A/N: Firstly, THANK YOU for your patience and support for this fic. It really does make me feel good and encourages me to write more! Many, many thanks to book-manga-freak, foxycat13, shutupandsing, mrsFOON, AyaKuro, Koshi Noriko, AngelicButterfly777, The Phan Ghost, PeaceLiterature, Escorregadia, camikaza, Firegirlchi, Fang500, Maiden Tsukimaru and L1NA3. I'm glad you all enjoyed the second chapter. I'm also happy that you liked the portrayals of Gackt and Hyde – I was worried if I might have gone a little overboard, what with Hyde and his lovable idiocy, and Gackt being…Gackt? Anyways, an interesting question has been raised by the lovely book-manga-freak for the last chapter: Who exactly is Gackt dating?

Well, to be honest, Gackt is actually quite a freelancer - a player. He does not like the notion of commitment nor does he believe in a thing called 'love'. But that'll change. Soon. The girl that he was dating in Chapter Two was actually anonymous. It never occurred to me that Eboshisan could be a possible candidate. Hm. Perhaps they had dated before. /shrugs/ Now, regarding Gackt's relationship with You…

Simply stick around and find out. /grins/

Warnings: Usual profanity. Shonen-ai in the works. And gorgeous men. Uh-huh. Gorgeous men.

Pairings: Exclusively GacktxHyde…although a little Gackt/You lovin' is undeniably scrumptious as well. xD

Disclaimer: This story is purely fiction and is therefore not intended to be taken as fact. All publicly recognisable people in this story have been used for the work of fiction and the authoress DOES NOT have the intention to imply that these events have happened, will happen or should happen. The authoress has no absolute association with the renowned people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

"Excuse me, sir."

There was a blink of hawk-like eyes.

Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop.

"I was simply wondering, what with you seemingly bored…"

Plop. Plop.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly parched.

Drip.

There was a sensual upturn of full, pink lips. A glint of interest could be seen behind blue eyes.

Drip.

A small flush of pink had unwittingly flourished upon refined cheeks. Another moistening of lips – an act of awkwardness.

Drip.

And the young man slowly leaned in a tad bit closer (too close, in fact) before he huskily whispered: "Are you interested in playing a friendly game of poker?"

Plop.

The champagne glass was empty.

F r o m L o n g D i s t a n c e

– a GacktxHyde story –

Chapter Three: The art of courtship and warfare

By s u I k a's w I n d o f t h e c e l e s t I a l

A sifting of cards.

A sweeping of a practised hand. The spreading of pristine white cards adorned with red and black intricacies occurred – the delicate shape of a smooth opened fan against the soft green surface of the table.

There was a narrowing of hawk-like eyes, a furrowing of quick brows as pliant lips were pursed into a small frown. A look of determination.

Pale nimble fingers were brandished into the air, soon to gently touch the seams of sensual lips. As half-lidded blue eyes peered intently through lowered lashes, there was a small complacent smile upon the brunet's lips.

A further narrowing of dark eyes commenced. "Well, well."

The young card dealer leaned forward a little, his elbow perched upon the edge of the table as those deep blue eyes surmised the man before him. He tilted his head to the side a bit, allowing russet bangs to fall attractively before those mesmerising eyes. The teasing smile remained unwavering. In fact, it only seem to widen a tad bit more. An act which only served to further enhance the youth's beautiful features. "Well, well."

Tapping a finger upon the face of his cards, Hyde allowed a smug smile to dance upon his lips. "It's a draw."

A nod. "Indeed it is."

A comfortable silence had blanketed around them then as the cards that both men loosely cradled within their hands were momentarily forgotten for it was, indeed, a gratifying moment for both parties to tactfully seize such a glorious opportunity to appraise one another. To evaluate one another. To admire one another.

A tentative moistening of pursed lips.

And the gentle sweep of long lashes across smooth cheekbones – a blink. The sensual smile had not wavered.

The scene was pleasant to the aesthetic eye.

Hyde reclined back against his seat, his dark eyes narrowed a tad bit in mild interest as he surveyed the youth before him. He raised his hand, allowing his fingers to sift through his hair. There was a curt flick of obscuring ebony locks as he brushed his long bangs away from his face. And the widening of a very smug smirk, "What a coincidence, Mr Dealer. You and I are tied."

Despite the haughty attempt of provocation upon the other man's behalf, the brunet in question merely smiled charmingly in return. "I believe you're right. Pray tell, I suppose it must be fate."

"Fate, Mr–?"

"Please, just call me Gackt."

Hyde blinked, surprised by the name that had been smoothly given to him. "What?"

"Gackt." The smile lingered, though this time it was dolled up with an appealing touch of enigma as he ran the tips of his fingers tantalisingly across the soft green surface of the table. In the dimness of the private room that they currently settled in, those deep blue eyes glimmered enticingly. "Just call me Gackt."

