At times, Toyokawa Etsushi really hated his life.

He didn’t want to think about Moon Child. He didn’t want to think about the hot Taiwan sun again, never wanted to remember dawn on the beach. He wanted to close that chapter of his life and move on to new things, never to think about the film again. Yet, here he was, on the phone with an interviewer for a pamphlet about that damn movie.

“I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule for this.” The nameless interviewer started, and Etsushi held back a sigh. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want t-

“It’s my pleasure.” A lie. He’d rather be anywhere than on the phone.

“Now, if you could describe your experiences of Moon Child for me…?”

“It was…” he trailed off and rubbed his temples. Could he even remember what it was like? He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to bring the memories, the ones he had strived to destroy, back up.  And then his thoughts were filled with the smell of salt and unnatural grey eyes.

“He... Hyde... wasn’t an actor— I was in a drama… with an Artist.”

Etsushi had a feeling that his career was headed down the wrong path when he started to do beer commercials. And when he accepted a role in Moon Child, he was pretty sure his career was doomed. The film, from what he could tell, was just a publicity stunt for the three stars. The movie seemed to be lacking a plot, and the script was rough. He was almost sure the film would fail within the first week of release, and if it didn’t, then the stars had a bigger fan base than he originally thought.

But above all other things, Etsushi was an actor. And for this very reason, he was going to at least try to get into the mind of his character. Luka. The vampire who sired the star and who would, most likely, end up with less than five minutes of screen time.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes as looked up from the script in his lap. The hot Taiwan sun was setting as Etsushi arrived at the movie set. He had barely been there over five hours, and already he had rehearsal. In a strange way, he was looking forward to meeting the man he would be sharing his scenes with. He wasn’t sure what to expect; he knew little to nothing about the music scene. He was secretly hoping that this Hyde would be a stuck-up jerk, just so Etsushi had a reason to hate him. He wanted the this entire movie experience to be bad, just so he could prove his wife right- that he did have a horrible time.

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared Etsushi for Hyde. Whatever he had heard could not compare to the man in front of him. Etsushi could barely refrain from outright staring. While the package was small, the presence that Hyde had left him in awe. A little voice in the back of his mind told him that this is why he was cast as the role of the vampire; he just gave off that feeling.

Of course, as soon as the thought came to mind, the said singer promptly tripped over a chair and nearly crashed into a crew member carrying cups of water. Etsushi laughed quietly as he walked over to Hyde, whose mysterious vampire feeling had vanished as soon as he tripped. The rather short man seemed rather embarrassed, glaring at the chair as he stood up. He finally looked up from the chair and blinked, unsure who the stranger in front of him was.

“Who are you?” Hyde asked, and, Etsushi admitted, he was a bit surprised by the masculine voice. But none the less, he bowed slightly and held out his hand towards the blonde singer.

“Toyokawa Etsushi.” The suspicious looked washed off of Hyde’s face and faded into a smile, as he shook the actor’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Etsushi-san. I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time together.” Hyde smiled again and licked his lips, and Etsushi had to wonder if he was doing it on purpose.

“It’s nice to meet you too. Let’s get to work, shall we? I’ve been working on Luka’s character…” Hyde nodded and sat down in the chair he had previously knocked over.

“Of course.”

And so two men started to talk as the sun set on the beach. At first, it was awkward, but then Etsushi began to realize how much the movie meant to Hyde. And even though he still wished that Hyde would turn out to be an unbearable asshole, he was coming to terms with the fact that Hyde was a really nice guy. He found himself laughing and smiling around the shorter man, something he would have never expected from this trip.

With every smile and every word, Etsushi found himself being drawn closer to Hyde and becoming entangled in his web. Hyde was the spider, and Etsushi was the butterfly that longed for the fruit that was behind the web.

Etsushi woke up one morning after a long night of reading lines with Hyde when his hotel room’s phone started to ring. He silently cursed whoever it was that was calling and rolled over to pick up the phone.

