wanted Kaoru to admit if he held some additional feelings for him, but now it was just about the other man. He seriously thought that the other should learn to respect his own wishes more.

Kaoru's hands were clenching into fists and he grit his teeth forcefully. His mouth opened, but he just couldn't say what he had intended, was too weak to keep up his facade and say that what he wanted wasn't important, because he knew that Die was right.

He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to relax and obediently closed his eyes as he had been told. His heart had jumped up into his throat and was beating there frantically. Now or never, he told himself. If Die only mocked him, then he would find out in a second.

Without opening his eyes, he spoke slowly, insecurely and almost inaudible. "I want to be with you." That was the biggest acknowledgement he could make at that moment.

The words caused Die to smile, and he couldn't help but to be somewhat relieved. Nodding approvingly he spoke up. "That's good. Since you won't get rid of me easily from now on."

"How do you mean that?" The older man's eyes snapped open and he tilted his head, gazing at him inquiringly.

"I just mean that now that we agree upon that point, there should be no worries." The younger man smiled softly.

"Tell me, Die," this time Kaoru based his elbows on the table, pillowing his chin on his palms, "on what exactly did we agree. I think I missed something, 'cause I only heard me give away one of my most well kept secrets so far..."

"You kept that secret too well, if you ask me." Die chuckled and leaned a bit closer, his food long forgotten. "You just agreed on dating me."

Kaoru could feel the other's breath struck his face and it caused him to swallow hard. This all must be a dream. Why should Die all suddenly have feelings for him which were beyond friendship? "Maybe you should've asked me out earlier?" he suggested cockily. "Then you would've found out..."

"And risk finding out that you never thought the same, and from then on would avoid me?" The redhead grinned brightly, shrugging a bit. "It just wasn't the right time."

"Tell me Die," Kaoru began seriously. He had gained some courage back, seeing that the other didn't laugh at him because of his confession. "Did you ever feel more than friendship for me before I told you? Because I-," he averted his gaze, thinking about the right words to use, but then just remained silent.

"I did. I just wasn't sure how much, wasn't sure if I want to risk things because of it." Die toyed with his glass, taking a long sip. "But then today... I guess I realized how badly I don't want to lose you."

"I felt like I already lost you." The lead-guitarist gave away and finally downed all of his sake at once. Never in his life had he led such a weird conversation and never in his life had he been so insecure and so sure about something at the same time.

"I really am sorry about that. I'll make it up to you." The younger man smiled, only a slight hint of his nervousness visible.

The last sentence left a lot of room for guesses and it made Kaoru's heart skip a few beats before it began to pound frantically. He was certain that he wanted to have an intimate relationship with the younger guitarist, but thinking about it alone made him blush and left an odd feeling behind.

"I'm sure you'll manage." He nodded winking and finally took a piece of food between his chopsticks, guiding it to his mouth. He wasn't even hungry, didn't recognize the taste, but he needed it to cover his insecurity.

Die smiled, shoving some food into his mouth as well. Although he was hungry, his attention was totally directed at the other man, his eyes never leaving him. "So, you get a free wish. You can decide where we go after we're done eating."

Kaoru knew that he would never have the courage to go past talking without some alcohol and so he smiled at the other. "If it's not inappropriate, I would really like a drink..."

"You wanna hit a bar or buy something on our way back home." The younger man smirked, taking another mouthful of food, chewing it slowly.

The older couldn't help but to blush. He knew the other man for such a long time, had talked with him about almost everything even about their little affairs, but right now Die's coolness made him feel like an inexperienced teenager. Should he invite him home? And if yes, what did Die expect from him? A night of hot, steamy sex? Kaoru wasn't sure if he was ready for that yet.

"Well," he smiled, "What do you think? Bar or apartment?" He thought leaving the decision to the other man would make it easier for himself.

"I would kinda like to go back to your place. Or mine, if you want. It would be easier to talk while downing the liquor." The younger guitarist answered totally honest. He didn't expect much, just wanted to spend time with the other man for now, and see where this all would lead to.

"Let's go to my place. It's more tidy anyways." Kaoru smirked, although he wasn't sure still. But he trusted Die and knew he wouldn't push him. The thing only was that Kaoru didn't know if he wanted to be pushed or not.

"Alright. Your choice." Die nodded, smiling brightly. "And you have a comfy couch in case I pass out and won't make it home."

"I have a comfortable bed too," mumbled Kaoru under his breath, but blushed as soon as the statement had left his lips. Quickly, he returned his attention to the food, intending to finish it and get to the drinking part. Inwardly, he thought that he was pathetic, needing alcohol to talk freely with his best friend and to adjust to the thought of having an intimate relationship with him once.

"Is that an invitation?" The younger man chuckled instantly, stopped eating for a moment and just looked at the other from sparkling eyes. "Since if it is, don't expect me to turn it down."

