Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or any of its characters. Storyline and Kira belong to me.

Part One – In The Beginning

His life had been so normal before this. Well, as normal as it could be when you were gay and sang in a newly formed band that was growing increasingly popular. Now… Now he had a baby daughter whom he had carried within him for the past nine months. He was a walking miracle. So was she. She in question was currently asleep in his arms. The dark tufts that was her hair stuck out in every direction, despite him smoothing them back into place. He knew as well, that when she opened her eyes, she was most unique. For this tiny baby in his arms possessed odd eyes. She possessed a right eye that was green and a golden left eye. He could understand the gold, her other father, Yuki Eiri, had golden eyes. But the green? Shaking his head in wry amusement, he smiled as he found those golden eyes watching him from across the room. The scent that was Eiri surrounded him, wrapping him in comforting tendrils. Arms were extended, the child passed over.

"Beautiful."

Lilac eyes met golden ones. A question passed from one to the other.

"She's beautiful." The owner of the golden eyes explained. Lips twitched, a half-smile formed. Fondness shone in swirling depths.

"Aijou." He whispered. Emerald and gold surveyed him with interest; sleep slowly fading from the enchanting orbs.

"She's awake." Shuichi murmured quietly.

"Yes." Came the gentle reply. Nothing else needed to be said. They were content.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

The figure turned as the sound of running footsteps drew his attention. Flying towards him along the sparkling corridor was his daughter, Kira. Six years had passed since he'd held her in his arms as a tiny baby. He watched her now as silver hair flew behind her, green and gold shone vibrantly, full of life and laughter. He stooped down and caught her up in his arms, swinging her around, delighting in hearing her squeal with laughter. Setting her feet firmly upon the ground once more, he turned to see Eiri following at a more leisurely pace. He remembered now. Today they were due to return to the clinic. Glancing down at the girl who cuddled against him, he wished he could spare her this. The emotional trauma that they were put through each and every time they attended these appointments. Her eyes watched him closely.

"Daddy?"

Glancing down, he swore he saw concern flickering in those depths, but passed it off as the light. She was too young to be concerned about anyone.

"What is it, Kira?"

"Father says we must go back to see the doctors."

"Yes, we must."

"But why? I'm not sick."

Shuichi watched her in amusement. For a six year old, she was certainly perceptive.

"No. You're not."

"So why do we have to go back? Daddy?"

Shuichi shared a glance with Eiri.

"Because we're special, Kira."

"Oh." The little girl wandered slowly off, as if pondering the answer she had been given.

"She starts school next week." Eiri reminded him absently.

"I know." Shuichi said softly. "I worry about her. She seems so… grown up."

"She's fine. It's just the way she is."

"I'm worried the kids at school will tease her about her eyes as well."

"She'll be fine. She's a strong kid. She'll tell us if something is wrong."

Shuichi turned his back on Eiri, his gaze following Kira who had sat herself on a windowsill and was watching the city passing below. He felt Eiri's arms curl around his waist and pull him back against him.

"Don't fret about her. She's fine."

"I hope you're right." Shuichi replied with a sigh.

"I always am."

She watched the doctors and nurses hurrying past her with trays full of sharp and shiny things. Daddy had told her that she had to keep coming back here because she was special. A voice in her head told her that he wasn't telling her the truth. She turned her head to watch him. He looked sad. She didn't like seeing him sad.

"Daddy?"

His eyes met hers.

"Yes Kira?"

"Why are you sad?"

Surprise flicked through those lilac orbs.

"Sad?"

"Yes. You look sad."

Shuichi smiled at his daughter.

"I'm not sad Kira. I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"Just, things."

"Oh."

She turned away and continued watching the people walking past. She was confused. Every little girl or boy she had seen had had a lady and a man with them. She glanced at her daddy. She had daddy and father. Frowning, she thought deeply about it.

Shuichi watched as Kira frowned deeply, her eyes thoughtful as she watched a boy go past with his mother and father.

It must be confusing for her. He thought. To grow up thinking it's normal to have two fathers, then to find that every other child has a mother and a father.

"Shindou Shuichi?"

He glanced up and found their doctor standing before them.

