"I can't believe it!" said Yaten. "I thought we'd be able to do this concert tomorrow!"
"It's not possible Yaten... You have to do it tonight." said the Three Lights choreograph.
"It's not FAIR! Shuuichi is going tomorrow!... I wanted to have the evening off with him!" said angrily Yaten.
"It's written on our contract... We can't go back on our word..." said Seiya gently. "He'll be backstage..."
"OH YEAH RIGHT! THAT'S A COMFORT!!! THANKS SEIYA!!!" Yaten stormed out of the room, this was the worse day of his existence.
Seiya sighed as Yaten stormed out. "You think we'll be able to keep the secret much longer... He's really pissed..."
"No small wonder but by the time the concert is over... He'll be glad." said Taiki opening a side door. "Yaten is gone Kurama... You can come in now..."
"Are you sure Yaten is gone?..." asked Kurama nervously. "And are you sure we should go through with this... I mean it's not the greatest..."
"Are you kidding?... It's perfect!" said Seiya as he pushed Kurama in the studio. "But you got to practice... Sooo..."
Taiki chuckled with a silent look he told Akane to watch out for Yaten. She returned a look that meant that he shouldn't worry about that.
Yaten sat down at a booth in the Crown Parlor. He looked around none of his friends were there. "It's as though everyone abandoned me today..."
Unazuki came to his table and asked him what he wanted. "Double Chocolate brownie sunday with extra cherries..." he mumbled. She jotted that down and went to fill his order. "Don't forget the whipped cream!" called Yaten.
The waitress came back after a little while with Yaten's sunday and left him to eat it. He was about to dig in when he heard someone chuckle behind him.
"Aren't you supposed to watch what you eat?..." Yaten recognized the voice, it was Kuronue. "Whoa... Ten cherries... You're depressed ne?"
"You have a gift for understatement you know that?" grumbled Yaten.
Kuronue could tell Yaten needed to talk, even if he's rather submit to torture rather than plainly say it. The silver haired idol had the bad tendency to close himself to others when there was emotional problems. A protecting veneer, if you act like you don't care, no one can get at you. The old youkai knew that it could drive away friends also.
Kuronue ordered some tea and asked Yaten. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing..." answered the silver haired idol between bites. He was polishing off that sunday so fast, Kuronue wondered if he paused long enough to draw breath.
"Yaten... Both me and you know that when you say it like that. Something is wrong. Now don't insult my intelligence and stop being so stubborn. I'm your friend and I want to help..." replied the Youkai, Unazuki came back with his tea and he blew lightly on it before taking a sip.
"Hai... Something is bothering me..." replied Yaten, his eyes still fixed on the sunday.
"It's about the concert tonight... ne?"
Yaten hit the table. "SHIMATTA! They knew Ku-chan is scheduled to leave for America tomorrow morning! I wanted to be with him tonight!"
Kuronue let out a small sigh. "Well you can't always have what you want... I know..."
"He's leaving tomorrow... And I won't see him for at least four months!" pouted Yaten. "They could have at least left me alone with him tonight!"
"There's always the phone and the internet!" tried Kuronue.
"It's NOT the same as having him next to me..." said softly Yaten.
Kuronue nodded. "Hai, but Yaten, you have to remember that he will come back... He loves you too much and you know it..."
"Hai... But what if he has an accident... or he can't come back for Christmas?" asked Yaten, his voice quivering.
"I know Kurama... He will do anything possible to get back here for Christmas." smiled Kuronue.
"I hope so..." whispered Yaten.
"Speaking of Kurama... Where is he?" asked Kuronue. He facevaulted when Yaten restarted to eat the sunday at lightning speed.
"He's at his parent's home... Visiting one last time before he leaves...."
Kuronue raised an eyebrow. "Shiroi-san is nuts about you. Why aren't you there?"
"Because..." Yaten started. "If his mother is crazy about me... I can't say the same about his stepfather..."
"What do you mean?" asked Kuronue.
Yaten paused before replying. "He was at best cold with me the first time I met him. Shiroi-san was trying to make me feel at home so was Kurama's stepbrother: Shuuichi-chan. But he didn't seem to like me very much..."
"Maybe he was startled... You came as a guy, right?" asked Kuronue.
"Hai..." sighed Yaten. "Maybe I should have gone as a girl but I would have had to explain too many things..."
