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Krispin spent the next week staying at Jin's apartment, and for Jin it was like all his dearest wishes coming true. They spent every waking moment together, learning all the little intricacies that made both of them who they were. Krispin was so amazingly opposite to him; all boisterous optimism and wild exhibitionism. And yet, they were so similar, too, in their bittersweet cynicism, their darker ways of looking at life, and their determination to be on top of everything somehow. Krispin matched him and complemented him in ways he had not imagined, and he felt somehow safe and complete putting his heart in this insane boy's hands.

They weren't even doing all that much. They sprawled across his bed or his sofa, talking. They hooked up tandem to the looms and span about in games, or looking for fun. They toyed about on Jin's bass, making things up and teaching each other new riffs. They went walking about the lower levels of the city, long meandering walks that took them to places neither of them had been. And Krispin even began to teach Jin how to control his streambike.

No, it wasn't what they did. It was being with someone who he felt comfortable with. Someone who seemed to understand him without words; to anticipate his needs and wants, without asking; to care for him in a way no-one had for a long time; and to make his heart pound and his mind thrill with each touch, each smile, each giggle meant for his ears alone.

Krispin's never-ending libido constantly astounded him. The boy was insatiable, and Jintesh soon found his own libido matching Krispin's -- there was something about that sensual grin and those long waves of silver hair that could reduce him to carnal lust in seconds. Hell, Krispin even knew how to make cooking a meal a sexual activity.

But eventually, late in the evening of the seventh day, Krispin said, "Tesh, I gotta get home tomorrow. We've got another gig with some of those corp guys in a couple of days, and I'm gonna have to practice." He grinned. "Taisho'll kick my arse if I don't."

Jin had been trying one of Krispin's riffs on his bass, but now he paused, fingers stilling the vibrating strings. "Corp gig? Can I come watch?" He was loathe to let Krispin slip away from him again, even for a few days. But Krispin shook his head.

"Band and bigwigs only." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's only a few days of practice, then the gig. You can survive without me that long, right?" He grinned, climbing out of the sagging chair he'd been sitting in, and advanced on Jintesh, removing the bass from his lap and placing himself there instead.

Jintesh blinked at the pair of eyes that were suddenly only inches from his own. "Yeah. Better not vanish this time though." He slid his arms underneath Krispin's vest, wrapping them possessively around him.

Krispin laughed. "I won't. No need to, this time. Now.." He moved his own hands, teasing fingers trailing a line across Jin's cheek, down his chest, and pausing to cup around his groin. "What say we get wild enough to waste several days worth of pleasure?"

Jin smiled slowly and pulled Krispin towards him, his own lips locking hard onto the boy's in answer.

By the time Jintesh woke late the next morning, Krispin had already left. He lay in bed, smiling to himself. Krispin really did hardly sleep at all. Then he sighed. For the last week, nothing had occupied his time but Krispin. Now, without him there, he suddenly felt at a loss for something to do. He missed him already. Was this obsession? And did it matter if it was?

He wasted a good part of the day spinning in the looms. His next game part wasn't due for another week, but Krispin had inspired him, as he always seemed to do. He let the story form, and this time Quicksilver was redeeming himself, showing reason for his cruelty, saving the people he had put in danger. Jintesh almost wanted to laugh at himself and how obviously his game was following his own life.

Restlessness caught up with him late in the afternoon, though, and craving Krispin's presence, he grabbed up his coat and went walking again, following one of the wandering paths he and Krispin had taken several days earlier. He walked slowly, thoughtfully, hearing Krispin's voice in his head repeating all the things the boy had said while they wandered.

He strayed from their original path by accident, taking a left turn too early, but a few blocks later he was glad he had. He found himself staring in disbelief through the grimy window of a trader's shop, wondering if he could believe his eyes. Was that really an authentic wooden bass guitar sitting amidst all the trash they had for sale?

He didn't bother to stop and think; he pushed open the door, entering the store. Inside, it felt tiny. A row of ceiling-high shelves took up all the floorspace, packed neatly with hundreds of objects, large and small -- things he was familiar with, things he'd heard of, and things he'd never even imagined. The aisles between the shelves looked barely big enough to squeeze down, and he ignored them in favour of the window display. It was a wooden bass guitar, stained a dark red colour, slightly battered but its surface still smooth and gleaming. It had five thick strings, and he wondered if it was even remotely in tune, and what those strings would sound like if he plucked them. What they would feel like under his fingers.

"May I help you?" A friendly voice piped up from behind him, and he jumped, spinning around in surprise. A young woman had successfully and silently negotiated the thin aisles, and was standing directly in front of him, smiling up at him.

"Eh. Ah.. I was just looking.. at the guitar," he stammered, feeling a little unnerved at her sudden appearance. He'd expected some gruff, fat old man who needed a shave and a bath, not a preppy young businesswoman in a suit. She looked like she belonged behind a large desk in a big corp building somewhere, directing scuttling employees around and raking in huge amounts of credit.