Unabashedly though unwittingly, a splash of pink flourished upon the dark haired male's cheeks and Hyde moistened his lips yet once again before he slowly enunciated the youth's name in a pensively meticulous manner. "Right…Gacktsan."

What a strange name.

A chuckle. One of courteous amusement that was dabbed with a strange elegance that was startlingly endearing. "Please. Just address me as Gackt. It's simply more appropriate, sir."

"Oh, alright…Gackt."

A small pause – a pensive thought.

An awkward running of tongue across teeth.

A tautening of a jaw.

"Hyde."

Gackt looked at him, his blue eyes glowing. "Pardon?"

Hyde suppressed the urge to fidget (shudder more like) under that piercing blue gaze and moistened his lips for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that night. "Hyde. My name is Hyde."

The card dealer's smile seemed to brighten, an act which further complemented his beautiful features even more as he intently peered at the dark haired male through russet bangs. A small respectful nod of acknowledgement. "It's a pleasure to be acquainted with you, Hydesan."

"Ah!" A curt courteous bow of a head was obligatorily made in return. "Same here."

Soon, dexterous pale fingers reached out and swept up the red and black cards that had been neglected since, shuffling them absentmindedly before tucking them into the pocket of a crisp well-pressed uniform.

Hyde watched the performance with inadvertent intent. In mildly piqued interest, to be precise. He sat there watching the other, dark eyes surmising the delicate curves of the beautiful face which the younger male possessed. Meticulously, his eyes traced the refined curves of dark brows, the smooth curvature of a slender nose albeit the plaster that had been attractively pasted upon it, the smoothness and shapeliness of those appealingly soft pink lips…

"Hydesan."

Blinking out of his reverie, the man looked up. "Huh?"

Gackt had turned slightly in his seat, a minor sweep with the arc of his hand was made towards a door that led to a private room. A silent, polite invitation. The familiar charming smile had touched those full pink lips yet once again in genteelness and…something. "A drink for two? I would be honoured if you would accompany me for some refreshments. What do you say, Hydesan?"

Again. Those deep blue eyes glimmered ever so enticingly in the dim light that the dark haired man could not help but find himself quietly drawn to them.

Gackt looked at him in considerate expectancy.

There was a taut pursing of lips.

A curling of pale fingers around the hems of red and green.

Hyde bit his lower lip.

Contemplation. Evaluation. Calculation. A weighing between the odds and the evens.

And then.

"…Sure."

Hyde choked.

Upon doing so, he had sputtered his supposedly thirst-quenching drink (for him, it only served to parch his throat even further rather than quench it – the drink was way too strong and robust in flavour, despite the brunet stressing that this was indeed the softest drink for him to conjure up) over his lips and down his chin, in a delightful liquid mess. He raised his sleeve to his lips in embarrassment, wiping himself with firm dabs as wide dark eyes stared back at the younger male who sat opposite him at the bar.

After taking an almost dainty sip of his drink, Gackt merely smiled with amiable contentment.

"No way! You're nineteen!?" Hyde blurted out, none too graciously. The dark haired man stared in utter disbelief, eyes ever widening with every passing second as he took in the extremely tall (in his eyes by far) form of the boy beside him. Nineteen! Good gracious. It was unbelievable! What on earth are parents feeding their children these days? Fertilisers? Hyde stared in wonder and awe.

"Why yes. Indeed I am," the brunet smoothly replied, looking mildly amused at the other male's outburst and not at all flinching under his scrutinising gaze, "And I suppose that you have just turned twenty, Hydesan?"

A twinge.

And a twiddling of thumbs.

Oh my.

Hyde coughed uncomfortably, averting his eyes elsewhere as a faint tint of pink splashed upon his cheeks. "Well, yeah…um, actually…I'm…uh, twenty-four."

Suddenly, the room's temperature had plummeted down drastically.

Hyde sank in his seat.

And Gackt's smile merely widened.

Crap.

At that moment then, Hyde felt it obligatory to go and find a nice vacant spot beneath a rock and bury himself beneath it. Better yet, let the earth swallow him up at that moment then. A pitiful sniffle. Oh how woeful it was, to discover the youths of today are shooting up like skyscrapers! Hyde clenched his drink tightly and hunched his shoulders in utter shame.

How disgraceful.

A swift rush of air escaped through parted lips. A sigh of exasperation. "Ah…"

It can't be helped.

"So…" Hyde rubbed the side of his face; an awkward smile had graced his lips as he raised the glass to his lips once again to swat away his brief depression and entertain himself with another distasteful shot of zesty robustness. Really. Could the awkwardness between them get any worse?

