Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation. Sorry. :( A lot of OOC.

Prologue

His fingers traced every outline of his lover's body, caressing the soft, bare skin until his fingertips came to a rest. Stroking ever so softly, he traced the outline of his lover's jaw and pink lips.

"So beautiful."

Two single words fell out of his mouth and seemed to linger in the air scented of burnt out inscence and love making. So long ago it seemed since he met his lover, so long ago since he never spent a moment not thinking about the wonder he shared the bed with, so long ago since he never had a heartbeat that wasn't for his partner. He kissed the soft lips of the angel lying next to him and he felt fingers entwine in his mop of hair.

"Ne, Shuichi-kun..." whispered words tickled his ear, "is this perfection?"

"You are perfection."

Lips met in a tender kiss, bare bodies touched in a blissful romance. Stray hands wandered along sensitive skin, waking up the arousals within the two men. Soon the two were within a battle of testoterone, each other's names slipping out of their lips between moans.

"Shuichi-kun, why can't I have you...all to myself?"

A sad smile played on the young man's face. He stared sadly at the man on top of him, who was staring down at him with bright, hope-shattered eyes. Inside, Shuichi's heart cried, begged, pleaded to give up the life he was leading, just so he could spend the rest of his life with the man he was making love to. But, that was a lost cause, a dream caught in a tide and drifted out to sea. He was bound and there was no way out. His heart bled at the lost look on his lover's face, who knew the answer to the obviously useless question.

"You know why we can't be together."

Shuichi reached out to touch the cheek of the hope-broken man, but was rejected. He pulled back his hand, the brightness erased off his face.

"You are a prince, and I am a common man. It wouldn't be accepted amongst your parents or the community."

"But, why, though? Does it matter how much money you have or if your family comes from noble descent? Or, if you are a man? My heart is what matters, right?"

"Yes, I feel the same, but you fail to see the point... I am not allowed to take your hand. To run the throne when your time comes, you have to have a queen..."

"I don't want a queen, I don't want the judgment. If the case is I can't spend the rest of my life with the one I love, then I don't want the throne at all."

Shuichi felt his heart flutter at those words, but he shoved it away. He had more important matters on his hands, such as convincing his lover that it was impossible for them to be together. He had a life of his own. He was infamous, he was a convict...or rather, the disciple under a convict, the servant of the most feared man in Japan. Shuichi felt his lover cup his hand underneath his chin, bright eyes sparkling with sadness and mischief.

"I want to live your life. I want to do the things you do. I want the adventure. I hate being stuck here, I hate being forced into an engagement I don't want to be in. I want out. I don't want to be prince, I want to be a runaway like you, Shuichi-kun. Take me with you. Take me, so I can be free."

"You..you don't understand, Ryuichi-kun... It's not that simple...Yuki-san, he's a devious man, and he will take advantage of the fact that I--"

"Take advantage of the fact that you love me? Why would be do that?"

"I'm his boy toy, Ryuichi-kun."

Ryuichi lowered his head in sadness and defeat. He knew Shuichi was right in everything he was saying. He didn't belong outside the castle walls, he couldn't survive living the life Shuichi did. He also knew that Yuki wouldn't give up Shuichi without a fight. In Yuki's eyes, Shuichi was his, no matter how he mistreated the pink-haired beauty.

"I will see you as much as I can, Ryuichi-kun, I promise you that."

In actuality, it wasn't Ryuichi that needed the saving, it was Shuichi. Yuki's grasp on Shuichi's life hindered him from doing many things, even seeing Ryuichi. Yet, no matter how scrict and cold Yuki was, Shuichi always came back to him, no matter what opportunity he had to run away. He always came back on his knees, begging for forgiveness, which always led to punishment. Shuichi always asked himself why he kept going back to his 'master' and only one reason came to mind... There were times when even Yuki can't help but be in a good mood, and those good moods always mean a good day. It was those few good days that Shuichi found himself cowering underneath his golden-eyed, golden-haired 'master's' gaze in desire. It was those few days that made Shuichi come back and sleep and wake in hope that it would be another good day.

"I just want to be with you, Shuichi-kun."

If only it were that easy...