Princes of Rock
by Suke

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Sidetrack 2: Eiji Stalking Oishi Part 2

"Aa," the voice from his mobile phone was teasing and mildly amused. "Eiji, I never took you for the stalker type."

"Fuji! What? Stalker?!!" Eiji said, so aghast was he that he couldn't quite form a complete sentence.

Midway through his exciting Oishi-following experience, dodging behind random trees and lampposts and feeling, happily, very much like a spy movie, the VJ had found himself rudely interrupted by an electronic rendition of Jingle Bells.

It had taken the redhead about half a minute to realise that the Christmas song was emanating from his own person and another half a minute to snag the phone out from his back jeans pocket beneath his long white jacket.

Upon receiving the call and only vaguely discerning that the voice on the other end belonged to his blue-eyed tensai friend, Eiji had broken into a rapid-fire report of how he had, joy of all joys, spotted a much adored singer on the streets, managed to keep from fangirlish squealing and then had proceeded to follow him about town.

Oishi was even cooler in real life, Eiji ascertained to himself. Much, much cooler. He was so much nicer and prettier and just cooler and, of course, so much hotter too.

The rock star had slowed his pace a few metres from the café and walked leisurely, seeming to just enjoy the season's bustle around him. He went into a second-hand bookstore once and browsed for a while but didn't buy anything. There were a few more stops at little roadside stalls selling trinkets and accessories where Eiji spent bittersweet moments wondering who might be receiving those purchases as Christmas gifts from Oishi this year.

It had been nearing dinner time when Oishi had glanced at his watch and then headed for a small restaurant where he was currently ensconced in plush seats and warm candlelight. Oishi merely sat there, at a table for two, not touching the menu and looking at his watch from time to time. Eiji had been about to enter as well to find himself a strategic position when his phone had rung.

"It's okay, Eiji. I'll still be your friend even if you are a stalker," Fuji sounded suspiciously happy.

"Fuji!" Eiji admonished his friend in a loud whisper, "I'm not a stalker nya!"

"Of course not," Fuji replied agreeably. He could almost see the redhead's pout. "You only followed him the entire afternoon."

There was silence on the line. Fuji, cordless phone tucked between shoulder and ear, opened his refrigerator and took out an egg. Fuji was not much of a cook but seaweed-flavoured instant ramen with egg was enough for dinner. He paused. Maybe he should have two eggs. He opened the fridge again.

"Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no! Fuji, I'm a stalker! What will I do? I was stalking O-i-shi!"

Fuji put the egg on the counter by the instant ramen packet before picking the phone up from the tiled floor where he had dropped it. Eiji could be very loud.

"I'm a stalker! I don't know what to do now! And I was stalking Oishi of all people! Why did it have to be him! Fuji? Are you still there?" The redhead ended his tirade abruptly and asked when he realised that he had not heard a word from his friend in a while.

"It's okay, Eiji," Fuji consoled him while filling a small pot with water from the tap.

"I'm a stalker!"

"Lot's of people are stalkers." Fuji managed to switch on the gas and then light the stove with one hand.

"And I was stalking Oishi!"

"Of course, you were. Who else would you want to stalk?"

And then, Eiji's tone suddenly changed to surprise: "Nya, Fuji, it's your Tezuka!"

"What are you talking about?" The blue-eyed boy stirring his ramen asked patiently in response to the incomprehensible subject change. Eiji wanted to stalk Tezuka?

"It's your Tezuka -- "

"He's not mine, Eiji."

" -- and he's hugging my Oishi!"

There was another pause but this time, it was Fuji who didn't speak. Eiji had watched as the stern-faced conductor he had seen a few times in the company of Fuji enter the restaurant and walk unerringly towards Oishi. The rock star had stood up on noticing the conductor, face lighting up. A handshake was pulled into an embrace.

"Fuji?"

"Go in and get a seat as close to them as possible. I'm on my way there."

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Yellow candlelight reflected off flawless alabaster skin, turning golden. It glanced off chestnut hair, turning into a tangle of gleaming silver skeins. He was almost a statue, beautiful and unmoving, pale and cold.

"Please come. It will mean a lot to me." Oishi said quietly.

Fine eyes averted and the illusion was lost. Oishi had a way of making him feel human. And sometimes, Oishi almost made him human. The silvery eyelashes rested briefly on golden cheeks as the pale doll glanced down to pick up his glass of water and sip from it. Candlelight made him look more alive, the gold tones his skin took hinted of human warmth.

"Tezuka," the dark-haired boy spoke his name. "I was at your first concert and I saw a different side of you. You've seen me in all my moods since junior high. I hope you'll see this other side of me too."

"Hn," Tezuka said noncommittally.

"Constant as the sunrise," Oishi merely laughed softly. "You never change."

"Aa."

