Yuki shook off the ash from his cigarette as he leaned against the

lobby wall of NG Studio. The brat was late getting out and he was so

close to leaving him. He dropped his cigarette in an ashtray and lit

another one. Just as he did, the stairwell door came open and out ran

Shuichi. The pink haired singer was flustered from running down twenty

flights of stairs.

'Baka…" "Was the elevator not quick enough for you?"

Yuki stared at Shuichi as he tried to regain his breath. Shuichi shook his head.

"I was….late…..because….K wanted to talk to us….so…I took….the

quickest way down…"

He took in a deep breath and exhaled. Yuki shook his head and walked

out of the lobby on the busy sidewalk. Shuichi followed silently. Over

time, he had realized that it was best just to keep quiet when out on

the streets with Yuki. They walked to a local café and took a seat at

the corner table, hidden from the rest of the world.

"Did you finish your chapter, Yuki?"

Shuichi couldn't stand the silence.

"Of course, brat. Would I be here if I hadn't?"

Yuki had promised Shuichi that he would take him out to lunch if

Shuichi left him alone long enough to finish the last chapter by the

deadline. Shuichi nodded his head in response and went back to looking

at the menu. The silence returned and Shuichi again became uneasy.

"Yuki?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you like to talk?"

"We're talking now, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but you're annoyed."

"Then why are you continuing to talk?"

Shuichi huffed. Yuki had always been stubborn but today he was going

to get an answer out of him.

"Because I want an answer."

"I just don't."

"That's not an answer."

"It is. It's just not the one you want."

Shuichi sighed and stared out the window until their food came. He ate

without speaking and stayed silent as they walked back to the studio.

Yuki glanced down at the somber boy who usually was perky and hyper.

When they reached the door of the studio, Yuki stopped Shuichi from

going in and turned him around so that he was facing him.

"Do you really want an answer?"

Shuichi nodded.

"I don't like talking because…."

He hesitated. Shuichi looked up at him.

"I don't like talking because I enjoy hearing you talk. Just because I

don't answer doesn't mean that I'm annoyed or that something's wrong.

It just means I don't feel like talking."

Shuichi smiled and hugged Yuki.

"That's all you had to say."

He looked at him one more time before he went back to work. Yuki shook

his head and started the long walk back to the apartment.