This story pretty much revolves around the events that happened in Vol. 8 of the manga. I kept some original dialogue in while adding a unique spin to things. If you love reading about an empowered, takes-no-shit Shuichi, then you've come to the right place. To some of you, Shu's actions may seem a little OOC, but I like to think that this would be the reaction of a person who's fed up with being mistreated by people.

This story will kinda be a crossover with an AU, modern-day Naruto. I'll temporarily be borrowing some of Kishimoto's characters.

Disclaimer: If I did own Gravitation, I'd be rich and probably not writing fanfiction. Since that's not the case, I don't own Gravitation.

"The hottest love has the coldest end." – Socrates

Tohma looked over at Shuichi as he sat on the couch. He allowed no hint of his true feelings to show as he looked at the younger man. "So, how did it go? I want all the dirt on your excursion with Eiri-san!"

Shuichi glanced up at his boss, confused as to where the conversation was going. Although, with it not being too long since Yuki's release from the hospital, he couldn't say he was too surprised. "Really – uh, okay…! It was fun."

"That's excellent. It will make a nice memory for you. It should keep you from being so lonely."

Shuichi felt a pulse of alarm at Seguchi's words. Sure the man was smiling, but he knew that his smile hid a deadly surprise. One that was just waiting to be unleashed like a spring loaded trap on him. Deciding to play along, he said, "Yeah, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven."

"Well now that it's over, I forbid you from seeing Eiri-san ever again."

Shuichi couldn't help the widening of his eyes when he heard. Anger started bubbling deep in his veins at once again having his life dictated for him. For now, though, it was best to play the part of the fool to see how far things would go. "Hey, wait a minute. You had me going there, Seguchi-san. Nice poker face."

"I'm not joking. I want you to disappear from Eiri-san's life immediately. You're nothing but an intruder. You may think that you have Eiri-san all to yourself, but dear, sweet Yuki belongs to me. I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression. If you insist on carrying on with this little charade, then I suggest you think about to whom you owe the success of Bad Luck."

Teeth grinding together, Shuichi fought to keep his temper. You fucking, sanctimonious son of a bitch! I knew you'd bring that up. Why am I the only one around here always taking shit because of Yuki?

The door to Tohma's office slammed open, catching both Hiro and K off guard. Shuichi stormed out, his head lowered so that they couldn't see his face clearly. Hiro noticed his friend's darkening mood and steered him away from Tohma's office. Glancing back at K, he knew what the man was thinking. K had a plan. He was certain of it. Whether it would be good or bad was still up in the air. After successfully maneuvering Shuichi to the lobby, Hiro sat down on the couch next to his friend. Shuichi sat there, his head cradled in his hands. It hurt him to see his friend reduced to this. And all over a man who he, at times, wondered if he even cared about his friend.

As Shuichi related what had happened in their boss's office, his nerves refused to calm down. "What should I do? What should I do? What?! This is…this is blackmail! This means…this means that he's forcing me to choose either the bad or Yuki, right?!"

"Yeah, it's a pretty sickening game he's got going. This kind of thing really pisses me off. Shuichi, listen…stay with Yuki-san. Seriously, we'll tell NG to go fuck themselves."

Shuichi looked over at Hiro, shocked by his friend's words. "Hiro, are you serious?" He had to admit it was really tempting to just follow Hiro's advice. But he felt cheated at having to sacrifice everything that Bad Luck had worked for all in the name of keeping his relationship with Yuki. "Let's calm down and think this out, okay? Let's not make any rash decisions. Let me talk to Yuki first, and ask about Seguchi-san…to his face. It's the only way to be sure!"

Shuichi tried to calm his breathing as he entered the apartment. Noticing that Yuki's office door was ajar, he walked towards it, rehearsing what he wanted to ask his lover. Yuki sat with his back facing Shuichi as he typed away at another of his novels. His breathing quickened as Yuki finally turned around, sensing that he wasn't alone. "There's something that I wanted to ask you…"

"You're back early. So most likely you haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Shuichi stammered as he watched Yuki walk past him, "Uh…well…no…it's not that. I wanted to ask you…"

"I know, I know. You don't have to go on about it. You want to eat, right? I'll make something for you."

