Brickyard Passion

Chapter One

Vita non est vivere sed valere vita est

Life is more than merely staying alive

A/N: So you all know...I did write this and you did see this earlier...however I revised it some more... I hope you like it...It took me four hours to revise completely...::smiles:: SO you will read and comment right!? Good...

Disclamer: I dont own Gravitation...Me? hahahahahahahaha


As a mass of people returned to their cars, the starting of engines marked the end of a cordially tepid summer's day, but more importantly, the end of a month long tour of the bands Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck.

After bowing, the band members went back to their respective dressing rooms, where they could all shower up for the party afterwards. Tired and exhausted, Shindou Shuichi slipped past his friends and retired in the Bad Luck coach bus. Lying down on his bed, Shindou was able to listen to the fast paced chirping song of the crickets in the fields behind the buses. He could hear the pleasantly calming song of the wind blowing through the trees, as the moon cast shadows in the bus's cavity. The cool sheets made his hot flushed skin tense, providing him with a very uncomfortable position. Shindou groaned. Although he was in a very uncomfortable position he found it hard to move, because he had worked his body to the max this last month, just trying to keep up with the other band.

A few moments passed before he could hear peoples' voices moving to and from his coach bus on the other side. Surely they were going to the party. As Shindou was struggling to get up from his position to shower, he heard a soft knock on the door.

Fearing it was the bus driver Shindou immediately announced he was there by yelling for the person to enter. To his surprise it wasn't the coach bus driver.

"Hey Sakuma-san! I was just going to shower for the party." Shindou announced. "Sorry, I know I'm late."

"Hn. Don't worry about it, Shuichi." Sakuma Ryuichi stated, smiling and closing the door behind him.

As Shindou went to the back room to get a towel, Sakuma walked slowly towards the bed Shindou had just been lying in, with what seemed as the same amount of pain Shindou had been in.

"I'll just be a moment." Shindou said as he poked his pink head back into the room.

Shindou watched Sakuma's chest rise and fall in long undulations, his eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly opened. Shindou's pain seemed to escape him as he sympathized his idol.

"Shuichi..." Sakuma started. "Do you really want to go to that party?" He finished, his eyes still closed.

Shindou paused for a moment, even though he knew the answer, and sat at the end of the bed, still looking at Sakuma's peaceful looking body.

"No."

Sakuma chuckled weakly with a small smile as he opened his eyes to look at Shindou.

"Neither do I."

Shindou smiled and let out a small laugh until he felt Sakuma's hot body near his.

"Come with me."

Two men stood still looking into the club's dark depths. One man slowly moved deeper into the darkness with his hands in his pockets and his eyes closed. The elder drew in a deep steadying breath and moved forward with seemingly the same ease as the other.

The snapping of a switch was heard through the dense darkness before multicolored lights illuminated a stage. A single familiar body appeared from behind the curtain and moved forward as if the lights dragged it out.

Both bodies stopped only a few feet from each other, one slightly elevated due to the stage. Both were visible under the clarifying lights.

The young crimson haired raven looked down upon the brunette-haired sparrow; violet orbs met confident, though nostalgic sapphire spheres. A porcelain hand extended, welcoming the other, however in making contact with the other's flesh an affiliation was composed; two melodies found one harmony.

A long time passed as the two shared the stage, regressing on previous events held where they sat.

"Shuichi, last night was my last performance in Nittle Grasper." Sakuma informed.

Shindou looked questioningly at the elder performer, concern visible in his eyes.

"I reunited with Tohma and Noriko again, only because Sakano sent me an article and a tape of you and Hiro, and you inspired me."

A brief moment passed as Sakuma looked to the back of the club, then back to Shindou. Sakuma took a deep breath.

"I'm moving back to the United States...tomorrow."

Violet eyes widened as if they were unable to understand why they were being told all of this.

Sakuma watched silently.

"Sakuma-san?" The cherry haired boy spoke in a melodic voice.

"Hai."

The two sounded as if they were one body; one voice.

"Remember the night we first shared a stage?"

"Hai, Shuichi." The other's words were as thick as chocolate forming from the beautiful voice.

"It was my first concert." The burgundy Shindou said watching the back of the room as if expecting something to appear. "You made it possible for me to have a career in this business…in more ways than one."

This last comment brought the older man out of his own search party, with a gleam to his cerulean eyes that proved he had found something, a clue perhaps.

"Thank you." Azure eyes widened briefly before narrowing in determination.

"You're welcome, Shuichi."

A few moments passed silently between them before a yawn escaped from Shindou shortly followed by a tired moan.

"Tired?" Sakuma asked, obviously still awake.

"Hai!" Shindou responded stretching his arms above his head. "I'm very tired!"

The two looked at their watches; it was nearing two in the morning.

"I think, I'm gonna go back home…Okay Sakuma-san?" The boy yawned again jumping off the stage.

"Hai, Shuichi. Do you want me to walk home?"

"No…It's really not necessary…But…Thank you for the offer!" Shindou said turning to face his friend and smiled. "Have a good night! Rest up! You'll need it for the flight tomorrow!"