“Hello?” he grumbled and rubbed his eyes before looking at the clock. Five AM.

“Etsushi? It’s me. Your wife. You know, the woman you married?” He could hear her smoking and he rubbed his forehead, resisting the urge to hang up the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

He could almost hear her growling and could tell that she was glaring at him. He wondered if he had forgotten to pay the bills again and the power had gone out, but he ruled that out once he remembered that he was on the phone with her. “Oh, never mind. I wouldn’t want to disturb your precious sleep. I totally forgot about the time difference. I’m sorry.” He could hear her sneer.

The grumpy actor rolled his eyes. “No, no.” He grabbed a fistful of his hair and sighed. “I’ve been up for a while.” he lied. “Now, are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or do I have to guess?” For a few seconds, there was only silence and he was convinced that his wife was going to make him guess.

“Do you know, dearest husband, it’s been a week since you left for Taiwan? One week and you never called home. One week and you haven’t returned any of my calls. Those calls that you do return only last a minute or two. What the fuck have you done with my husband, Etsushi? I’d like him back, if you don’t mind.” and with that, she hung up the phone.

Etsushi sat in bed, slightly stunned. He had gone away for filming for much longer periods of time, and his wife had handled those situations much better than this. She understood how important his work was to him. It was rare that he would get on her bad side because of work.

He continued to stare at the phone, grasping at straws. Maybe she was PMSing. Or maybe it had been accumulating over the years. But all of these ideas rang untrue in his mind, and he wracked his brain to find out what was so different this time. And only one name came to mind. Hyde.

And because of the captivating blonde singer, now movie star, he could come up with no more excuses. He didn’t have any.

“I’m sorry.” and with that, he finally hung up the phone.

Two cups of coffee and a piece of toast later, Etsushi was still in bed, still thinking about the conversation he had with his wife. He wondered if he really was being so inattentive, or if his wife was just being overly sensitive. Was he getting wrapped up in this dream of Moon Child? The idea had started with Gackt, a man Etsushi had never even met, and it had spread to Hyde. Now even Etsushi, who hated the idea at first, was caught up in it.

And with every sunrise and every sunset, he wanted more of his dream. He wanted more of Hyde. He was something new, something exciting that seemed to escape the rules of life. Hyde had a fire within him, and Etsushi longed to touch that fire, but feared to be burned by it. And Hyde licking his lips in his presence wasn’t helping the rational side of his brain at all.

In the back of his mind, Etsushi wondered if Hyde realized just how sexual he acted. Most of the time, the younger man seemed to act more playful than sexy, but even when he was just riding around on his bike, Hyde gave off a sexual vibe that confused Etsushi, but above that, attracted him to Hyde. He didn’t want to be attracted. Hell, they were both married, didn’t that count for something? Even so, he had heard stories about the flirting between Gackt and Hyde, and he had to wonder if it was just flirting, or if it was something more.

Etsushi sighed and flung the crust from his toast at the wall and stood up. He would take a shower and rid his brain of all thoughts of Hyde. If he was having an affair with Gackt, it was none of his business. In a few days, they would be filming Luka’s and Kei’s scenes and then he would be back on a plane to Japan, ready to apologize to his wife. Maybe they would go on a vacation, far away from androgynous rock stars.

The steam of the shower seemed to do its job, and all of his problems seemed to dissipate under the steady stream of hot water. By the time he was out of the shower, Etsushi was ready to enjoy his Hyde-less day off. That is, he was ready, until he heard someone knocking on his door at eight AM, and upon opening the door, found the blonde singer in front of him. Suddenly, all thoughts of every forgetting Hyde vanished, and Etsushi was once again a moth being drawn to the flame.

 “Hyde, this is a surprise.”

“I’m glad to see I didn’t wake you.” Hyde smiled and leant on the doorframe. “Sorry to bother you on our day off, but Gacchan abandoned me in favor of a meeting with Leehom.” Hyde laughed at some private joke and licked his lips subconsciously, as if daring Etsushi to do something. And Etsushi, being the good actor that he was, put all his fears behind a mask and smiled back at the blonde man.