"Oh, of course. I should've guessed." She winked at him. "You have that musician look about you."

He wondered what sort of 'look' a musician had. "Can I try it?"

"Sure." She stepped past him, moving up amongst the display and taking the bass down from its stand. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you to be careful with it, right?" She turned, handing it to him.

"Nope." He took it almost reverently, just holding it in his hands for a moment. Unlike the feel of most basses, all metal and compounds that they were, this felt almost soft, and warm. He smiled down at it, running his hand across its surface. Then he hoisted it into place, plucking the strings experimentally. To his surprise, it was barely out of tune. He looked up at the woman, and she grinned at him, a genuine smile that had nothing to do with her earlier, businesslike smiles.

"My dad runs this store, and he likes to play it sometimes."

"Ah." Jintesh nodded, twisting the knobs at the top, tuning it just a little until it sounded perfect. He paused, unsure what to play, and then Krispin's slow, sad riff popped into his head. He pulled gently at the strings, and tilted his head to one side, listening to just how much more beautiful it sounded this way. He couldn't believe the difference.

"That's pretty. Is it yours?" the woman asked when he finished. He shook his head.

"A friend." He looked down at the bass, and tried to imagine what it would look like hugged against Krispin's hips, with Krispin's thin fingers drawing music from it. "How much?"

The woman was silent for a moment, and he looked up at her. He recognised the expression on her face at once; she didn't think he could even remotely afford it. He smirked at her. "You'd be surprised. How much?"

"Well.. I'm sure you know how hard a real wooden guitar is to come by these days. So it's price right now is eighty thousand credits."

Jintesh looked down at the guitar again. Eighty thousand credits. That was a shitload of money. And it was hardly one tenth of what he had in his credit account right now. There were advantages to working for the bigwigs, after all.

"You got a case for it, then?" He asked, raising his head again. The woman stared at him, then attempted to regain her composure.

"Of course, I'll just have to get it. And I hope you understand if I charge you before I wrap it for you."

Jintesh grinned, handing her the guitar. He was suddenly feeling very pleased with himself. "Absolutely."

He followed the woman to the back of the store, squeezing past the shelves; the aisles were almost as narrow as they looked. He handed over his chargechip, waiting patiently while she charged his account, and he couldn't help but be amused at her honest surprise when the charge went through. She saw his smirk and gave him a chagrined smile in return.

"I'm sorry. You don't know how many guys we get in here wanting to buy it and not being able to afford it. I've gotten used to putting it back on the shelf."

"It's okay." He shrugged; he knew he looked down and out to most people. He preferred it that way. If you looked like a nobody, then nobody cared.

"Let me just get the case." She ducked around a door behind the counter, and Jintesh waited patiently until she returned with a somewhat dusty case.

"It's been here a long time," she told him, bringing out a cloth from under the counter to wipe it clean. "The case is still good though, and it's tough enough to withstand most moving about."

"Good." Jintesh remember the rough handling Krispin's band members had given the equipment they'd been packing onto their truck. He wanted Krispin to be able to have this for a long time.

The woman flicked open the latches, revealing a soft, red lined interior. She carefully placed the bass inside, and closed it again. "All yours. I hope it brings you plenty of luck." She slid it across the counter, and grinned at him, an honest grin again. "My dad's going to miss it, let me tell you."

"Tell him it's going to someone who cares about it, then." Jintesh picked it up carefully, smiling to himself. "Thanks." He headed for the nearest narrow aisle, tightening his grip on the handle of the case. Something special, something for Krispin that only he and Krispin understood and appreciated. Suddenly he was doubly eager for Krispin's gig to finish and the boy to come back to him again.

It was only a few days later that the warble of his data-thread startled him out of sleep in the early morning. He rolled out of bed and flicked the answer switch before he was fully awake, rubbing at his eyes.

"Good morning, Jintesh." Taisho's voice startled him, and he sat forward, blinking at the image of the singer gazing seriously at him.

"Hey, Taisho. What's up?" He wondered what was wrong. If something had happened to Krispin, Taisho wouldn't look so calm, surely.

"Is Krispin there? I need to speak with him."

Jintesh felt his stomach clench suddenly. Krispin hadn't gone home? Then where was he? "He.. he left a few days ago. Said he had to get back and practice because you guys had a corp gig coming up."

"Ahh." Taisho's brow furrowed. "The gig is today, but he hasn't returned yet. I'd hoped he wouldn't go and forget about it like that."

"He didn't forget. I.. do you think he's okay? What could have happened?" Jintesh realised his hands were clenched, and he forced himself to relax them. Krispin would be fine. He had to be.

Taisho didn't answer his question; the singer appeared to be lost in thought.

"Taisho?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. No, I'm sure he's fine. He has this habit of wandering off for days at a time without warning. He's never done it before something this important before -" Taisho's lips quirked, in frustration, "but I've no doubt he'll turn up tomorrow, or the day after."

