Pocky and Promises
Chapter 2: A Call From the Darkness
Disclaimer: Must I include one of these every chapter? Mou. You know what, I'm going to borrow someone to give it for me, okay? Tohma-kun and Eiri-kun are going to do a little skit for your entertainment because they have to do what I tell them throughout the duration of this fanfiction. –Maniacal laughter ensues-
Eiri steps out, wearing a gray long sleeved shirt with a triangle cut out of the middle and a large red G on it, with matching gray skirt, and black boots: "To denounce the evils of straight anime,"
Tohma appears wearing a very similar outfit, only with spiky hair and pants instead of the skirt: "To extend a hand to lesbians and gays,"
Eiri, strikes a bishie pose: "Eiri!'
Tohma, also, strikes a bishie pose: "Tohma!"
Eiri: "Team Gravi blast off at the speed of yaoi fan-girl anticipation,"
Tohma: "No, Aqua-san does not own Gravitation."
In unison: "Thank God!"
Well, now that that annoying bit of business has been taken care of, in a moderately creative manner, let's get back to the story, shall we?
First person perspective, Sakuma Ryuichi
I worried Shu-chan's hair between my fingers, completely out of my element. I was the "go-to" guy for cheering up, or advice on music, but this was out of my league entirely. I did, however, know who to relinquish the reins to. Steadying the sleeping mass of pink in my lap, I carefully withdrew my cell phone from my pocket, and dialed a familiar set of numbers.
The ungodly hour does not seem to affect the placid voice that answers my call.
"Moshi moshi?"
Completely disregarding my usual hyperactive spiel, I cut directly to my point. "Tohma-kun, I need an ambulance sent to Uesugi Eiri-san's apartment complex, and I need the press to stay out of this, completely," my tone left no room for discussion. I didn't give the blonde president a chance to finish his sentence broken by staccato syllables, and hung up. When I get serious, Tohma knew to listen, and, when three minutes later the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle came into my peripheral vision, I knew I had made the right decision. He had even persuaded them to avoid the sirens, drawing less attention. Oh did Tohma-kun have influences, I reiterated in quiet reflection.
Grimly, I caught Shuichi under the knees, and laid his head against my shoulder, and attempted to stand. I held him gently, carrying him like a child or a bride, and waited for the paramedics to reach us, a very slightly frazzled Tohma in their wake; for he was surely above such trivial matters as confidentiality and routine hospital protocol. Clearly, he feared some incident involving Uesugi Eiri, and was beside himself with scarcely masked apprehension. His expression became quizzical when he saw me with Shindou Shuichi in my arms, and his lips pressed into a thin line at the sight. Contrary to widespread beliefs, Tohma did concern himself with the lead singer of one of his most profitable investments.
Wroth to hand my precious Shu-chan over to strangers, I finally gritted my teeth and let them wrap Shuichi in layers of blankets and he was buried beneath a maze of intravenous lines and wires. Like Tohma, being Sakuma Ryuichi held considerable clout, and I was able to remain in the ambulance despite policy, unwilling to leave my friend's side for any length of time. I shot the paramedics a glare worthy of Tohma himself, and they warily let me hold Shuichi's limp hand, setting my sculpted jaw in determination. I can't let that sparkle die out, that shine is made to burn right along side of mine, and I'll do anything to protect it.
(end of Ryuichi's point of view)
From a dimension of darkness, Shuichi opened scratchy violet eyes to stark white surroundings. Somewhere in that dismal void of nothing, he had heard something calling him back to the light. He briefly wondered if he were dead, but then he felt something soft tucked into the crook of his left arm, brushing against the underside of his chin, and began to second guess that supposition. Searching for something, anything really, his gaze came to rest on a familiar visage, his lifelong idol and friend valued second only to Hiro, Sakuma Ryuichi, singing softly under his breath in the stiff-backed chair beside his sterile bed. Shuichi wrinkled his petite nose; this likely meant that he was in the hospital. He attempted to shift his position, but this movement, minute though it was, brought about unspeakable pain, ricocheting throughout every viable inch of his 5' 4" frame. Well maybe that wasn't the best of ideas. Shuichi bit back a whimper, and settled himself back into the overly crisp, starchy sheets and peered docilely around the room.