“Of course, Haido. Where would you like to go?”

It was so fast. He had never done this before, and he knew that it was supposed to be fast, but he didn’t know it was supposed to be this fast. He could hear Hyde yelling, but he was just so consumed with these new feelings, these new sensations that he couldn’t think of Hyde. He closed his eyes and held onto his restraints tightly as they reached the peak. He screamed as loud as he could as he came down quickly. When he opened his eyes again, Hyde was grinning.

“I didn’t think you’d be a screamer.” Etsushi laughed weakly and hopped out of the roller-coaster seat.

“And I didn’t think you would be such a fan of roller coasters.” Etsushi looked over at Hyde as he stopped to get cotton candy. “What do you like about them, anyway?” Hyde paid the vendor with the foreign currency and bit into the fluffy confection with a smile.

“I feel like I’m flying.” Hyde spread his arms out as if to prove a point and Etsushi remembered the tattooed wings on Hyde’s back.

“Is that why you got the tattoo?” Hyde looked slightly startled, but he just bit into the cotton candy again. The taller man thought that the singer would say no more on the subject, but then Hyde reached up and covered his mouth with a sugary finger.

“Sometimes, to get what you want, you have to deal with a little pain first.” Hyde removed his fingered and smiled coyly. Etsushi stared at Hyde for a few moments, trying to take it in. And for the rest of the day, those few seconds were all that Etsushi could think about.

The day became night and the two men were still together, though they were now in the corner of a bar, sharing a bottle of wine and discussing various things as the Taiwan sun once again fell below the horizon. Etsushi was completely at ease with Hyde. The shorter man had given him no reason to be nervous, except for the incident after the roller coaster. The rest of the day had been, simply put, enjoyable. The anxiety that Etsushi had been stressing over that morning vanished as they walked around the amusement park with much more freedom then they ever could have in Japan. But because the actor was so comfortable with Hyde, he was shocked at Hyde’s next question.

“Do you find me attractive?” Etsushi almost spat out his drink.

“What?” He wiped his mouth and stared at Hyde incredulously. He thought he saw Hyde smirk, but the candle flickered and when he looked again, Hyde had the same bored expression.

”Do you think I’m attractive?” Hyde looked at Etsushi, his unnerving grey eyes seemingly piercing his soul to the wall. The child within Etsushi screamed and other personae wondered if Hyde was aware of his attraction, or if it was just a question out of the blue.

“Why do you ask?” Hyde continued to stare.

“Just curious.” The vocalist shrugged as if to gesture that it didn’t make any difference, but from the constant stiletto gaze, Etsushi knew it mattered. He took a deep breath and tried not to look away from Hyde. In front of him, there were two paths. Down one road was the familiar trail to his wife. Down the other was the strange, but enticing, passageway that lead to Hyde.

“Yes.” Something inside Etsushi broke that moment. But with that one syllable response Hyde’s stare dissipated into a friendly smile.

“How sweet of you, Etsushi.” Hyde took a sip of his wine and the older man mirrored his image, hope the fruity wine would calm his nerves. But all it did was sit uncomfortably in his stomach, reminding him of a lead weight.

They spoke no more of attraction that night.

Sleep did not come easily to Etsushi that night. He wrestled with his bed sheets as the night turned into the early hours of the morning. At two o’clock, he reflected on his life. Three he focused on Hyde. And when four am rolled around, his thoughts were consumed by his wife. When the numbers on the clock became four-thirty, he lost the function to think and picked up the hotel phone and dialed the familiar digits that would call him. The phone rang three times before his wife picked up.

“This better be damn good, whoever you are. Do you have any fucking idea what time it is?”

“I’m sorry.” For a minute, all he could hear was her breathing, and being a patient man by nature, he waited.