"Are you sure? What if he's.. I don't know, been hurt or mugged or something?" Jintesh wasn't really surprised by the idea of Krispin wandering randomly; it seemed the sort of thing he'd do. But he couldn't help but worry. Krispin had said he was heading home, after all.

"I'm sure. He's tougher than he looks." Taisho's face smoothed into a more pleasant expression. "Don't worry yourself, Jintesh. This is a very common occurrence."

"Alright." Jintesh tried to convince himself; if Taisho, who obviously cared so much about Krispin, wasn't worried about his disappearance, then everything had to be okay, right?

"Can I ask you something?"

"Eh? Ah, sure."

"Krispin says you play bass. How good are you?"

"Me?" He blinked, surprised by the sudden turn in the conversation. "I'm not too bad, I guess. I can hold a rhythm, and I don't tend to mess things up."

"Well, I know I'm not in the best position to do so, but may I ask a favour? If Krispin doesn't show up, we've no bass player for this gig. In such a short time, I can't easily find a replacement, and this isn't the sort of thing you can postpone. Would you be able to fill in for him?" Taisho's expression was calm, and a little hopeful.

"Fill in..? But I'm not.." he stammered, trying to find an answer. Sure, he could play bass alright, he'd even messed around in a band when he was in his teens.. most of the guys in his area had. But playing for a corp gig was a different matter.

"Right now, I've got no-one else. I don't expect you to do this as a favour for me, but this is Krispin's band as well. He needs this to work as much as I do.. probably more than I do, the way he spends credit." Taisho smirked slightly.

Jintesh blinked at him. The singer was right; this was something for Krispin, and if Krispin needed this sort of break, he'd be mad not to do anything he could to help. Even if he wasn't anywhere near as good as Krispin, they'd be lost with no bass player. He had to do his best for the silver-haired freak whom he adored so much.

"Alright. Do you need me now?"

"Yeah, if you can. It's not till this evening but we need to practice. Do you have transport?"

Jintesh shook his head. "I'll walk. Where are you at?"

Taisho hesitated a moment. "It's okay. I'll come get you, it'll be quicker." The singer smiled at him briefly. "See you in ten." He cut the thread.

Jintesh sat back on his heels and wondered what he'd got himself into. He was glad to do anything that would help Krispin, but he didn't know how well he was going to fit into Krispin's band for a day, filling in a space that he obviously wasn't good enough for. What if they resented his intrusion, his relationship with Krispin? And what of Taisho? He may have been the one to ask Jintesh to fill in, but that didn't mean he really wanted him to be there. The singer was a complete enigma to him, and it made him uneasy.

But it was too late to pull out now. And it was for Krispin. He got to his feet and hurried to find the case for his bass guitar, not to mention get dressed.

He was snapping the latches shut on his case when the knock at the door came.

"Coming!" he called, jumping to his feet, and he paused only to pick up his case and grab his coat before he hurried over and opened the door.

"You ready?" Taisho was wearing black leather from head to toe. His semi-long chestnut hair was pulled back in a quick ponytail, half of it falling free again and whipped around his face by the wind.

"Yeah." Jintesh tugged the door shut and struggled into his coat as he followed Taisho's quick stride down the hall.

"Have you eaten yet?" Taisho took the stairs two at a time.

"Nope. You woke me up."

"I figured as much. I sent Zeth out for some breakfast for everyone. I explained the situation to them, but it's probably easier for all of us if we get used to each other over food rather than over our music."

"Thanks." Jintesh was relieved to hear it. He was nervous enough as it was, having to walk right in and start playing would be even worse.

"It's as much for them as you." Taisho's expression was serious as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, glancing back, and Jin found himself pausing as well, his earlier paranoid thoughts realised in Taisho's abrupt words. Then the singer smiled. "Sorry. I know this must be strange for you; it is for me, too. And them. But I need today to work, for everyone. Don't be nervous, okay? Everything'll be fine."

"Okay." Jintesh nodded, confused all over again by Taisho's odd manner. But the singer was already heading out the front doors of the building, and he hurried to catch up.

Taisho's streambike was parked directly outside, its colour a deep blue all over.

"Here, let me strap that to the back." Taisho took Jin's case, strapping it to his bike. "You've ridden a streambike before, right?" He climbed easily onto it, tapping the display panel.

"Yeah." But Jin hesitated, thinking of how close he had to be to Taisho; it was something he relished with Krispin, but the idea of it with Taisho made him nervous. Still, if the singer didn't mind, then he supposed it didn't matter.

"Hurry up and get on, then." Taisho's expression turned slightly impatient, and Jin hopped up onto the bike behind him. The moment his arms wrapped around Taisho's waist, the bike took off, headed deeper into the city. Jintesh gave in to the wild feel of the wind and hoped that today would turn out okay.