"Hai." He replied rising, and, taking Kira's hand, followed him towards the waiting rooms.

She watched with interest as the needle pierced her skin.

"You're not supposed to watch." Shuichi scolded lightly. She just smiled.

"It doesn't hurt." She replied, turning her head to look at him. He snorted.

"It does."

"Nuh-huh." She replied, pouting. Shuichi grinned; she'd obviously learnt that one from his endless squabbles with Yuki. She turned away to watch the nurse walk off with the vial of blood after taping a lump of cotton wool over the needle mark.

"This way please." The doctor said, opening the door into the next room.

The cool glass pressed against her skin as the silver droplets splashed against the pane. Above her, the gloomy sky shed it's burden with grim relief, the icy beads falling for an eternity to hit the pane on which she rested. The purr of the engine was constant in her ears, the vibrations of the window soothing. In front of her, her parents sat in silence. She turned her eyes back to the outside world. The pavements were a mass of umbrellas and raincoats. She sighed deeply and smiled as her breath misted on the chilled glass. Lifting her head away, she proceeded to raise a finger and draw patterns in the water droplets. Suppressing her gentle laughter, she glanced at her father in the mirror. Serious yellow eyes remained fixed upon the road, rarely flicking to the mirrors. She let her eyes drop to her arms. She carefully peeled back her sleeve and examined the lump of wool there. She picked at the tape securing it to her skin, and succeeded in lifting up a corner. Tugging at it, she managed to tear it off, wool and all.

"Kira…" A gentle voice said. Raising her eyes once more, she met the disapproving gaze of her daddy. "You're supposed to leave it on."

She frowned.

"But there's no more red stuff."

"Blood. That's not the point."

"Blood…" She murmured, looking away.

The ear-shattering sounds pounded her ears and she shifted closer to the tall frame that stood beside her.

"Father…" She whispered, tugging gently on the bottom of his jacket. He stooped down so he could hear her.

"What is it Kira?"

"I don't want to go in there."

"Why not?"

"It's scary… Father…"

"Nonsense, Kira. You'll enjoy yourself once you're used to it."

Her gaze met his, and he could tell that she didn't quite believe him. He sighed, and ushered her forwards towards the classroom. Somewhat reluctantly, she stepped inside, glancing back over her shoulder at him. He raised his hand once in farewell and then walked away, leaving her in a room of strangers.

She eyed the brightly coloured doll with distaste.

"What's the matter Kira? Don't you like her?"

Kira glanced at her sensei, and then back at the doll she had been given in disgust. Dropping the stuffed lump of material, she headed for the bookshelf and some peaceful time to herself. Dragging one of the bean bags from the corner, she selected a stack of books and settled down to work through them and make sense of the muddle of little black letters that she had seen her daddy and father using so many times.

"Class! We're going to play a fun game now! I want everyone to come and sit down in a big circle! Everyone! You too Kira!"

Kira raised her eyes from the page to eye her sensei, standing where the rest of her class had assembled. Reluctantly, she placed the book on top of the pile and slowly made her way to the circle and took the one remaining empty chair.

"Now," her sensei continued. "I'm going to give you all the name of a fruit, and when that fruit is called, you have to swap seats with another person who is that fruit. Ok? So, apple, pear, orange, peach, plum, banana, cherry," she paused when she reached Kira. "Onigiri. Apple," she continued round the circle, pointing at children and giving them a fruit. Kira frowned. She'd eaten onigiris before. They weren't fruits. Were they? Returning her attention to the present, she waited patiently for the game to begin. She watched and listened as the various fruits were called. She waited patiently for someone to call 'onigiri', but it never happened.

The end bell found her curled up on her beanbag in the corner, absorbed in the latest book she'd found. A gentle knock on the door didn't disturb her, nor did the rest of the class leaving.

"Kira!" A voice called. Dragging her eyes off the page, she looked up to find her father standing over her. She blinked.

"Home time?" she asked.

"Yes." He glanced at the book she was holding. "Why don't you bring the book with you?"

She smiled.

"Okay."

