O.K. um...what can I say? *^_^*
For those of you who have been following the Dragon Dreams storyline,
this is an alternate universe with a different supporting cast and the
rules are slightly different.

*WARNING*

This is a lemon and contains some grapic discriptions of sex.
The first encounter is yaoi. The second, however, is not.
If such things offend you, don't read this.

Windlily


**********************************************************


I've been in a cave for forty days
Only your spark to light my way
Want to give out
Want to give in
This is our crime, this is our sin

But I still believe! I still believe!
Through the pain, through the grief
Through the lies, through the storms
Through the cries, through the wars
Oh, I still believe!

Flat on my back, out at sea
Hoping the waves don't cover me
Turned and tossed upon the waves
When the darkness comes, feel the grief
But I still believe, still believe
Through the cold, through the heat
Through the rain, through the tears,
Through the crowds, through the cheers
 Oh, I still believe!

I'll march this road
I'll climb this hill
Upon my knees if I have to
I'll take my place upon this stage
I'll wait 'till the end of time for you
Like everybody else!

Our on my own, roaming the street
Look at the faces that I meet
Feel like I, like I want to go home
What do I feel, what do I know?

But I still believe, yes I still believe
Through the shame, through the grief
Through the heart ache, through the tears
Through the pain, through the years

Some people like us, in places like this
We need all the hope we can get
So I still believe, and I still believe!


*******************************************************

The Dragon's Lovers


	Tsuzuku smiled politely at the bad joke his companion made, his
thoughts barely on the pretty girl at his side on the subway. He had
planned on declining this invitation but Hajime had insisted that he get
out and try to have at least one evening of fun. Heaven knew, the life
of a normal teenager had never been easy for himself or his eldest
brother and now, with all that had been happening, it was nothing more
than a dream. But a dream that for at least one evening he would have
the chance of making a reality. The two other couples with them laughed
heartily, then teased him gently about his distraction. He agreed with
them and apologized and became very determined that this evening would
be 'normal'.

	It was Kieko's birthday outing and she had asked him to be her 'date'.
He had been amused by her forwardness as she had asked with a tone that
would broke no opposition yet blushed furiously. It had been three
months since they had been stranded in the United States after that
disastrous encounter with The Four Sisters that had led to Hajime's
Change. They were lucky that the Japanese community seemed to have no
problems in hiring 'illegal' immigrants. Hajime had found a job in a
book store and he and Matsuri were working in Shiro's family restaurant.
They had even enrolled Owaru and Amaru in the public school system here
under false names.

	He closed his eyes, pushed those troubles away. Tonight he was nothing
but a normal young man on a normal date. Right now they were on their
way from a nice dinner supplied by Shiro's restaurant to a warehouse
over by the wharves. Not the best area of town, but that was were Kieko
wanted to go. She wanted to see the hottest new 'underground' band and
her cousin with shadowy 'connections' had gotten them all tickets. And
how could he resist going to see a group that called themselves 'The
Dragon's Lovers'?

	The warehouse was packed and smoky. Tables had been set up and there
was a steady stream of scantily clad men and women running booze from
the bar to the audience. Kieko's cousin waved to them from a well
guarded table close to the stage and Tsuzuku and the other young men
formed a wedge around the girls and shouldered and shoved, (in his case
very carefully), their way to the table. Kieko's cousin and his henchmen
grinned at him as he pulled out one of the chairs for Kieko to sit in
then faded into the mob.

	The warm-up band wasn't bad though a little to 'heavy' for his personal
taste. He ordered a glass of wine to nurse through the night as the rest
of his table started on a variety of mixed drinks. He hoped he wouldn't
have to carry any of them home drunk out of their minds. He went out
with Kieko and the other two girls to dance and for a while became what
he so much wanted to be.

	The warm-up band finished to a good round of applause and left the
stage. During the end of their set Kieko had slid her chair next to his
and slithered up close. He had captured her hand and trapped it in his
own to keep it from wandering on his thighs and wrapped his arm around
her shoulders and so managed to contain her. She had already drunk too
much but seemed to acquiesce to this trapped cuddle. He was beginning to
think that maybe tonight was not such a good idea. Kieko was too
determined to carry through on something he had no way or desire to do
with her.

