Chapter 4: Egg Shells

Shuichi was wheeled out of the hospital by an energetic Ryuichi, a laid back Hiro, as well as a stoic Suguru. (Not a surprise on ANY accounts.)

All three had come to 'officially get him out of the white Hell' (Hiro's words, to be precise.) and announced that they were going to take him to the country side, to bathe in hot springs, relax and recuperate.

Shuichi was grinning like an idiot (since of course he was most of the time) and there was a large-ish car waiting for them. Hiro opened the door, and who was inside? Yuki! He wasn't particularly paying any attention, and he was reading a book, but when Ryuichi helped Shuichi in the car. Shuichi looked up at Yuki, smiling widely.

"Yuuuukkiiiiii~~~" The pop star cooed, latching into his arm, rubbing his face on the jacket his lover wore, much like a cat would.

Yuki came Yuki came! It was a miracle! Yuki didn't seem to be mad, or anything! They were going to be going on vacation to relax, and it would be with his friends, and YUKI!

The others had followed suit to sit in the car, and everyone was smiling at how energetic Shuichi was. Shuichi smiled more, knowing that he felt better. Things would not go wrong. He would make sure of it.

Shuichi talked about a dream he had about a cow, and a farmer on the planet venus. He was doing all his might to make sure everyone knew he was okay… But on the inside he felt bad for making them go to such an extent for him. Taking away their precious time, just to help him get better...it really made his insides twist in guilt, but he would NEVER show it. He had to show his appreciation for everything they were doing for him!

Ryuichi looked at him with a piercing gaze, the seriousness that Shuichi wasn't used to startling him again, but the expression was replaced with the childishness once more, and Mr. Bear was placed in Shuichi's lap.

"Ryuichi...why-?"

"Mr. Bear wanted to ride in Shuichi's lap! Mr. Bear said he was tired of sitting on Ryuichi's lap, but it's okay since Mr. Bear only wants to make you happy!"

Shuichi laughed and patted the pink rabbit on top of its head. "Why, thank you Mr. Bear."

There was plenty of conversation as the car drove to its destination, and Shuichi was doing his best to be energetic like he usually was, but he felt something in the pit in his stomach, and got the feeling that everyone was avoiding certain topics, walking on eggshells around him as you would say. Where they so worried about him that much that they thought that if they said something that it would make him plummet into despair?

It made him feel bad, like he was wasting their time, making go to efforts that made their lives harder. No...He couldn't think about that, he needed to show them that he was going to pull through this!

When they pulled up to the hot spring, Shuichi was astonished by the sheer SIZE of it! It was like something out of an anime or something!

The expanse of land they were in was just astonishing. They were in a valley like area, and the mountains in the distance seemed to create this sort of bowl around them, the sun was setting creating purple's and pinks, even turning the clouds a pink-bubble gum color that looked like his hair. Sun beams were coming up and out from the mountains...it was a nostalgic sight.

The house itself was beautiful, like stepping back in time. The wood looked faded, but sturdy. There were walkways where you didn't have to step on the ground if you were going from one portion to the building to the other.

Steam billowed up from behind all the parts of the Onsen showing that the hot springs were in fact active, and ready for use.

A woman wearing a Kimono came up to us, her hair tied up in a bun, with a kind smile, one where her eyes. "Welcome to this lovely establishment. I assume this is the Tohma party?"

Yuki stepped forward and nodded. The woman opened her eyes, and they were kind, and wise. "Then come this way." She turned and began to walk into the building. Hiro was having a conversation with Suguru, and Ryuichi was admiring the scenery like the child persona he wore. Yuki walked beside Shuichi, and they were silent. It was consuming him from the inside out. He opened his mouth to say something but fell short. What kinds of things could he talk about with Yuki that wouldn't make him mad? Shuichi tried to think of something...anything, but everything he thought of at one point in his memory had either infuriated Yuki, or Yuki had ignored completely...

Yuki must've known that he was thinking too hard, caused Yuki's arm slid around his waist, and Yuki's glanced a him with soft, caring eyes.

Shuichi could've died right then, and would've been the happiest person in the world, but then again, he was only causing Yuki trouble...what if Yuki didn't really feel like smiling? What if he was forcing himself for Shuichi? Was Yuki only showing this side of himself because Shuichi had nearly bled to death?

Shuichi looked at the ground, still smiling, always keeping the mask in place. It hadn't been like he was trying to die at the time, he didn't even mean to fall...he only had wanted to remind him of his place… that was all.