"So." Gackt merely echoed, a playful glint resided behind those blue eyes as the tips of his fingers circulated around the rim of his glass, brushing against pale yellow pearl drops – wiping away the remnants of alluring lips.

There was an awkward fiddle and the entanglement of fingers in between folds of red and green. A consistent anxious tapping of a shoe against the glazed, clean floor.

"I'm ashamed of myself."

A strangely delicate and melodious bark of laughter was made on behalf of the brunet as the youth flashed a dazzling smile his way. "Hydesan, you shouldn't. Well, you may think that it negatively but I think your age simply adds more charisma to you. Truthfully, I find you more appealing now, what with the fact you must be much more experienced than me. I like that."

…Experienced?

A strange gurgle had spluttered forth. And Hyde, who stared at Gackt, utterly flabbergasted, unconsciously clenched the hem of his shirt.

Shit. Is he…is he…?

Upon seeing his flustered being, however, the young card dealer had simply smiled (smirked?) as he raised his glass and took a leisured sip of his beverage.

Dammit.

Awkwardly, Hyde rubbed the tip of his nose and cradled the neck of his glass gingerly, watching the mesmerising swirls of pearly bubbles and fizzes which circulated within it. Fleetingly, he noted how fascinating the spectacle was as he tentatively moistened his lips.

"Well then, I…I guess your height makes you even more eye-catching then."

Silence.

A blink.

And Hyde felt a sense of relief wash over him, a strange sense of victorious achievement as that creatively constructed sentence (which was thought up in a whim, mind you. What a miraculous accomplishment!) was coolly uttered in retaliation to the brunet's comment.

Hah. Take that.

Glancing up from his glass, he was pleased to catch the surprised glint within those deep blue eyes as Gackt lowered his glass. However, instead of expecting an offended look from the brunet, Hyde was stumped to find the young man looking positively interested with his little 'compliment'. "Oh?"

"Eh?"

A fine brow was elegantly raised. Gackt cast the older man a small look, those piercing blue eyes silently asking him to elaborate further.

Hyde bit his lip, cringing slightly as he silently reprimanded himself for acting brashly and spitting out meaningless nonsense.

..

"Uh, well –"

Alright, genius. Think.

"-w-why –"

Spit. It. Out.

"I think it's true. I mean, look at you! You're…you're…easily spotted." Hyde faltered and touched his half-filled glass, a strange fuzzy sensation flitted about his stomach as he began to feel slightly giddy. He rubbed the side of his face sheepishly, very well aware of the faint scarlet blush that had decided to settle upon his cheeks once again.

Good heavens.

How embarrassing.

Hyde sank further into his seat, feeling even more ashamed after digesting the fact that he had just conjured up the lamest flattering remark (was it even meant to be one?) ever in a whim of unsolicited agitation. It was humiliating. Really, the man felt the sweet urge to scurry out of the vicinity and dig himself a nice small ditch to bury in.

There was an awkward twitch of full lips, one that was closely followed by…

A laugh. A sincerely genuine one in fact.

Hyde blinked, utterly stupefied. "W-Wha…so…?"

"What a strange compliment," Gackt looked pleasantly amused upon hearing this (what seemed to be) newfound information. He leaned forward and offered the dark-haired man a small smile, his deep blue eyes enticingly bright beneath his russet bangs, "Well now. This is the first time someone has ever commented on my height."

Oh fuck.

Inadvertently, the fierce blush flourished in all its vivid splendour. "Well, see – I only thought –"

Dammit Hyde.

A fumbling of fingers. "Look, I– uh, you see – h-hey, I didn't mean to–"

SHUT UP.

Hyde, upon being overwhelmed by the strict conduct of maintaining and retaining the invaluable mentality pigeonholed as 'male pride', merely pursed his lips into a taut line and trust himself not to speak. His dark eyes quickly averted to the table, suddenly taking an interest in the intricate swirls of smoothened wood beneath their glasses as his mind geared towards conjuring up a solution to solve this little predicament.

Gackt, on the other hand, seemed extremely entertained.

"No, no," the card dealer laughed, "Please. It's alright, sir. I'm not condemning you or anything. Quite the contrary. In fact, I like your frankness, Hydesan. Usually it's my eyes that people compliment on and are attracted to. But you, Hydesan…"

Slowly, Gackt reached over. Deft nimble fingers were elegantly extended and outstretched, slowly moving forward in a strangely teasing manner until the tips of those delicate digits gingerly touched the back of honey tan fingers which faintly twitched, moist with cool dew from the condensation of the sparkling yellow glass they held.

Startled, Hyde looked up.

Awkward dark brown clashed with unflappable deep blue.

Thump.

Slowly, cool fingers slid up moist ones. It was a delicate touch. An assuring touch. A teasing touch.

A sensual smile was elegantly flashed.

And a tentative moistening of suddenly dry lips was given in return.