	"Dragon's Lovers!" The crowd had taken up a rhythmic clap. Their
combined voices swelled into a roar of demand. The warehouse suddenly
plunged into darkness and a single female voice sang one pure, sultry
note which cut through the roar. A male voice joined it in an uneasy
harmony that turned the sound into one of longing. The two voices wove
around each other without any accompaniment, the harmony sometimes
entwining like lovers only to break away into heart wrenching
loneliness. Then back together. Tsuzuku felt all the fine hairs on his
body rise in response. It was...incredible. A total silence had fallen
as the whole crowd fell under that spell. The two voices came together
once more, the sound so pure, so full of sad, longing need, that he was
convinced it could not come from human throats as it went on and on
until it almost became painful. A guitar picked up the notes and
moderated them into something human and familiar.

	A spot pierced the darkness and brought the guitarist into being. A
side silhouette in Levi's and a simple, white sleeveless T-shirt, he sat
on a high stool, one foot on the ground, the other resting on a rung. He
was so pale he seemed almost to glow. And the effect was added to by the
silver sheen of his long black hair that hung over one shoulder, tied
into a low ponytail with a red ribbon. Tsuzuku felt himself blush as a
truly ecchi thought flashed through his mind. This man was beautiful!
The appreciative sigh from Kieko and the other two girls at the table
confirmed his evaluation. A drumbeat picked up behind the note as the
guitarist began to change it into a melody and the drummer and trap set
came up backlit. 

	A spot set in the floor of the stage snapped on and a red swirl of
smoke started as the rest of the band joined in. The original note had
devolved into a dance demanding piece of rock and roll yet all eyes were
on the stage and that swirl. For a moment it seemed to shape a dragon as
the female voice began to add the words for the melody. The smoke dragon
dissipated in a violent whirl and left a woman. Tsuzuku knew it was a
body suit but the impression of the red dragon wrapped around her naked
figure, the tip of it's tail at her left ankle and it's body wrapping
around hers once so that the neck came over her right shoulder and it's
nose rested just above her belly button was totally believable. He just
sat and stared, stunned, as the crowd roared it's appreciation.

	He found his mouth suddenly dry as he tried to swallow. Whereas his
first impression of the guitarist had been one of a creature composed of
moonlight, this woman was a thing of the sun. Short, soft, yellow curls
framed an elfin face surrounded golden skin. Not tanned, golden. She
smiled at the audience and gestured with her hands as she started to
dance and bid them come and join her. And they did.

	Kieko tried to pull him up but he just shook his head. She gave him a
pretty pout and a shrug then went to find another partner. That suited
him fine. He sat entranced. No. More than entranced. The woman seemed
distracted for a moment, almost stumbling over the words of the song as
her eyes scanned the crowd. They lit and focused on him and she did stop
singing for a moment. He saw the guitarist glance up with concern as she
covered that mistake so well that it seemed a part of the song. Gods!
Had she recognized him? How? She tore her eyes away and returned to the
crowd but now the guitarist had found him. They locked eyes for a moment
then the man dropped his head and went back to his focus on the music.

	The songs were full of erotic imagery and the music was doing something
strange to him. He felt dangerously overheated and shifted uncomfortably
as his body responded physically to the hard driving rhythm and the
woman's sultry voice as she sang of the pleasures of the bedroom. And it
got even worse and embarrassed him when the guitarist joined in. But he
noticed that after that first glance, neither of them looked his way
again.  Why? Who were they and what did they know about him? If
anything? The last song was slow and sad and particularly haunting...

Oh, it's your survival
Captured by my dream
No matter where you go, I will find you
If it takes a long, long time
No matter where you go, I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

Our bright heaven shudders
Gone night and moon and dreams
No matter where you go, I will find you
In a place we'll know from dreams
No matter where you go, I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

No matter where you go, I will find you...

