Chapter 17
"Hello Sendai!"
Yuzuru stepped out onto the stage in his skin-tight black jeans and black tour shirt and the crowd went wild. With his dark eyes framed by mascara and eyeliner and with his earrings catching the light, Yuzuru looked like a dream and nightmare in one. He had his simple red and black electric guitar and Keiji had helped him paint his nails to match. Ryuju had added nail rhinestones to each of them to help them catch the light. His tour, unlike the last one, had gone off without a hitch, and they'd finally reached his hometown. Sendai had always been one of his favourite places to perform, and he always gave 20% of the profits from his normal tours to disaster relief efforts, and all the profits from specific charity shows he'd done in the past. The sales of merchandise, competitions to win signed guitars, albums, and pooh bears, they were all to help his hometown and other places wrecked by nature around the world. He grinned and played a couple of songs from his seventh album for the crowd before he moved on. Their chance to hear that album live had been destroyed by poor circumstances, and Yuzuru had fallen in love with Cassis and Pledge as songs. Once they were over, Yuzuru held the microphone and spoke.
"I'd like to invite a young person who knows how to use a guitar up on stage with me." At Yuzuru's announcement, people started clamouring to be invited up. He nodded to Keiji, who was waiting by the side of the audience, and his friend chose a teenage boy to join Yuzuru on stage. With a smile, Yuzuru passed him a pale blue electric guitar that had been resting by the side of the stage and told him the chords.
"Don't worry about getting it wrong," Yuzuru told him with a laugh, "cause I always do. Just enjoy it, okay? And follow me."
With the youngster beside him as accompaniment, Yuzuru played Story for the audience as well. The teenager kept up with him and Yuzuru was impressed with some of his improvisation, even if it was a little hesitant in places. The end of the song was mostly drowned out by the appreciation of the crowd, and the teen tried to pass Yuzuru the guitar back.
"It's yours! As a thank you for helping and accompanying me," Yuzuru told him with a scrunchy smile at the sight of the teen's widened eyes. "And now, please, welcome my beloved guest to play some of his new singles. Please put your hands together for Cha Jun Hwan!"
Jun stepped out and was met with polite cheers; the fans understood that he was still a little hesitant when it came to crowds and performances. Yuzuru had increased the security so much for his concert to try and help calm him down. Yuna and Mao both stood together in the wings of the stage just in case something were to happen, and Jun bowed to the Sendai crowd.
"Thank you so much for having me," he said softly into his head microphone. "My first solo is one of my singles for my new album to come. I hope you all enjoy Move!"
The Japanese crowd adored Jun's music and loved the song. Yuzuru and Javier stood together backstage watching as he held them in the palm of his hand and relaxed on stage like he never had before. Yuzuru tensed for a moment, ensnared by panic as Jun sat down at the piano to start his second single, but he needn't have worried. Jun was fine, and the crowd adored him. When he was done he giggled with that sunshine smile that melted hearts all around the world. His career was born as Boy with a Star, but he'd grown to a young man with passion and emotions to power him through even his darkest and hardest moments. He'd suffered, but it made his brights shine brighter.
"God, he's like my baby," Yuzuru said with a light laugh. "My singing baby. I would fight anyone who hurt him."
"You did already," Javier teased him and kissed his cheek lightly. "Go on. You're back on in a second."
"Don't get complacent without me. You'll be coming on soon too."
Yuzuru stuck his tongue out at him before he stepped out and pulled Jun into a hug. Even though the younger was much taller than him, he somehow managed to look smaller than him in his arms. He sat back down at the piano and Javier sighed with a soft, fond smile when he heard the start of their song At Gwanghwamun. Mao and Yuna glanced over at Javier and laughed, smiling at each other as Yuna pressed kisses to Mao's cheeks.
"I love them," Javier explained. "I love how the two of them just... Know how to make life better with their songs."
"You do too. Just because you don't write songs anymore doesn't mean that your old songs don't bring love to those who hear them."
Javier gave them grateful smiles before he went back to watching. Yuzuru had a way with words and music that no one else in the world did. He was like an intricate spinner weaving his thread of harmonies and emotions, tying people's hearts together and tugging on their heartstrings. He looked down at his own tour shirt Yuzuru had given him, and he adjusted the sleeves. Yuzuru played Home with Jun, he played Last Heaven, and Tears alone before he started through the new album. When he glanced tot he side and caught Javier's eyes during some of the softer songs, he almost felt like crying from the overwhelming waves of love that ran through him. After going through most of the songs on his eighth album, Yuzuru smiled to the audience and took a break in the music to talk again.
"I'd like to invite two guests to the stage this time. I'd like to invite back Cha Jun Hwan! And please, Sendai, please cheer for my beloved dear friend and recording partner, Javier Fernandez!"
