"Shishido is back?" Jiroh said, jaw dropping. "When?"

"I just saw him," Atobe said, pulling Jiroh into his arms and kissing his forehead. "I invited him to dinner and the concert tonight."

"Did you tell him it was Ohtori's concert, and that Yuushi and Gakuto would be there? Or that Taki and Hiyoshi would be as well? The four of them still want to kill him!"

"I might have overlooked that bit of information," Atobe said mildly.

"Those four will thank you for the chance to rip Shishido a new one, and Ohtori will probably just stand there in shock, babbling about something. Then again, Shishido might just murder you," Jiroh said, poking Atobe in the ribs but not resisting as Atobe attempted to molest him.

"I won't let them scare him off," Atobe said in annoyance. "The moment I brought Ohtori up, Shishido looked like he was going to bolt for the nearest plane to fly back to America or England, or wherever the hell he lives now."

"This should be an interesting night," Jiroh sighed. "Concert and then dinner."

"Mhm," Atobe said, making a not-so-covert attempt to steer Jiroh into the bedroom.

"Ohtori will be at dinner with us."

"Yes."

"I think I'll call Gakuto and tell him to bring a video camera. I think I'm going to want to see this night over and over again, whether it's a success or a complete disaster."

Atobe laughed, "Well, who knows? This will be very interesting, shouldn't it?"

~

Jiroh insisted that he be the one to go and fetch Shishido from his penthouse apartment. To say that Atobe and Jiroh were shocked that Shishido had gone from middle-class standing with his family to the upper class and what looked like a very healthy wealthy standing would be an understatement. Jiroh had been very impressed that the elevator stopped at the floor below Shishido's apartment and they couldn't use the one to get to his floor unless they buzzed him.

"Shishido!" Jiroh yelped, pouncing on the other man and hugging him. "I can't believe it! It's so good to see you again! This place is awesome!"

Shishido was staring is shock, watching with his mouth open as Jiroh bounced all over the front part of his apartment. Atobe looked patiently amused, smiling fondly as he watched Jiroh stare in shock at the art and then start enthusing about them.

"Keigo?" Shishido asked softly, edging closer to Atobe. "What the hell is going on?"

"Oh, he wanted to come get you, but I came along for the show."

"Oh," Shishido said faintly.

"I must say," Atobe said, giving Shishido the once over, "you're tastes haven't changed too much."

Shishido raised and eyebrow and looked down at his outfit. Tight black jeans that were nice enough to be considered formal and a loose white button-down with black boots had always been as formal as Shishido had ever been willing to go. That Shishido's long hair in a high ponytail and then braided meant that he had changed somewhat, conforming to some of the standards of society.

"Uh, thanks," Shishido said, frowning. "It'll be fine, right?"

"At least we're not going to one of the fancier ones," Atobe said with a smile. "Gakuto wouldn't allow it."

Shishido froze. "Gakuto."

"Mhm," Atobe said, turning to watch Jiroh exclaiming over how comfortable Shishido's couch was while watching Shishido out of the corner of his eye. "We're meeting up with him, Oshitari, Hiyoshi, and Taki at Opera City."

"What?" Shishido yelped, staring at Atobe. "Explain. Now."

"Oh no!" Jiroh yelped. "We're going to be late!" He grabbed both Shishido and Atobe and pulled them towards the door. "C'mon!"

Shishido grabbed his wallet and cell on the way out and a leather jacket, shaking his head and giving Atobe the evil eye. "You will not squirm out of this one, Keigo."

Atobe merely smirked and let Jiroh chatter away at Shishido, who had no choice but to respond to the bouncy blond.

~

"Ah, you two are late," Oshitari greeted as the three of them walked in, Shishido hanging back a little bit.

"Oy! What's the big idea?" Gakuto demanded. "You two are so late!"

"Ohtori's been popping in an out, waiting for the two of you since you called him, Atobe," Hiyoshi frowned.

"What's this big surprise you all told us about? And why were you so late?" Taki demanded.

"We were picking up an old friend," Atobe said smoothly, gesturing back to Shishido, who gave him a death glare.

The four men stared at Shishido, who glared darkly at Atobe. "You called them and told them?"

"Of course! This is a big thing, you being back," Atobe smirked.

Jiroh threw himself at Shishido and hugged him. "Five years has been way too long! We've missed our drama queen!"

"Oy!" Shishido snapped, glaring at Jiroh. "I'm not that bad anymore!"

"Aw! But it was so much fun when you had dramatics! I think leaving Japan, though, topped it all!" Jiroh gushed, grinning up at Shishido.

Shishido looked pained.

Atobe was watching the other four who looked like they had gotten hit in the back of the heads by a two-by-four. The first one to regain their wits, as always, was Gakuto.

"How dare you," the little redhead growled out darkly, eyes narrowed as he glared at Shishido. "How dare you come back to Japan and just expect for everything to be just fine."

Shishido watched Gakuto mildly, looking incredibly bored.

"Do you have any idea how broken up Ohtori was after you ran away, you coward?" Taki snapped, incensed. "He spent four months sobbing himself to sleep every night!"

Shishido made no reply, barely holding back the comment that it had been worse on Shishido by far than it could have been on Ohtori. Ohtori had the support and love of his friends; Shishido had cut himself off from everyone and worked himself harder than he had ever done in his life. He had ended up in the hospital several times from sheer exhaustion and stress, only to leave and do the same all over again.