The older guitarist coughed forcefully, almost choking on his food. He hadn't expected Die to hear his comment and now blushed even more until his face matched the other's haircolour.

"Well," he drawled, trying to steady his voice and hoping the other would think the blushing was a result of the choking, "I think it is an invitation. I can't risk you to hurt your back on the couch." Needless to mention that Die had spent a lot of nights on his couch already, and even sometimes in his bed.

"Don't worry, I won't molest you too badly." Die winked, attempting to lighten up the mood. He thought it was extremely adorable how the other man blushed so forcefully.

"Too badly?" Kaoru repeated with a grin that was supposed to come out securely, but looked a bit crooked. However, they both attended their food from then on, eating quickly as if neither of them could wait to get out of there and get to Kaoru's apartment.

As they were done, the younger man looked expectantly at the other. "Want some dessert? Now that you even don't need to pay."

"No thank you." Even if Kaoru had wanted, his throat was still like laced up and he was way too nervous to enjoy eating now. Grinning, he patted his stomach and winked. "I need to watch my weight. I gained some lately."

"Well, it only means you need to exercise more." Die shrugged, signalling the waiter they wanted a bill. "Besides, I like the way you look."

The older wasn't used to receiving compliments like that from his friend and he felt the heat return to his cheeks again. Inwardly, he cursed himself for reacting so forcefully on everything Die said, but he just had no control over himself. "Thank you," he forced out with a smile and then frowned a bit. "But I don't really like exercising, so I try to hold back with the food."

"I can help you with the exercising part from now on." The younger man stated, seemingly totally casual. The waiter already brought the bill and Die paid him, before getting up and smiling at his companion. "Shall we?"

"I can imagine that." Kaoru grinned nodding and stood up. "What do you want to drink? Only beer or?" he asked trying to cover his nervousness. He himself was certain he'd buy something strong for himself, only to get over the initial shock his friend's appearance had caused and which was still lingering inside him.

"I'm fine with anything." The redhead shrugged a bit as they headed out from the restaurant. "But I think this night is special enough for something else than mere beer, right?" He turned to look at the other.

"It is." The older guitarist agreed immediately. For a second, he looked at the other and then hooked his arm with Die's almost shyly.

They stopped by a small liquor store and bought some expensive red wine and some whiskey. As he looked at the bottles, Kaoru already knew that they might regret this the next morning. Die didn't even waste a thought about that, just enjoying the moment. He hadn't been as self confident and sure about this as he had made the other believe, but now that they were walking side by side, he had a strong feeling that this was where he truly wanted to be.

Kaoru on his side wasn't so sure about this. Of course he was in love with the redhead, but still he felt insecure about taking this step, because it would turn everything upside down within the band too. No matter what he did, he just couldn't shut down the responsibility-centre in his head and just act as he felt.

Die's presence beside him at least calmed his doubts a bit and when he opened the door to his flat, he gave him a stunning smile. "Make yourself at home." With a small bow, Kaoru invited his friend, following right behind.

"I guess the couch would be the best spot right now, or?" Without waiting for a reply, Die headed straight for the comfy couch. He sat down at the end and pulled his feet up as well. "Wanna get us some glasses?"

Startled, Kaoru looked at him for a few seconds, but then nodded. "Sure, glasses. A second." He vanished in the kitchen, returning with wine glasses and an opener, because he thought they would start with the wine rather than the whiskey. Casually, he plopped down next to the redhead and set out to open a bottle.

The younger man kept on watching him, a smile dancing on his lips. This might even work, he thought inwardly. At least he always enjoyed Kaoru's company more than anyone else's.

To kill the silence, the older man switched on his stereo and quiet music filled the room. After pouring two glasses, he handed one to the other, looking him straight in the eyes. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner... And," he smiled crookedly, "and for coming here at all."

"You don't need to thank me. The pleasure's all mine." Die smiled brightly, raising his glass. "To a nice evening." He couldn't deny that there was something totally enticing in the moment.

"To a nice evening." Slowly, Kaoru seemed to relax a bit and after they had emptied the first two glasses, he felt almost normal again, although every time their gazes met directly, he felt a certain tingling feeling inside his stomach. Was this real? Finally he was where he had always wanted to be and still didn't dare to just follow the impulse to at least steal a short kiss from the other man to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

At first they had been sitting just casually on the couch, but as they had their third glass of wine they began to slide a bit closer to each other subconsciously. Neither was brave enough to try anything further yet though. Die was somehow afraid to push the other to something he wasn't ready for yet. Still, he was already at the verge of giving in and just kissing him.

