NOTES:
This fic is shown in its original ten-part format, but due to the brevity of each parts, I've lumped them together to save you guys the trouble of having to click on five extra links. (Thoughtful of me, huh?) Also, I've made some editing changes. Nothing huge, just a phrase here, a typo there...
The comments between parts have been left basically intact so you can tell how inexperienced I was when I wrote it. (Not that I'm a veteran now...^^;;)
Have mercy, and fun. ^_^


General Disclaimer:

All that stuff which is meant to say…Please don’t sue me, I’m just a j-rock fan who loves to read fanfic and decided (too bad for you) to write one. Obviously I didn’t make all of these people up; excluding the fictional ones they belong to their respective selves. I’m sorry if I misrepresent them in character (which I’m sure I did) or biographical detail, including the yaoi premise of the story! Suggestions are welcome, in fact any feedback would be appreciated.
Keep your flames to yourself though, thanks!


A NON-Lemon JXIno fanfic:

This story is about J and Ino’s past, starting from junior high through their indies days--beyond that it’ll depend on feedback. This first chapter is kind of slow and long, but be patient. It gets better, I promisse. After all, this is only the
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Chapter 1: Introduction
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Kiyonobu Inoue-- or rather, Inoran, as he had been nicknamed in elementary school-- looked at the lanky long-haired boy lying on his friend’’s couch.

Onose Jun, lying on his back listening to the sounds of the Sex Pistols through a beat-up stereo, turned his head to the side as the door opened. His narrow eyes narrowed further for a moment at the sight of the newcomer, then he swung his legs over and stood up.

Tall, thought Inoran. He hadn’t looked that long horizontally.

The three of them: Inoran, Jun, and Shinsuke, were at the latter’s house. They used it as a spot to hang out, its virtue lying in the fact that both his parents were absent for most of the day. Shinsuke also had the largest music collection of any of them, not to mention a brand-new CD player. Since their hobby was expensive and their allowances were tight, they usually pooled their funds for CDs of the rock music that was their common bond. This was the first time that Jun and Inoran had actually met, though they had been listening to each other’s CDs for some time now. Both of them had known Shinsuke for years; Inoran from elementary school, Jun because their families were friends.

Jun looked at Inoran as the introduction was made. There weren’t many boys in the school with hair longer than his own, but it seemed that Inoran was one of them. No wonder they called him Wolf Boy. As his vision filtered past the long bangs, and found that Inoran's brown eyes were friendly and warm as he looked at Jun, albeit a little shy. He could see why Shinsuke was envious of Inoran’s ability to attract girls; he had a face which could easily have passed for a pop idol’s.

He’s not exactly what I expected, considering what Shinsuke told me, thought Ino. He tried to burn down his house? He doesn’t look all that wild. Sure, he has the dyed hair-- which looks pretty good, actually, wonder if I should try it-- but he seems pretty calm. Nonchalant, even.

But something gives me the feeling that even Akira and his friends wouldn’t faze him, though they scare everyone else so much…

Just then, a screen door banged, interrupting Inoran’s train of thought.

“Tadaima!”

“It’s Okaasan!” said Shinsuke. “She’s home early. Sorry guys, but it looks like we might have to clear out a little sooner than I thought. She hates it when I play the music loud. Actually, she hates it-- period.”

The three of them went down the stairs and were headed for the door when Shinsuke’s mother grabbed him by the collar. “You’re not going anywhere. You promised me that you would clean the windows as punishment for stealing from your father’s wallet. It’s getting dark, so go and do it!”
“Hai,” mumbled Shinsuke as he glanced sideways at his two friends. Wordlessly they expressed their understanding and shuffled out the door, giving placating nods to the angry parent as they left.

Outside, the two walked down the street aimlessly, Jun with hands jammed in his pockets, Inoran swinging his arms. There seemed no point in going home so early just to be shunted into their rooms to “go study.” Looking up shyly at his tall companion through his long bangs, Inoran was the first to break the silence.

To his surprise, Jun responded amiably. Though he didn’t exactly chatter, the silences were short and friendly. Inoran heaved a mental sigh of relief. He hadn’t known exactly what to expect when meeting Jun. For a fleeting moment there had been a bizarre feeling, too fuzzy to be a premonition, too distinct to be ignored, when they were being introduced.

