The Moon and the Sun

Chapter 9


How in the world had that happened again? He was only a couple of day's back in Tokyo and he had already managed to get himself into another date with Camui.. at least this time there would be others there too so he didn't have to worry about him coming on to him again.

So here he was standing again in front of his large mirror, taking one last look at his appearance before Camui arrived to pick him up. Mana could spend endless hours in front of mirrors and it wasn't just because he was vain (- which of course he was), but rather because it never ceased to amaze him how someone's looks sometimes could have nothing to do with this person's inner-world.

He was wearing a leather corsage over a black, long-sleeved shirt made of lace and black tight pants with thigh-high leather boots. His outfit was completed with a white button-down dress with short puffy sleeves that he chose to wear unbuttoned above all his other clothes. With his usual make-up and hair he looked like the cold untouchable creature he always wanted to be.

On the contrary to every-one's beliefs: Mana didn't use his appearance to express himself as much as he used it to remind him of what and who he was. Every-time he felt worn or unsure or even weak he spent a little while in front of a mirror and re-established his inner-world in accord to his appearance.

Mana heard the door-bell announce that his nightmare had arrived. Masumi would probably get a fit when she saw Camui again. Last time she had ghosted for days through the house with a tight-lipped expression on her face refusing to look Mana in the eye. Mana shrugged mentally, it wasn't that he himself approved his meetings with Camui either..

He went downstairs and spotted the nightmare waiting for him near the entrance. He was wearing a simple black but tight dress-shirt and black leather pants and in his left hand he held a ridiculously large and exaggerated bouquet of white roses. Mana frowned mentally. He was kidding-right? The roses couldn't be for him, could they?

Mana slowed down his descent but Camui had spotted him and threw him a breath-taking smile. "Mana-chan, you look ethereal!" he said and let his eyes wander up and down the other man. Well, Mana might be used to scrutinising gazes but the one from Camui made him feel, let's say at least uneasy. He just nodded lightly in acknowledgement of the compliment and muttered a quiet "Konbanwa(*)."

When he reached the end of the stairs Gackt took a step forward and hugged him briefly, kissing him on the cheek. Reminded of their earlier meeting that day Mana wanted to snap at him not to touch him but he refrained from it. Hadn't he already come to the conclusion that there's no use in fighting with the insane?

Mana crossed his arms in front of his body in a show of hostility and waited to see if Camui would make the mistake to offer him the flowers, but the other man just looked around as if searching for something. "I take it Masumi-san retreated to the kitchen?" he asked.

"Probably." Mana replied and watched him curiously.

"You don't mind if I go over to her for a sec." Camui stated and went to aforementioned room. Totally confused now Mana found himself following the man to stand by the door as the blond man approached his housekeeper. He watched Camui's expression change into one of a Brazilian-soap-opera actor who was about to confess his undying love, and heard him say with a totally serious voice:

"Masumi-san, I know that you don't have the highest opinion about my person which causes me immense grief. However, I don't ask you to change your opinion about me right away, but to give me a chance to show my good intentions. Please accept this small bouquet as a peace-offering."

Mana wanted to laugh hysterically. He was unbelievable! Trying to bribe and manipulate the older woman like this it would only serve him right if Masumi kicked his ass. But then something happened that he never would have expected: Masumi's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she cracked a smile.

"Camui-sama, those are for me??" she asked surprised barely covering her joy when she took the offered flowers from him and held them to her nose. Then she turned to the man in front of her and said in a more serious tone: "I think that your request is fair enough. Maybe in the end you are really a good boy that has just been misled."

"Arigato for your understanding, Masumi-san." Camui said bowing with gratitude.

Mana felt the urge to smack himself. He had not just witness that scene, had he?

'Women..' he thought snorting inwardly, 'pretending to be hard and getting cracked with a simple bouquet of flowers and a few carefully chosen words..'

Meanwhile Camui had come to his side and offered him gallantly his arm which Mana simply ignored rolling his eyes and heading for the door.

"Oyasumi nasai, Masumi-san." he said over his shoulder exiting the house and going to Camui's car not waiting to see if the other man followed.

He found the black sport convertible unlocked and slid on the passenger-seat at the left side of the car (**). He once more wanted to get as soon as possible done with the night. Camui didn't take too long to take place in the drivers seat and start the engine. The car started and Mana just stared out of his window while they were driving across Tokyo.

The small restaurant they were heading to not only provided privacy but also excellent food but it was at least a half an hour ride to the location and they would be late because the traffic that night was especially heavy. Mana didn't worry as the others would be probably late too -unless they came in a helicopter..