Shuichi was jarred out of his thoughts when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and he looked up. Yuki was watching him with wariness in his eyes. Was it Shuichi's fault that caused such an emotion?

"Shuichi." It wasn't Yuki who spoke his name. He looked behind him to see Hiro with an even worse expression: Pity. He never wanted his friends to ever pity him from to such seriousness...he never wanted that.

His chest ached, Shuichi felt so distraught. They wanted to help him so bad, but he kept making mistakes. He pushed those feelings away; he pushed them back and locked them away.

He grinned at everyone. "What's with everyone and the gloomy faces!" He said grinning like the idiot he was meant to be. "We're here on vacation! Let's enjoy it!" He slipped into the room they were staying in first to go undress and get a towel so that he could go bath in the hot springs, humming Blind Game as he did.

Shuichi felt their stares on his back, he knew he was only worrying them more, but he ignored them, and opened the door to the hot springs, and jumped into the water.


Yuki was worried. No. He was downright frightened of Shuichi's behavior towards them. At first it was like the 'normal Shuichi' that everyone had known, but at moments, there was something else. He had seen a lost Shuichi, and sad, and scared one.

Yuki had tried his best to not shake his lover and begged him to tell him that the HELL was the matter, but no...he had retrained himself from doing it.

He even went so far as to act kind and gentle to him, but that only seemed to make it worse. The worst part was when they all were standing outside of their room and Shuichi was at battle with himself, gazing at the floor.

Then like turning a key, everything that made Shuichi...solemn had been pushed away, and he was acting like the 'Old Shuichi.' Ryuichi looked almost distressed by this, and Hiro looked like he wanted to break something.

They all stood there, and when Shuichi jumped in the water, and the sliding door slid shut on its own, Hiro cursed silently, and Ryuichi looked worriedly at the door, and he simply said, "We made him revert."

Suguru was the one most confused. "But what was it that we did wrong?"

Yuki pinched the bridge of his nose. "We worried about him."

Suguru brought his eyebrows together, "I...don't think I understand."

Ryuchi sighed, Yuki noticed that now he wasn't even bothering to act the part of a child. "We were stepping around carefully, like he were made of eggshells. He doesn't want to cause of any trouble. When we started being all wary of what we said and it was like putting pressure on a trigger. The gun fired, and Shuichi is now distressed, hiding what he's feeling."

It was Yuki's turn to curse. How were they supposed to act around Shuichi, if they didn't know how he would react? It was so utterly frustrating! Ryuichi sighed, brushing his fingers through his hair. "At the moment, we need Shuichi to be relaxed around us, without his mask. After that, we'll address his dire situation."

Everyone nodded, and Hiro was the first to move, and he began to undress. "What're you doing?" Hiro huffed, and got a towel.

"Going to the hot spring, what does it look like I'm doing? If we're going to be ANY help to Shuichi, we need to start acting like normal people instead of worried mother hens." Yuki nodded, and did the others.

Ryuichi hurriedly took off his clothes, and in a flurry ran to the open hot spring jumping Shuichi with a loud. "HII!" Shuichi screamed, and then there was laughter. Yuki smiled, but didn't strip like the others were doing. He would watch, he didn't feel like getting wet.

SO he went outside, and sat in a nearby chair, observing everyone. They were laughing and having fun, Suguru looked a little distressed; he must feel out of place, Hiro was laughing at the heaving Shuichi, who was still recovering from the heart attack Ryuichi gave him.

Yuki leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other smiling lightly. Things were going to turn out okay...probably not soon, they had a long ways to go, but it would turn out okay. He would make sure of it. Silently Yuki promised himself that he would NEVER give Shuichi a reason to hurt himself that he would always be there for Shuichi to show his true colors. That's what Yuki wanted. He wanted to KNOW his lover, not just tolerate, to know Shuichi on such a level that even if Shuichi was laughing and smiling with his whole heart, Yuki would still be able to tell if something was wrong.

His smile got wider, and Shuichi noticed, and he was laughing, and waving at him energetically.

Yes. Yuki, wanted nothing more than to see a TRUE smile on the face of his lover, even his for now. His lover was forcing it, in the end; that smile would come with ease, and Shuichi's pain. Hopefully abolished, if not...then lessened greatly.

Woow! For just a small plot bunny I'm getting good feedback on it ^~^ Looks like everyone wants me to continue it! So continue it I shall! :) It took me a bit to find a direction I was going to go in, but now I've found one and I hope to update this story sooner, and more often! Remember: Read Review and Rainbows Need Rain! Till Next time~~