It seemed that Ryuichi heard his shuffling, for Shuichi found fathomless blue eyes flickering in his direction, and widening in surprise and delight upon finding his younger companion awake. Shuichi braced himself for the customary bone-breaking hug that the other vocalist was known for, but instead, he felt a gentle pressure on the hand not currently adulterated with an I.V. catheter tube.
"Shu-chan, you've had everybody so worried. I've missed talking to you. I'm so glad you're awake now," Ryuichi said, still in serious mode for the time being, a soft smile on his lips.
But something seemed very wrong to the pink haired singer. Why did he have this ominous feeling? His voice was hoarse with lack of use, and shaking slightly, but he squeezed the consoling hand atop of his own, and attempted to smile reassuringly.
"Mateku, Sakuma-san, why are you so serious? Who died?" Shuichi asked teasingly, tilting his head to the side in cute confusion, then thought better of it when the room began to spin.
Ryuichi's expression grew solemn, "We thought you had," he replied quietly, the strain on his face and in his voice speaking with great intensity that the volume itself was missing.
Shuichi was politely stunned. Ryuichi hadn't even chastised him for not calling him Ryu-chan, and being identified as Ryu-chan, was the basis of Ryuichi's definition of his self-concept. The younger man could only recall ever seeing such an expression at the time that he had asked Ryuichi if Nittle Grasper was still Nittle Grasper without Seguchi-san or Noriko-san. Oh yes, something was definitely wrong.
Ryuichi leaned forward and pressed an affectionate kiss to Shuichi's forehead before rising to attract the attention of a nurse, and to notify a doctor immediately that Shuichi was awake. He uttered soft words of support, that he'd be right back, but in the meantime, left Shuichi to his reeling thoughts.
He didn't have long to ponder things, or try and figure out why he was in the hospital of all places because Ryuichi soon returned with a doctor in tow. They took places near him, Ryuichi sitting in the chair next to his bed again, and the doctor at his other side, a clipboard open and rifling through the pages.
"Shindou-san," he began, "we were really afraid that you were gone for good. You've been in a coma for almost a month."
Shuichi's lovely eyes widened in surprise, "A-a month?" He had no time to process the information because the doctor opened his mouth once more.
"We've taken care of your injuries as best as we've been able, but you were on the verge of slipping away forever. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if you were going to pull through or not. As a general rule, if a patient doesn't come out of his or her coma within a few weeks, the prospect of recovery is very slim. But," here the doctor, identified by the name tag as Wakaba-sensei, paused and smiled at him a little," it seems that we underestimated you. I think that with time, you'll make a full recovery. You will have to remain here for observation and intravenous treatment with antibiotics and pain medication for approximately another ten to fourteen days."
Shuichi groaned at the news, and covered his feminine face with a slender arm. "Mou, must I really?" he muttered, his voice barely discernible beneath the obstruction.
"Hai hai, Shu-chan must get better so he can be shiny and sparkle with Ryu-chan again na do na," Ryuichi answered, twisting his neck to peek at his friend hiding underneath the arm.
There is no arguing with Ryuichi logic, so Shuichi resigned himself to a longer stay in the hospital. With a sigh, he let his arm fall back beside him to smile at the god incarnate he was lucky enough to call a rival and friend.
"Whatever you say Sakuma-san," he said, waiting for the proper response.
Ryuichi huffed indignantly. "When will Shu-chan learn to call Ryu-chan Ryuichi or Ryu-chan? Aren't we friends?" the older man asked.
A light blush crept across Shuichi's kawaii face as he nodded his assertion. "Alright, Ryu-chan it is, since you seem hell bent on calling me Shu-chan."