Well, whatever it was, it didn’t seem like it foreboded any hostility. In fact, as the topic turned to from rock bands to schoolmates and teachers, he soon began to feel comfortable talking with the tall, silently energetic boy.

Jun was somewhat surprised at himself. He didn’t usually hold conversations with people he didn’t know very well, and usually preferred to hang around those who kept talking to a minimum. However, with Inoran the words were coming with unusual ease--for him, at least. He wondered if it was related to the odd pang he felt when Inoran had stepped into the room.

Or maybe it was just the fact that they both adored rock music.

When Inoran mentioned his guitar playing, he reacted somewhat surprisingly. With the most excitement Inoran had yet seen on his expressionless-bordering-on-sullen face,
he said in envious tones, “So you play? That’s great. I want to learn, someday, but my sister won’t let me touch her bass.”
A gleam lighted his eyes. "That won't stop me, though."
Inoran heard the wistfulness in his voice and felt it strike a chord of sympathy. “Hey, that’s no problem. I’ll teach you,” he heard himself say.

Now what made me say that? he wondered. I barely know the guy…

Jun, for his part, was equally startled at the offer. However, he couldn’t help hoping his long-cherished wish would really come true--just like that. It was a windfall, too good to miss. “If you don’t mind…” he said slowly.

“No really, it’s no problem. I’m not that good yet, though,” replied Inoran.

End Chapter 1

Chapter 2 ended up being the only heavily edited chapter, and all the fixing occured chiefly in the first two paragraphs. I made an exception because believe me, the writing needed it.
>_< All I can say in defense of myself is that I was probably in a really big rush when I wrote it. Something on the scale of trying to type while running from a horde of stampeding elephants.
Still, those of you who pray for the category "Jrock Trivia" to appear on Jeopardy should enjoy this part, because it refers to something that Ino mentioned (tersely) irl.
So who knows, perhaps a teeny tiny grain of this is based on the truth! At any rate we know that there was some kind of an
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Chapter 2: Abduction
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Later Inoran often thought that it was funny how one of the most important days in his life had been so ordinary, to the extent that he could barely recall any of it. All he could remember was talking with Jun for maybe twenty more minutes, then returning home to brush his teeth and sleep through dinner. All in all, a remarkably unremarkable day--and the start of a highly remarkable friendship.

Now, in high school, they were still classmates. Jun had picked his school by standards that his parents might not have approved of, had they known the real reason for his choice. ("_____'s school uniform is way more kakkoii, plus they allow dyed hair.” Inoran: <shrug> “Sure.”) Time had worn his own shyness and Jun's initial reserve down to the point where he could hardly believe how relaxed he was in the other's presence. He often caught himself rambling on to Jun about something he could barely imagine saying out loud. Oddly enough, he had come to trust in a safe reaction from the taller boy. Nothing Jun said, no matter how crude or vehement, ever caused him to shrink back from misunderstanding or derision. Far from it.
In fact, there were times when he had the distinct feeling that they agreed so strongly that he could have put one finger
on Jun's forehead and read his thoughts.

It helped that they did everything together, from being officers of the Light Music Club to starting a band. Lunacy made Inoran decide to pursue music as his life- well, Lunacy and Ichiro san. He could still remember the way he felt the first time he'd seen D’erlanger perform. Nothing, not the distance or the frightening skimpily-dressed women who leered at him from the corners, could keep him from going to see Ichiro again. And again. Still, he appreciated it when Jun went with him.

One morning shortly after they had formed Lunacy, Inoran awoke to the fact that he was late. Very late. Again. This happened fairly frequently since his mom had started working; now no one was at home to wake him up and he frequently missed his alarm. He was starting to get a name for tardiness at school. He grabbed his clothes and started to get dressed.
Meanwhile, Jun was looking at Inoran’s empty chair in class.

Late again, huh. Hope he shows up in time for band practice at least.

Inoran walked down the hall, not looking forward to walking in half-way through class to face the teacher's glare and the giggles, smirks, and sympathetic faces of his classmates. Absorbed in this unpleasant scenario, he completely failed to notice the two figures lurking around the corner. He only had time to wonder briefly at the oddity of loitering students when one of them jerked him off his feet abruptly and clubbed him on the head. He was hauled up before he could even shout in protest, and a hand clapped roughly over his mouth. Another set of arms grabbed his legs and started to drag him quickly.

He looked wildly at the person carrying his feet, the only one of his attackers that he could see. To his amazement, he actually recognized him. It was a senpai from his art class.