Not so much the words but the spell their voices wove around it. His own
chest tightened with longing and hard tears as the words devolved as the
accompaniment faded out instrument by instrument. The lights faded a bit
as each 'voice' was lost until it was only the darkness and their voices
and that lost sad note. He was up and moving before the echo faded. He
had to talk to them!

	He used the cover of the darkness and the stunned silence of the crowd
to get onto the stage and slip backstage.

	"Excuse me." He saw the drummer.

	"Who are you? What are you doing back here?" The big man eyed him.

	"Ryudo Tsuzuku." He gave a little bow, then shook his head. It was hard
to remember that you gave your family name last here. "I need to talk to
the woman and the man who was playing the guitar."

	"Yeah. Doesn't everybody." The man snorted. "You'd better leave before
I call security."

	"Please. I have to talk to them! It's important." He was aware of the
two dark clad and well muscled men heading for him.

	"That's what they all say. I can't help you. And now, you'd better
leave." He nodded at the two men who came to stand on either side of
him.

	He knew this was a battle he didn't want and couldn't afford so he went
docilely. Kieko and the group were waiting at the table as the two men
led him towards the door. They hurried to catch up with him and his
escort as the men shoved him out.

	"Tsuzuku-kun! Where did you go?" Kieko swayed as she put both hands on
her hips.

	"Backstage. I wanted to meet the band but didn't have much luck." He
shrugged back and thought about how to extract himself from her and go
to see if he could catch them as they left. Then he took in Kieko's
state as she answered him. He would have to escort her home. She was too
drunk to trust by herself and their companions weren't in any shape to
make sure she got home safely.

	"Oh. Well, I could have gotten you back there without any trouble if
you would have just told me!" She pouted. Then her eyes went dreamy.
"That Lebeau Remy is just too bishonen. But not as beautiful as you!"
She said it with a tease as she wiggled up next to him and leaned
against his side. He had to put his arm around her to keep her upright
and gave an inward sigh. Well, he had a name to work on hunting down and
he could come to the next show and catch them then if he had to.

	*Lebeau Remy.* Maybe she knew the woman's too.

	"Kieko, do you know the band members?" He asked as the little group
merged with the flow of people heading for the subway station.

	She nodded. "Well, I've met them. My cousin took me backstage the first
time I went to one of their concerts. Lebeau-san was very shy and
Lee-san very nice. Luke-san, the keyboard player, asked me out but Daddy
wouldn't let me go."

	"Lee-san?" He dug for some more information.

	"Yes. The singer." She looked at him and a hard, sly cast came across
her face. "She and Lebeau are lovers, you know."

	It was obvious she wasn't going to give up Lee-san's first name. "I
enjoyed the concert. When is the next time they are performing, do you
know? I think my brother would like to see them too."

	Kieko laughed. "Who knows? That's part of what makes them so popular.
They play when they feel like it and give the club manager only a day to
get the word out. But they never fail to pack a warehouse."

	"Sa. Your cousin is in charge for the security for them when they play,
isn't he?"

	She giggled and nodded.

	"Will you tell me the next time they are going to put on a show?"

	She giggled and nodded again as he steered her onto the subway car.

	She was a subtle tease the whole trip back on the train. Normally he
would have just ignored it but tonight it was hard. He was more aroused
than he had realized and Kieko's light touches where just making it
worse. And it was a futile thing. He knew it from experience. When he
had finally gotten up the courage to ask Hajime about it after two
disastrous encounters his brother had told him that it was just not
possible for males with dragon blood to achieve orgasm with a partner
not of the same blood. It had explained a lot about his brother and his
seeming lack of interest in the women who adored him.

	The couples parted once they had reached their station and he walked
Kieko to the building that held both of their apartments.

	"No one's home tonight, Tsuzuku-san." She whispered as she turned into
him in the hallway. He startled as her hands went to press against his
groin. "And I want you as the last part of my birthday present." She
purred.

	He took her hands into his own and brought them up to kiss. "I'm
honored, Kieko-san. But I don't think so. You are drunk and I...well, it
wouldn't be wise."

	She pouted at him. "But you want me just as much, don't you? I felt
him, you know!" She gave him a sly wink.