"You are interesting."

Thump.

A pregnant pause wedged into the scene, one that consisted of nothing but the faint beats of racing hearts and whispers of hushed shallow breaths. Hyde felt strangely light-headed; his fingers unconsciously closing around the neck of his glass as he lightly shuddered at the sheer coolness of the young man's fingers against his own. Upon how they delicately smoothened the minute droplets of water against his, how they slickly caressed across his skin, how they tentatively curled around his own in a sensuous manner – like a covert act of putting one's claim…

Thump.

Suddenly, Hyde felt uncomfortably hot.

Thump.

What the…

He swallowed back a mysterious lump that was present within the confines of his oddly constricted throat. "I-Interesting, Ga…?" He trailed off, unable to continue. At that moment, the man had surprisingly forgotten the basics of speech and the workings of the oral cavity. Pray tell, Hyde was rendered absolutely speechless.

"Yes," a glint of something had ignited behind those blue eyes, "Very, very interesting."

A hitching of breath.

Thump.

Why is the room spinning…?

Thump.

Why does it feel so hot?

Thump.

There was an uncomfortable shift within the seat – a fidget.

Why…?

At that moment Gackt had cleverly decided to leisurely lean forward, shifting a little closer towards him as those sensual full lips slowly parted to speak.

Unconsciously, Hyde held his breath, his sneakers unconsciously digging into the floor as his gaze was locked with the younger man's own.

Another moistening of lips – an act of blatant awkwardness, and silent expectation.

So deep…so blue.

"Hydesan…"

Oh god.

Those lips looked way too alluring.

Another swallow.

And Gackt leaned even closer.

Crap.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Fingers tightened around delicate glass.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

A small shudder – of hidden delight.

…why…Why–?

And then.

An accidental slip of fingers.

There was a widening of startled brown and astonished blue.

An exhalation of breaths – surprised gasps – and a hasty withdrawal of tingling hands, an act which was quickly pursued by a…

Thud.

Tinkle.

Slosh.

"Ah, c-crap–shit!"

"Hydesan!"

Lo and behold. The toppling of a sparkling yellow glass.

What a spectacle.

"Please."

A small velvety cloth was flourished, ready to be put to use.

"Hydesan, I apologise…"

There was a softening of blue eyes – a rueful look that was tenderly emphasised with courteousness and startlingly sincere guilt.

Gackt offered the cloth with a polite bow.

And a wave of a hand was given in return with a small frown.

Hyde found himself in quite a muddle, feeling awkwardly uncomfortable with the amount of attention the younger man was currently showering him with. Really, never had he met someone so stiffly polite and genteel at such a tender young age – a male no less. It was quite a revelation. "Hey, it's alright. I mean, I'm naturally a klutz anyway so…"

Gackt shook his head with an air of absolute resoluteness and reached over, dabbing the cloth against Hyde's damp front all the while ignoring the older man's strangled squawk of surprise. "No, it's our duty and responsibility as the staff members of Ryoji's to be culpable for any faults of our patrons, accidental or not."

Hyde opened his mouth to retort, only to falter when Gackt stubbornly leaned closer to him in order to gain more of the damp material. He sighed in defeat. It seems that any attempts to influence the younger man were bound to deem fruitless. Like him, the brunet possessed a bit of a mulish nature which was unnervingly charming for some odd reason.

A small smile went unnoticed by both parties.

Meanwhile, Gackt smiled wistfully with a distant look in his eyes whilst gingerly pressing the cloth forward in order to let the material absorb the liquid. "How cunning."

Hyde blinked out of his reverie. "What?"

Confident deep blue eyes glanced up into disorientated dark ones.

"Fate. She is very cunning. Strange, isn't it? How we are unwittingly thrown into a dramatically cinematic scene where the most sensationally clichéd way to meet one another has been played as of this moment?" An enticingly enigmatic smile was delivered as the cloth was further pressed against his chest – as a way of moving in closer, of maintaining contact through folds of clothed fingers. Gackt parted his lips and softly spoke, "Hydesan, do you believe in her as well as Destiny?"

Hah?

Hyde could not help but blink in mild surprise.

Pray tell, could Gackt be a hopeless romantic who passionately indulges in the powers of the cosmos and magazine horoscopes, and believes that such nonsense have the right to dictate his life?

The brunet looked on with a small glint of earnestness in his eyes.

Good gracious.

"Um. Well, I…guess. Sort of. But I…not all the time 'cause…it…"

There was a small curling of clothed fingers against red material which further pressed forward and gingerly rubbed in order to absorb more of the stubborn stain.

It was an assuring yet worrying gesture in one fell swoop.

Thump.

"It…?" Gackt gently coaxed.