"And I'm sorry about Tae-chan," Oishi added after a pause. "I mentioned that I wanted to ask you to come to the concert and she was so excited that she went to see you at work by herself. If I had known -- "

"Hn," Tezuka said and the discussion was over. Oishi worried too much.

Tezuka wasn't keen on going to a rock concert, even if his oldest friend was going to be performing. Tezuka was never really keen on going out at all. He liked being by himself. He liked quiet and solitude and just sitting on a soft armchair at home with the soft strains of Bach drifting in the air and a good detective novel on his lap. It was comfortable.

Of course, right now he was feeling rather selfish about prizing his comfort over Oishi's happiness since Oishi had done so much more for him. Yes, Tezuka was feeling guilt, a human emotion. Only two people could make Tezuka feel so human.

"Tezuka-san! What a coincidence!" Fuji was the other person.

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Dinner progressed with the two new arrivals joining their table. Oishi had seen Fuji's picture before many times in the newspapers. And the red haired boy with him? Oishi knew who it was at once.

Except that Kikumaru Eiji was rather different from how Oishi had expected him to be. For one thing, the VJ was extremely unlike his onscreen persona. The real Kikumaru was not bouncy. He was not loud or excitable or fun or unfailingly cheerful or refreshingly open. He wasn't even very talkative. Instead, it turned out that Kikumaru was the quiet and sombre sort, given to cynicism, sensible talk and forced laughter.

And somehow, for some reason, Oishi felt betrayed.

"Yes, I do feel that education is becoming too results-oriented too," Kikumaru deferred gravely, worldly knowledge in every vein. "But the world is like that." A knowing sigh.

"Yes and because of that, students these days take to do all kinds of odd things," Fuji agreed, smiling mildly. "Like stalking, neh Eiji?"

The VJ choked but Fuji didn't seem to notice.

"Even famous conductors have stalkers, neh Kunichi-kun?"

The conductor choked but Fuji was similarly oblivious.

"Neh, Oishi-san, do you have any stalkers?" Fuji addressed him, still smiling beatifically.

"A few," Oishi answered. "I worry about them."

"You do?"

"It's dangerous for young girls to be wandering around Tokyo on their own."

"Young girls?" Fuji's voice betrayed placid surprise. "Don't you get guy stalkers, like say MTV VJs?"

Oishi was quite confused by now. Tezuka looked highly discomfited while Kikumaru choked, stopped and then began coughing agitatedly again whenever Fuji said something. There was no time for the tensai's last question to register because the red headed boy had suddenly stood up.

"Fuji! Stop that nya!" The whole restaurant stared but Eiji didn't care. Fuji was so mean. Didn't he know how hard Eiji was trying to be cool and grown-up? And then he realised that Oishi was looking at him with shock on his face. Just great.

"Nya," Eiji said unhappily and dropped boneless, back into his seat.

He was an absolute idiot. This was the worst day of his life. Now Oishi would think he was some weirdo and never like him and be really afraid of him when he was really very nice once you got to know him better.

"Fuji-san, please don't upset Kikumaru-san," Oishi said sternly.

"I'm sorry," Fuji apologised solemnly. "He's fun to tease."

"It's okay as long as you know," Oishi turned suddenly encouraging. He smiled at Fuji and then gently at Eiji. "Kikumaru-san, please don't be sad. Please tell me if you are having any problems so I can help you."

Eiji blinked at the concerned face, the worried smiled. Oishi was so cool and so wonderful and so nice. He felt the emotions welling up in him and he knew that he had to just confess everything.

"Oishi-san! I love you," Eiji declared, "um, your music!"

"I really like you, ah, your show too." Oishi said, smiling softly.

"I'm so glad everything is alright, neh Kunichi-kun?"

Tezuka choked. He was feeling unbearably human tonight.

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Hoi! Review please!

Gomen to everyone who didn't get their preferred pairing. I hope you'll still read and enjoy the fic.

To everyone who reviewed: Rumiko Nadajima! Jo-jo-chan-chan! Regatto! Violintide! Sailorstarsun! Witty Phantom! Cheeseburger of Doom! Emily-chan! Gameazel! Deedlit_elf! Broccoli! Beriath! Mew mew! Hellen! Kusanagiluv! MorphailEffect! Pineapple! Chrysan! Fuji Eiji! Fataliste! Space Cat! Sweet Bamboogirl! Kazekari! Mobb! [baka]master! Squidgykid! Gwengara! PoT Fan!! Aishuu! Sandy86!

Suke-san can't buy you anything so I'll just write all your names down here. I want to erect a statue of all of you in my living room so I can salute you whenever I walk past ^_^; Thank you so much for leaving me a note! Sleepy after camp but typed all night for you! (well, all night until now heh)

Next chapter: A Scandalous Chapter! How Ato-cious! Isn't it just pun- ishing?