Title: The Broken Ones

Disclaimer: All Gravitation characters are owned by the great Maki Murakami

Notes: Warning! Spoilers! This story happens in episode 6 on wards. It's just a kind of bonus track ^_^ Feedback please ... thanks for everyone who reads this.

Special thanks to: silvercross (something you said inspired me to write this fic hehehe)

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"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" said Hiro softly, knowingly, "you gave them a chance to be together."

The girl in front of him looked away, closing her eyes. It wasn't a question. It was a statement of truth. Hiro felt sorry for her, he knew exactly how she was feeling. Had he not been feeling the same too? The feeling of letting go of someone you love and the sound of a heart breaking, he knew them too well.

"Even though he marries me, he wouldn't be happy," Ayaka-chan finally said in a defeated tone of voice.

Hiro nodded mentally. Had he been able to separate his bestfriend from his lover, he'd do it faster than blinking, but would Shuichi be happy? No, he would be devastated. His love for the novelist was far too greater beyond anything in this world. And Hiro knew, to love was to care for your beloved's happiness. He had learnt it the hard way. And so had Ayaka, he supposed.

"He never looked at me that way ...," a heavy sigh escaped the girl's partly open lips.

The sun was shining brightly despite the cold they felt. The wind ruffled their hair and their mind. Hiro tried not to think of anything. It was a bit cold being in the open air like this. They decided to take a ride to the hillside of Tokyo, just to get away from everything that was happening. But he wondered if he ever could get away from the one love he felt.

He knew he was supposed to be his best friend. Full stop. Best friend only. But why? Why can't he feel this way? Was it wrong to fall in love with your close friend? Hiro shook his head slowly. No, it can't be wrong. It mustn't be wrong. Love was love, no matter whom you love. But everything's too late now ...

"It's not fair, you know," she said in exasperated voice, "I was so close ..."

"I know ... it's not," came the reply from Hiro's lips, almost too quick.

That's the most frustrating thing of all. He could understand her desperation. Hadn't he been screaming at himself over and over again? "This isn't fair!" He was so close ... he was Shuichi's close friend. They shared everything together. They were always together. They had their dreams and everything ...

But he wasn't the one Shuichi loved. It was that damn novelist. The man had taken away the most precious person from his side and he couldn't do anything about it. It was love at the first sight and Hiro was devastated. Shuichi fell so hard for the novelist and Hiro couldn't understand why. Was it fate? Was it destiny? Maybe he didn't really want to know.

"I was so happy when we got engaged," her eyes looked at the blue sky wistfully.

Then she looked into Hiro's eyes, "I really do love him very much, do you know?"

Hiro replied, "I know. I can see it in your eyes."

And Hiro could see it way too clearly too in Shuichi's eyes. It was the same wistful expression whenever the pink haired singer was talking about his lover. They were the same, really, Shuichi and Ayaka-chan. They fell for that blonde bastard almost as instantly as they first met him. Still he couldn't understand what they saw in that cold-hearted novelist. Love was something so weird. It did unexpected things to people. Sometimes it did cruel things to people. Like to him and the girl in front of him.

"I really wanted to cry," she sighed, "but the tears won't come out."

Then it struck Hiro's wandering mind. They were the same! He and Ayaka-chan. They both felt the same feeling of loss, they both had broken hearts and both of them couldn't do anything to change that fact. He felt the desperate plea in Ayaka's voice. There were times too when he was desperate to cry but he couldn't. His pride wouldn't allow him to do it. Besides, he was afraid if he did cry, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop it.

Hiro held out his hand. He gently pulled Ayaka-chan into his embrace.

"You can cry now"

Then she cried. It was the kind of crying of a broken hearted. The sound wasn't that audible but Hiro could hear all of the shattered dreams breaking in her voice. It was the saddest thing he had ever heard. He held her more tightly and stroked her long brown hair. The same long brown hair as he had. He allowed himself a little smile. They were so much alike. It was almost a joke. A kind of sad joke, anyway.

After some times, Ayaka pulled away and looked down on the ground, "Thanks ... I guess I needed that."

"Don't mention it," said Hiro casually.

She rummaged through her small carry bag and found the packet of tissues. She blew her nose politely and Hiro thought it was kind of cute. Well, not as cute as .... Abruptly, he stopped the way his mind was drifting into and scolded himself.

"You are so kind," said Ayaka-chan, looking away from Hiro's gaze and trying hard not to blush.

Hiro smiled again for the second time today. She was cute all right. And something about her reminded him about his pink haired friend. Well, for one thing, she could make him smile. It's not the same way with Shuichi, he realized. Shuichi is Shuichi ... and this is someone else ... He sighed again and turned his gaze to the bright blue sky. Do you ever realise how lonely it is without you, Shuichi?

Then some thought occurred to him.

Here they were, two broken hearted people, the forgotten ones. They could help one another. Maybe it wasn't right. Maybe it was just desperation. But Hiro felt that if he could help this girl getting over her broken heart then maybe, just maybe, he could get over his.