There was a slight tilt of a head, causing the stray strands of sleek dark hair to sway forward. And Hyde could not help but take note of the fact that for some reason, at that moment then, Gackt's eyes seem to look much bluer than before.

"It's…just for women. Things like Fate and Destiny…they're nothing but romantic thoughts for girls and ladies, especially if…" Hyde's eyes followed the gentle slope of the younger man's nose (strangely, the plain band-aid seemed complemented his fine features), soon to settle upon those smooth full lips. Unconsciously, the dark-haired man moistened his own. "…they start rambling about nonsense like reuniting with…long lost daughters…and enforcing femininity on men who…"

Dark eyes looked up into deep blue.

Thump.

"…don't look like young women…at all…"

Hyde merely stared up at the (goddamn it, attractive) face of the young card dealer, the sentences which had been constructed in his mind had long disappeared as he found himself unable to speak coherently – let alone keep the conversation going at all. Strangely he found it pointless really, deciding to do nothing at that moment but to just sit there and simply stare.

The gentle circular rubs of dexterous fingers against a lean chest had long faltered. There was a small smile upon Gackt's lips. "Is that so?"

A nod, executed absentmindedly. "Yeah."

"I see." There was a chuckle as Gackt allowed a pleased look to radiate from his beautiful face. His fingers tightened around the damp cloth. "Honest and blunt. Original, indeed."

"Eh?" Puzzled, Hyde frowned in thought. "What…do you mean?"

Gackt smiled warmly, those full lips parting a little to reveal a row of beautiful white teeth. "Truly Hydesan, you are very interesting. I really like you."

Shit.

There was an uncomfortable shift.

He's the one who's blunt.

Seeing how increasingly flustered he was slowly becoming, Hyde decided to wisely choose that moment to simply mesh his lips together and silence himself, ignoring the itching urge to rub the area of his chest where his heart was rapidly pounding.

Gackt, on the other hand, looked very satisfied upon his effortless achievement.

What in the world…?

Is he…enjoying my discomfort?

The older man scowled a little.

Hn.

Bracing himself, Hyde leaned a little closer to the brunet and softly spoke. "Yeah, well I guess you're quite an attractive person yourself. And it's not just because of your eyes and your height."

Surprise, surprise.

Gackt, who had folded the cloth neatly and was in the course of reaching over to the dark haired man's shirt once again, halted to an abrupt stop. Peering through russet bangs, deep blue eyes widened a tad bit in surprise – those captivating orbs clashing with a pair of piercing dark ones that looked back with a boldness that was strangely attractive.

Beyond the closed door of the small private room, a joyous cheer of exhilarated gamblers could be heard.

There was a swallow.

A slight parting of lips, accompanied with a swift rush of air – a small inaudible gasp.

And the mutual thumping of racing hearts. A small shudder of delight coursed through bodies then as the sides of slender legs accidentally brushed, scratchy denim moving ever so sensually against smooth black cotton.

"Attractive, Hydesan?"

Worn sneakers shifted uncomfortably across the wooden floor before settling down with a small stomp of resolution. Hyde discreetly bit his bottom lip, jaw tautened with poised assertion. As much as he would like to deny it…

"…yeah. You are."

It was fruitless.

Well. Well.

Gackt could not help but quietly smirk at the highlight of his supposedly mundane night.

Checkmate.

There was a pregnant pause, one that consisted nothing but the unwavering holds of intense gazes that merely deepened the strange tensionthat was swirling around them, like snakes coiling affectionately.

Hyde clutched at the scratchy material of his jeans and clenched it tightly, blinking a few times in order to cease the strange giddiness that was bubbling within him. He dug the sole of his shoe deeper into the floor, swallowing back a mysterious lump which had appeared in his throat. Once again, Gackt's eyes seemed to look even bluer than before.

Such depth…those eyes…they're so…

He fidgeted under the brunet's calculative scrutiny; the intense blueness of those eyes causing him to withdraw from the little space that was left between them.

…beguiling.

His tongue slowly snaked out from between the seams of lips, tentatively moistening the chapped flesh with the gentlest of licks.

And Gackt watched this attentively; his jaw seem to tauten a little as those scrutinising blue eyes now bore of glint of something. A something that seemed to make his breath hitch, to make him shift uneasily in his seat, to make him feel incredibly dizzy and…

He averted his attention elsewhere, dark brown eyes absentmindedly appraising the sparkling cocktail glasses that hung above the small bar they were seated at as he felt his whole body becoming uncomfortably hot when Gackt decided to place the damp cloth on the bar's counter. And seize the opportunity to lean a tad bit closer to him.

"…Hydesan?"

Warm breath, tinged with alcoholic zest, brushed across his cheek in a sensually enticing manner, triggering a small tremor through his body.

Oh god.

Dark eyes fluttered a little, his fingers weakening their harsh clutches around scratchy material, and clouded over with a faint mist of unspoken yearn.