Heavy cobalt eyes watched as the tiny figure disappeared into the shadows.

"Goodnight." A farewell statement with more said then it seemed.


"I'm going out for a walk, okay, Tohma?"

"Hn."

Seguchi Tohma was hunched over, shuffling through some papers on a desk as Sakuma asked this. His glasses fell to the bridge of his nose occasionally, and he would gaze over them reading and commenting silently to himself over business issues, before pushing them back up with a slender index finger.

Sakuma felt sorry for the blonde man. The tour had not been as friendly, nor seemingly amusing to Tohma as it was to the rest of the band. Tohma had a goal in life to make his own business in music. In pursuing his dream he had teamed up with his best friends, forming the legendary band, Nittle Grasper. He made a name for himself and eventually built the most successful producing company in Japan.

This success however came with its difficulties. Tohma's business. NRG was like a baby, it would need Tohma's assistance everyday. Now that Nittle Grasper had reunited, on the request of Sakuma Ryuichi , it would mean longer days and more sleepless nights.

Sakuma observed the calm and collected, but tried Tohma with obviously concerned eyes. This was one of Sakuma's best friends. As he walked by the blonde man he patted Tohma's head, ruffling his hair in the process.

"Ryuichi…" Tohma said sternly as Sakuma turned at the door.

With one hand still on the handle, Sakuma looked at Tohma. Tohma turned in his seat taking his glasses off and rubbing the arch between his eyes.

"It's chilly out tonight. Put on a jacket and hat or scarf if you really must go out at…" Tohma glanced at the clock's deadly red numbers. "Two-thirty in the morning."

Sakuma chuckled walking casually over to the closet with their jackets in it. Careful not to wake Ukai Noriko sleeping in the room next, he opened the door slowly and only halfway. He pulled out a leather jacket that ended at mid-thigh, and a lengthy sapphire scarf.

"How do I look?" Sakuma asked as he walked through the hallway and turning twice around for Tohma.

Tohma chuckled. Waking up at five in the morning, going to work, singing deals, contracts and such, "hanging" or what seemed like babysitting-with Sakuma, flying to the northern tip of Japan and back home, then driving for five hours to a concert, making appearances, signings and such, performing the concert, plus an encore, going home, going to work, and babysitting some more really could put a guy in a bad mood- however, he really appreciated that laugh.

"Fine." Tohma stated laughing at the singer's response.

"Fine?!…FINE?!" Sakuma blurted obviously upset. "This…" he said twirling again. "is beauty!"

Tohma looked at Sakuma through tired eyes. Sakuma wore a long black scarf twisted once round his neck, and dangling off his shoulders. His unkempt hair looked anything but. Several silver earrings garnished his ears which anything out of the ordinary, including the mysterious silver chain that was popping over the scarf then attached to a dangling music note pendant.

The shirt of choice was none other than the black and white striped one he wore when he returned from a five year breakup of Nittle Grasper. His jacket fell across his shoulders; slightly opened, with it's belt dangling on both sides. On his legs he wore his light blue jeans, slightly ripped at the knees, however undeniably comfortable.

"Of course, I agree." Tohma surrendered. "Beauty."

Sakuma smiled a triumphant grin and turned once again to the door opening it slightly allowing the cool air to nip at his exposed skin.

"Ryuichi," Tohma stopped him again. "Do you have your cell phone?" Tohma asked despite he knew the answer.

"Oh…No! I don't." Sakuma patted his pockets before running off to his bedroom to get his charging phone.

"Okay!" he said returning to the hall. "Anything else…Mom?" Sakuma asked daring Tohma to reply.

"Well…" Tohma started looking up from his papers again.

But before he could say anything else, Sakuma had already walked out the door. Tohma just sighed and went back to his previous duties.

Sakuma enjoyed taking long walks around his hometown of Tokyo. Occasionally he would change his route taking it to the park, the beaches, or he would just walk around familiar neighborhoods. However tonight he chose to walk along the park trails.

He found the crisp air would awaken his senses and he could become inspired. On his walks he would usually clear his mind of everything or he would try to resolve his problems. Other times he would find himself writing songs in his head and still others he would just want to be aloe. As of lately, all he had been thinking about on his walks was Shindou. He approached a bench under a light and decided to sit. The more he thought about the previous events that night, he got more and more lonely. However as Sakuma was sliding his hands in his jacket pockets, he found his cell phone and decided to play around with it.

For a while he sat there playing a game on the cell phone, until a box popped up saying 'One new message'.

"Oi Sakuma-san! It's me Shuichi! Tonight was awesome! I can't believe it was our last performance this year! I wish it didn't end so soon. You were awesome on stage as always! Thank you for allowing our band to tag along! It was the best experience ever!"

The boy's excited voice echoed from the phone into Sakuma's ear.

"Well…Thank you and…h-have a safe trip to the United States…I-I'll…Well, Goodnight."

Sakuma smiled and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the phone in his hands.

"Well…" A voice said. "I never thought I'd see you here."