Why is he attacking me?

Though Inoran had once caught him and a friend of his eyeing him in a strange way, he had never offended them in any way. But when the two dumped him in the bathroom, shoved a gag in his mouth and started to pin down his hands, Inoran started to get a terrible premonition of their intentions. It was then that he really started trying to scream.

Jun squirmed in his chair. Usually restless and bored in class, he was practically twitching now. He couldn’t shake this feeling that was starting to overwhelm him, a feeling that someone needed him very badly--now. Finally, he jumped up, partly involuntarily. Heads turned in the classroom.

“Umm…sensei, I have to..to use the restrooms.” Eyebrows raised, the teacher dismissed him. Not waiting for permission, Jun practically tripped in his race to the door.

“Must need to go very badly,” commented Shinsuke under his breath.

Not even knowing where he was headed, he ran through the empty halls following his instinct. Finally, he burst through the doors to the bathrooms, where he saw, to his shock, Inoran. Gagged. And standing over him were two older boys, who were evident intent on assault. He didn’t even want to think what kind of assault they had in mind.

Inoran stared up at Jun in shock, then pure relief. He was a heaven-sent savior. But what would he do now? The two boys were temporarily frozen in surprise, but that would wear off and then--

They're both older than Jun and he's outnumbered--they surely won’t let him spread this story.

Jun thought fast. Pulling on his calm, he said, "Better watch it. Nakamori sensei is headed this way, and he’ll be here in a minute."

The two boys looked at each other, their doubt palpable. One of them stood up, saying, "If I look out the door and don’t see him..." He didn’t have to finish his sentence. The other boy remained facing Jun, eyeing him suspiciously. Jun looked around him at Inoran, partly to see if he was ok, partly to signal him with his eyes. The minute the first boy reached the door, Jun crashed into him from behind, slamming him into the wall. Simultaneously, Inoran lurched to his feet and kicked the other boy in the back of knees. Then he scrambled to his feet and, grabbing Jun’s arm, bolted. They ran down the corridors, not even bothering to check if they were being pursued, and got out of the school at the first exit.

Panting, they collapsed on the steps. Inoran buried his head in his hands and breathed out a muffled, “Thanks,” to Jun. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, and Jun started to worry.

“Inoran? You…okay?”

Finally Inoran looked up. "I think you saved my virginity..." Relieved, Jun burst out laughing. They stood up.

"Somehow, I don’t feel like going back to school."

Later, when they were walking around, Inoran asked, "So how did you know that I was in trouble? Don’t tell me they let you in on it." Jun's intervention had been too timely to be coincidence, and yet he couldn't quite believe that there was a connection.

There is _no_ way that he'd have anything to do with a set-up.

Jun had no answer. How could he explain the incredible pull he had felt? He didn’t believe in all that psychic crap, and he doubted that Inoran would.

"It was a coincidence," he lied.

Inoran, thinking about the way Jun had burst in, shook his head but let it pass. “You must have had to go pretty badly,” he
joked, unknowingly echoing Shinsuke. “Anyway, thanks again man. I really owe you one.”

"Hey, what are friends for?"

End Chapter 2

Oddly enough, I don't have an intro for this chapter. So I guess I'll write one now. This chapter is where I actually started to get creative, meaning that it actually contains original plot. I think that's what makes this fic different
from the others. When I started writing it, I had an entire storyline worked out. With my latest fics I've ended up grabbing a random (well, not so random--I can't seem to stop writing JXIno ^^) yaoi couple and making them cut random capers until I throw together a cheesy WAFFy hhappy ending. ^_^ Naturally they all experience various degrees of angst first though. Don't you just love it when characters get into dramatic and exagerrated fights? Especially when it's just

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Chapter 3: All a Misunderstanding
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Jun rolled his eyes. Where the hell was Ino? Off with his new girlfriend, no doubt. Well, that was fine with him--except when he skipped practice to hang out with her. Just what were his priorities, anyway? He could feel himself gettingg angrier. The rest of the members, seeing that the guitarist was absent again, had decided to take the day off. He was left alone, waiting for Ino to show. He resolved to actually yell at him if he did. The first few times, he had let him off the hook. Somehow, it was too easy to do that. All Inoran had to do was look at him innocently and beg for another chance.

"C’mon J-" Inoran’s nickname for him- "I’m sorry. Really. I’ll be there next time."