He's so close.

He felt nauseous. It was suffocating. He felt like he was falling down deep. Deeper and deeper, drowning in the scent of the brunet's cool musk (with a dash of tobacco, Hyde couldn't help but note) which seemed to wholly engulf him then.

Gackt's breath ghosted across his lips.

Hyde almost gasped, the tantalising sensations that had been blooming throughout this predicament was making his mind reel. Damn, the alcohol was getting to him. It must have, because there was no way–

What…what is this?

Stop. This is just…

The brunet's fingers gingerly crept over the table and gently touched his own.

I can't…!

"A-Ah, shit! Is it that late already? Oh, wow, time sure flies, doesn't it?" Hyde glanced at his watch (almost sighing with relief that the hour was conveniently very late – thank god!) before he clumsily stood up from his stool and instantly broke the awkward yet serene silence that had momentarily fallen between them with the precise brushes of hands against jeans to rid the imaginary dust which clung onto them. Suffice to say, it was merely an act of regaining one's composure, a strengthening of one's frame of mind – and to shake off the weird jitteriness that coursed through his body then. "Uh, sorry about this…Gackt but…I have to leave. A…relative of mine doesn't like it when I stay out too long, especially at night so I…"

A small chuckle had been injected into the exchange, an act which splendidly masked the small look of disappointment which braced the card dealer's face.

"I understand."

Dark eyes lowered. "Ah…"

"Come."

Smiling, Gackt soon rose to his feet in one grace movement and smoothly ushered Hyde along with him out of the private room and through the throngs of boisterous casino-goers, slowly guiding the way to the entrance of the casino in a succession of slow, reluctant steps. "It's perfectly alright, Hydesan. No need to apologise, you may come and go at any time you wish. You have the power to make decisions. After all, you are our patron."

"Ah, that's right." Hyde awkwardly grinned with a small chuckle as he scratched his cheek. They stepped through the sliding doors of Ryoji's, leaving behind the warm laidback atmosphere of tobacco smoke, champagne and tapping roulettes in order to welcome the rasping breaths of Autumn, which swept across their flushed cheeks. "I actually forgot about that for a while."

Lips parted – warm wisps of air condensing into miniature white clouds that momentarily lingered in the chilly night air.

A chuckle. "I see."

The doors slid close.

Another cheer roused from within the building, muffled by the roars of speeding taxis as they tore down the road (probably carrying ecstatic drunken passengers), leaving a spine-chilling blast of cool autumn air in its wake.

Shuddering slightly, Hyde hunched his shoulders and lightly stomped, performing a small warm-up dance upon the cold hard ground.

And Gackt merely watched him with those deep blue eyes.

There was an awkward pursing of chapped lips.

As well as the upturning of full sensual ones.

"However…"

"Eh?"

Hyde glanced up from the interesting spectacle of his dancing sneakers – and his breath hitched, his eyes catching that strange glint of something (What is it? What is that look you give me?) within the brunet's breathtaking blue ones. He watched the other, mesmerised by the deftness of his nimble long fingers as they reached into the breast pocket of his crisp white shirt and drew out one of the many cards of his deck in an impressively practised manner. A card which, after being gently brushed across the plump soft flesh of full pink lips…

There was an enigmatic glimmer of blue eyes as Gackt leisurely leant forward, his arm snaking around him to hold the older male in a loose embrace.

"E-eh?"

And a small startled gasp escaped from parted lips as Hyde, awestruck, soon found himself gawking up at Gackt's devastatingly beautiful face.

…was soon found audaciously buried into the warm confines of the back pocket of his jeans.

W-W-W-What–!

Hyde bristled and sputtered in incredulity, his cheeks flushed with utmost mortification.

And Gackt simply smirked, those blue eyes glimmering ever so enticingly from beneath long dark lashes.

"Do drop by Ryoji's again. I really do look forward to our next meeting, Hydesan."

SLAM.

In a clumsy succession of wobbly steps and uncontrolled sways (which resulted in a few bumps and thumps here and there, as well as a generous splutter of curses), Hyde finally collapsed onto his bed and released a small sigh, slightly easing the strenuous tension and giddiness which had been contained within his body since he left Ryoji's. It had been an uncomfortably fast ride from the casino to the apartment – one that consisted of too many skids and daring swerves around tight bends of city streets – an event which merely acted as a dangerous catalyst to his upcoming intoxication and hangover in the very near future. Pursing his lips in a taut line, the dark-haired man refrained the irresistible urge to retch out his previous meal (which was yesterday's, it seems – as Hyde stubbornly refused to eat anything else apart from his dearly beloved curry rice, the only source of nutrition he seemed to live on. The stupid fool).