Getting nowhere fast, Shuichi followed Yuki into the kitchen. Deciding to take another approach, he tried making small talk about Seguchi to see how Yuki would respond. "Yuki…h-how's Seguchi-san these days?"

Yuki glanced up quizzically as he heard Shuichi's question. "Huh? Why're you asking me?"

Sensing danger as he replied to Yuki's question, "Uh…you know! It always seems like you and Seguchi-san get along so well…"

Yuki seemed disturbed by this. "After all this time, what would give you the assumption that we get along?"

Seeing Yuki's reaction began to give Shuichi hope. Maybe it was just all in Seguchi's mind, so he had nothing to worry about. "Well, I mean, he is your brother-in-law, after all. He seems like he knows so much about you."

"Of course he knows all about me. We lived together in the U.S. He witnessed my nasty little habits firsthand. The guy's got an attention to detail, too. He probably knows how many hairs I have on my head."

And just as quickly as it rose, Shuichi's hope sank. Those two had lived together?

"In reality, he's the one who took me to New York in the first place. He took care of me, set me up with a place to crash. And he's the one who introduced Kitazawa to me, too. I acted like we were joined at the hip, sometimes."

Before he could stop and think about what he was saying, Shuichi shouted, "Why aren't you pissed off at Seguchi-san? It's because he took you to New York and introduced you to that guy…that's why all those horrible things happened to you!"

"That's enough, Shuichi! I'm not sure what you're getting at, but this is as far as it goes. I've had enough. Why would I hold any of that against Seguchi? It's because of him that I've made it this far. He made me a success. He's special. He's different from you…understand?"

Shuichi stiffened as though he'd just been slapped. Well, there was the answer he'd been waiting for, right? "I see…in other words, Seguchi-san is someone special to you, and I'm not. I get the picture now, Yuki. I just can't compete against him, can I? Compared to him, I'm just trash, nothing more!" Feeling the tears welling up, he turned and ran out of the apartment, ignoring Yuki as he called out to him.

Later that day at a taping of a television show, Shuichi revealed what had happened. When he told them that he hadn't yet made up his mind about whom to pick, they were flabbergasted, to say the least. They thought for certain that he'd pick Yuki. Hiro even pulled him aside and told him that he had to ask Yuki how he felt. Otherwise, he'd never know and agonize over it forever. Which led him to his current location at a bar where he'd found both Yuki and Seguchi. Once again, Seguchi threatened to use his power to blacklist Shuichi and his band. When Yuki reprimanded Seguchi, Shuichi thought that Yuki was defending him. Then came the punch line delivered by Yuki himself. "You told me you did all this so I could get Shuichi out of my life, didn't you? You were doing me a favor because I was sick of babysitting this punk. Didn't I say that, Seguchi? You're the only one who understands me."

Shuichi couldn't believe it. This was just too fucking rich! Embarrassment and shame rippled through him at what had just happened. Here he was just having been dumped by Yuki, in public no less, and his now ex-boyfriend was now acting all buddy-buddy with his boss. Fists clenching, he decided right then that this was the last straw. So why not go out with a bang? He saw K smirk and nod slightly at him from the corner of his eye. Whatever he did, however scandalous, he knew that he could count on K to support him. That thought empowered him. It made him feel as though he could take anything or anyone on. This was how Yuki wanted things to be? Well, fucking fine! So bring it on bitches, because Shuichi was ready for a fight! He heard the song playing in the background and smirked. This was going to make it more enjoyable for him.

I guess I didn't hear you right

Did you say that you were leaving me?

You really must be feeling bad,

to say those kinds of things to me.

I'm sorry that you feel that way.

Because I…

thought that we really had it made.

That you and I were gonna last.

I guess it's fair to let you know.

Noticing the dark aura that started to emanate from Shuichi, people began edging away from him, not knowing what he was capable of. He stalked over to where Yuki stood next to Seguchi. Pink bangs framed violet eyes, shading the pain that their owner felt. Anger, sadness, and betrayal all swirled together to create a dangerous mixture. Right now, Shuichi couldn't trust that he wouldn't say something that he'd later regret. So he decided to let his fists do the talking for him. Normally, Shuichi would never, could never, imagine himself hitting Yuki in anger. But now, right then, all he felt was a deep sense of disgust. It was aimed at not only Yuki but at himself for allowing Yuki to use him for so long.

