-Gravitation-

-A Few Lessons on Life-

By: Yuki Kinomi

-Chapter 1 – Face Reality-


Lesson #1- You have to realize that life isn't some dream. You can't choose who you love, it just happens. Step up, and face the truth, before it stabs you in the back.

"Shuichi!!" A familiar voice called out to the pink-haired pop singer.

"Huh?" Shuichi looked up from the piece of paper he was scribbling on. "S-sakuma-san?"

"Hey! Shu-chan! What'cha writing?" The spastic man leaned over Shu, trying to sneak a look at the paper.

"Ah! I'm sorry Shindou-kun! I just couldn't stop him from coming in and, and…" The producer's voice drifted off, as he adjusted the tie of his suit.

"Oh, it's ok Sakano-san!" Smiling, he looked over to Ryuichi, who was now grabbing at the small piece of notebook. "…This is a new song that I'm writing."

"Ooo!! Can I see? Can I? Can I?!" He hopped over the other, and sat on the conference table in front of him.

"I'm sorry Sakuma-san! But, I don't let anyone look at my—" He stopped, seeing t he look on his idol's face.

"Uhn…But, but…Shu-chan…" His big blue orbs filled with tears.

"Uhm…Ok, fine." Sighing, he handed the piece of beat up paper to him. " But, only this once!"

"Hmmm…" Scanning the chicken-scratch, he put he paper down, looking directly into the other's eyes. "Horrible."

"H…huh?" Shuichi's eyes widened at the comment.

"It's crap. You have zero-talent for writing love songs."

Shuichi's head was spinning. Why did his idol say something like that? And since when did Ryuichi start sounding like Eiri?

"B-but Sa-Sakuma-san!!"

Everything went pitch black…

The boy quickly sat up in bed, breathing heavily, and covered in a cold sweat.

"It was…it was just a dream…?"

"Shut-up, and go back to sleep…" Eiri's voice, sleepy but still strong, mumbled out of his pillow.

"Oh…sorry, Yuki…" He slumped back down next to Eiri, and stared up at the ceiling.

The dream had felt so real. He hadn't see or heard from Ryuichi for a few weeks now; and to his own surprise, he actually missed the childish lead singer. Maybe that's what caused him to have a dream with Ryu in it. But then again, what had caused the dream to go so wrong?

Shuichi sighed, and turned over on his side so that his back was toward Eiri. He slowly, but surely, fell back to sleep.

The next morning Shuichi woke up to an empty bed, and a note from Eiri saying:

"Kid, went out with Editor to discuss some things. Be back late. –Eiri"

"Editor…? Oh…he must mean that lady…" The 'kid' struggled out of bed, and into the kitchen to get something to eat.

There was a knock at the door. Forgetting that he was still in his boxers, he answered it.

"Huh…?" He looked up from the floor.

"Hey!! Shuichi-chan!" there was a blur of blue eyes, and brown hair, as Ryuichi lunged at Shuichi, tackling him to the floor.

"Ah, Sa-Sakuma-san?!" He blushed lightly, realizing now that he was just about two-thirds naked.

"I came to see you, Shu-chan!!" Ryuichi rolled off of the blushing Shuichi, and hopped about excitedly. "I haven't seen you in a long time Shu-chan!! Let's go do something!!!" He stopped and smiled, helping Shuichi up off the floor.

"Oh, ok! Just let me go get dressed!" Rushing off to the bedroom, he quickly did so. "Ok!!" And with that, they left in Ryuichi's (which is actually Touma's) car.

"Ah-haha! Hey Shu-chan?" Ryu side glanced over at him, making sure to keep his gaze on the road.

"Hai?" The pink-haired boy lifted his head up off the window, and looked over at his idol.

"What'd you say about ice-cream?" He smiled. "I know this really good place! And it's not too far away either!"

"Oh, that sounds great Sakuma-san!" He grinned.

"Oh, and Shuichi, please call me Ryuichi, or Ryu." He smiled again, his eyes slightly narrower than before.

Shuichi tilted his head to the side.

("Wow! Call him by his first name?! This is amazing!") He smiled to himself, and pressed his face back up against the cold glass of the window.

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of a smallish building with a cow painted on the side of it.

"We're here!!!" They both removed their seatbelts and ran at the building. "Aha!! Ushi's Ice-cream is the best!"

Ryuichi burst through the door and shouted to what seemed like no one.

