I Drove All Night...song by Cyndi Lauper

Rating: R

Theme: Bronze Zetsuai

"I had to escape.."

"The city was sticky and cruel.."

Koji ran his hand across his damp forehead, wiping away the perspiration from it. Warm, dry air surrounded him. The weather had not been this hot in ages. He shed his leather coat onto a chair in the dressing room, changing into a long black silk jacket that shadowed him. Behind him, he could hear the protests of Katsumi begging him to stay to perform another set of songs. Reaching down, he pulled his leather gloves over his long, narrow fingers and grabbed his helmet and the keys to his motorcycle. He rushed out the door, slamming it loudly. Behind him, Katsumi looked on in disappointment with his hands on his hips.

"Maybe I should have called you first..."

"But I was dying to get to you..."

Izumi sat in the corner of the small apartment that they shared, working on a computer. The clock chimed midnight. Tonight for some strange reason, the room felt unusually empty and cold. Occasionally he would stop and look over to the telephone, as if waiting for a call. Keeping himself occupied, he tied not to think about it. He knew that it would be so simple for him to pick it up and call first, but that was not his way. Izumi knew his limits and his place. If Koji wanted to come here tonight, he would have said so. He was probably preoccupied with some star struck groupie and lost track of time. Sighing, Izumi leaned down and rested his head against the desk and waited some more.

"I was dreaming as I drove..."

"The long straight road ahead..."

Flying out of the parking garage, Koji's long black coat trailed out behind him, like huge wings sending him on his way. He thought of Izumi's warm sweet embrace and the tenderness of his touch. That touch that was not unlike an eternal unholy addiction for him. Dreams of lying awake in his arms played over and over in his head like a broken record, repeating themselves every waking moment. Reality seemed to fade away as time passed, and the minutes that flew by felt like hours, while the road ahead continued on, unending. The engine of the bike raced with his quickening heartbeat as every mile brought him closer and closer to the one that he loved.

"Could taste you sweet kisses..."

"Your arms open wide..."

"This fever for you is just burning me up inside..."

Their picture sat high on the fireplace mantle away from prying eyes, collecting dust. Izumi stopped his work and walked around the room, glancing at the snapshot. One of the only few pictures of he and Koji embracing each other that he had kept. He never cared for such petty things. They never were that important to him. The photo didn't hold the memories, his mind did, but still...Izumi picked up the photo and traced his fingers down the length of the glass over Koji's body, frozen forever in time. He could remember the feel of that touch, the sound of that voice calling to him...

"I drove all night to get to you..."

"Is that all right..."

"I drove all night..."

The sun had just set as Koji left the city. Behind him the beckoning lights glared harshly in the dark night sky. The subtle shades of reds and oranges had given way to the inky blackness of night, covering all beneath with it's massive blanket. He drove on into that darkness, the highway ahead of him, leaving confusion and loneliness behind him in the crowded streets. The cool air flowing sound his body was soothing and refreshing. There was hardly any traffic tonight and he enjoyed the simplistic solitude of the night for a little while. A gift of silence to one who fills his life with music.

"Crept in your room..."

"Woke you from your sleep..."

"To make love to you..."

Lying awake in bed, Izumi thought about this strange emptiness that he felt inside. It seeped in and surrounded him like a hungry predator, devouring his happiness. After several failed attempts to finish his work, he eventually gave up and decided to go to sleep. When he turned off the lights, something felt wrong. Sleep would not come to him. He was alone in this big bed, wanting to reach over and feel the warmth of a body next to him, protecting him as always. He wanted to hear the soft sweet voice sing him a endless lullaby. Koji would kiss him gently on the cheek and wake him from his horrid nightmares that always plagued the nights like these. There in the moonlight, they would make love and everything would be ok.

"Is that all right...".."

"I drove all night..."

Across town, the motorcycle raced on into the night, gaining speed with each passing moment. High above the stars kept watch over Koji as he pressed on toward his home. More than anything, home was a certain person rather than a place to him. A person with whom he would gladly give his life for, and could not do without. Such emotions like this Koji had never experienced before. He silently prayed to the gods to grant him the strength to love Izumi forever. The moon climbed higher in the sky.

"What in this world..."

"Keeps us from tearing apart..."

The apartment was silent. Just a hushed tick of the clock on the wall. Cars and trucks passed whizzed by the apartment, taking their passengers home. Lying awake in his bed, Izumi thought of a numb emptiness inside and a burning unspoken hunger to be as one again with his love.

"No matter where I go I hear..."

"The beating of your heart.."