“E-Etsushi?” He voice was quieter than usual, most likely a mix between confusion and general sleepiness.

“I’m sorry for not calling, not returning your calls.” He paused. “And waking you up.”

‘But most of all, for picking Hyde over you.’ he added silently. He heard her sigh and once again, he waited. When all else was said and done, and Hyde was miles away, she was still his wife. He wouldn’t say they were happily married, but over the years Etsushi had grown to know her better than he would have ever thought. Her temper was fierce, but she couldn’t stay mad forever.

“I’m going to cut off you ears when you get home.” He smiled weakly. As long as she wasn’t screaming, he knew he was safe. A little voice in the back of his head yelled at him, telling him to forget Hyde, his wife had forgiven him.

“Thank you.” But that little voice was crushed by a giant heart featuring Hyde’s face. His relationship with his wife was important; he knew that was true, but the desire, the passion, the outright lust he felt for Hyde tripled those feelings.

Finally, it was the day of taping. All that they had been working on these last weeks would finally bear fruit. Etsushi put his sunglasses on and yawned as he stepped out of wardrobe. Already he had been preparing for the scene, and the sun had yet to rise. He idly wondered what was worse; the scene they were taping today or the late night scene they were doing tomorrow. He looked at one of the watches on his wrist and noted that he had a few minutes before he was due, and went to grab his third cup of coffee of the morning. He wasn’t surprised that he had yet to see Hyde; the man was extraordinarily busy with filming. Yet, even though the fact was comforting, it didn’t stop the actor from being disappointed.

He downed the coffee as he walked into makeup, and to no surprise, Hyde wasn’t there. He felt almost as bitter as the coffee which he had just swallowed and sat down in a chair, letting the makeup artists work their magic so he could become Luka.

When they finished, he was once again shipped into a golf cart, heading to the beach where the scene was to be filmed. He watched the sky lighten and thought about his character. His original idea for Luka had been very different and Etsushi was sure the change could be blamed on Hyde. The small man had affected him in so many ways, he wasn’t sure he had even discovered them all.

The golf cart stopped and the actor was drawn out of his reverie.  He looked over at the ocean, picturing the scene in his head. He had to give the man behind it all credit; Gackt had a good eye for picking out sets. He looked at the on-set crew finishing setting up the cameras, and one or two cameramen already filming Hyde. He gave the singer a once-over before pushing his feelings for Hyde down into his gut. He walked over to Hyde, who smiled at his approach, sticking out his hand to shake Etsushi’s. Etsushi returned the warm handshake, but was shocked by the hug that the smaller man pulled him into. But being the actor that he was, he let none of his shock show, and returned the smile.

“Ready to work, Etchan?” The nickname seemed to roll off Hyde’s tongue naturally, and Etsushi wondered what he had gotten himself into, exactly.

”Of course, Haido.” He smiled brighter as the cameras continued to film.

Etsushi came back to his hotel room late that night. The filming hadn’t taken more than three takes, and Hyde had left right away to do more taping in other places within the hot country. Etsushi had stuck around, enjoying the calming feeling that the ocean gave to him. Afterwards, he went into the market to enjoy his second to last day in Taiwan, picking out souvenirs for his friends and family back in Japan.

He made a mental note to call his wife and he unlocked the hotel room’s door, pushing his body weight against the thick wooden door. He closed it behind him and threw his key onto a table and dropped his bags. He sighed quietly and rubbed the back of his neck, ready for a night of relaxation. He walked in the dark over to his bed and flopped down on it, closing his eyes.

“You look tired.” Etsushi opened his eyes and shot up, turning on the light. He looked over to the chair in the corner, and his stomach turned. Hyde was sitting with his legs crossed, looking very comfortable. He smiled deviously. “Sorry, did I scare you?” Etsushi gulped.

“How did you get in here?” Hyde smiled again and shifted his weight, uncrossing his legs to rest his elbows on his knees.

“The bellman is a fan of mine, you know.”

