**Also, please excuse the random paragraphs that have different fonts than the rest of the story. That was not intentional. My browser apparently hates it when I copy/paste things from Word.

A soft vibration on Ruki’s back woke him from a restless sleep. The vocalist rolled over, the vibrations suddenly gone, and settled back into the comfort of his bed.

Moments later his home phone began ringing. Ruki groaned, a husky growl lodged deep in his throat, trying to muffle the sounds of the braying ring by burying his head with a pillow.

The ringing ended quickly, and the second it did Ruki felt the tension ebb from his body. He felt like a deflating balloon as he exhaled.

Ruki had stayed up late the previous night, enthralled by the guitar Uruha had given him. The difference between Uruha’s guitar and his old one was almost too small to recognize, but the feeling Ruki got when he played Uruha’s compared to his own felt like leagues different.

The feeling Uruha’s guitar lent Ruki as he played was so mellifluous and enchanting. An infusion of inspiration and euphoria coiled together imbued Ruki with a stinging persistence to play forever. It complemented his singing unlike his own guitar could.

Ruki contemplated this. He believed he was insane for feeling such an astronomical difference between similar guitars. Mad. Mentally ill.

There shouldn’t be such a large difference.

But the guitar captivated him, and Ruki was determined to impress Uruha.

Ruki knew he wanted to make it up to him, but as to how, he still didn’t know.

The vocalist lay in bed, still wondering why Uruha’s guitar felt like a magic stick when he played it when the phone rang again.

Ruki sighed in defeat, and fought to get up in time to catch the call. He reached it just as it fell silent. He checked the Caller ID, and noticed Uruha had called him three times that morning.

Why is he calling me so early? Ruki wondered.

He was about to call him back when he noticed a small black lump on his bed where he had been sleeping. Ruki walked over and picked the device up, realizing it had been his cell phone that had been vibrating against his back earlier.

Uruha had called him several times on his cell phone as well. He’d also left a text message.

Ruki-kun! Please call me! I want to go to breakfast with you!

Ruki punched the call button, and listened nervously as it rang on the other side. It must be important if Uruha had called him so many times.

Uruha picked up on the fourth ring. “Ruki-kun!”

Ruki chuckled into the phone. He’d been expecting his call. “Ohayou, Uru-chan.”

“Oh, I hope I didn’t wake you,” Uruha said apologetically. “I just really wanted to have breakfast before we met up with the band.”

Ruki laughed, fighting back a yawn. “Don’t tell me you’re taking what Aoi has been saying serious.”

Uruha laughed back. “No, I still feel like it was my fault you haven’t gotten very far with the songs. So I hoped I could help you out!”

Ruki cursed. “Dammit, I didn’t get anything written down all last night.”

Uruha sounded concerned. “Ruki-kun, don’t worry. We’ll discuss it all over breakfast!”

Ruki smiled. “Thanks Uru-chan.”

They hung up.

Ruki took a quick shower, threw on a T-shirt and jeans, and then checked his phone again. Uruha had sent him a text message of the place they were to meet.

*~*

“Ruki-kun, you look tired,” Uruha said worriedly, leaning closer, as if seeing Ruki from a better point of view he’d be able to determine why exactly he appeared so sleep-deprived.

“In other words, I look like shit,” Ruki replied coolly, smirking slightly.

Uruha almost choked on his orange juice. “I didn’t mean it like that,” he murmured.

Ruki laughed, obtaining a strange sense of pride from the sheepish look that crossed the guitarist’s face.

“I was up late,” Ruki answered Uruha’s enduring curiosity.

“And you weren’t working on the music Kai wanted you to write?”

Ruki sighed, looking down at the table. “I got too distracted…”

Uruha raised his eyebrows. “Please don’t tell me it was my fault.”

Ruki cocked his head to the side, looking at the guitarist reproachfully. “Uru-chan, stop blaming yourself for my problems.

“Anyways…I was playing your guitar,” Ruki said anxiously. He didn’t want Uruha to know about the way his guitar stimulated the excitement and motivation in him. It was an awkward topic for Ruki, but he suspected Uruha already knew.

Uruha beamed. “How does it work for you?”

Ruki had to restrain himself from saying the complete truth. “It’s damn good, Uru-chan.”

