Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present
From the gacktjob_fanfic community summer challenge
Title: Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present
Genre: friendship;romance
Pairing: Gackt/You
Rating: pg
Word count: 1403
Summary: Birthdays and people come and go from year to year, but one remains constant.
Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present
1993:
“Happy birthday to youuu...”
Gackt looked around at his friends gathered in Ren’s small apartment. This was supposed to be just a get-together to work on songs and technique, so when You and Ren disappeared and came back a few minutes later carrying a birthday cake and everyone started singing, Gackt was totally surprised.
“Make a wish,” You grinned.
Gackt looked around the room. These guys were his friends. They shared his love for music, but he wondered if they all shared the same passion, the same drive. Somehow he knew they didn’t. He closed his eyes, whispered a quick prayer, then blew out the candles. Everyone cheered and poured more shochu as they devoured the cake. And with that he realized that for most of them the whole point of tonight had been just to get together and get drunk. He sat quietly in a corner of the couch, and suddenly felt very sad.
“Happy birthday, Gacchan.”
Gackt looked up to find You standing beside him. “What’s so happy about it?”
You shrugged, “Well, it beats last year, when we were beating the shit out of each other out at the playground. Who would have thought we’d become such good friends?”
Who indeed? They were like night and day. You was quiet and contemplative; he studied everything from every angle before making a move. Gackt, himself, was rough and quick to jump into anything he felt passionate about. Somehow they balanced each other, and their friendship fed off those differences that others said should have kept them mortal enemies. Gackt had to smile. “Yeah, you’ve got a point there.” He looked around at the others who had started another drinking game. Then he stood up. “I need to go get some fresh air.”
“Want some company?” You set his plate of cake down on the coffee table.
Gackt smiled, “Sure.”
They stepped out into the sticky, humid Kyoto night. Haze blanketed the night sky, leaving an orange ring around the half-moon. They walked a few blocks to the infamous playground and sat on the swings in silence. Gackt dug in the sand under the swings with his toe.
You swayed gently back and forth on his swing, gazing up at the hazy moon. “Do you ever wonder where this will all end? Do you think we’ve got what it takes to make a living out of this?”
Gackt stopped digging and looked over at his friend who looked at him so earnestly that Gackt felt almost guilty about what he was about to say. “No, I don’t. We’re never going anywhere with this band. Nobody’s really serious about the music; nobody really cares, and it just pisses me off so much!”
“Yeah, I don’t think so, either,” You sighed, looking back up at the moon. “The other guys, I think they’d be happy just to be a bar band. But I know you’ll make it. You’ve got so much talent and tenacity; you won’t settle for anything less.” He stopped swinging and looked back at his friend. “You’ll leave us soon. But I’ll keep on practicing, and maybe someday when you come back on tour, you’ll take a minute, and we’ll get to play together again just for old time’s sake.”
Gackt listened to You’s quiet resignation. “Don’t You,” he said earnestly. “You’re the one who really got me started on this path. Don’t give up on your dream. We’ll make it together.”
You smiled at him. “I’d like that. But even if it doesn’t happen for me, don’t forget that I’ll always stand by you.”
Gackt smiled at You, and his eyes softened. “Thanks, Youkun. You just answered my birthday wish.”
2013:
Gackt sat in the dressing room after the show, stripped of his costume and wearing only his jeans, unbuttoned and unzipped as he slid You’s red ribbon through his fingers over and over. He felt exhausted. The others had already headed out to the party, except for Chacha and You who looked just as tired as their leader. All three tossed empty water bottles toward a trash can.
“Yes!” Chacha pumped his fist as his bottle tipped into the can and the two other bottles bounced off and fell to the floor. “Well,” he smirked, “40 years old. How’s it feel, old man?”
“Shut up! Look who’s calling who old,” Gackt glared, trying not to smile. “Honestly, right now it feels pretty damn old. I really do think you’ll outlast all of us. I don’t know how you do it.”
“You really want to know? I just do what I always do: let you think you’re the one in charge, and do what I feel like.” He grinned at the stunned reflection of the vocalist in the mirror in front of him as he finished brushing out his hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. Then he turned around and leaned on the counter, careful to avoid the array of makeup, brushes, tissues, towels, and other paraphernalia that littered the entire surface. “Seriously, I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t want to be, or if I thought I’d hold you back.”
Gackt looked at his lead guitarist with true affection. “I hope you never go,” he said quietly. “Too many friends have already gone.... I know I have no one to blame but myself, but... well, damn... I guess it’s too late to change now.”