“I see.” Etsushi faked a yawn and examined the blonde critically. With his tight black pants and his loose transparent shirt, the singer was certainly dressed to kill. The actor just hoped that he wasn’t the main meal.

“I want to show you something.” Hyde stood up and started to walk towards the bed. Etsushi once again felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. But Hyde just smiled and sat down next to the older man, brushing a loose piece of hair out of his eye.

“What is it?” He tried not to sound too curious or too afraid, but it seemed that his acting skills had abandoned him and his voice had betrayed him. The petite singer continued to smile and raised his left hand.

“My wedding ring.” Etsushi blinked and turned his gaze to the raised hand. It was a simple gold band. Etsushi’s hand drifted over to his own ring, feeling the cool metal under his fingertips. He tore his gaze away from Hyde’s hand and looked him in the eye.

“Why are you showing me this?” He could see his reflection in Hyde’s eyes, and just noticed how tired he looked. How worn out he had become in these few short weeks. The weeks that were supposed to be easy. But then again, he hadn’t been expecting Hyde. He watched resignedly as Hyde licked his lips again.

“Because sometimes a married man gets urges too.”

Even looking back months later, neither man would be able to tell you who was the one to initiate the kiss, but both would be able to describe that kiss for months to come. It was an example of pure passion and the lust that seemed to consume the room that night. Their lips were locked tightly until the need to breathe became too much, and the older man pulled Hyde’s shirt up and over his head, all reasoning gone as it flew across the room. Hyde didn’t complain as he was pushed down onto the bed and the kissing resumed.

Within minutes, the actor’s shirt had joined Hyde’s on the floor, and Etsushi explored the other man’s chest, delighting in the feel of the unfamiliar skin underneath his fingertips. He rubbed one of Hyde’s nipples with his thumb and smiled when Hyde broke the kiss to let out a surprised gasp. But it was Etsushi who was left moaning when Hyde retaliated by rubbing the crotch of his pants. His pants magically became too tight and getting rid of them seemed like a bright idea. He started to remove his pants but was stopped when Hyde covered his hand with his own smaller ones, whispering quietly into his ear.

“Allow me.” Hyde licked the shell of the older man’s ear, and the actor shivered a nod, giving Hyde the already given permission to do whatever the hell he wanted. An almost inaudible voice told him that his wife would never do something like this and would leave him, but Etsushi didn’t care anymore. He wanted this.

The petite man called Etsushi back to reality when he very teasingly unzipped the actor’s pants. Etsushi gave him a hard look, but Hyde just smirked and pushed the pants down. The vocalist rubbed the older man through the thin cotton layer, making Etsushi let out a whisper of a moan. Hyde just laughed and pushed the undergarment down with a whistle. The actor could feel himself starting to blush as Hyde guided his hands to the blonde’s pants. Hyde kissed the actor again as Etsushi struggled to open the pants and push them down.

Then it was a flurry of movement and all clothing was gone, tossed off of the bed. Their kisses were feverish as they anticipated what came next. Hyde wrapped his arms around Etsushi and rolled over until he was on top of the actor, who was very much surprised by the smaller man’s actions. Hyde placed a quick peck on the suddenly afraid man’s cheek and stood up, walking over to the chair where he had been sitting early and picking up the bag he hand brought with him.

He grinned over at Etsushi and waved a small bottle. The actor blushed again as Hyde put the bag back down, sauntering over to the bed. Etsushi, feeling rather adventurous at the moment, grabbed Hyde the moment he placed the bottle on the bedside table and pinned the lighter man beneath his body. Hyde laughed and squirmed under the actor, his arousal rubbing against Etsushi’s thigh.

Taken back by this, the actor let Hyde’s wrists go, allowing the blonde to take the bottle back from the table and squirt a very substantial amount in his palm. He flung the bottle onto the pile of clothes beside the bed and rubbed his hands together before coating Etsushi’s stiff member with the liquid. The older man curled his hands into tight fights, trying not to thrust his hips forward towards Hyde’s hand. As if he could sense the Etsushi’s frustration, the blonde ran a finger teasingly down the actor’s thigh until Etsushi grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop.