Javier stepped onto the stage and hugged Yuzuru, being careful of his guitar. Yuzuru took it off and passed it to Keiji while Jun took his seat at the piano, nodding to the pair. The Sendai crowd screamed with delight as they recognised the opening piano music of Me Muero Por Conocerte. Yuzuru felt like he was transported back, back a few years, back to Madrid, and back to where he was the happiest. In that moment, that moment of music and peace between him and Javier, he felt the jigsaw pieces fall into place in his heart and he knew. He reached his hand out to the other and Javier took it, stroking the back of his hand lightly with his thumb. The song was over much too fast for the pair of them, and the crowd were polite enough to hold the silence for them to enjoy and savour. Yuzuru patted Javier on the shoulder before he stepped off stage, leaving him with Jun to perform his most famous and adored song, Prometo. He'd always loved that song and adored watching Javier sing it to his home. Keiji had to elbow Yuzuru in the back to shake him out of his Javier induced stupor so that he could go back on stage. He smiled and waved, giving Javier another hug and he stopped him from leaving the stage.
"I know we're getting to the end of the concert, so thank you all so much for being here. I'd like Javier to stay with me on stage for this penultimate song as it is dedicated to him. Join in please if you know it everyone."
Javier looked at him with wide eyes. They'd discussed revealing their relationship to the world and Javier agreed that Yuzuru could do whatever he thought was the best when it came to coming out. When Wherever You Are started to play, Javier laughed and squeezed Yuzuru's hand tighter. As the crowd joined in, and he saw Jun joining in too from off stage, Javier could only hear Yuzuru singing the love song. He'd explained the lyrics once to Javier but, in that moment, the meaning didn't matter in the slightest. All that mattered was that Yuzuru's eyes were locked onto his, sparkling like a pair of onyx jewels that the gods had hand polished and placed alongside the stars. Eyes made of jewels, voice made of liquid gold, body hand crafted by angels, and heart made full of love and sensitivity, Javier felt a tear slip down the side of face when he thought about how lucky he was to have this Yuzuru next to him. As the song ended, in front of all the people of Sendai, Javier cupped Yuzuru's cheeks and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. The people went silent for a moment before the arena was filled with rapturous applause for their love. Yuzuru didn't care that anyone was watching; his hands went to Javier's hair and tangled in the curls as he pulled him impossibly closer. That tongue that had sung beautiful words of love and promises in Spanish tasted of coffee sweetened by honey. Yuzuru's, that contained a metallic stud, tasted instead of citrus and mint. He could forget that the world was watching when Yuzuru was taking over his every sense and was intertwined with every fibre of his being. When they parted for air, Yuzuru gave him a soft smirk that was uncharacteristic for his on stage persona.
"Without Javi, I wouldn't be who I am today," Yuzuru told the crowd. He was slightly breathless as he spoke to the audience and Javier felt a little proud that he managed to cause that. "I owe him my everything, and I can't tell you how much he means to me. Javi is my world. There is nothing else I can say. Javi," he reached for his hand and squeezed it as they held each other, "thank you."
The crowd applauded Yuzuru's little speech and showed their appreciation for Javier. The Spaniard blushed and Yuzuru let go of his hand to take his Kaneki guitar.
"You've been listening to me sing this for long enough, Javi. You should be able to join us with this song."
Javier burst out laughing as Yuzuru started singing and playing Unravel, the piece that started his career. He joined in with the little bits he knew but it wasn't much and the audience knew much more than he did. They sang with Yuzuru and Javier took to admiring Yuzuru and his singing voice. At the end of Unravel, they left the stage and Yuzuru immediately leaned his head on Javier's shoulder.
"I love you so much," Javier whispered as he moved the hair out of Yuzuru's eyes. "So very much."
"Say it in Spanish please?" Yuzuru looked up at him with his wide dark eyes that Javier just couldn't refuse. "Pretty please?"
"Te amo quierdo," Javier peppered his nose and cheeks with kisses. "Te amo."
Jun bid the pair of them farewell and took his modest box of gifts back to his hotel room with him. Yuzuru and Javier helped the crew sort things out at the venue before they went to collect the boxes of gifts for them. Javier had to help Yuzuru carry the mountains of pooh bears to their hotel room and, instead of Keiji, he filmed Yuzuru jumping into a pile of them after the show. He squealed with delight, showing the other side of his personality instead of the rock star so many were used to, before he stopped and picked out a pooh bear dressed as a bee. He passed it to Javier and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"For my honey," he teased.
Javier rooted around in the pile of pooh bears and smiled when he picked out a pooh bear holding a Yuzu citrus fruit. He made it kiss Yuzuru's cheek and laughed before he kissed him too.
"Yuzu Pooh bear for my Yuzu."
Yuzuru tugged him down onto their hotel bed and they cuddled up in each other's arms.
"You'll stay with me?" Yuzuru asked, "Even though I'm a pain with so many fans and--"
"Yuzuru," Javier cut him off with a soft kiss, "I love all of you. I love you so much. I promise to stay with you. Lo prometo."
Yuzuru's nose scrunched up in a happy smile and he cupped Javier's cheeks, pulling him into a kiss.