You swung one long leg from atop the other and to the floor. “You wouldn’t be you then, and we wouldn’t want you any other way,” he smiled. “Although, you might think about dialing back on the physical stuff just a bit. I don’t know about you and Cha, but I know I’m getting too old for all this intense drama.”
Gackt grinned at his best friend. “That’s why I told everyone that you’d be the first to die.”
“Maybe,” You agreed, “but I’ve got a more fun vision of my demise.” He leaned forward and tugged at the red ribbon that he’d tied around his waist for Gackt during the mc.
“Aaannd I think that’s my cue to leave,” Chacha laughed.
“You don’t have to go,” Gackt said.
“No,” Chacha grinned at him. “But you two need some time alone with your red string of fate.” He tugged at the ribbon held by the two men. “And besides, somebody has to make sure everybody doesn’t get too drunk to show up for the next show. So,” he sighed dramatically and laid the back of one hand against his forehead, “I’ll make the sacrifice, and you two can take your time getting there.”
You laughed. “You just want to go catch up with them and drink everybody else under the table. We’re wise to you, Fujimura.”
“Damn! You figured me out.” Chacha grinned and waved behind him as he left the dressing room.
Gackt and You sat in silence for several long seconds. “20 years, Youkun, we’ve been together 20 years. I can hardly remember when you were not a part of my life, and yet it seems like only yesterday we couldn’t stand each other.” He looked up at You. “Thanks for staying.”
You smiled at him. “I told you I’d stay by your side.”
“But I never thought you meant it like that.”
You let his fingers slide over the ribbon and looked up into the dark eyes he treasured. “The Fates brought us together all those years ago for a reason, so who am I to argue? Besides, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, and no one more important to me.” He leaned in and kissed Gackt. “And just so you know, I do plan on being around to celebrate lots more birthdays.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come on, we’re missing your big night.”
Gackt let You pull him to his feet, and continued to hold his hand. “Can’t we just go home instead?”
“I’d like to, but it’s your birthday party. Let them have their fun and make a fuss over you; you know you really love it. And later I’ll put the ribbon back on, and you can take your time unwrapping your present properly."
Gackt returned You’s smile, his face aglow with emotion. “Thanks You-chan, you just answered my birthday wish.”
~~~~~~~
fin
Title: Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present
Genre: friendship;romance
Pairing: Gackt/You
Rating: pg
Word count: 1403
Summary: Birthdays and people come and go from year to year, but one remains constant.
Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present
1993:
“Happy birthday to youuu...”
Gackt looked around at his friends gathered in Ren’s small apartment. This was supposed to be just a get-together to work on songs and technique, so when You and Ren disappeared and came back a few minutes later carrying a birthday cake and everyone started singing, Gackt was totally surprised.
“Make a wish,” You grinned.
Gackt looked around the room. These guys were his friends. They shared his love for music, but he wondered if they all shared the same passion, the same drive. Somehow he knew they didn’t. He closed his eyes, whispered a quick prayer, then blew out the candles. Everyone cheered and poured more shochu as they devoured the cake. And with that he realized that for most of them the whole point of tonight had been just to get together and get drunk. He sat quietly in a corner of the couch, and suddenly felt very sad.
“Happy birthday, Gacchan.”
Gackt looked up to find You standing beside him. “What’s so happy about it?”
You shrugged, “Well, it beats last year, when we were beating the shit out of each other out at the playground. Who would have thought we’d become such good friends?”
Who indeed? They were like night and day. You was quiet and contemplative; he studied everything from every angle before making a move. Gackt, himself, was rough and quick to jump into anything he felt passionate about. Somehow they balanced each other, and their friendship fed off those differences that others said should have kept them mortal enemies. Gackt had to smile. “Yeah, you’ve got a point there.” He looked around at the others who had started another drinking game. Then he stood up. “I need to go get some fresh air.”
“Want some company?” You set his plate of cake down on the coffee table.
Gackt smiled, “Sure.”
They stepped out into the sticky, humid Kyoto night. Haze blanketed the night sky, leaving an orange ring around the half-moon. They walked a few blocks to the infamous playground and sat on the swings in silence. Gackt dug in the sand under the swings with his toe.
You swayed gently back and forth on his swing, gazing up at the hazy moon. “Do you ever wonder where this will all end? Do you think we’ve got what it takes to make a living out of this?”
Gackt stopped digging and looked over at his friend who looked at him so earnestly that Gackt felt almost guilty about what he was about to say. “No, I don’t. We’re never going anywhere with this band. Nobody’s really serious about the music; nobody really cares, and it just pisses me off so much!”