"Wakatta..." tried Kuronue. "Maybe it wouldn't be bad this time around?"
Yaten looked at him. "I doubt it... The second time, I went there his reception was cold. He kept on reading the newspaper as we got in. Suddenly as we were talking to Shiroi-san, some girl that worked for him came calling..."
"So?" asked Kuronue.
"So?... He was so happy to introduce her to Kurama!" puffed Yaten.
"You think he planned it?"
"Well DUH!... She kept saying she had heard so much about him. He had asked her to come and bring papers from work..." replied Yaten.
"Maybe he needed those papers?" asked Kuronue.
"Yeah, right... Just before dinner on a Sunday evening AND he invited her to stay for dinner and she accepted. He even placed her next to Kurama... I never felt so ashamed to be somewhere in my life. Kurama was really pissed, he was trying to talk to me and his father would bring him back with his conversation with the girl..."
Kuronue paled. "Oh my..."
"Hai, well Kurama flipped when he told him 'Wasn't it a shame that such a beautiful girl was single?'..." said Yaten.
Kuronue winced. "Oi, that must not have gone well..."
"Not really..." Said Yaten, playing with his ice cream. "They started to argue, I was really feeling bad about that. Shiroi-san was furious because of what her husband had tried to do. Shuuichi-chan looked like he felt caught between a rock and a hard place... It didn't end well, I was almost crying when Kurama took our coats and we left... I felt horrible..."
"It wasn't your fault Yaten... You shouldn't feel responsible for that..." said Kuronue.
"If I had gone as a girl... His stepfather wouldn't have tried to fix him up with a girl... I never felt so ashamed of what I was right then..." Yaten blinked, the memories wetting his eyes even though he refused to let them go.
"Yaten... Don't feel ashamed... You weren't the one at fault." started Kuronue. "Kurama still loves you... You got to remember that."
Yaten smiled a little. "Hai... Hai you're right..."
Kuronue looked at his watch. "Oh dear is it this late already?"
"Huh?" said Yaten.
"You better get ready for that concert... Come on! I'll give you a lift." said Kuronue.
"I don't feel like singing tonight..." said softly Yaten.
"Yaten..." said gently Kuronue. "This concert will be the last memory of Kurama and if he sees you singing with energy and love. He will carry this memory in his heart... And so will you. Go give it your best shot Yaten, sing with all your heart and all your soul, for you as well as for him."
Yaten looked at Kuronue a little shocked. He never expected the Youkai to talk to him like that. Yaten nodded he felt a warmth in his heart. "I will... Thanks, Kuronue..."
When Yaten got up they hugged and after paying Unazuki, they got in Kuronue's car and they went to the concert.
The concert was a smash, after giving a torrid kiss to Kurama, Yaten jumped on the stage with his brothers. He gave it his maximum, he launched a euphoria and the crowd roared his name. They had never seen Yaten sing and dance and ad lib like he never did before.
Seiya and Taiki were impressed to say the least. Both were afraid that maybe Yaten's performance would have been so-so. They were very happy it wasn't as bad as they thought, the surprise they had for Yaten would be even sweeter.
Seiya took Yaten apart during the show and asked him to sing the next song acapella and alone. Yaten was surprised but Seiya told him that the fans were calling him tonight, that he should do it. Yaten nodded and started the song alone on the stage.
While he sang, he could hear a huge activity behind him. Props were move, even the grand Piano was taken to the stage. Yaten frowned when everything became still, he stopped singing.
"What's going on?" he asked.
There was a murmur in the audience, Yaten didn't know what was going on, on the stage?
Seiya came back and addressed the crowd. "Minna!" He called. "There is just one song left tonight... And it is a treat... I guarantee it..." Seiya made a grand gesture and Taiki came back on stage with Haruka and Michiru. The tall blonde took her place on the piano and started a melody, Michiru, on her violin, played softly while Seiya continued.
"This last song, is a very special song, for you see it wasn't composed by Taiki, Yaten or me. Well, Taiki and me helped for the music, but the lyrics will be sung by the person who wrote. This song is called, 'Dear, my angel' and this song, is for you Yaten..."
Yaten stood there baffled as the fans started to scream. Kurama, Minamino Shuuichi, had just arrived on stage, all dressed in white. Behind him, half hidden by a transparent curtain, all the Inners, the rest of the Outers, Hiei, Yuusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara and Yukina placed themselves in a choral formation. Yaten dropped his mike when Kurama took his hand and started to sing for him.