	"It doesn't matter, Kieko-san. I'm sorry, but you should go in and go
to bed." He gave her a bow and turned to go.

	"Tsuzuku-san? Why? Am I not good enough for you?" Her voice turned hard
and shrewish.

	He turned back to her and gave her a gentle smile. "You are too good
for me, Kieko-san. Now, go in and go to bed."

	That seemed to take all the hurt bluster out of her in a rush. She
bowed and made a wobbly turn, then was inside. He ran up the ten flights
of stairs to the tiny apartment that the five of them shared hoping the
exercise would take the edge off the flare of desire that burned along
his nerves. It worked. He opened the door as quietly as possible.

	"Have fun?" Hajime asked from his futon on the floor of the main room.

	"Hai. It was an interesting evening. You need to go and see this band,
Brother." He answered as he toed off his shoes.

	"I don't think we could afford it, Tsuzuku-kun." Hajime said softly and
lightly but Tsuzuku knew he was worrying. And not just over their lack
of funds.

	"As you told me, Brother, a little relaxation every now and then is
vital for the well being of the soul." Tsuzuku answered back then turned
to tip-toe down the short hall for the bathroom. He came back out in a
tee-shirt and gym shorts and settled into the futon next to Hajime's.
Matsuri, Amaru and Owaru were in the one bedroom with a rigged wall of a
curtain between them.

	"I'm glad you had a good evening, Tsuzuku." Hajime said to bid him
good-night.

						*****

	He woke up drenched in sweat and panting. The fragments of the chaotic
dream that had woke him blurred and fled before he could capture them
into his memory. But the voices remained. The two combined voices from
the concert. He combed his fingers through his damp bangs to get them
off of his forehead as his heart finally began to slow. He glanced at
Hajime, glad he hadn't woken him, then at the clock. 4:30. As his heart
slowed he became aware of another pulse. Gods! Why was he so aroused?

	He kicked the covers off and let the cooler night air from the open
window wash over him. He forced himself to relax, to ignore it, and
softly hummed a different popular song that he liked to overcome the
memory of those voices. After a few minutes it worked and he slipped
back into a light doze. He wandered in and out of a restless sleep for
the next hour and a half and at 6:00 finally gave it up and worked his
way out of the tangle of his sheets. He still had half an hour before
his cousin's internal alarm clock would go off and bring her chipper and
chirping out of the bedroom with a grumbling Owaru and a sloe-eyed Amaru
in her wake. He headed for the bathroom. Enough time for a private bath.
And he hoped a few minutes under a cold shower would take of care of his
elevated temperature and his erection.

	The day did not go well. It had started out with him being
uncharacteristically short-tempered and snapping at Owaru and Amaru as
they grumbled about having to go to 'that lousy public school'. They had
both tip-toed around him through the rest of their rush to get out the
door and he had handed them their lunches with a soft apology.

	Hajime had thankfully missed his snarl and he busied himself with
starting on the vegetables for the dinner Matsuri would leave for his
brothers as she gathered the laundry and went down with Hajime as escort
to do it. This was not a safe place and he wished once more in vain for
the life they had left behind as he chopped and peeled.

	They got Hajime off to work at 9:30 then he left Matsuri to cook as he
went 'hunting'. It had taken some work but he finally had an address to
go with the name, Lebeau Remy. It was in the high class part of the
city. He was late getting back to walk Matsuri to work and they both had
to run and still were five minutes late.

	He was uncharacteristically clumsy and dropped two trays, much to the
annoyance of Ichomi-san though his wife just smiled and helped him clean
the mess up. He was acutely aware of the furtive glances and whispers
from many of the women, young and old, and the hungry stares of many of
the men. Normally those men amused him, yet today they bothered him.
They reminded him too much of how he had stared at Lebeau Remy and the
wave of desire that had come with it.

	He had never considered such things before. Yet he had not been able to
get rid of either his or Lee-san's images. They kept popping up at
unguarded moments and with equal strength. He shook his head to dispel
them once more as the bell rang in his sequence informing him that
another dinner was ready and returned Matsuri's wink and grin as she
passed him with a tray of her own.