“Not a very patient man, are we?” Hyde smirked and spread his legs open before lifting them up and wrapping them around Etsushi’s waist.

“Not when it comes to things like this.” He grabbed the vocalist by his hips and pushed forward into Hyde. He moaned into the blonde’s neck, enjoying the feeling immensely. He felt Hyde’s arms wrap around his neck and kiss the flesh there, causing Etsushi to shiver. He started a slow rhythm, searching for the right pace. Hyde urged him on with his soft moans and quiet whispers, telling him to go faster. He obliged, letting his own moan join with Hyde’s enchanting voice.

They moved together, placing small kisses here and there when they found the time in between the gasps and the moans. The sweat from their bodies made it easier to move, a situation which Etsushi took advantage of as he felt a familiar sensation building up. He tried to hold out as long as he could, but he found that time was against him as he felt himself succumb to an orgasm and his world became a myriad of colors.

When he finally opened his eyes, it was only to see Hyde finish jerking off with his own loud moan. Etsushi shivered and pulled out of the smaller man as he wiped his forehead. The two panted heavily, waiting for the other to say the first words.

“Was I that bad?” Etsushi frowned as he spoke the words. Hyde leaned up and placed a small kiss on the older man’s lips, shaking his head.

“Not at all. You just don’t know all…” he trailed off and waved a hand around in the air, as if searching for the right term. “... the moves.”  The blonde grinned and Etsushi rolled over, shaking his head.

“Are you going to teach me?” Hyde rested his elbows on Etsushi’s chest and pretended to be shocked.

“Why Etchan, I didn’t know you had such stamina.” Etsushi swatted him lightly and Hyde laughed. “Get some rest, Etsushi, we have filming tomorrow night.” With that, Hyde kissed Etsushi for the last time that night, their lips lingering close to each other after the kiss was over, not wanting the moment to be over. But Hyde got up and put his clothes back on and with not more than a wink, left the room. Etsushi sighed and closed his eyes. He slept well that night.

In less than a blink of his eye, it seemed like the taping of the second and final scene was on him. Etsushi was nervous about seeing Hyde again, but when they did see each other, Hyde was at ease and Etsushi found it easy to at least act like he was, that the previous night hadn’t happened. The filming went as well as he could have hoped for. Some of the film crew came up to him after the taping was done and wished him good luck, and Etsushi smiled at them all, knowing that he would probably never see them again. Finally, the only other person left was Hyde. Etsushi was a bit surprised that the busy man had stuck around, and walked over slowly.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” He watched at Hyde pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. He seemed to be oblivious to Etsushi’s staring. The older man had started to wonder if Hyde had even heard him, when the petite man spoke quietly.

“This is your last night, isn’t it?” Etsushi nodded slowly, and Hyde flicked the cigarette away. “Then let’s go spend it the right way.” Etsushi started to blush as he thought of a few of those ways, and Hyde laughed. “Do you dance, Etsushi?”

“Not really.”

“Then tonight, I’m going to teach you how to dance.”  Hyde grinned.

The first thing that Hyde taught Etsushi about dancing was that it was easier if you had been drinking. With the bright lights and the pounding bass, Etsushi took advantage of Hyde’s kind offer to pay for everything that night. An hour after they had arrived at the club, the older man wasn’t sure if he could dance better, but he felt more comfortable than when he arrived.

He went back over to the bar to get a glass of water, finding out easily that dancing dehydrated you. Hyde followed him closely, looking very comfortable in the environment. Unlike Etsushi, Hyde blended in with these people and seemed to fit in. He smiled easier and just seemed to be free. It was a sight that Etsushi would have liked to see more often, if he had gotten the chance. But the blonde vocalist seemed to be getting impatient with Etsushi and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back out onto the dance floor.

