Hi! This is Piper speaking, and this is my latest contribution to the blur and mozaic of stories out there. It is something that I wrote just now, from the top of my head, with one single idea as the foundation, and I really, really hope that I will be able to take this story someplace and make it worthwhile reading for all of you. I also hope that I will actually be able to finish it one day, hrm hrm. I am known to keep stories going for too long, and then not finish them anyway, so... But please, do read and review, I always appreciate constructive criticism and comments! ;)

Disclaimer: You all know the deal; Gravitation is not mine, nor is any of the characters. But I wish, oh I wish..! (sentimental, dreamy tears) But hey! That's right! I can at least credit myself for the plot and all the story twists! (Yes!) Piper is a happy girl now...

Glows of the moon
makes your skin so pale and bright;
it gives me a lust to grab
hold of your hair
and steal a sniff.
You are the moonlight in my dreams,
and I walk naked up to the door of your heart
- it bangs when I knock on it.
BANG! BANG!
Please let me in, my beautiful, sexy Suguru,
for my passion is reserved
for you.

Suguru stared at the cheesy poem - or whatever it was supposed to resemble - and felt disbelieving and disgusted. Who the hell would write such tripe? If he had not known of the over-active vocalist's undying and sickly sweet love for novelist Yuki Eiri he would have assumed that this embarrassing piece of poetry had come out of Shindou-san's pen. Only Shindou had a brain small enough to convince himself that "steal a sniff" would sound sexy and inviting. Hmpf, Suguru thought, that idiot probably thinks he's veeeery funny, but I won't buy into this joke, oh no. I'll play cool and act as if nothing ever infiltrated my mailbox.

He opened his refridgerator and took out a bottle of fine Merlot and a pre-prepared tray of delicacy cheeses. Then he went straight to the low table, where he sat down on a big cushion to enjoy the classical music that played on the surround system. This was what life should always be. A calm, evening-murky moment of good wine, good music, and candlelight. But to be able to retain his lifestyle he had to work - and work meant being a part of still semi-variety act band Bad Luck (the name alone told you straight away that it was a bad idea to do that for a living) and having to endure Shindou Shuichi during most of his days. Maybe he should just quit? No, his cousin would kill him.

When he had finished his wine he killed the music and went into his work area to practice Bad Luck's new song, Shiawase BOYS, which had been written by Shindou-san and popular rock star Hyde, lead vocalist of L'ArcenCiel. The idea was for Bad Luck to reach a wider spectrum of listeners and make it all the way out there, where the really big fish swam.

Suguru shook his head in resignation. He did not for a minute believe that they'd make it. "Poor Haido-san," he muttered to himself, "having to stand that irritating baka and his childish personality, must've damaged him for life..."

His fingers danced over the keys when he softly, flawlessly played with a love and a passion only a true music lover could upbring. Ever since his parents died he had fled into the world of music, and ultimately it had become the only place where he felt completely safe. Reality - the world out there - changed continuously, mercilessly, ruthlessly, ignorant to all the lives that it changed and destroyed in its wake. It had destroyed his life as well, and he had long ago stopped trusting time and reality. The real world was cold; it would never give you love, because it didn't love you, and because it was a cruel and sadistic bastard it would sure as hell never allow you to love or be loved either. That's just the way it worked, and Suguru was more than well aware of it. His parents, who had loved each other and their only son selflessly and endlessly, had been torn from this world as suddenly as a fly met its fate when it happened across a frog. And Suguru had hated the world then - he had hated everything.

"Rehearsing, are we?"

Suguru gave a start. He had not heard the footsteps outside the little house, neither had he heard when the amado (doors to the garden) had been opened. The result was a situation that had left him vulnerable to a scare, something which he could not allow himself.

"Seguchi," he said, and bowed his head slightly to welcome the guest. (Or could he really call him a 'guest', seeing as he was actually living on his cousin's grounds?)

The president of N-G Productions was wearing a long silk kimono in a lovely shade of midnight blue with a scenery of pine trees bowing to a dark forest lake on whose surface the new moon was reflected in a warm, loving light. Nightingales were in flight over the still, welcoming water, and the piece were strewn with strings of silver thread of the best quality. With this he wore a yellow obi with red ornaments, and on his feet he had black lackered geta, traditional Japanese wooden shoes. He elegantly slid out of them and put them on the shoe shelf and then chose himself a pair of sandals to wear inside the house. He moved gracefully to the place where Suguru was standing. He looked more like a woman than ever, and it made it so obvious that he was gay it became boring.

"Do you like it here in your new home?" Seguchi asked with his pleasant, slightly suggestive voice.

"Yes, thank you so much for offering me a place to live," Suguru replied automatically, but at the same time as he said it he hated his own naïve wish to please his twice-his-age cousin. He felt sickened by his own curteous, grateful tone of voice. He'd been more or less forced to accept his cousin's offer since his apartment, the place he had inherited from his parents, had burned to ashes almost a year ago. At first he had stayed at a hotel in the city, but the bills were piling higher and higher, and even though Bad Luck was a successful band that made 'big bucks' it was still very expensive for him to live that way. So when Seguchi had come to him five months ago and offered him to stay at one of the smaller houses on his enormous traditional Japanese estate 4 miles outside Tokyo he had had to say yes.

Seguchi smiled coldly. "Dear itako," he said, "it is a pleasure to have you here. Remember, you are always welcome in any of my homes. But this is now your place. Whether I am here or in some of my other houses or apartments, this is where you can always go to call a place your home." With those words, Seguchi turned and left. As he put his geta back on, Suguru looked at him in silence; could not find any words to give him. Not even a 'thanks'.

When Seguchi had left through the amado, Suguru still stood there in silent contemplation and looked after him. It was all very good, what Seguchi had said, but Suguru could not help but wonder if he would ever feel at home again.

Gaah! First chapter out! YEAH! Thank you so much for reading, more will be up shortly! R&R! ;P