I remember that day. The end of my first school day. My father believed I'd made new friends that day. So did my daddy. They didn't know the other children were scared of me. Scared of my eyes. I didn't tell them. I never have. My teacher made-believed that everything was fine. Everything wasn't. But it wasn't until the end of elementary school to the beginning of junior high that things started getting bad.

"Kira!"

She lifted her head and smiled.

"Renji!" she replied. He stopped just short of her, and as she made to move towards him, he moved back.

"Renji?" She questioned. He looked away, cheeks colouring.

"I'm sorry Kira. I… can't be friends with you anymore."

Shock. Hurt. Anger. They all flitted through her eyes to be replaced with the emotionless look that graced them so often.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry Kira." He repeated. He shifted his feet nervously. "I can't get anywhere while I'm friends with you. You're not… Well you're a… You're not exactly…"

"Normal?" She finished for him. "Basically you're trying to say I'm a freak."

His head dropped and he shuffled his feet again.

"Yes." He whispered.

"Fine." Her reply was as emotionless as her eyes, but bordering on cold and stony. Turning on her heel and gathering her book and bag, she strode off, ignoring the calls coming from behind her. The familiar stinging in her eyes made her bite her lip. A familiar voice sang softly in her head.

"Don't let those shiny tears fall Kira-chan. They lose their shininess."

God-damn Ryuichi and his childish way of thinking. She may only be eight, but her thoughts were adult enough. Despite herself a small smile graced her lips, which soon faded as her thoughts turned to home. The surge of sorrow and bitterness took her by surprise and a single star fell. The words of her parents remained fresh in her memories.

"Kindly control your daughter." Her father had stated coldly as she had retorted back to one of his remarks.

"She's not my daughter." Shuichi replied coolly.

"She's more yours than mine." Yuki snarled.

The argument had raged on over whose daughter she was. She hadn't stuck around to find out. Her lonely footsteps now pounded in her ears, as her heart pounded in her chest. More stars fell as she thought back over the past few months. The distant remarks, the fact that her presence wasn't noticed, and she was never spoken to unless she did something wrong, or they had another appointment at the clinic coming up. The frustration in her heart burst and her fist connected with the row of lockers beside her, leaving a large dent and several shocked teachers and students. She couldn't stay here. Breaking into a run, she headed for her home from home. The one place she felt safe now.

It was raining. Giant glassy tears falling from the sky. The sky was broken. Her heart was heading that way. Reaching behind her, she found the doorbell once more. She leant her head back and let her eyes close. The falling water pattered across her skin; soothing. She let her thoughts drift, her mind relax.

"Shit, Kira!"

The voice dragged her from her dream. Just like the strong arms dragging her into the house.

"You're soaked!" he exclaimed, touching her sodden school sweater. She shrugged.

"Cool it Ryu-chan. I'm fine."

"One, don't use that name. Two, you'll freeze to death!"

A towel connected with her head, shortly followed by a pair of her jeans and a shirt that seemed to have migrated here.

"Get changed, Kira." He commanded, shoving her gently towards the bathroom."

"Fine…" she muttered, smiling despite herself.

The moment the bathroom door opened, she was greeted with a cup of tea and Ryuichi's concerned face. He guided her onto the sofa and sat himself beside her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he watched her sip the tea in silence.

"Tell me what's been happening Kira."

She didn't look at him.

"Nothing's been happening." Her voice remained level. Ryuichi raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not. That's why you've skipped school to come here, and why you have that look in your eyes, that says the opposite to your mouth. Tell me Kira. I can't promise to make it all better, but I can listen and advise."

"Advice from you? That's a joke." She managed to force a very wobbly smile.

"Then why do you keep coming back?" He smiled when she couldn't' answer. "Now spill." He whispered.

He watched her sleeping, her face for once calm and carefree, her thoughts free of the pain and troubles that she should not yet understand, let alone have experienced. Sighing deeply, he lifted her from her spot, snuggled against his side, and rose, carrying her into the spare bedroom that he was considering calling hers. Setting her down, he stepped back. A single tear clung to her closed lashes.

"Don't let those shiny tears fall, Kira-chan."

Even in sleep, her lips curled into a half-smile.

"Be at peace little one." He whispered, shutting the door on the sleeping figure.