A/N:Thank you very much for your reviews!
"Are you going to sleep all day? You've already missed a good breakfast," Shuichi heard Suguru say as he blearily blinked awake.
"Don't mention food," Shuichi groaned. "What time is it?"
"Ten-thirty," Suguru said. Shuichi groaned again, peeking at Suguru with one blood-shot eye and noting with irritation that he looked fresh as a daisy despite having helped him drink three pitchers of margaritas the night before.
"At least let me sleep another hour, you sadist," Shuichi said, muffled by the pillow he'd pulled over his face. Suguru sighed.
"I brought you a special tea that's supposed to be good for hangovers. Raiden swears by it," Suguru said. Shuichi peered curiously at the steaming cup Suguru had placed on the nightstand, along with two painkillers and a bottle of water.
"Sip it slowly and you should start to feel better," Suguru said as he started to leave the room. "I washed your clothes from yesterday and put them in the bathroom."
"Thanks," Shuichi croaked weakly, reluctantly sitting up.
Shuichi did feel considerably better by the time he'd showered, whether from the tea or painkillers, he wasn't sure, and he felt a pang of both guilt and gratitude. He heard music as he left the bedroom, and followed the sound to the front room, where he found Suguru at the piano. The song he played was lively, and definitely rock and roll, but it was different than the music they had played together. Shuichi smiled at how animated he looked as he pounded out the notes.
"Oh, hey," Suguru said with a smile as he saw him, and the music abruptly stopped.
"That was really cool!" Shuichi exclaimed.
"Oh, thanks," Suguru said, blushing slightly. "That's the kind of thing I used to play when my parents weren't listening and I was supposed to be practicing Chopin or something. Tohma caught me at it one day, and told me that he used to do the same thing when he was a kid. I think that's why he first took a liking to me."
"Wait -- I was thinking that what you were playing was a lot different than our music, but now that I think about it, you did have that one piano solo on Easy Action that was kind of in that style," Shuichi said.
"You remember," Suguru said, looking pleased. "That's so cool that you made that connection, because that was totally what I was going for."
"So, do you still play on other people's stuff?" Shuichi asked. Suguru shook his head.
"No, I'm content just to produce, really. I work on the arrangements, but it's up to them to play them when it's time to record," Suguru said.
Ashia wandered in from the kitchen, wearing only his boxers and drinking orange juice from the carton. Shuichi stared at the floor, unsure where else to look.
"So, did you guys have fun last night?" Ashia asked. "You both looked so cute passed out on the couch when I came in I should have took a picture. I'll bet the papers would have paid me a fortune for that."
"Ha, ha, very funny," Suguru said. "Can't you put some clothes on when we have company?"
"Nothing he hasn't seen before, I'm sure," Ashia said, striding over to Suguru and kissing him on the forehead. "I need to get ready to go to the studio anyway."
"So, are you ready to go get your stuff? We can get some take-out for lunch on the way back," Suguru said, sliding off of the piano bench.
"Sure, that would be fine. I would kind of like to change," Shuichi said with a grin, gesturing to the outfit he'd worn clubbing when Suguru picked him up. Suguru looked him up and down with an unreadable expression, before crossing the room to get his shoes.
"I don't even know how you walk in these boots, much less dance," Suguru said, handing Shuichi the footwear from the rack beside the door.
"When was the last time you saw Yuki-san?" Suguru asked as he drove them to the apartment.
"Well, we don't exactly move in the same social circles, so I haven't seen him since we broke up," Shuichi said.
"I thought I should warn you that it isn't entirely unlikely that you might run into him at NG. He does occasionally stop by to see Tohma," Suguru said.
"Yeah, I should have figured as much," Shuichi said softly. "It's okay. I was bound to run into him sooner or later."
Suguru was quiet for a long moment, then sighed and shook his head. Shuichi watched him, then laughed.
"It's okay if you want to ask, you know. People who don't even know me seem to feel entitled to ask me personal questions, so I see no reason why my friends shouldn't," Shuichi said. Suguru breathed out deeply like he had been holding his breath.
"I just don't get it," Suguru said at last.
"Get what exactly?" Shuichi asked.
"You and Yuki-san. You're both still in love, right? So why haven't you been trying to work something out all of this time?" Suguru asked.
"Sometimes love isn't enough," Shuichi said quietly, looking out the window. "I know that sounds pretty cliché, but it's true. Yuki -- he -- well, he has problems. It takes a very specific kind of person to handle him sometimes, someone who has enough focus outside of him to not let themselves be dragged under along with him when he has his bad days, you know? It worked for a long time, but I guess I've just changed too much.
He told me he didn't need me anymore, but what he was really saying was that he didn't need who I had become."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that," Suguru said, giving him a sidelong glance, as Shuichi wiped away a tear. Shuichi sighed, then smiled at him.
"No, it's okay," Shuichi said. "You know, that's the first time I've been able to cry even a little bit in months? It's kind of nice to have someone to talk to."
"Same here," Suguru said, looking pleased.
"What about Ashia-san?" Shuichi asked.
"Raiden talks a lot, but he very rarely says anything," Suguru said with a smirk, as they reached a stop outside of the apartment building.
Shuichi groaned as he and Suguru reached the sidewalk, a flashbulb nearly blinding him.
"Damn it, Aki. Why are you still here?" Shuichi muttered, as the man backed down the walkway before them, snapping more pictures.