They kept the topics of their conversation shallow, but both were acting like predators on the hunt, hiding in the shadows, never leaving their prey out of sight. After the fourth glass, Kaoru was already leaning against the redhead like naturally, covertly inhaling Die's scent and feeling his warmth. He could get used to this, he thought, but still didn't make a move to enhance the situation.

It was Die who took the next step finally, simply not able to resist any longer. He took the other's chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted his head upwards so that their faces were only millimetres away. Smiling, he closed the last distance and ghosted his lips over the other's.

It was only the soft touch of lips on lips and still it made Kaoru's heart race until it almost burst his chest. He had never kissed Die before, not even a peck on the cheek. His lips were soft, warm and moist, tasting like wine and cigarettes, a bit like the mint bubblegum he had been chewing before.

The younger man took his time with it, not wanting to force anything on the other, and not wanting to destroy the moment with too hasty advances. Slowly he stroke the other's cheek with his thumb, leaning a bit closer into the contact. His heart had practically stopped beating, as he was trying to sort out the rush of feelings this evoked in him.

Before this could become a real kiss, Kaoru withdrew. Only an inch though and he was smiling at the other genuinely. Slowly, he licked his bottom lip, trying to preserve Die's taste and the feeling of his lips which was still present there.

Die smiled back at him, hugging him a bit tighter for a moment as his arm was still around his waist. He felt somewhat happy and bubbly, like a teenager on a first date.

Kaoru felt the same, the insecurity of that time crushing down on him again. Only the acne and the numerous accidental hard-ons were missing. Chuckling a bit, he planted a soft kiss on the side of Die's neck and then snuggled up to him. The jet-lag had left its mark on him and so had the happenings of the day, the alcohol adding up to it. He was growing tired, feeling his eyelids become heavy.

"Wanna go to bed?" Die suggested quietly, stroking the other's back slowly. He had to chuckle though. "And I honestly mean only for sleeping." He sighed a bit, taking a glance at the clock. "Although I guess I could go home too..."

"Hmm," the older guitarist made a pondering noise. On one hand, he would really have wanted to ask Die to stay and cuddle with him. On the other, it might be a bit too much for one day as everything had just gone in fast motion.

"Maybe you're right." He finally agreed and slowly detached from the younger man. "But you can stay if you want to. Really." He felt like offering it to make sure the other was welcome.

"It's fine." Die smiled honestly. "I'm still able to drag my bones home too." With a small sigh he got up from the couch. "Just promise to call me tomorrow then." He grinned brightly, winking.

"First thing after I wake up. Promised." Kaoru nodded to emphasize the words and got on his feet to at least guide his friend to the door. Contemplatively, he watched the other lace his boots and slip into his jacket. "Will we see tomorrow?" he asked, the tiredness messing with his brains and making him feel insecure again.

"If you want to." The younger man straightened after getting ready. "Just don't call me before eleven in the morning, I intend on sleeping long." He shifted a bit insecurely, trying to cover it with a grin. He knew he should get going but he just didn't want to leave the other yet.

Suddenly, Kaoru darted forward and crushed his mouth on Die's. The kiss was a bit too wet, too much tongue involved and lacked any kind of composure, the older almost biting Die's bottom lip while their teeth met with a clicking noise. They were acting like inexperienced teenagers and it caused both of them to break the contact and laugh out loud.

"I'm sorry." Kaoru cackled, wiping his wet lips with the back of his hand.

"It's alright." Die was still laughing at their quite pitiful attempt. "It was just a first try!" His eyes were sparkling happily, and he was positively surprised about the gesture anyways. It didn't matter that it wasn't the best kiss in the universe. It was from Kaoru, and that was enough.

"Sleep well." The older smiled and quickly pecked the other's cheek. "We can work on that later." He had blushed again, because usually he was not that bad of a kisser. At least nobody had complained so far. But kissing your best friend with whom you have been in love for an eternity already, was kinda odd and still made his heart bounce up and down happily in his chest.

"We definitely will. Until we master it." The redhead chuckled, leaning to peck the other's lips chastely once more, before opening the door. "Good night. And see you tomorrow."

Kaoru was still staring at the wood when Die had been gone for some time already, a wide smile dancing on his lips. Right at that moment, he regretted not to have asked Die to stay over. But if everything worked out for them, they would have a lot of nights together from then on. So he went to bed, nuzzled the cushions and was asleep at a moment's notice, exhausted but happy like he hadn't been in a long time.

Die was whistling on his way home, his steps bouncy and the whole world smiling at him. The day had turned out better than he even had dared to hope. Maybe things would work out nicely from this on. And he couldn't deny that only thinking about Kaoru made him smile, and this pleasant feeling well up inside of him.