"Much better," Ryuichi agreed, reaching across to nod Kumagoro 's head in his second of the motion.
Wakaba-sensei interrupted the two at this point. "However, there still remains the matter of how you were so badly injured in the first place. What happened Shindou-san? Did an overzealous fan accost you? Were you attacked by a stranger? We need to know what went on."
Shuichi's bright eyes clouded over at the inquisition. "I don't know," he muttered softly. "I can't remember at all."
Wakaba-sensei tapped his chin, frowning. "This is important Shindou-san, we need to know so that we can better help you, and so that the police can arrest the party guilty of hurting you so viciously."
"I really don't remember," was the subdued reply, Shuichi now twisting the sheet he lay on in his delicate hands.
"Well until you do, I guess it can't be helped," the doctor acquiesced to defeat for the moment. "And the sooner the better," he finished, and proceeded to examine Shuichi for any neurological distress. Upon pronouncing him stable, the doctor excused himself to attend to his other patients, leaving Shuichi in the care of Ryuichi for now.
"Do you need anything Shu-chan?" Ryuichi asked, stroking the younger man's mussed hair gently.
Exasperated with the course of the day, Shuichi could barely even enjoy the attention from his idol, but did manage to rub his head against the hand much like a kitten might. "I'd like to see Yuki," he replied, then was overcome with a piercing pain that emanated from his chest. He sat up too quickly, and gasped aloud, panting from the exertion, and found himself being drawn into arms that were warm but cautious of his prevalent injuries.
"Uesugi-san is in Kyoto, with his family," Ryuichi explained against the top of Shuichi's head, leaving the other man slack-jawed in wonder.
"Hountou ni?" he asked, incredulous. Yuki always made it a point to avoid his family like the plague. "What prompted that?"
Ryuichi exhaled deeply. "His father passed away the night that I found you, and once he knew that you were alive, comatose but alive, he took off for Kyoto, presumably to keep his brother company. Tatsuha-kun doesn't do well with being alone you know."
Shuichi was taken aback. So Yuki did have some compassion for his family after all. "Can I call him?" he asked, highly concerned for his lover's wellbeing.
The older man groaned but had expected such a request. "Once you're well, of course you can. Tohma-kun wouldn't want you to tax yourself so soon after such a close, close call, and I must say that I agree."
Shuichi hated reason, especially when he knew it to be right. "Fine, fine, you win, but only until I'm out of this damn hospital, understand?" he threatened, looking positively adorable in his effort to be intimidating.
"Hai hai Shu-chan," Ryuichi grudgingly agreed, though he had a terrible sense of foreboding that this was not at all a good idea. "Why don't you get some sleep, ne? I'm sure your body is just about out of-," he halted, and a smile danced across the lips that nearly all of Japan and likely half of America as well as Europe fantasized about. Shuichi had already fallen asleep. Poor kid.
With a tenderness he'd never really explored before, Ryuichi situated Shuichi in the bed into what he hoped was a comfortable manner, tucking the sheet and blankets around him before kissing his soft cheek. 'What the hell is going on with me?' he asked, as even to his own mind, he was being unusually affectionate with the other singer. 'You'd think I had a crush on him or something,' he half-laughed, then blinked rapidly when he realized that it was true, he did have feelings for Shuichi of the romantic persuasion. 'Oh shit,' he mumbled, partially to himself and partially out loud, running a smooth hand down his face that clearly registered shock.
Ryuichi was saved from further introspection when the door creaked open ever so slightly, and Seguchi Tohma entered, looking for his standards, like he had been in a train wreck. His hair was not meticulously in place, and there were two, TWO wrinkles in his white dress shirt.
Bursting from his somewhat uncomfortable thoughts, Ryuichi got a quiet running start (how that is possible, not even the author knows, but it's Ryuichi, reality seems to bend for him a little) and pounced on Tohma who staggered under the extra weight.