You're nothing without me.

I wouldn't walk out that door.

Or you may find out the hard way,

just what love is for.

You're nothing without me.

You'll never fall in love again.

Because there's only one me and you.

Why pretend?

Yuki had no warning as his head flew violently to the side, wincing as he felt the skin of his lip split apart. Raising a hand to wipe away the blood, he glanced over to see who had decked him, gold eyes narrowed coldly. To his surprise there stood Shuichi, blood splattered on the knuckles of his left hand. To say he was shocked would have been one hell of an understatement. This was Shuichi we were talking about! Shuichi didn't make it a habit of punching people. Now all he could do was stare as Shuichi glared hatefully at him, a crowd of curious onlookers clustered around them. Great, this was just what he fucking needed. "What was that for, brat? Is it my fault now that you can't handle the truth?"

"Shut the fuck up, Yuki!" Shuichi spat, his eyes never leaving Yuki's face. "I'm so fucking sick and tired of being played like one of your toys. I'm not your goddamned puppet! You don't even treat me like a human being. To you, I'm just some fucking mutt that you can just snap your fingers at and I'll just obediently come running. Well, fuck that shit! What is my life to you, Yuki? Huh? Is it just some damned game to you? Answer me, goddamn it!"

Yuki stood there stunned, his eyes widening at each word that Shuichi shouted. Before he could say anything, he heard Tohma speak up.

"How dare you hit Eiri-san like that? What gives you the right…" Before Tohma could finish his sentence, he felt the pain race up the side of his face. Bringing a hand to his jaw, he stared incredulously at his assailant. "You damned bastard!" He seethed through clenched teeth.

"Why don't you go fuck yourself sideways with a cactus, Seguchi-san?" Shuichi sneered.

K found that he was glad that he'd had the foresight to bring his video camera with him. Damn, he really wished he had some popcorn right now! This whole thing was just priceless to him. Who would've thought that Shuichi had it in him to not only slug Yuki but Tohma as well? Chuckling to himself, he was proud of Shuichi. It took a lot of guts to stand up to people who'd been treating you like shit. He could only picture Shuichi's band mates' expressions once they viewed the tape. That alone sent him off into another fit of giggles making the people around him back away from the crazy man who was laughing to himself.

"Is that the only way the high-and-mighty Seguchi can handle people, by using threats and blackmail? Pathetic! Everything that's gone wrong with Yuki you've found some way to pin on me. I'm honestly surprised that you haven't found some way to blame Kitazawa on me as well! But I suppose that's more your Achilles heel than mine, ne? Maybe it's time you opened your fucking eyes to see that Yuki never needed you! Oh, and by the way, you don't have to fire me, because I quit! And despite your petty threats, Bad Luck will find a new label and we'll be bigger and better just to spite you. Besides, it wasn't some big secret that you couldn't give a rat's ass damn about us. The only reason you even lifted a finger to help us was to keep your precious Yuki's little fuck toy happy, right? You might've helped to destroy my fucked up excuse of a relationship, but I will be fucking damned if I let you take away everything I've worked for!" He said nothing else as he exited the bar, the crowd parting to let him through. The bitterness of his words hung in the stale, smoky air. The bar was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

K followed his singer out the door, pausing only to say, "I warned you, Tohma, about what would happen." Still chuckling, he got into the driver's side of the car. Wonder how Tohma's going to handle the publicity fallout from that little encounter? "Where do you want to go, Shuichi?"

Shuichi glanced over at K, an incredulous look on his face. "Where do you think I want to go? I want to get my stuff from that bastard's home. After that, I'll either get a hotel room or crash at Hiro's place." Raising his hand to brush the hair from his eyes, he grimaced at the sight of Yuki's blood on his skin. Well, too late to go back now. Is this what it's like to finally feel free, to have control of my life once again? I haven't had control since I first met Yuki and that was what, two years ago? Two years of my life wasted on that damned bastard! And endured all of it for what? What have I gained from it? Yeah, I'm famous. But we all know it was only because of Yuki and Seguchi's influence. Everything that pertained to my career was done only to keep me happy, so Yuki wouldn't have a reason to bitch to Seguchi. Apparently, my talent wasn't good enough to carry us alone. He said nothing, eyes intent on watching the passing scenery outside of his window.

