Disclaimer
I don't claim to own Gravitation…never have
A/N: This is the long awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed "Lover is a Cheap Title" which I really really strongly recommend you read first! If you don't, not only will the following make no sense what so ever, but you will also spoil the ending of its prequel, which would be bad. Just paste this suffix on the end of the normal web address for this site. /s/3224594/1/
If you really can't be bothered, here are some chapter summaries so you can catch up quickly:
3.41am – Two years after the anime, Eiri is up at 3.41am trying to finish his autobiography, Lover is a cheap Title, before he retires. We read some short extracts from it (that sounds really dull but it isn't).
Fading Direction – Shuichi arrives home from a concert and scolds Eiri playfully for still being up so late. Shuichi persuades him to come to bed but at sunrise Eiri is on the balcony contemplating his future; he decides he will change his name back to Eiri Uesugi, dye his hair, and take up teaching.
Revelations and Resolutions – Nine months later, Shuichi and Hiro are in a café discussing Hiro's lyrics for the song he is going to perform to Ayaka at their wedding. Things get a little competitive until "Professor Uesugi" arrives with Tohma and they join them for coffee. Eiri's first day of teaching is tomorrow and he reveals that at the meeting he has just returned from they told him that one of the coursework texts for the English Literature course will be his own autobiography.
First Day – Eiri begins his teaching at Imperial College Tokyo; Thing's don't go too well and are complicated further when he finds out one of his students is called Naomi Aizawa.
Perfection – On a class theatre trip, Naomi lags behind to talk to him and he accidentally reveals his true identity. He too, confirms that she is Taki's younger sister when she asks what her brother did to make Eiri hate him so much.
The Wedding Party - At Hiro and Ayaka's wedding, Naomi is there (probably a distant cousin of Ayaka or something…). She tries to persuade Eiri to dance and then, when he refuses, kisses him. Enraged, he drags her to a quiet corridor of the hotel and attempts to rape her saying "What? This is what you want isn't it?" in an effort to show her the pain her brother caused. He is stopped suddenly by a gunshot which isn't actually a gunshot it's a balloon bursting but it brings back the memory on New York and he realises that he has become Kitazawa. Later in the bathroom Shuichi finds Eiri with lipstick on his mouth and, in his drunken fury, punches his lights out.
Dried Blood and a Bitter Love Note – Eiri wakes up from a coma 4 days later to find a letter from Shuichi saying he's leaving.
The Day Before Yesterday – Shuichi returns to work in a state after the wedding and Tohma persuades him to write the letter which Eiri read in the previous chapter. A week later, Tohma goes to visit Eiri who is awake but still pretending to be in a coma, Tohma unwittingly confesses that it's his fault Shuichi is leaving. Swearing and fighting ensue, naturally.
Foudroyée, Mais Avec un Sourire – When he is discharged Eiri goes to find Shuichi; he is at a photo shoot at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris, as part of their European Tour. Eiri finally says he loves Shuichi and smiles genuinely for the first time.
A New Beginning – On the way back to the hotel on the Metro Shuichi is pick pocketed by a blonde six year old. The boy's mother returns the wallet but she recognises Eiri and reveals…
…But Not as Cheap as Hooker – …That the boy, Pierre, is Eiri's son. She was a prostitute he slept with when he was 19. He invites her to stay with them in Tokyo for a while which Shuichi is not too happy about.
The Unfinished Chapters – Eiri is working on another novel now that he has rediscovered his talent when Adèle comes in and attempts to seduce him. He goes along with it until his head hits the desk where the scar from the fight with Shuichi is still raw and comes to his senses. Mika makes a brief and unimportant appearance, and Pierre runs away but is caught and returned by a mysterious and handsome man, Taki Aizawa, and he's not too happy to see Eiri.
Reconciled and Broken – Shuichi and Eiri are friends again because Shuichi heard him tell Adèle that he wouldn't sleep with her because he loves Shuichi. Adèle goes on a date with Taki but things turn nasty when he persuades her to help him publish an article that will expose Eiri as a rapist and an illegitimate father.
Press Release – The article is published and Eiri throws Adèle out. She goes to Taki's house with Pierre and, even though she hears him fighting with Naomi, she asks for a place to stay.
Fatally Late – A few weeks later Eiri goes to Taki's house to deliver Pierre's birthday present but he finds Adèle and Taki murdered, Naomi has escaped and Pierre is distraught. This brings back the memories of New York but this time he is in Tohma's role and realises why Tohma cares so much for him; because he loves him like a son.
Still sure you don't want to read it? OK, the following story is written as a series of newspaper extracts, letters and diary extracts (the sort of things you might keep in a scrapbook – hence the title) so look at dates and addresses and stuff. Here goes…
Chapter 1 - One Day Later
Morning Newspaper – Thursday 5th December
A FALLEN STAR
Former Rock Star and Girlfriend Found Dead in Own Home
Police officers were called to a house in suburban Tokyo late yesterday evening where a young couple were found dead and a small boy injured after what appeared to be a malicious assault. The male victim is believed to be Taki Aizawa, the lead singer of ASK; a band who experienced a short period of success three years ago but which came to a sudden and mysterious termination, the circumstances of which are still unknown, when they were dropped from N-G Records on the brink of fame.