At eight o'clock sharp, Kaoru opened his eyes again, being wide awake instantly. When the past night came back to his mind, he wanted to call Die, but then remembered that the redhead had told him not to call before eleven. So maybe he should try to sleep a bit more? But no matter how much he tried, he was too restless inwardly, too many feelings coursing through him to allow sleep to come again. He was just in love. More than he had ever been. That realization made him smile and he folded his arms behind his back, looked at the ceiling and thought about the other man.

It had taken long for the redhead to fall asleep the previous night, all the happenings of the day had been coursing through his mind, not giving him the chance to rest peacefully. It was in the early morning hours when he had passed out finally, and therefore was still fast asleep when Kaoru called him. He instinctively reached for the phone, giving a mumbled greeting.

"Did I wake you?" One could practically hear the smile in the lead-guitarist's voice, although he spoke softly. "But I promised to call..."

"It's alright." The younger man smiled instantly and pulled the blanket a bit further up, blinking tiredly to wake up. "I'd better get my butt moving anyways, it's beginning to be late."

"Moving? To get where?" Kaoru joked, chuckling a bit. He really wanted to see the other again as soon as possible. Before he could say something else, he heard Die's doorbell ring. "Is this your secret lover?"

"Not that I know of..." Die frowned thoughtfully. "I wasn't expecting anyone." He forced himself to get up, wrapping the blanket around himself. "Shall I call you back or wanna hold on to the call while I open the door and send the one behind it away?" He chuckled sleepily, stumbling towards the front door.

"I can wait." Kaoru decided, somehow curious who visited the other so short after his return from America. When Die opened the door, he looked straight into Toshiya's smiling face. "A wonderful good morning Mr. I-storm-off-to-talk-to-Kao-and-leave-my-bag-behind-for-my-friend-to-bring-me."

"Aw, it's the postman with a bag for me." The redhead grinned instantly, laughing at the bassist's expression. "Thanks for bringing it. I didn't even notice it was missing."

"I was in the neighborhood anyways." The bassist took a step forward, glancing around curiously. "Is Kao here?" He had an impish sparkle in his eyes and winked at the redhead. "Or were you too much of a coward to talk to him?"

"He's home." Die informed instantly. "And no, I wasn't too much of a coward. We talked long last night."

Toshiya looked a bit disappointed when the redhead mentioned that Kaoru wasn't there, but he kept his thoughts for himself. "Good. So you sorted your problems. Anyhow, I will go again. Don't forget the meeting in three days."

"I won't, I promise." The guitarist smiled. "And thanks again for bringing the bag."

The bassist waved his hand. "No problem." He still didn't turn around and looked at Die pondering. "Die, you know, about Kaoru... Did you get everything straight really?"

"I believe we did." Die's smile widened even more. "You know, we talked and we destroyed a couple of bottles wine and some whiskey... so it was for rather long."

"Good. I'm sorry. I didn't want to interfere, but I was worried..." One could hear Kaoru's voice through the phone, at least Die knew that it was his voice, but one didn't understand the words. Apparently, the lead-guitarist grew impatient.

"I really appreciate the concern." The redhead honestly meant it, every word. "But I guess I'm in a bit of a hurry since I promised to meet Kao today."

"Oh, sure. I won't disturb any longer." Unable to hide his surprise completely, Toshiya smiled and bid farewell to the redhead.

As soon as the bassist was gone, Die returned to the phone call, hoping that Kaoru was still there. "Sorry it took a while. But you know Tosh, he sometimes tends to get stuck."

"Yeah, I know. Say Die," Kaoru had had enough time to think about the following, "I'm already dressed and showered. Shall I come over and bring something to eat?" He bit his lip, inwardly hoping this didn't appear too pathetic to want to meet the other so early already.

"That sounds great," the redhead agreed instantly, enthusiasm clear in his voice. "I'll probably have the time to take a shower then before you're here."

"Sure you will." Kaoru couldn't deny that he would have liked to be there and maybe steal a secret glance at the other man while showering. The mere imagination already caused a shiver down his spine. But maybe they should still work on the kissing before trying anything else. "You want something special to eat? Or just bread, bagels and some special cold cuts?"

"That sounds just perfect. I trust your opinion with those." Die headed back to bedroom while talking, discarding the blanket there. "I'll see you in a few moments then?"

"Well, you will have to give me at least half an hour to three quarters. I'm not a magician, you know." Kaoru chuckled while he stepped into his boots, pinning the headpiece between his ear and his shoulder to lace them. "But I will hurry. Promised."

"I'm looking forward to that anyways." The redhead grinned, the pleasant anticipation already beginning to build up in him. "Both you and the food."

"Thank you for mentioning me at least." The lead-guitarist laughed heartily. He knew that the redhead loved to eat, although he didn't look like it. "Okay Die, I'll get going now. See ya."

"See you." After hanging up the redhead instantly headed to the shower, considering if he should even tidy up a bit before the other was there.