" Will you…give me the chance, Toshiya?"

Toshiya’s eyes widened subsequently at Die’s statement. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out as his mind was blank, baffled, not knowing what to think. He didn’t know whether to smile or frown so his expression remained surprised, speechless. Then suddenly as if Die’s words had seeped in with its meaning and his blood had continued running, his cheeks went aflame.

" I…"

Before he could answer, one of the stage staff scampered in and hastened them to go out. Unwillingly, Die stepped out of the room, flicking a strand of his fringe out of his eye as he jogged to the stage. Toshiya was beside him. Just a second before they were out in view of the crowd, Die sneaked a gentle kiss on Toshiya’s cheek and threw him a charming smile.

Toshiya had no time to be dazed as Shinya had already begun the starting tempo for the song. All throughout the performance, the bassist tried hard to concentrate on the audience, at the high mood surrounding him. It was quite an effort before he moulded himself into the atmosphere, closing his eyes as his head followed the beat of Shinya’s drums.

He heard the fans’ screams escalate and he opened his eyes to see Kyo hanging on Kaoru with an arm around his shoulders.

~…jealous…

…kokoro wa kizutsuita iyasezu ni, iru yasete yuku…

Ai wa kuzureyuku anata, hana to sakimidarete…~

Toshiya felt his eyes glaze over and he forced himself to look up at the glaring bright lights overhead. Little black spots appeared in his vision when he returned his eyes to the crowd. He heard their excited cheering, over the blasting music, at Kaoru and Kyo’s fan-service. Kaoru laughed as Kyo licked the exposed flash of his arm and pretended to bite it like a vampire, and the guitarist pulled away, making a face at the crowd.

So different…

…it was this Kaoru whom he had fell for but…

But the Kaoru he had seen had been so different…

Love and hate.

Toshiya gulped and ran across the stage, waving at the crowd, a few wild strands of his hair flying behind him. The fans screamed as he ran up to Die, his eyes crinkling up with laughter. Die grinned at him, bending down, his crimson hair fell to frame his face.

~…doku no hana no youni saite miseru wa, soshite kaerizaku hana to naru ~

Die gasped but it was not audible due to the loud noises and music in the stadium, when Toshiya knelt till he faced Die’s exposed chest and licked the bare flesh there, the way Kyo had done to Kaoru. The crowd went mad at the display and the young man heard some girl squeal ‘Toshiya-sama!!!!!!’.

~I will bloom like a poison flower....then I'll come back blooming again~

***

The live had been great. They were now having a celebrating session in a local bar. The colourful lights shone through the cigarette smoke, making it seem like some mystical haze. Shinya sat at the counter, chatting with a lady, maybe slightly older than he was, as he fingered his brandy-coke. There was a smile on his face but a certain event tugged at his heart heavily.

A certain event pictured in the image in his head, of a certain young bassist erotically flicking his tongue at a certain redheaded guitarist’s nipple. Maybe the crowd didn’t see it but Shinya, who sat behind all of them, saw it all. And he wished he didn’t.

Just then, the certain redheaded guitarist strode to him and demanded he had a drink with him. Shinya rolled his eyes. "I rather relish my drink at my own pace," the drummer stated as his eyes narrowed sharply in sudden anger.

" Spoilsport!" Die sat on the stool next to the woman who smiled at him. "Hi, beauty!"

The woman appeared to be flattered at his appraisal. "My, what a charming friend you’ve got, Shinya-kun…such sweet lips!" she laughed softly.

Die chatted with the lady for a while before she excused herself, leaving Die and Shinya alone with the awkward empty stool between them. So Die took the opportunity and shifted nearer the brown-haired man. "Come, have a drink with me!" The redhead flicked his wrist, motioning for a refill for Shinya’s glass.

Shinya looked sombrely at the liquid being filled into his glass. "Thank you," he said to the bartender behind the counter.

" Cheers!" Die clinked their glass together as raised his to his lips. But Shinya just stared at his own hands which were around the brandy. "Eh? Why aren’t you drinking?"

" No mood."

" Man, you’re always moody and grumpy! Bad social skills!" Die teased him.

The younger man remained silent, his head bowed down so that Die couldn’t see his eyes growing red and watery. He hated Die-why couldn’t the man just leave him alone?!! Why must he tease him and make him feel worse than he already was?!

" …no wonder you have so little friends…" Die continued but suddenly Shinya stood up, making the stool fall back onto the floor.

He glared at Die with his angry but crying eyes. Everybody in that part of the bar spun around to look at the commotion.

" I hate you!!!" Shinya screamed at him as he splashed the remaining brandy in his glass at Die’s face and ran out of the bar.

Die was shocked, to say the least as the liquor dripped down his face and wet his shirt. What the hell happened?! Everyone was staring at him. "What?! Never seen a fight before?!!" he barked at the busybodies. Yammering among themselves, they dispersed into their own little groups again, apparently paying no attention to the furious man.

" What did you say to him?" Kyo popped out from the crowd and handed him a tissue and another.

Die wiped his face, fuming. "Ask me if I know! I was just talking to him and inviting him for a drink together!"

To his displeasure, the vocalist burst out laughing. "You mean you made fun of him, didn’t you?!"

Die’s face turned red. "But…it was…just normal stuff! Did he have to overreact like that?!"

Kyo shrugged and slipped away for a while to fish Toshiya out of liquor. "Here, he’s a drunk cat; take him back okay?"

" Me?"

" Well, Kaoru and I have to entertain some contract dealers so you’re not needed. Shoo!!!" Kyo stuck his tongue out at him and skipped off, leaving the responsibility with Die.