His gloved hands holding on tightly to the handle bars, Koji thought of his final destination. He could see every inch of the room, as if he had lived there forever. He thought of how these strong, yet delicate hands would softly caress Izumi's firm chest, and he could almost feel the icy coldness penetrating the gloves, chilling him to the bone. Licking is lips, he could taste Izumi there, an intoxicating liquor meant to be savored and relished over and over again and began to thirst for him. It was a matter of minutes now.

"I think about you..."

"When the night is cold and dark..."

Sighing, Izumi rolled over in the bed, thinking about Koji. He thought that this was a momentary weakness...that it would pass, but with every second that the clock ticked, it grew harder and harder for him not to think about Koji. Wondering here he was and what he was doing was slowly driving him insane. Blinking away the tears that he tried to fight against, Izumi pulled the covers up tight against him and stared out the window, tears streaming down his cheeks. Was he content to be there tonight?

"No one can move me..."

"The way that you do.."

The nighttime humidity was thick, soaking into Koji though his clothing. His thin body began to perspire, tickles of sweat dipping down his back, saturating his clothes. A momentary thought of a steamy shower made him smile. He was not alone in the bathroom that day, and most of the steam didn't come from the hot water. Together, he and Izumi drenched themselves in the warmth of the running cascade, washing away all cares.

"Nothing erases this feeling between me and you..."

Izumi gave up the thought of sleep and paced the room. He caught himself picking up the telephone and checking the dial tone. He had never been this dependent on anyone else in his entire life, where did this feeling come from? He returned to the window and stood there for a few minutes, watching the traffic go by. Perhaps he wasn't coming tonight. He had thousands of fans that needed him, so what was the point of just one more man?

"I drove all night to get to you.."

"Is that all right..."

"I drove all night..."

Near the end of the block, Koji could see the outline of the apartment building just off in the distance. He stopped at an intersection and pushed the visor of his helmet back, squinting into the darkness. He thought for a moment that he had seen someone standing at the window. Wishful thinking? Smiling, he hurried off down the street. Paradise was only a few seconds away.

"Crept in your room.."

"Woke you from your sleep..."

Pausing for a moment, Izumi listened to the sounds of the traffic outside. Crickets chirping, dogs barking...Was that the hum of a motorcycle that he heard? He strained to see down the block. Nothing. No one there...alone again tonight?

"To make love to you..."

"Is that all right..."

"I drove all night..."

Koji tossed his bag into the garage and hurried up to the apartment. Each step bought him closer and closer to Izumi. Fatigue began to set in and for the first time, Koji realized that he was very tired. Entering the room, he fumbled for the light switch in the darkness. He thought that Izumi had left a light on...

"Could taste your sweet kisses..."

"Your arms open wide..."

"This fever for you is just burning me up inside..."

Reaching forward into the dimness of the room, Izumi opened his arms wide to embrace Koji. He wrapped himself around his lover, enjoying every sensation. The feeling of incompleteness was rapidly fading. He was here tonight.

"I drove all night to get to you..."

"Is that all right..."

"I drove all night..."

Forgetting about the switch, Koji felt a sudden rush of adrenaline sweep though his tired and aching body. He turned around to face Izumi. He was smiling at him. They didn't speak a word to each other, their feelings were conveyed by the look in their eyes alone. A tear returned to Izumi's eye, and slowly trickled down his face. Koji leaned down and kissed it away. Their silhouettes were outlined by the pale light of the moon.

"Crept in you room..."

"Woke you from you sleep"

"To make love to you..."

Koji and Izumi's bodies touched, their two hearts beating as one as they kissed passionately now. The flutter of soft lips, the gentle touch of silky fingertips touching bare skin made them forget the world around them. The clock on the wall chimed again, but neither one of them heard it. Koji took Izumi into the bedroom, leading him by the hand.

"To make love to you.."

Passion with such intensity raged inside Koji's soul as he removed his clothes and slipped onto the bed. Izumi reached over and bushed Koji's long blonde hair away from his face and kissed his lips again, tasting him with pleasure. He could smell the sweat from his body, and feel the heat rising in the room. Locked together, they sank down onto the soft mattress, giving pleasure to one another with an endless barrage of whispers and pent-up desires.

"I drove all night...to hold you tight..."

Koji fell back against the bed, exhausted. The events of the day finally caught up with him, and he realized just how tired he was. He reached forward and tightened his hug on Izumi, making sure that he was still there. The fever that had taken over his soul was rapidly dying now, leaving behind the cold skin that Koji knew so well. With a low voice, Koji whispered the words 'I love you' into Izumi's ear. He nestled closer to Koji's warm form and rested. Closing his eyes, Koji let himself relax. He was home. Giving in, he let the peacefulness overtake him. The fire of their will's spent, they rested on the bed together, nestled safely in each other's arms.

(lyrics copyright 1989 Billy Steinburg)