“Dance with me.” Hyde leaned up and placed a lingering kiss on Etsushi’s neck, causing a shiver to run down the older man’s spine. Etsushi started to protest, but Hyde covered his lips with a finger. “Just let it flow, Etchan. Let everything go.”

He would never be sure if it was the alcohol or Hyde’s words, but Etsushi did just that. The world around him seemed to fade away and all that was left was Hyde and the pulse of the music. He and Hyde seemed to move together like water, their bodies brushing up against each other. The older man was reminded of the previous night as images of the vocalist naked on his bed surfaced. Their dance became more erotic as the hours of the night drew closer to morning. Etsushi was very aware of his own erection as the hour hand of the clock turned to three, and unless he was very mistaken, he could feel Hyde’s brushing up against his leg.

Hyde licked his lips and pulled Etsushi into a darkened corner of the club, sitting down in one of the booths. Etsushi wiped his forehead in a futile attempt to get rid of some of the sweat. Hyde laughed and pulled the older man into the seat, kissing him hotly. Etsushi was taken by surprise, but kissed Hyde back eagerly. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they both knew that this would have to end. Etsushi would be returning home later that day, and Hyde would be staying in Taiwan for the rest of the filming. They both knew that it should have only been a one-night stand, and that adding another night would ruin everything. But they both wanted to have one more night. And so they continued.

Somewhere between the frantic kisses and groping, Hyde managed to call a cab. They stumbled out of the club, neither wanting to let go of the other. The cool summer air was a stark difference from the sweaty club, but they continued to touch and feel, the heat of their bodies contrasting with the air. When the cab arrived the both got into the back seat and kissed with more passion than they had in the club. They paid the cab driver more than they should have, and he drove away, never knowing that it had been two stars from Japan had been making out in the back seat of his cab.

They somehow managed to make it up to Hyde’s room without tearing each other’s clothes off, but once they were in the room, their clothes were off in a matter of minutes and the two men were lying on the bed, their limbs entangled together. Somehow, Etsushi ended up under Hyde, but this time, he wasn’t as fearful as he had been the previous night. He wanted to know what it felt like to be penetrated like that. He wanted to feel Hyde’s pain.

Hyde didn’t seem to mind that Etsushi wanted to be on the receiving end. If anything, he was more anxious about it than he was yesterday. But unlike the day before, Hyde took his time with the preparation. He went slower, more carefully, as if he didn’t want to hurt Etsushi. The actor was grateful for Hyde’s actions, and prayed to anyone that was listening that they would help.

When the time for the actual act came, Etsushi was totally unprepared. Hyde moved slowly, but the pain was still very much there. Etsushi felt like was going to be torn apart from the inside, despite Hyde’s attempts to calm him with promises that it would get better. Hyde stopped for a minute, to allow the actor to adjust to the feeling. Etsushi closed his eyes, and his muscles slowly began to relax. When he was relaxed as he ever was going to be, Hyde began again, still going slow. The pain was starting to become less noticeable, but he could never see why someone would do this willingly.

And then it seemed like the fair had come to town. Whatever Hyde had done set off a bundle of fireworks inside Etsushi, and he suddenly craved more. Hyde hit the jackpot again and again, and Etsushi took it all in greedily, never wanting Hyde to stop. They moaned together as the bed shook from Hyde’s powerful thrusts, as their levels of pleasure rose higher and higher. Etsushi cried out loudly as he climaxed and was very surprised to feel Hyde come in his body. They relaxed in the bed together, still touching as the sun began to rise again. Their minds were filled with thoughts of all different sorts of things, anything but the fact that Etsushi would be leaving that afternoon.

“Hyde?”

“Mm?” Hyde watched Etsushi as he came out of the bathroom, giving an appreciative whistle at the low-hanging towel. Etsushi blushed and threw the towel at Hyde, putting his pants on from the previous night.

“Are you sleeping with Gackt?” The singer blinked and sat up, tilting his head.

“Why do you ask that?”