To his relief, he didn't spot Yuki's Mercedes in the driveway. Meaning that he had time to get his things and get the fuck out of Dodge. Grabbing his keys out of his jeans pocket, he opened the door with K standing watch behind him. As he packed his things, he finally realized the small role that he had played in Yuki's life. I mean, come on! Who the fuck makes their lover sleep on the couch instead of the bed? Shuichi snorted, his mood darkening even further. He didn't need Yuki Eiri in his life and he was determined to prove it. After checking to make sure he had everything, he started carrying his stuff out to K's car. Two trips had all of his stuff packed into the trunk. Smirking, he got a sudden idea. "Hey, K, want some target practice?" He asked, holding up his key. Tossing the key up into the air, he watched as K fired his gun three times. When the key finally landed with a clinking noise, he picked it up. He laughed as he noted the three precise holes now etched into the key. "I think that's sufficient enough as a parting gift, don't you, K?" He pitched the key onto the doormat, uncaring as to what happened to it. Getting into the passenger's side, he saw K looking at him. "I'm fine for right now, K. Don't look so concerned. It'd probably be best for me to get booked into a hotel room for tonight. I don't want Seguchi's goons bothering Hiro about any of this."

K would glance over at Shuichi as he drove, unused to this type of behavior from the singer. Sure, he could act like a little drama queen at times, but this detached demeanor was beginning to worry him. He hadn't seen Shuichi shed a tear since they left the bar. A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of the Imperial Hotel. He wanted to be certain that Shuichi was away from the public eye as much as he could manage. Shuichi seemed to be holding up relatively well, all facts considered, but even K knew that he would eventually crack. And there would be no telling how much Shuichi would be changed by it. Getting Shuichi's suitcases out of the trunk, he made a mental note to bring his things to Hiro's apartment.

Walking into the sweeping entrance, Shuichi found that he was unable to find wonder in the splendid grandeur of the hotel. He said nothing, only watching silently as K made all of the arrangements. As soon as the key was in his hand, they made their way up to his room. Once on the Executive Floor, they found his room quickly. The room itself was spacious and airy, definitely not lacking in any of the amenities one could wish for. Shuichi sat down on the bed, his blank eyes following K's movements.

K sat Shuichi's luggage on the floor, his discerning eyes seeing the strain starting to show on the younger man's face. "Are you going to be okay, Shuichi?"

Shuichi said nothing at first, finally whispering, "What's okay? I don't know what I feel anymore."

K said nothing at that, not really knowing how to fix what was hurting Shuichi. The only thing that could help him now was time…and lots of it. "I'll be back tomorrow to see how you're doing, Shuichi. When I leave here tonight, I'll take your stuff over to Hiro's. Is that okay with you?" At the man's nod, he continued. "Get some sleep, Shuichi. You need it more than you know." He let himself out of the room, hoping that Shuichi didn't do something stupid to himself.

Reclining back onto the queen-sized bed, Shuichi finally gave into the tears he'd wanted to shed ever since he was dumped earlier in the evening. Salty trails of liquid poured down his face as his breath hitched with each sob. The depression he felt now hurt worse than when he'd been thrown out by Yuki not too long after he first moved in. His assault and rape, being left behind by Yuki…all of it paled in comparison to what he was experiencing now. Grabbing a tissue from the box on the nightstand, he wiped his eyes before blowing his nose. Feeling somewhat better, he reached for the remote, wanting nothing more than to watch mind-numbing television. He'd watch anything that would quiet the cacophony of emotions in his mind. As he flipped through the channels, he finally found an all-music channel. The sad, slow sound of the music hit him first before the heart-wrenching lyrics did. Depressing breakup music…this is more my style right now. You're preaching to the choir, girl! Hold on and I'll sing along with you. I'm fairly certain that I know the words to heartache by now.