"You didn't think I'd fall for that false lead, did you? I've got an exclusive with those suckers out of the way," Aki said with a grin. "They're all on their way to some hotel across town. So, is it true that you're staying with Fujisaki-san now? Hey, Fujisaki-san! Are you guys thinking of reforming Bad Luck?"
They brushed past him, Shuichi leading the way into the lobby and giving Suguru a worried glance. Suguru had his cell phone open, dialing a number.
"K? We have a press clean up at Shuichi's. Just one. Thanks," Suguru said after a few seconds, holding the phone to his ear. He snapped it closed with a reassuring smile.
Shuichi led Suguru into his apartment, feeling self-conscious. The place appeared even worse than usual after staying at the home of the successful producer, and he winced at all the empty bottles and fast food cartons lying around on every available surface, imagining how it must look to an outsider.
"Sorry about the mess," Shuichi said, moving a stack of magazines out of the way, so that Suguru could sit on the futon.
Shuichi rummaged around in the corner of the small, hopelessly cluttered room, unearthing a large cardboard box Maiko had used to bring him groceries in almost a month ago. They'd argued about his living conditions during that visit, and though she still called to check on him, she hadn't been back since. Most of the groceries were still in the kitchen, going to waste, he realized, shuddering at the thought of the horrors that must be lurking in his refrigerator. It suddenly made him feel rather sad and ashamed.
"Shuichi?" Suguru asked, making him realize that he hadn't been listening.
"What was that? I'm sorry," Shuichi said.
"I asked if you needed any help," Suguru said.
"Um, I have one box of cds and stuff you can help me move down the stairs, but I'm good for now," Shuichi said. He gave up trying to make sense of the pile of clothes, and just grabbed an armful, dumping it into the box. He heard the thunk and clink off at least one bottle of something, and glanced back, hoping Suguru hadn't noticed.
"I'll be right back," Shuichi said, grabbing his messenger bag and heading toward the bathroom to get his toothbrush and other toiletries. It was pathetic how little he had to pack, he thought to himself. He didn't stay in one place long, and he just tended to lose things along the way, one way or the other. He'd learned his lesson about bringing lovers home nearly a year ago, when he'd awoke to find he'd been robbed. He didn't miss most of the stuff that much, just sentimental bits of memorabilia from when he'd been somebody, but it still bothered him that they'd taken the ring Yuki had given him after their first year together. He wondered if Yuki still had the one that matched it, as he wandered back into the front room.
"This is beautiful," Suguru said, looking up from a scrap piece of hotel stationary he held. Shuichi felt a knot in his stomach as he recognized the paper where he'd scribbled his last song while sitting in bed next to Sakuma Ryuichi.
"It's garbage," Shuichi muttered, throwing his bag on top of the box of clothes and lifting it from the floor.
"Are you kidding me? Shuichi, this is anything but garbage," Suguru said, shaking his head. "What else do you have lying around?"
"Nothing. That's it, and I hate that song, so can we just drop it?" Shuichi asked softly.
"Sure," Suguru said dejectedly.
The door flew open, startling them both, as K strutted into the room, holstering his weapon.
"I sent our little friend from the press running," K said, jerking a torn and unraveled roll of film from his pocket and presenting it to Suguru. "He had a present for you."
"Very good. Thank you so much," Suguru said with a smile. "If it's no problem, could you arrange to have the rest of Shuichi's things moved to one of my spare rooms?"
"But I still have two months on the lease!" Shuichi protested. "Just how long are you planning to keep me?"
"However long it takes," Suguru said with a shrug. "I'm not keeping you prisoner. I'm just sure you'll be able to afford something nicer and closer to work with what I'm paying you."
Suguru hoisted up the other box and proceeded out of the open door before Shuichi could question him any further.
OoOoO
"You're making me dizzy," Suguru said with an amused look, glancing up from where he was working on a song arrangement as Shuichi paced in front of his synthesizer.
"Sorry," Shuichi said, sitting on the couch in front of the television and flipping it to a music station. He fidgeted where he sat, tapping his foot, and drumming upon his knees with his hands. Feeling eyes upon him, he looked over and found Suguru watching him with a funny little smile, his chin resting on his hand, and glanced down self consciously.
"Sorry. I'm just restless, I guess," Shuichi said with an embarrassed grin.
"You guess? You're like a kid whose been told to sit still in the corner," Suguru said, rolling his eyes. "I'd suggest you go for a walk and work off that energy, if I wasn't afraid you'd get attacked outside."
"I had just gotten to where I could go out like a normal person, too," Shuichi said with a pout. "If I'm going to get harassed on the street again, I wish it were at least for something good I'd done."
"Oh, I bet you miss dancing," Suguru said. "Isn't that what you usually like to do in the evenings?"
"Well, the alcohol and sex were part of it, too," Shuichi said with a laugh, "but, yeah, I do enjoy being on the dance floor. It's a good way to still feel connected to the music, you know? You just let it flow into you and make you move. It's a nice feeling."
"You could dance now if you want. This is a pretty big room," Suguru said with a shrug.
"Um, I'd feel kind of silly dancing alone in your living room, Suguru," Shuichi said, one eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, I guess so," Suguru said with a laugh.
Ashia slammed open the door and shut it quickly, giving Suguru a wary look, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Um, look, I kinda did something stupid, and you're kinda going to be pissed, alright?" Ashia said with a weak smile.