"I have money!! And we're hungry!!" he posed, Shuichi just staring at him.

"Uh…Sa—I mean Ryu-san…"

"It's ok Shuichi! I'm a regular here!" Grinning, he ordered two ice-cream cones; one cinnamon and one strawberry. He handed the strawberry one to Shu, and kept the other to himself.

"Thank you, uh…Ryu-san." Shuichi smiled awkwardly; it was strange calling The Ryuichi Sakuma by his first name.

"No problem, Shuichi!! Oh!!" He started the car and buckled his seatbelt. "Let's go to the park!!!" Quickly, the car zoomed off down the street, jerking the pink-haired boy back a bit.

"Ack…Sa-Sakuma-san…please, slow down!"

The driver seemed to ignore the young boy's plea. He was too busy laughing, and enjoying the death-ride to the park. The car stopped…

"Yay!! We're here!!" He quickly hopped out of the vehicle, dragging the younger pop-singer with him.

"Ugh…" Shu stumbled a bit,, eating the remains of his ice-cream. Ryu had already finished his in the car.

"That was good, Shu—" He stopped, noticing something. "Hmm…?" Slowly, he leaned over, and licked the other's cheek.

"Uh…Sa-Sa-Sakuma-san…?" He flushed a deep shade of red, and quickly put a hand to the licked cheek.

"You had some ice-cream on your face." The elder smiled innocently at the boy, poking at the blush. "Kawaii."

"K…Kawaii?!" His blush deepened. "I'm not Kawaii! You are Ryu-san!"

Ryu grinned at the boy's reaction and whispered the work again.

"Ka-wai-i." He said it by the syllable, to make the small word seem so much longer.

"Uh…" The boy stuttered. "N-no Sakuma-s-san."

"I told you…" Ryu's eyes narrowed as he walked closer to the other. "To call me by my first name…" the older male pressed his nose against that of Shuichi's, making both himself and the boy to blush more.

"Uh…Sa…I mean…R-Ryu-sama…" A faint frown covered the boy's face, as his idol grabbed a hold of one of his hands, dragging him back to the car.

"Come on Shuichi! I better get you home before Eiri-san starts to worry!" Ryuichi smiled, starting up the car.

"Uh…oh yeah…" He frowned lightly again, pressing his forehead to the car window. "Yuki's probably at home waiting…" The young singer sighed softly to himself, closing his eyes.

("Yeah…home…if that's what you can call it…") He let out a small yawn. ("I love Yuki…so very much…but I'm not sure if he loves me the way I do him…you just don't get it Sakuma-san. And I have the feeling that you never will. I mean, have you ever even been in a relationship?") The boy opened his eyes for a moment, just to look at the childish driver.

He was smiling, keeping his eyes on the road to ensure the safety of both himself and the kid. Shuichi continued his thought.

("How? How can you smile all the time? I mean, life can't be that good all the time!") He sighed deeply, ending the thought for now.

"Hey, Shuichi!" The man looked over to the boy, stopping the car. "I hope you had as much fun as I did today." He grinned. "Oh, and Shu-chan, do try to smile more! Because a sad Shuichi makes a sad Ryuichi!"

"I'll try, Ryu-san." He smiled a small, fake smile, and exited the vehicle. Waving briefly at the departing car, he braced himself for the confrontation of Eiri. "Y-Yuki, I'm home!" He waltzed in the door smiling.

"So…" The deep voice came from the darkened living room. "Where were you?" The blond looked up at the singer, a beer and cigarette in one hand, the other arm draped over the back of the couch.

"Oh, uh…I just went out with Sakuma-san for a while." He gave another semi-fake smile. "I…I'm going to go to bed early tonight, k? I'm a bit beat from today."

"Hn…" The novelist set his beer down, taking a drag from the half-way gone cigarette. "Whatever. I'll be there later." The tall man stood up, grabbing his beer and walking off to his office. "I have some work to finish anyways."

Shuichi watched him walk away, and shut the door to the office.

"Yuki…" A loud sigh escaped his mouth, as he plopped down onto their bed, burring his face in Eiri's pillow.

He lay there for a minute or two, just thinking.

"Oohh…Hiro, I really could use your help right now…" The young boy let out a sob into Eiri's pillow. "Yuki…I'm so sorry…please…forgive me…" His one sob slowly turned into a series, as he sniffed at the pillow. "Just like him…"

His head turned slightly to a deep voice at the door.

"What is it exactly, that you're sorry for?"