"Can you get something from the back seat for me?" Camui disturbed his thoughts.

"Why don't you get it yourself?" Mana answered not even turning to face him.

"Maybe because I'm occupied with driving the car."

Alright, he had a point. Scowling he turned around to reach to the dark back seat and search with his hand for whatever it was that Camui wanted. His fingers connected with something soft first but when he tried to take hold of whatever it was thorns embedded themselves into Mana's hand. His scowl deepened and he retreated his hand to put his mouth on it where the thorns had stung him.

"Did you touch the thorns?" Gackt asked and Mana reflexively nodded.

"Good." Gackt simply said and the car came to a screeching halt on the emergency lane of the highway they were currently on. Mana's eyes had narrowed at Camui's statement but he was too distracted by the sudden manoeuvre that he didn't notice the other man leaning over him until a hand came up to detach his own hand from his mouth and replace it with firm lips.

Camui was kissing him. Before Mana composed himself enough to push him away Gackt broke the kiss.

"I was thinking about the proper way to deliver the flowers to you. I think I found it." he said grinning.

"You are mean." Mana was getting angry again. Camui had probably made it his utter goal in life to torture him. "And don't kiss me ever again. I don't want you."

Camui moved even closer making Mana's back connect with the door of the vehicle in his attempt to get away from him. "Yes, you do." he said still grinning and snaked his hand to the backside of Mana's head.

"Iie(***)!" Mana said and tried to push him back.

"May I remind you that you don't lie?" the vocalist countered and pulled Mana to him.

Effectively trapped as he was between the seat and Camui there were not many escape-routes left for Mana, so he decided to endure Camui's upcoming kiss, making a mental note to gut him afterwards.

The kiss was nothing like he had expected it to be. It wasn't even a real kiss. Soft wet lips were striving almost feather-like in a caress against his own and Mana felt the confusing need for a more firm contact rising within him. The hand that didn't hold his head in place made subtle patterns on the sensitive skin behind his ear and small shivers began to run down his spine. Mana's heartbeat was slowly speeding up.

"Kiss me." Gackt demanded capturing Mana's eyes with his gaze.

"Iie." Mana answered stubbornly but his breathing was getting shallow now. Gackt placed another chaste kiss on Mana's lower lip before he kissed a trail to his ear to nibble and suck at the earlobe. Mana felt goose-flesh covering his body and his brain slowly turning into mush. When the mouth came back to ghost over the guitarist's, he was already restraining himself with all his will to hold still.

"Kiss me." Gackt whispered and his hot breath on Mana's lips only added to his torment.

"Iie." he refused again but his voice was hushed now. Gackt's hand travelled lower over his throat and collarbone to a lace-clad nipple. Mana sighed softly when a thumb caressed it to full attention and one traitorous hand went on it's own accord to rest on Gackt's neck.

Never breaking eye-contact Gackt let his hand travel slowly back to Mana's face and he traced the contour of Mana's lips softly with his index. The lips opened almost involuntarily but the finger suddenly returned to his chest and was replaced again with the hovering lips mouthing once more the order: "Mana, kiss me."

Mana couldn't take it anymore. He closed the small distance between them and pressed his mouth on Gackt's which opened immediately inviting his tongue to enter and explore. When their tongues finally found each-other a battle for dominance began and Mana found himself being pulled forward onto a hard body. Their kiss was mind-blowing and he could definitely not remember what he had been so angry about only minutes earlier, in his brain nothing else existed anymore except of Gackuto and the way his mouth and hands made him feel.

A loud honk made them break away from each-other panting and Mana was very surprised to find himself almost on Camui's lap. How had he gotten there? When he tried to sit back properly on his seat feeling very embarrassed at how weak he was, Camui's arms didn't let him.

"You want this, Mana. You want me, as much as I want you. Stop lying to yourself." he stated before he finally released him.

He turned his head in shame to the side and bit his lip. He couldn't deny it anymore -Camui had trapped him.

Gackt reached to the back-seat and his hand came back with the malicious bouquet and placed it carefully in Mana's lap . It consisted only of ten very beautiful dark-red roses that were bound artlessly together. It didn't have the grace of ikebana-arrangements but in it's simplicity and weirdness it was the most beautiful bouquet Mana had ever received and with the thorns and all it reminded him somewhat of himself.

'..a simple bouquet of flowers and a few carefully chosen words..' Mana thought sadly.


* : konbanwa = good evening
** : yes, they are right hand drive in Japan
*** : iie = no