The waiter arrived with their food, and bustled away after Uruha and Ruki thanked him. The two Gazette members started eating silently; savoring the moment they had to take the first bites of their food.

Ruki smiled. “This is good food, Uru-chan.”

“I’ve been wanting to take someone here before, but the band is always so busy,” Uruha complained, though his voice lacked the bitter undertone someone would normally harbor when complaining about something.

Ruki nodded in silent gratitude, and took a few more bites of his breakfast. He glanced at his wrist and noted they had an hour and a half before they had to meet up with the others. A spasm of panic shot through him, and he worried they wouldn’t have enough time to write something before then.

Uruha seemed to sense his tension. “Don’t worry, Ruki-kun. We won’t go to Kai empty-handed.”

His words were surprisingly soothing.

Ruki sighed. “I just wish I could remember what we were playing a couple days ago in that concert hall. I can’t remember what I sang or played,” he gushed in frustration.

Uruha nodded solemnly. “I wish I could remember too…”

Ruki sat back, exhausted with stress. “Maybe we could do that again. Spontaneously play whatever comes to our fingers, or sing whatever comes out of mouth.”

Uruha grinned. “I think we should. But first we should think of an idea for the album. It doesn’t even need to be a song. Just an idea or premise.”

“Something we haven’t touched with our music yet…” Ruki thought out loud.

“Something that inspires us all…” Uruha added, getting lost in thought.

Ruki’s phone suddenly shook them from their thoughts. Ruki almost jumped in surprise at the sound of the ring.

He cast apologetic glances around at the other diners, and answered his phone.

“Moshi moshi.”

“Ruki-kun! I was just checking up on you,” Kai said through the phone. Ruki grimaced. “How are the ideas coming along?”

Kai was merely curious. Ruki could hear a subtle sense of urgency in his voice, but Ruki knew Kai was only worried about satisfying their manager.

“Well…” Ruki sent a panicked look towards Uruha. The guitarist mouthed, “who is it?”

“Kai,” Ruki mouthed back.

Uruha gave him two thumbs up, an encouraging gesture.

“Good, good,” Ruki hastily assured Kai.

 *~*

Ruki and Uruha hurried up the stairs, giggling at the fact that they were late. Despite their efforts to take short cuts across the city and shave minutes off their time, they still arrived late. Ruki and Uruha had resolved to relinquish their regrets for being late, realizing the album was worth more concern.

Ruki reached the top of the stairs first, and grinned as he saw Uruha trip over the last step. The guitarist sprawled forward, wailing in surprise.

Ruki laughed, and leaned forward to stop his fall. The vocalist caught him under the arms, and almost staggered back from the impact. Uruha’s arms instinctively wrapped around Ruki’s shoulders as Ruki held onto Uruha to keep him from falling on his face.

Uruha’s knees hit the ground, which pulled Ruki down slightly since Uruha was holding onto his shoulders. Uruha laughed sheepishly, glancing up at Ruki.

Ruki caught Uruha’s eyes, his heart skipping a beat. They were very close. And he could smell Uruha’s breath. Ruki could feel his breath on his skin…

For a moment they didn’t move. It was an unconscious appeal, and neither of them wanted to think of what their position could mean.

Uruha stood up straight, and thanked Ruki for catching him. Ruki nodded in acknowledgement. He chastised himself when an awkward silence throbbed between them.

When they made it to the room where they were to have their rehearsal, Ruki saw Reita, Aoi, and Kai all hovering around a laptop, jeering and laughing.

They heard Ruki and Uruha enter, and turned their bright faces in their direction. They instantly sensed the awkwardness between the two, and their smiles faltered.

“Look, the lovebirds have decided to join us,” Aoi remarked, smirking.

“Fuck off,” Ruki replied.

“You should see this!” Kai exclaimed excitedly, motioning to the computer screen. “All of our shows on the west coast have already sold out.”

“The tickets went on sale four minutes ago,” Reita added.

Uruha whistled. “America loves us.”

The others laughed.

“So, what do you have for us Ruki?” Kai asked.

Next Chapter>>

*~*

Cliff-hanger! *gasp* Please leave some comments! And as a side note, I know pretty much every country loves the Gaze boys, not just America. So don’t take Uruha’s comment personally please XD