Getting back onto his feet, he walked over to where the mini bar was located. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get shit-faced drunk and then curl up into the fetal position and await his inevitable hangover. It sounded good to him. He looked over his selection of poison. Hmmm…what was the preferred drink when one was depressed? Since he couldn't really hold his liquor, he had no idea. Spying a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey, he decided to go for the gold. If that wouldn't make him drunk, then no amount of alcohol would. Holding the bottle in his hand, he walked over to lie down on the bed. With his back propped up by soft, goose feather pillows, he raised the bottle to his face. "Hello, Jack, my name is Shuichi. Here's to getting acquainted with you. Cheers!" Raising the bottle in a mock salute, he proceeded to get drunk off his ass.

The half-empty bottle sat on the nightstand, condensation pooling onto the wooden surface. Shuichi was half-asleep, his glazed eyes fixed on the television. Every word she sang cut a painful wound in his already damaged heart. He didn't know what he'd do tomorrow, besides suffering from a smashing hangover from his party with his newfound friend Jack. Let's review, shall we? Based on tonight's events, he no longer had a lover or a job. Yep, his life was now officially fucked up. All thanks to one manipulative, overbearing bastard. Hell, that was reason enough to him to get smashed off of his ass, if nothing else.

Rolling over onto his side, his hand clutched the pillow next to his head. His last memories of Yuki flashed through his mind, his sobs increasing with each moment that flickered like a slideshow. Everything he'd done for Yuki, only to hear him thanking Seguchi for breaking them apart. And here he was crying over the bastard. Even as he drifted off to sleep, he resolved to drive everything related to Yuki from both his life and mind. Tomorrow was another day. And there would be a new Shuichi when it dawned.

Back in his car, K pulled out his cell phone. After listening to it ring for a few minutes, a man's voice finally answered. "Sakano, listen to me. I want you to get a hold of Fujisaki and meet me at Hiro's house. We've got a situation with Shuichi that's going to need all of our attention." He sighed as the man naturally went into hysterics. "Sakano, calm down and keep your damned head together! This is serious! What's happened tonight will affect Bad Luck's career, not to mention Shuichi's sanity." After getting the man's reassurance, he hung up the phone and put the car into gear. Deep down, even though he didn't show it, he was pissed at how they'd treated Shuichi. The kid gave and gave but got nothing in return. If things turned out the way he hoped, soon Shuichi and Bad Luck would get the well-deserved recognition they had earned.

He pulled up into the entrance to Hiro's house. He idly wondered if he was going to have to restrain Hiro from going and beating the shit out of Yuki. Personally, he really didn't give a damn if Hiro whaled on him. But then there'd be the drag of bailing him out of jail. As he got out of the car, he saw the door to Hiro's house open. Hiro stood in the doorway and K could make out the faint outline of Ayaka standing behind him. He could have crowed right then upon seeing her there. This would definitely help make his plan go easier. Although loyal to Yuki in the past, Ayaka had grown fond of Shuichi. "Hiro, could you give me a hand? I need to bring Shuichi's things inside." K would have sworn he felt the air chill as he saw Hiro's eyes narrow.

Hiro waited until he was standing next to K to state what he wanted to say. "So the bastard kicked him out, huh? Guess things didn't go smoothly tonight then." He almost dropped one of Shuichi's boxes when he heard what K had to tell him. "You're shitting me, right? Shuichi's the one who up and left?"

K nodded, smirking back at Hiro. "I've got tonight's events all on video, Hiro-kun. On my way here I called Sakano and told him to bring Fujisaki with him. Once you see what went down, you'll have a better understanding of why he left. Plus, I've got some things that I need to discuss with all of you." Seeing headlights pull up behind him, he turned around. "Oh good, looks like everyone's here! Let's finish getting Shuichi's stuff in the house, Hiro."