Ohtori had gotten over their relationship.

Shishido hadn't even begun to try.

"Leave," Hiyoshi hissed. "He doesn't need you to come back and turn his life completely upside down once again, asshole."

Oshitari shook his head, "I never thought you could ever have been so callous, so utterly selfish to hurt him so deeply. I have no respect for you, Shishido."

Atobe frowned, "Excuse me, I never said that this was a sniping session. There are aspects of Shishido and Ohtori's relationship that are none of our business."

"He won't even defend himself!" Gakuto shouted. "We're right, dammit! You know it, Atobe! Shishido abandoned Ohtori, and it took him so long to recover! Shishido didn't even bother to make sure he would be okay!"

"He is okay now," Shishido said, blue eyes dangerous. "We were hurting each other and holding each other back. It was the only logical choice at the time."

"Don't you logic your way out of this!" Taki shouted. "You hurt him! How dare you just waltz back here and think it'll all be okay!"

"I didn't just waltz back in!" Shishido shouted back, loosing his temper. "I came back here because I have work to do! I didn't think any of you would be here! I didn't even want to run into Atobe earlier today! You think it's easy coming back here after what happened?"

"Well, it shouldn't be easy after what you did!" Gakuto snapped. "You should feel pain, and fear!"

"Be quiet!" Atobe yelled. "Shishido is my guest, as are the rest of you! It's been five years, just let it all go! Everyone makes mistakes!"

"You cannot call what he did a ‘mistake,' Atobe!" Hiyoshi snapped. "What he did was deliberately harmful to our friend! Your friend too!"

"Yes, but unlike the lot of you, I at least have an idea of the true reasons!" Atobe snapped back.

"Then tell us these reasons," Oshitari drawled dangerously. "Tell us why we should let the subject drop and let bygones be bygones."

"Hello, Ohtori!" Jiroh chirped, waving wildly from where he still hung on Shishido's arm.

Everyone turned to see a shocked Ohtori standing by the stage door. The pain on Ohtori's face only fed the anger of the other four.

"See?" Gakuto snarled, pointing to Ohtori. "Look! Even seeing you again is hurting him!"

Shishido was staring painfully at Ohtori, face a smooth mask, but his blue eyes full of pain, confusion, and hurt. The same look was carefully reflected in chocolate brown eyes across the room.

"You have no right to be here," Oshitari informed Shishido tightly. "Leave. No one wants you here."

"If you don't want him here, then you leave," Atobe snapped, flicking a stray piece of hair back. "None of you have any right to snipe at Shishido."

"We have all the right in the world," Taki hissed.

Shishido closed his eyes and looked away, smiling wryly and bitterly. "You know what… Thank you, Atobe. You just proved why I didn't want to come back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go home. I have an early call in the morning, and I also don't need this stress."

"You don't need this?" Gakuto shouted. "Do you think Ohtori needed the pain you put him through five years ago?"

Shishido pulled his arm away from a crushed looking Jiroh and turned to go. Several shrieks greeted him the moment he turned around.

"OH MY GOD!" one girl screamed. "Shishido-sama!"

"Oh shit," Shishido whispered, staring in abject horror at the tiny cluster of teenaged girls and boys who had cornered him.

"Oh my… It is you!" one boy breathed. "Can I have your autograph? Please? You're so beautiful!"

Shishido took a step back, his face sliding into another smooth mask, this one smiling politely. Screams broke out from the girls and excited grins from the guys.

"I'm sorry," Shishido laughed. "You've all caught me at a really bad time. I was just about to leave."

"You're not staying for the show?" one girl asked, face falling.

"I-I can't," Shishido stammered and laughed awkwardly. "I came to meet my agent only to get stood up. He has the tickets to the show. It must be for another night."

"Can I still have your autograph?" one boy asked hopefully.

"Holy… SHISHIDO RYOU!" someone else shouted. A reporter came running out of the crowd and pointed at Shishido. "I demand you answer questions for me!"

"Mari?" Gakuto asked, shocked. "What's—"

"Is it true you and Neil Lucas are dating?" Mari the reporter demanded. "There's pictures of the two of you in Malta and wearing matching rings!"

Shishido took a step back from the reporter, wincing as the screams reached a new volume of loud. "We are not romantically involved," he said firmly. "The two of us are friends."

"The rings!"

Shishido raised an eyebrow and held up his hand. "Irish friendship rings. It's one of the latest fashions in Europe."

"But—"

"What the hell?" Gakuto whispered, staring in shock as Shishido got mobbed by the teenagers and his co-worker at the magazine he worked at. "Since when did he get fan girls?"

Shishido was on his cell phone, taking rapidly in a different language, obviously not pleased as he kept backing away from the crowd. He nodded once and then hung up, smiled charmingly at them all once – causing several of the groupies to scream, and a few to swoon – before turning and walking away very quickly.

"Shishido!" Atobe shouted. "Where are you—"

Shishido held up his middle finger and walked away.

Atobe laughed, "Same old Shishido."

Oshitari, Gakuto, Hiyoshi, and Taki were staring in shock, not believing what had just happened.

Jiroh walked over and hugged Ohtori. "Sorry the surprised didn't turn out the way we wanted it to."

Ohtori looked at Atobe with pleading eyes. "Cell phone and address, now, Atobe-san."

Atobe smiled and nodded. At least some good would come of this disaster.

The End

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