"Tohma-kun!" Ryuichi whispered loudly so as not to wake Shuichi.
A rush of air the only sign of the strain of impact, Tohma smiled, patting his unpredictable singer on the head and let him down, turning to face the sleeping form.
"How is he?" the president of N-G asked, worry lacing his voice despite himself, then raced his sharp emerald eyes over Ryuichi's face. "Or maybe I should ask, how are you?"
Ryuichi smiled genially. "The doctor said he should recover completely, but he can't remember what happened the night I, literally, caught him."
"And you?" Tohma tried again, resting a gloved hand on Ryuichi. "I don't know when I've ever seen you so responsible, and I thought I knew next to everything about you. You even lent him Kumagoro," he noted softly, the peek of pink a shade or two lighter than Shuichi's hair visible against the contrast of hospital white.
The leather-clad shoulders shrugged, "I kind of had to. He needed someone, and I was there, still am actually. He's my friend and Uesugi-san has other problems, and Nakano-san has other obligations too. So I'll wear the grown-up pants a little longer for my Shu-chan," he finished, making brief eye contact with the main keyboardist of Nittle Grasper.
"Yours?" Tohma asked, whether his tone was accusatory or questioning was up for debate, but nonetheless Ryuichi grinned sheepishly.
"Well you know what I mean. He's my friend, and I'm kind of in charge of him for now," he said, resuming his seat by Shuichi, idly toying with the end of a pink section of hair that smelled of strawberry. Ryuichi would know, he'd taken great pains to make sure that Shuichi was well taken care of, giving him a bath every day, and washing his hair with Ryuichi's own shampoo. It was something he had taken upon himself, as a way to perhaps reach out to the unconscious boy who had sparked the legend to sing again in Japan.
Tohma was silently observant and, surprising even himself, inclined his regal frame to lightly kiss Shuichi's rose-soft cheek. Somehow along the way, the hindrance had become important to him too. Without another word, one of the most powerful men in Tokyo left the way he had come, closing the door behind him.
Ryuichi muttered under his breath to no one in particular, "I'd do that for you, Shu-chan," and he rested his forehead against Shuichi's before letting himself glean the first peaceful rest he'd had in almost a month.
Well there you have chapter 2. Are you proud of me? I know I am. By the way, hountou ni translates to "truly,' or "really," both as a question, and mateku, means "good God" roughly, though I'm not sure I spelled that correctly. So, what do you think of the nurturing side of Ryuichi? I think it's possible, and very cute. I'm trying not to make him too out of character, but he does act serious when it's necessary, so yeah. And I don't like the idea of Tohma hating Shuichi, so in my story, while jealous, he doesn't hate him. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next chapter! –The Aqua Mirror?
Reader Responses:
Serenity Usagi Tenou: Yeah, I like the Yuki x Shuichi pairing as well as Shuichi x Ryuichi. I'm not sure which I like better some days, but for this story, it's Shu x Ryu. I hope I didn't leave you hanging too long, please enjoy the chapter.
KareNeko: I'm very glad that I got your attention. I sometimes think that the first chapter of a new story can be the most difficult to write, ne? I hope you like the hint of fluff this chapter, and that it is also well written in your opinion. Enjoy!
Sa-Chan: I did indeed update, and don't worry, Shu-chan won't be hurt like that in my story again
hunted-snark: Nope, this chapter is much lighter, and no bad memories, for now. Of course, he will have to deal with them later, but for now he gets to bask in the fanboy glow of his idol's care. Enjoy!
Veronika: I did, I did update! I hope you enjoy!
DarakuTenshi101: Thank you for your comments, and I hope you like this chapter as well. I did my best to put good effort into this as well, and I hope you like this one too!
RainaSukiMiyuki: Well, this is just my first Gravitation fanfiction. I have another account on here, as well as other stories on this account, so I've had some practice, just never have I ventured into the world of yaoi. I hope you like this story and this chapter.