Yaten felt his eyes fill with tears as Kurama sang. This song, he would cherish it all his life. His friends with the help of Taiki and Seiya sang with Kurama as if they were a chorus of angels. The silver haired idol looked into Kurama's eyes and as he sang, he could see he ment every word. The crowd went wild when Yaten hugged him closely as they swayed in time with the music.
Yaten lifted his head to Kurama. "I'll always be there for you also, Koibito..." he whispered softly. "Ai shiteru..." The song ended with a kiss as in the crowd, fans were crying and throwing roses on stage. For the two lovers, time stood still as they kissed. The lights dimmed and the fans politely got out. The stage was pitch black, Kurama and Yaten were still kissing.
The sounds of departing flights filled the air the next morning. Usagi and Mamoru were kissing tenderly, Usagi gave him a ring. "My time, now..." Mamoru smiled.
"Hai... Usako... I'll miss you so much..."
"I'll miss you too, Mamo-chan..." She cried even though she had promised herself she wouldn't. "Demo... If you see a woman dressed in a weird armor and she asks you if you're Tuxedo Kamen... Say no..." He chuckled and kissed her again.
"Koibito..." said Kurama as he hugged Yaten. "I promise to write everyday... I'll try to e-mail you as much as I can..."
"Me too... I promise... Koibito, ai shiteru..." said Yaten, his voice cracking under the emotions. They kissed, no one frowned, not one of their friends told them to stop. Their kisses were mingled with tears.
All too soon, they called for all the people boarding the plane to Los Angeles to go at the gates. The two couples kissed one last time. Kurama took a box from his backpack. "This is for you, Koibito..."
"Ku-chan... I... I didn't bring you anything..." said Yaten.
"You brought me a big enough care package, all my favorite food..." said Kurama as he hugged him.
"Your mother helped..." Yaten took a step aside and let Shiroi hug her son. His stepfather also came and shook his hand.
"Yaten..." he said softly. "I would like to... apologize for my behavior the other day... It was... Out of line... Would you please come to dinner this Sunday?... We'd love to have you..."
Yaten smiled. "I'd be honored..." Shiroi smiled and hugged Yaten.
"I think you can tell him your secret when you come... He's ready..." whispered Shiroi in his ear, Yaten nodded.
They were called once more and with sadness in their hearts, Kurama and Mamoru headed for the gates. They hugged their sweethearts one last time before, they turned and went through customs with their handbags.
Yaten and Usagi rushed to the platform where they could see them board the plane, waving one last time before they got in. Yaten and Usagi waved to them, blowing kisses. A few minutes after they boarded, the plane moved and went to place itself in the take off corridor. Those who were left behind watched as the plane took flight and took their beloved away.
Both Yaten and Usagi looked at the sky a long time. One was fighting tears that wanted to get out and the other was beyond that point crying softly, looking towards the point in the sky that was the plane. They both looked at each other and hugged, finally, Yaten's tears had had the best over him as they poured out of his eyes.
They hugged a long time and didn't realize they were being towed gently to the Three Lights' car. Yaten blinked and sat down looking at the present Kurama had given him.
"Well... open it..." said Usagi, she was curious to see what it was.
Yaten tore the paper and uncovered a small music box. On the cover was a picture of Yaten as a girl and Kurama. It was signed: To my Angel... Kurama. Yaten opened it and gasped. Inside was an angel painted to resemble her, with gossamer wings. The angel twirled as the music from the song Kurama had written played. Written all over the box were the lyrics of the songs.
Yaten transformed into a girl and cried. "I'm going to miss him so much!" Usagi held her as she too cried, she would miss Mamoru just as much and she knew just what Yaten was feeling.
They looked at each other and said. "Double Chocolate Brownie Sunday!..."
Mamoru was gazing out the window of the plane when he felt Kurama rummage through his bag. He took out a music box and opened it. Mamoru smiled when he saw a tiny replica of an angel with silver hair twirl to the music he had heard the night before. He saw Kurama, look at the angel with longing and with sadness...
"Good bye, dear, my angel... Koibito... I can't wait to see you again..."
the end
The song "Dear my Angel" is sung and was composed by Megumi Ogata =). Yes the seiyuu that does Haruka and Kurama's voice. It was translated by Masa Hayashi, I didn't translated it so I don't want to take the credit.