Once everyone was settled, K turned and looked at his audience. Hiro, Ayaka, and Sakano sat on one couch, while Fujisaki and Ryuichi (who had come with Sakano) sat on another. "As you know, I accompanied Shuichi when he went to ask Yuki-san how he really felt about him. Needless to say, things did not go very well. Tohma did his usual spiel about blacklisting Bad Luck and then Yuki-san stepped in. At first, I thought he was defending Shuichi, but well…maybe you should just watch the DVD instead." He popped in the DVD and pressed play. Standing to the side, he observed their reactions as they watched the events of the night unfold. Hiro looked like he wanted to murder both of the blond men on the screen and Ayaka placed a hand on his arm to try and calm him down. She looked upset as well. Sakano was, for once, not going into hysterics. He looked completely shattered, as though someone had told him the Easter bunny wasn't real. Apparently, he hadn't seen this side of his boss. Fujisaki looked calm and K knew that was because he wasn't shocked by his cousin's behavior. Hell, the kid had probably expected it all along. Finally, he looked at Ryuichi and saw that he had his serious face on. That could only mean that a certain keyboardist was going to get his ass royally chewed out later on. Ryuichi respected Shuichi and didn't like to see him abused in any manner. The DVD soon came to a close and K silently shut it off.

"Those fucking bastards…who in the hell do they think they are?!" Hiro swore as he got up and started pacing. He stopped suddenly and looked over at K. "K-san, where is Shu right now? Please tell me he's somewhere safe."

K nodded as he replied, "I booked him into a room on the Executive Floor of the Imperial Hotel. When I left him, he was like a zombie. Even on the way to the hotel he never cried once. What they've done has totally demoralized him. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if he'll hold up through it or not. That's why I'm about to announce a possibility for Bad Luck to embark on. Reiji, from XMR, has expressed an interest in gaining Bad Luck to her label. This would be your chance to break into the American market and possibly beyond. You'd have to move to the US…New York to be exact. What does everyone think?"

Everyone just gaped at K, trying to comprehend what he'd just said. Finally Hiro spoke up and asked, "What about Shu? Has he agreed to this plan of yours?"

"I haven't spoken to him about it yet. I wanted to see what everyone thought of it before I mentioned it to him. If you have doubts about it, think about it this way. This would give Shuichi the break he needs to get on with his life. He'd have a fresh start in the US with the chance to prove what Bad Luck is capable of. And, he might finally have the chance to meet someone who will truly love him. Do you want to deny him that?"

"No, I don't." Hiro replied softly. "He does deserve that chance." He looked over at Ayaka.

As if sensing what he didn't say, she said, "If it is alright with K-san, I'd love to go with you. I don't want to see our relationship possibly die due to it being long-distance. I feel that this would give us a new start as well, Hiro-kun."

"I agree with K-san, Nakano-san. I think this would be a good opportunity for us all." Fujisaki spoke up. "It would help us to break out from the shadow of Nittle Grasper and NG Records. No offense, Sakuma-san."

Turning back to face K, Hiro replied, "This plan of yours is fine with us, K-san. But tomorrow we will all go visit Shuichi and hear what he has to say about this."

The next morning found them all, save Sakano-san who had told them that he had a few things to say to Seguchi, outside of Shuichi's hotel room door. K knocked on the door and waited. Hearing no one stirring inside of the room, he reached out and turned the handle. Finding it unlocked, they walked in. The room was dark and they could hear the muted sounds coming from the television. Hiro walked over and turned it off as Ayaka went over to open the drapes. When light filled the room they all heard a low-pitched groan. Shuichi lay on the bed with his arm draped over his eyes. "Will someone please shut off the fucking sun before it burns what's left of my brain cells?! And get rid of the kangaroos tripping out on LSD while you're at it!"

K picked up the bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey sitting on the nightstand. "No wonder you've got such a monster hangover, Shuichi. You know you can't hold your liquor. Why did you even drink this stuff?"

Shuichi by this time had sat up on the bed. He glared at K before answering. "My life's been flushed down the proverbial shithole and you have the nerve to ask me why I got drunk? Grow a fucking brain, would you? As of right now, both my relationship and job have been pissed on. Do you expect me to be little Miss Fucking Sunshine?!" His stomach chose that moment to rebel his liquor-induced spree the night before and he bolted off the bed towards the bathroom.

Hiro had just come out of the bathroom with a glass of water and two aspirin in his hands when he felt the whirlwind pass by him. The sounds of vomiting could be heard throughout the room. K-san should have told them to lock up the mini bar to keep Shu out. He's just unable to drink alcohol. Shuichi reemerged a few minutes later, his face white and drawn looking. Walking over to where his friend sat, he told him, "Here, Shu, maybe this will make you feel better." He watched silently as his friend tossed back the aspirin, drinking the entire glass of water. "Shu, K-san has a proposition for the band. Please hear him out before you agree or disagree to anything."