The problem was, he really meant it. But Kaori kept wheedling him to go places with her instead. As he thought about the girl that Ino seemed to like so much, he found himself getting angry with her too.

All he ever does these days is talk about Kaori and how pretty, how nice, how great she is.

Just as he started thinking about Ino’s girlfriend, Kaori herself walked into the music room.

Well, speak of the devil.

"Where’s Inoran?" he demanded.

"I told him that there wasn’t practice today."

"Well it’s true now, thanks to you-- you did what?!?"

"I wanted to talk to...you."

Me? What the hell is going on?

"He calls you J, right? That’s so...cute." She walked up to him, smiling. "You know, Inoran talks about you all the time. You two must be really close."

Where is she taking this, J wondered.

"I bet you have a lot of common tastes. Music, for instance. Or maybe girls?"

God, if I didn’t know any better I’d swear she was hitting on me. Where the hell is Inoran?

"Actually, in some ways you’re way cuter than Ino. He’s definitely not as muscular as you." Kaori ran her hand up his arm.
"Hey, whose girlfriend are you, anyway?" J asked, not entirely joking.
"That depends," she replied, "on if you want me to be yours."

What?!?

"You didn’t notice? I’ve had a crush on you for a year."

To tell the truth, he hadn’t noticed. Aside from music, smoking, drinking and Inoran, he didn’t pay attention to too much else. "But...what about Inoran," he said slowly, fighting to understand what was going on.

"He’s your friend, and I could tell that he liked me. So I thought it was a good way to get you to notice me."

Something clicked. "You’re just using him?" There was something in those words which should have told her to stop. But Kaori continued blithely with a flip of her hair,

"He’s nice and sweet, but he’s not the one I really like."

"Do you know how much he cares about you?" J asked in a low voice.

She shrugged. "I can’t help that."

He turned his back on her. "Inoran, I can’t believe your lousy taste in girls," he said, barely hiding his anger. Taken aback, she stared at him for a moment as the words sank in. Then she stiffened, turned around and left the room. He couldn’t muster any sympathy for her, even after his harsh words. He only wondered how he was going to tell Ino.

Later that week, he asked Ino to stay after practice. "I...need to tell you something, Ino."

Inoran shot him a puzzled glance. J hadn’t been acting like himself lately, especially around him, the person with whom he was usually the most relaxed. "Need a cigarette?" he asked, seeing J look at
bit uptight.

"No. Ino, listen to me."

Wow, he really is serious, thought Ino. J was always intense, but...

"It’s about...Kaori."

"Kaori?" Inoran was utterly clueless. Suddenly he remembered calling her a few days ago. She had been upset for some reason, and hung up on him. He hadn’t bothered her about it then, preferring not to invade her privacy, but now he wondered.

"I...I don’t think she cares about you the way you think she does." J tried to choose his words carefully, not wanting to hurt Inoran although a part of him was shouting in outrage, Dump that bitch, she isn't worth it!

"J, what are you talking about? She’s my girlfriend, of course she cares about me."
"No, listen! I-- I just mean that she’s...she’s..."
Another voice cut him off.

"What he’s trying to say, is that I’m actually seeing J. He asked me out a few weeks ago. I’m sorry, we didn’t
want to hurt your feelings, but he thought it was time to tell you."

J twisted around in shock. Kaori?!? What was she doing? Why would she say--suddenly he remembered the way he had rejected her advances, and understood. That BITCH! he thought inside. He whirled aroound to Ino and started to explain. "It’s not that, she’s lying to you, Inoran, listen--" The words died on his lips when he saw the hurt look on Inoran’s face.

Shit, did he hear _anything_ I said?

"J...you and Kaori?" My best friend betrayed me, he thought in shock. And here I’ve been telling him how much I cared about her. I can’t believe it--he must think I’m an idiot. He looked up at Kaori, as she walked over to J, who pushed her away. "It’s ok," Inoran said sllowly. "You don’t have to hide it." As he spoke he got up. He looked at their faces, J’s showing anger and confusion, Kaori’s full of guilt. Unable to stop himself, he ran out of the room as quickly as he could.

That’s the end of Chapter Three. If you think it’s worth continuing, drop me a note. My e-mail is aki2000@xpres.net. Thanks for bearing with me! Once again, suggestions and comments are appreciated.

End Chapter 3

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