Aizawa (25) suffered sever head injuries most likely inflicted by a fall down the flight of stairs he was found at the foot of. Adèle Camélias (22), his partner, died of as a result of a fatal stab wound to the abdomen although her son escaped relatively unscathed.
Their deaths are being treated as highly suspicious and police are currently searching for anyone who may have seen the attack. However, they are hindered by key witnesses who have yet to come forward and an appeal was issued today for any information relevant to these enquiries particularly regarding the whereabouts of Aizawa's sixteen year old sister, Naomi, who was last seen leaving college on the afternoon of her brother's death.
Medical staff at Jutendo Hospital have confirmed that Adèle's son is recovering well in hospital despite significant psychological trauma and suspected sexual abuse. Police are questioning one suspect who cannot be named for legal reasons. The investigation continues.
INBOX // 4 Unread Messages
FROM: Eiri Uesugi TO: Shuichi Shindou
SUBJECT: Why I am not home tonight… DATE: 05/Dec/2007 00:22am
Shuichi,
I guess you've noticed by now I'm not at home. I'm at the hospital - in the cyber café, clearly. So don't panic. I'm not sick. Why isn't your phone on? I don't really know how to tell you this; it's too surreal, I don't even believe it myself and I saw it with my own eyes. I guess it's like one of those things you have to read in the newspaper before it feels real.
Adèle's dead. Taki's dead. I'm sorry to be so blunt but I'm not in the mood to break it to you gently. Not that you'd be too sad about it anyway. Everything seems like a dream and a nightmare at the same time, but it isn't really either of them because if it was a dream I'd be happy and if it was a nightmare I'd be upset. I don't feel anything; just empty, and numb, and tired. I'm not cruel enough to take pleasure in Taki's death, however much I hated him, but I'm not sad that he died – he deserved it. Then there's Adèle; she didn't deserve it. I know he made her talk to the journalists, it wasn't her fault. I think he killed her.
I went to their house yesterday afternoon to deliver Pierre's birthday present and I found Taki at the bottom of the stairs and then Adèle was on the landing, bleeding everywhere, I reckon he stabbed her and then she pushed him down the stairs. That's what's so cruel; he died on impact but she suffered, life leaching out slowly as she listened helplessly to her son's crying. She was still alive when I got there. I tried to call an ambulance but she died in my arms. Maybe she finally felt it was safe to let go when she knew there was someone to take care of Pierre.
I don't know what caused their row, but I have some idea. It was the way Pierre was crying when I found him, I've heard that cry before, I've heard it from my own mouth. I may be wrong; it takes less to make a 7 year old cry like that than a 16 year old. I don't want to believe it but I know I'm right. Fatherly instinct, eh?
A father. It feels like I'm finally realising what it means to be a father. Right now the only thing that's important is Pierre. He just lost his mother, on his birthday too, and who knows what else he's gone through. I hope you can understand that he really must be my priority at the moment.
Meet me here as soon as you can. And bring some things he might need; pyjama's, a toothbrush, wash kit. Shit. I don't know how to take care of a kid! Anything you think he might need, pack it into the holdall under our bed. A French phrasebook perhaps? I know this is going to be the start of a long struggle but we'll get through.
I should go. The police want to speak to me and I hope they'll be quick because I want to be there when Pierre wakes up from his sedation.
See you soon.
Eiri.
INBOX // 0 Unread Messages
FROM: Shuichi Shindou TO: Eiri Uesugi
SUBJECT: REPLY-"Why I am not home tonight…" DATE: 05/Dec/2007 06:45am
Hi Eiri!
Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I got in really late from the concert last night and just crashed. I didn't even notice you weren't there! I did see it in the papers this morning. I looked for it just after I got your e-mail. I can't believe you practically saw it happen! It's kind of cool; not that being in the paper is anything new to us ;-) Do you know who the suspect is? There's sure to be a big investigation.
I'm being so insensitive! Bad Shuichi! I don't mean to sound cold but I'm quite relieved they're both out of the picture. Perhaps with Adèle gone we can be a proper family – You, me and Pierre. But like you said, Pierre is most important now and we have to look at his immediate recovery not get carried away with our long-term dreams. It'll be difficult; adoption is a tough process especially given our situation and then there's the language barrier and what the papers are calling "significant psychological trauma and suspected sexual abuse" but he'll be in safe hands, if anyone knows how to deal with that you do :-)
I don't know anything about kids!! I did babysitting once when I was a teenager, they ran riot! I had to phone their parents to come and rescue me from the garden where they locked me out. The house was a bombsite, I didn't get paid and I didn't get any more offers after that surprisingly. I'll try and pack something useful and catch a taxi ASAP. You must be exhausted.
Don't stress. I'm sure everything will be alright.
Lots and lots of love,
Shuichi.
x x x x x