Shuichi tried to listen to what K was saying, though the pounding in his skull was trying to prevent it. This was a good thing, right? It would give him a chance to get away from both Yuki and Seguchi's meddling interference. Most importantly, it would show the pompous bastards that someone out there wanted him. That he didn't need any pathetic crumbs from them to survive. And XMR's a hell of a lot bigger than NG. Imagine how widely known Bad Luck could become! It's time I did something for myself and my band for a change. Fuck those assholes! They're not worth my time anymore! "K-san, call Reiji and tell her she has a deal. As of now, Bad Luck is no longer with NG Records. But first, we need to break our contract."

"I think Sakano's taking care of that for you, Shuichi. He wasn't too pleased with what he saw on the DVD last night. We just may see a new side of him today." Before Shuichi could comment on what he meant by that, he had already walked out into the hallway to contact Reiji.

"What did he just mean by a DVD? Did that bastard record what happened last night? He did, didn't he?! Damn it, when I get my hands on him!"

"Please calm down, Shuichi-kun! K-san didn't mean anything mean-spirited by it. He only wanted to show us what you had faced last night. We are all on your side and want to help."

Shuichi felt like he was suddenly thrust into the Twilight Zone. Here was Ayaka, Yuki's ex-fiancée, taking his side in this whole affair. "Thanks, Ayaka-san. That means a lot."

K walked back into the room with a big smile on his face. "We leave in the morning on an 8:00 AM flight to New York City. I want you to spend today getting packed and ready to go. A limo will pick each of you up at 5:30 tomorrow morning. This way we'll have a nice getaway out of Japan."

"Hiro, do you mind if I go back with you and crash at your house? I need to sort through my stuff and decide what I need to store at my parents' house."

Hiro nodded. He helped Shuichi gather his things, since he hadn't unpacked, as K took care of his checking out. Hiro and Ayaka decided to ride back with both K and Shuichi. Fujisaki went back with Ryuichi after promising that he'd see them tomorrow morning.

Shuichi said out of the blue, "K-san, do you have the only copy of that DVD? Has anyone else seen it?"

K didn't even take his eyes off of the road as he replied, "Oh, I might have sent a copy to one other person. And I'm sure she's pretty pissed off at two certain people right now."

Shuichi sat there horrified as he realized who K had sent a copy to. "You sent a copy to Mika-san? Are you fucking insane, you stupid American? That's all I fucking need is Mika-san coming after me for hitting not just her brother, but her husband as well!" He groaned and sank down in his seat. "How much more is my life going to get fucked up? Wasn't last night enough?"

"I think you're underestimating yourself, Shuichi. Mika-san is mature enough to see who was truly at fault in all of this. While she may have doubted your relationship with Yuki-san at one point, she came around, didn't she? I think you have more people on your side than you realize."

"We can only hope, K-san."

Well, we've reached the end of Chapter 1. Okay, let's all lower the pitchforks and torches gently now. Man, when they say the shit has hit the fan, they weren't kidding! You know, people might think that I enjoy making Yuki suffer. Yep, you got me. Okay, I will admit there were some moments in the manga/anime that I didn't totally want to rip his head off. However, when I read vols. 8-9, all bets were off. To me, in my opinion, Yuki really needs to learn the value of the saying "You don't know what you've got until it's gone". And that's what I set about doing in each of my fanfics. Okay, in the next story that I'm writing, I don't anticipate that much suffering since it is kind of AU, but that doesn't mean there won't be angst.

Preview of Chapter 2

Both Sakano and Ryuichi will unleash their wrath on Tohma. "Jerry, Jerry!" *ahem* Sorry about that, but I couldn't resist! On a side note, Tohma might want to clear his office of sharp, pointy objects…but that's just my opinion! Shuichi and his band mates will leave for the US. Wonder what surprises await them in the Big Apple? Stay tuned for the next installment of "Lover Come Back"!

Songs used in this chapter/inspired it are in the following order:
Gravitation Theme 2 - Gravitation, Hypnotic Distortion – Gravitation, "You're Nothing Without Me" – Belinda Carlisle