“Yeah, I don’t think so, either,” You sighed, looking back up at the moon. “The other guys, I think they’d be happy just to be a bar band. But I know you’ll make it. You’ve got so much talent and tenacity; you won’t settle for anything less.” He stopped swinging and looked back at his friend. “You’ll leave us soon. But I’ll keep on practicing, and maybe someday when you come back on tour, you’ll take a minute, and we’ll get to play together again just for old time’s sake.”
Gackt listened to You’s quiet resignation. “Don’t You,” he said earnestly. “You’re the one who really got me started on this path. Don’t give up on your dream. We’ll make it together.”
You smiled at him. “I’d like that. But even if it doesn’t happen for me, don’t forget that I’ll always stand by you.”
Gackt smiled at You, and his eyes softened. “Thanks, Youkun. You just answered my birthday wish.”
2013:
Gackt sat in the dressing room after the show, stripped of his costume and wearing only his jeans, unbuttoned and unzipped as he slid You’s red ribbon through his fingers over and over. He felt exhausted. The others had already headed out to the party, except for Chacha and You who looked just as tired as their leader. All three tossed empty water bottles toward a trash can.
“Yes!” Chacha pumped his fist as his bottle tipped into the can and the two other bottles bounced off and fell to the floor. “Well,” he smirked, “40 years old. How’s it feel, old man?”
“Shut up! Look who’s calling who old,” Gackt glared, trying not to smile. “Honestly, right now it feels pretty damn old. I really do think you’ll outlast all of us. I don’t know how you do it.”
“You really want to know? I just do what I always do: let you think you’re the one in charge, and do what I feel like.” He grinned at the stunned reflection of the vocalist in the mirror in front of him as he finished brushing out his hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. Then he turned around and leaned on the counter, careful to avoid the array of makeup, brushes, tissues, towels, and other paraphernalia that littered the entire surface. “Seriously, I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t want to be, or if I thought I’d hold you back.”
Gackt looked at his lead guitarist with true affection. “I hope you never go,” he said quietly. “Too many friends have already gone.... I know I have no one to blame but myself, but... well, damn... I guess it’s too late to change now.”
You swung one long leg from atop the other and to the floor. “You wouldn’t be you then, and we wouldn’t want you any other way,” he smiled. “Although, you might think about dialing back on the physical stuff just a bit. I don’t know about you and Cha, but I know I’m getting too old for all this intense drama.”
Gackt grinned at his best friend. “That’s why I told everyone that you’d be the first to die.”
“Maybe,” You agreed, “but I’ve got a more fun vision of my demise.” He leaned forward and tugged at the red ribbon that he’d tied around his waist for Gackt during the mc.
“Aaannd I think that’s my cue to leave,” Chacha laughed.
“You don’t have to go,” Gackt said.
“No,” Chacha grinned at him. “But you two need some time alone with your red string of fate.” He tugged at the ribbon held by the two men. “And besides, somebody has to make sure everybody doesn’t get too drunk to show up for the next show. So,” he sighed dramatically and laid the back of one hand against his forehead, “I’ll make the sacrifice, and you two can take your time getting there.”
You laughed. “You just want to go catch up with them and drink everybody else under the table. We’re wise to you, Fujimura.”
“Damn! You figured me out.” Chacha grinned and waved behind him as he left the dressing room.
Gackt and You sat in silence for several long seconds. “20 years, Youkun, we’ve been together 20 years. I can hardly remember when you were not a part of my life, and yet it seems like only yesterday we couldn’t stand each other.” He looked up at You. “Thanks for staying.”
You smiled at him. “I told you I’d stay by your side.”
“But I never thought you meant it like that.”
You let his fingers slide over the ribbon and looked up into the dark eyes he treasured. “The Fates brought us together all those years ago for a reason, so who am I to argue? Besides, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be, and no one more important to me.” He leaned in and kissed Gackt. “And just so you know, I do plan on being around to celebrate lots more birthdays.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Come on, we’re missing your big night.”
Gackt let You pull him to his feet, and continued to hold his hand. “Can’t we just go home instead?”
“I’d like to, but it’s your birthday party. Let them have their fun and make a fuss over you; you know you really love it. And later I’ll put the ribbon back on, and you can take your time unwrapping your present properly."
Gackt returned You’s smile, his face aglow with emotion. “Thanks You-chan, you just answered my birthday wish.”
~~~~~~~
fin