"Ah…bloody hell." He swallowed back a stubborn foul-tasting lump which seemed to rebelliously fight its way up his throat, triggering an unpleasant shudder down his spine.

Heavens, it was bad enough that he had forced himself to have his first ever alcoholic drink in a tobacco-infested casino and upset his system.

Another swallow was forcefully made. "Shit. Persistent little bastard, aren't you…" he groaned, ignoring the angry grumbles his stomach was making as well as the painful throbs of a building headache.

But it was also bad that he had actually forgotten the actual motive of his revolutionary expedition to the outside world. Yes, for once in his entire life, his attention had been successfully – effortlessly, no doubt! – diverted from his ever beloved curry rice by one man. One devastatingly attractive – no, beautiful, Hyde had to admit that he was sinfully beautiful, dammit– man.

"Shit, shit, shit."

It was incredibly frustrating.

Oh dear, it seems there would be no dinner tonight. How unfortunate.

"Hyde, you are an absolute asshole. How the fucking hell can you actually forget about your goddamn…urgh…"

A nauseous sensation washed over the man and Hyde curled his body inward, in hopes of warding off the wooziness – only to blanch and groan when the act merely caused his mind to reel and his stomach to churn ever so unpleasantly. The image of a handsome helping of mouth-watering curry rice seemed to make him feel sicker than better.

A sickening gurgle was sounded, followed by a handful of coughs and chokes.

Ah, cruel fate it is.

Oh god. Please.

He pressed the palms of his cool hands against his face, relishing in the callousness of his fingers that brushed against his flushed skin.

"Shit."

Hold it together.

Inhale.

There was a faint scent of spine-tingling cool musk upon his hands.

Exhale.

And it smelt nice.

Upon making this small discovery, Hyde could not help but take another deep breath, feeling satisfied with how the waves of light-headedness from the alcohol were slowly ebbing away as he unconsciously savoured the coolness of the musk that rushed through his lungs. His attention towards the unpleasant feeling of drunkenness was shifting away to one particular…

Another inhalation.

And a small shudder coursed through his weary body, an act which was closely followed with another deep exhalation as the image of deep blue eyes flashed in his mind. He shifted against the mattress of his bed, fleetingly taking note of the card that was snuggled within the back pocket of his jeans. The card that had been so stealthily placed there by–

Gackt.

A fluttering of dark lashes and half-lidded eyes inattentively stared up at the ceiling.

Gackt.

Honey-tan fingers ran down the side of a lean stomach, slowly travelling lower and lower as narrow hips began to raise themselves up slowly in a dream-like pace…

"Gackt."

The name rolled off his lips in an unwittingly yet strangely sensual way. It sounded exotic, unique and rich – like warm smooth chocolate, its sweetness rolling across the sensitive taste buds of his tongue, igniting his senses – stimulating…

…before they eventually buried into the warm confines of scratchy denim, the tips of his fingers touched what he absent-mindedly sought for.

A small inaudible gasp.

Hyde tentatively licked his lips in apprehension. His heart thumping wildly against his chest as he shifted against the sheets of his bed once again, his long dark hair loose and fanned out beneath him in a delightfully appealing mess.

"Hydesan…"

Maintaining a better grip, he slowly pulled it out of his jeans and dazedly looked at it, blinking owlishly as he raised it a little to the dim light for a better view.

"…I really do look forward to our next meeting."

There, feebly held between his shaky fingers was the card that the dazzling brunet had given him.

Pliant lips slowly parted.

And a name written upon the white face of the card was slowly enunciated.

"Camui…Gackt."

"Gacchan…"

A small grin surfaced. Gackt could not help but laugh when he heard the blond growl and fume over the line, hissing out an inconsistent string of heated reproaches and foul curses.

" – fuck, goddamn it – shit – urgh, for crying out loud! What the fuck do you want at this goddamn hour, you ignorant bastard! Don't tell me you've crashed your car again. Jeez, Gacchan, this is the sixth time this year! Where are you right now? I'm gonna kick that fucking ass of yours as soon as I find you! Dammit, don't you ever get it in that shitty brain of yours – fuck, where are my jeans – dammit, Gackt! Just where the hell are you?"

A mischievous smirk. "At home."

"At home! Jeez, what the fuck are you doing, crashing into bloody lampposts a–" You abruptly ceased his heated rants. His frantic ragged breathing gradually slowed as a deep inhalation was made.

Gackt, on the other hand, merely exhaled a wisp of tobacco into the night air and listlessly watched the ashes from his cigarette float to the ground. His lips, carefully moistened to an appealing shade of pinkness, twitched into a smirk of amusement.

"What?" came the feeble response.

"I'm at home. No crashes tonight, love."