“I hear that you’re with him all the time…” Hyde stood up, walking slowly until he stood closer to Etsushi, a small smile on his lips.

“Why, you’re not jealous, are you?”  Etsushi gave Hyde a look and shook his head, walking away to grab his shirt.

“I was just wondering. That’s all.” Hyde shrugged and crossed his arms, not exactly looking at the taller man.

“I’m cheating on my wife, Etsushi. It doesn’t matter with how many people.” Etsushi shook his head again as he put the shirt on.

“I don’t see how you can do it.” Hyde uncrossed his arms and went over to the window, pulling a cigarette off of the ledge.

“Cheat on my wife? What do you think you’re doing? What do you think we did last night?” Hyde smirked and lit the cigarette up, inhaling the toxic fumes deeply. “But yes, I am a frequent bedmate of Gacchan’s. I’m not the only one.” Etsushi sighed in frustration and rubbed his temple.

“Why do this to her?”

“Why do it to your wife?” Hyde took another long drag and stared at Etsushi. “Why have sex with you when I could be having some of the best sex of my life with Gackt? It’s because I want it. I wanted him. I wanted you. And in case you haven’t figured it out, I get what I want.” Etsushi blinked, surprised at the answer.

“Is that what this is about? Getting what you wanted?” Hyde shrugged again.

“What is anything about? You’re a good friend, Etsushi. But you’re going back to Japan today. I’m staying here.”

Suddenly, the truth came down on Etsushi like a ton of bricks. He would be leaving. He wouldn’t see Hyde again. They had been trapped in this little bubble in Taiwan, but after he got on the plane, they would be back into the real world. There would be no more roller coaster rides where he would not be recognized. There would not be any making out in the back of a taxi. Their lives would go back to as they were and their wives would be none the wiser.

“Goodbye, Hyde.” With those last words, Etsushi turned away and walked out of Hyde’s room. He packed his things, and a few hours later, he was on the plane to Japan, without another word to the musician turned actor who had affected his life in the last few weeks.

And he was absolutely miserable about it.

“…but it was as if our spirits were meeting.” Etsushi took a deep breath and exhaled. He was done with the interview.

“Thank you, Toyokawa-san.”

“It was my pleasure.” Etsushi lied and hung up the phone. He sat in his armchair and rubbed his temples. The last thing in the world he had wanted to do was talk about Hyde. And it seemed that Hyde was all he had talked about to the interviewer.

“Etsushi?” His wife peeked her head into the room. “Is your interview done yet?”  He nodded slowly. “Good.” She walked over to her husband, who very gently wrapped an arm around her waist. He rubbed her protruding stomach carefully.

“Have you felt him kick today?” She shook her head and placed her hand over her husband’s. Ever since he had returned to Japan, Etsushi had made sure to pay extra attention to her. He knew that she knew that something had gone wrong in Taiwan, but neither spoke about it. Instead they made preparations for their child, who would be entering the world in a few months.

“Not yet.” She walked back into the kitchen and came out with a glass of water, handing it to her husband. “You have mail, by the way.” He blinked.

“From who?” She shrugged and started to walk away.

“How should I know?”  Etsushi got up and went to look at the mail, curious as to who would be writing him at his home address that his wife wouldn’t know.

“Bill, bill, bill…” He paused. “Hideto.” He opened the letter and read it over quickly. His suspicions were confirmed, the letter had been from Hyde. It seemed to be filled with nothing important, and Etsushi was very curious why Hyde had written him, especially after the way they had last spoken in Taiwan. But then Etsushi’s eye caught one to one sentence that seemed to stand out among the pointless words that surrounded it.

“Have you ever had a realistic dream, and when you woke up, you were able to make it real? Sometimes, I would like for that to happen to me.”

Etsushi re-read the line several times, wonder if he had read into the sentence too much. But there was only way to find out.

So Etsushi picked up the phone and dialed Hyde’s number, printed ever so neatly at the bottom of the letter.

End