♦LIFE ON THE ROAD part 2

Mars and Jupiter had talked to the rest of the band, and Pluto knew exactly what to do then. He and Mars went to the park, leaving the others to wait for the news, as they searched for their friend.

It wasn't long until the albino bassist found Mike, and instructed Mars to wait for him while he spoke to the other redhead. Making his way through the trees, he wrapped his arms around the other, pulling him close.

"You promised not to do it…" He said, as Mike hugged back and buried his face in his shoulder, nodding softly.

"I'm sorry… I just can't believe you're leaving the band…" The redhead answered, in a whisper. "I won't do it again, I'll stop." He looked up, meeting Pluto's eyes. "It's just…"

"Mike, it's not like I'm going to abandon you… I'm just not going to play with the band, but I'll stick around, you know." Pluto smiled softly, making Michael nod and hug him again. "Now let's get those cuts cleaned and go back to tell everyone you're okay."

"Sorry." Mike muttered again, as they stood. That just got him a chuckle and a nod, and he smiled at how the other could make him feel better. He was still not liking the idea that Pluto would leave the band, but if he could still be close to the other it already made things much better.

~With Akira~

Akira hugged his pillow, smiling and closing his eyes. For some reason, he wasn't as nervous about facing his class the next day, maybe because Yuu had helped him calm down and well… he had been watching him for some time before that, just to talk to the other boy was like a dream come true to him.

Closing his eyes, he thought about a time Solar sYstem played at the school. Sure, the band wasn't that old, it was just recently, but they were so good. And he had felt he wanted to be there with them, onstage, at that moment, or get in a band… that's what made him take music even more seriously, seeing that people in his school were already going forwards. Maybe he could do it, too.

"I want to play at the Budokan some day… if that isn't too far off to dream." He chuckled, then grinned. He fell asleep with that thought in mind, and it followed him into his dreamland.

And there he was, standing on stage with the members of Solar sYstem, playing the bass. The crowd cheered and screamed, singing along with Yuu. There were people that were crying, too, from the emotion of seeing them, or of them having made it to that stage.

And he seemed to be so normal there, a good bassist, playing well, flowing along with the emotions, the song, everything seemed like a new but known experience, as if he'd been on stage many times before, but each time held new emotions and surprises.

And then there was the real life him, who was seeing all that and somehow, even in the dream, still thinking along with it. He really didn't know what he was doing there, on that stage, in Pluto's place. It didn't make sense that he'd replace the other in a dream, since he wouldn't wish him to leave the band even in real life.

Blinking, he noticed something. During the guitar solo, Yuu –Jupiter- had walked over to him, and he leaned his head back and then they kissed. It was onstage, it was fan-service, but as much as he wished it he couldn't see himself doing that. And his cheeks were pink as the vocalist pulled away to let him continue playing, but he acted normally. And the crowd seemed to scream five times louder.

"Akira! Akira, you're late!" He groaned as his mother's voice woke him up, and nodded, getting up to get ready for school. Hopefully, he'd be able to talk to Yuu again. That made his day brighter than it would be otherwise, knowing his classmates were going to tease him. More.

<-part 1 - part 3->