There was a faint rustle of cloth and a heavy slump which ended with the distinct clink of metal against floorboards. You had dropped his jeans in stupefied disbelief. Soon, a small weary sigh was released. "…fucking prick. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

The brunet laughed as he slowly made his way into his quiet dimly-lit lodging, his feet finding their way to the staircase with ease. "Me? Good heavens! Now why would I do such a thing to my dearly beloved?"

"…"

"…"

"Screw you, Gacchan. I'm hanging up."

"What? But Youchan…"

Suddenly, there was a succession of brisk, confident steps climbing up the stairs which soon crossed the landing before approaching the door that belonged to one despicable bastard. A scornful laugh resounded throughout the silence, one that simply dripped with absolute snootiness.

"No, no. Please, Youchan! Oh, you hurt me. But I am serious, love…I just can't seem to stop thinking about you. All night, my mind is just filled with vivid thoughts of you. Why, even more during this lonely hour."

Hyde's eye twitched, the dizzying thoughts of a certain blue-eyed card dealer slowly dissipating as soon as he heard his neighbour plop heavily onto his bed and…

His nose twitched.

Tobacco.

A foul curse was vehemently hissed.

Why that despicable, goddamn son of a bitch! How dare he smoke indoors! Not just indoors, but on his floor, beside his room, within his proximity!

Hyde gnashed his teeth.

Good gracious, the audacity!

Glaring up at the gap, he ground his teeth spitefully when another wicked laugh floated over to singe his ears. As well as a nauseating cloud of smoke and ash. Hyde coughed, choking violently when he unwillingly inhaled the toxic, cancer-triggering substance. Amidst reverberating hacks and wheezes, the insensitive bastard next door merely continued with his conversation with absolute gaiety and ease.

Heaven forbid…was this a conspiracy hatched up against him? A sly attempt at first-degree murder?

There was a pursuing of taut lips.

"Tch. Asshole."

Scowling at this, Hyde sat up and furiously slammed his fist against the wall in irritation with a loud bang.

Another laugh. And another puff of tobacco was blissfully exhaled.

Good gracious, it seems like the man took no heed of the silent warning that had been cast by one peeved Hyde, who seemed extremely keen with glaring a hole into the blasted wall that was erected between them.

More laughter. "Oh, Youchan!"

A gritting of teeth. Why that no good–!

"– hmm? What's that? You're…oh, my neighbour? Well…"

There was a narrowing of dark eyes. As well as the tentative curling of fingers around folds of bed sheets.

"It's just like I said before, Youchan. He's nothing but a fucking little hot headed midget who–"

Hyde snapped.

In a maelstrom of rage and incredulity, Hyde jumped up to his feet and viciously lashed his foot out, kicking the flimsy poor excuse of a wall with such force that it actually shook.

"KINKY BASTARD! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET, EH?! PRICK! C'MERE AND SAY IT TO MY FACE, YOU BLOODY FAGGOT!"

THUD!

Gackt jumped, startled by the sudden violent sound that resounded from the wall beside him. Tightening his fingers around the sleek body of his cell phone, the young man anxiously eyed a particular spot beside him before he glanced up at the irritating gap above the wall, grimacing when a series of ear-deafening inhuman screeches were emitted from the lab rat next door. Glaring at the wall, he clicked his tongue in irritation and shifted towards the edge of the bed, placing a good (safe) distance between himself and the thin wall.

"–Gacchan?"

"Oh, Youchan. Sorry about that. Were you saying something?"

"What's going on? I hear screaming." You's voice was now full with concern.

"Ah, that." There was an exhalation of tobacco, an act closely followed with a paltry shrug. "Hn. Little shithead's all worked up right now. Believe it or not, but he's actually trying to break the wall down with his pansy broom. Fucking prat. I keep telling him that I'm not interested in someone as unattractive as him but –"

Upon hearing this, a foul curse was venomously spat by the man next door and a vicious blow from said broom was unjustly delivered across the face of the poor abused wall.

"THE FU – WHY YOU SHIT-FACED SONOVA–!"

Smirking, Gackt rolled his cigarette between his fingers – once, twice – before he carelessly tossed it up and over the flimsy partition between the two rooms, chuckling with amusement as soon as he heard the shrillness of his neighbour's voice as a splutter of colourful curses erupted from his mouth (it seems the midget's bed was now on fire because of his cigarette – oh well) and the small tired sigh that came from You's end of the line.

Oh yes…

A triumphant smirk. And Gackt reclined against his pillow, fingers reaching into his pocket for another cigarette.

Revenge was definitely sweet.

A/N: When writing, I can clearly picture a particular scene in my mind in all its vividness, shades and colours. The only trouble that entails this is actually writing the scene out and making it bloom to life in the reader's mind. This was the major problem I faced as I laboriously typed this chapter up as well as my others fics. Urgh, I suck at writing right now – I feel like crying. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! xD