Disclaimer: I don't own anything Gravitation.
A/N: Alrighty, then! I have some information for you all that out of sheer boredom I've decided to put right here. In this story will have 16 or 17 chapters, so I've got 10 more to go. Oooo. I feel a creative flow coming on. THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY SHORT CHAPTER!
Oh, here's a clue for a certain event that happens in this chapter:
smooch
Please, no flames
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Chapter 7: Something Else
"So what'd ya think?" asked Kyra as she and Shuichi walked out of the building to her car.
"Yeah, it was neat."
"Thanks! Anyway, we're going to be appearing on TV soon to announce it and I still have one more song to write."
"Really? What is it?"
"No clue, gnome. All I know is it's got to be short and slow."
"Why?"
"Just 'cause I haven't done a song like that."
"Ah."
Hiro wandered around aimlessly. He'd never been to this city and he sure as hell didn't know where he was going. The four of them had split up earlier to look for Shuichi but they…..well, HE hadn't had any luck. He walked past a large building and paused…..and looked behind him.
Kyra went around the car and unlocked the driver's door. A shout rang out just then and she looked up at one of the windows of the building, as did Shuichi. Terra and Josie were leaning out the window waving at them. Kyra smiled and waved back. Shuichi did the same. It was when he lowered his arm that the boy saw something that made him freeze.
A man stood off to the side near the doors stood the building. That man was Hiro. Kyra paused and looked over at the stunned boy, baffled.
"What's the matter?" she looked in the direction of Hiro and, although she didn't show it, she knew.
"Shuichi," Hiro mumbled under his breath.
It didn't take long for Shuichi's feet to start moving. Running as fast as he could, the boy started to rush off in the opposite direction. Hiro noticed this and pursued the boy. Down allies and around trees Shuichi led Hiro all over the place, but couldn't shake his friend. He turned a sharp corner, then another one and hid in the shadows of one of the buildings as Hiro blurred right past him.
Waiting a few seconds, Shuichi peeked his head in the direction of where Hiro was running and saw him look around then run off onto another street. After a few more moments to catch his breath Shuichi turned and began walking back to the car. A hand suddenly caught his shoulder not a minute after he began walking and he whirled around to see Hiro gasping for breath, leaning over slightly.
"Shuichi, what….are…..you doing?"
Shuichi didn't answer, but knocked away Hiro's hand and took off again. Hiro, yet again, pursued. Instead of bothering to try and lose the guitarist by turns, he led him to one place he knew the boy would get lost. Right into the mall, Hiro close behind, he ran. He led his friend into the men's clothes department and down a hallway that retraced back into the men's area.
He got there before Hiro and went down the only hall that didn't lead back to the Men's. Hiro rushed into the department and glanced around for the boy.
"Shuichi!" no answer came so he chose a hallway and entered the maze.
Shuichi gasped for breath before exiting the mall through another exit. He stopped outside, suddenly realizing something. If Hiro was looking for him that would…..he shook his head and raced home, not wanting anyone else to find him.
Kyra stood at her car door for a few minutes, waiting to see if the boy would turn the corner. He never did and after waiting an additional ten minutes she started up the engine and headed back to her apartment.
When she arrived she calmly entered the elevator, went up to her floor, and walked at a steady pace to her door. What she saw is exactly what she knew she would. Shuichi was sitting, back against the door, head buried in his knees. He looked like a sad little boy who had lost his parents and didn't know where he was.
She leaned her head against the wall, eyes expressing a sadness as she watched him sitting there.
"Hey," she said in a soft voice loud enough for him to notice. He glanced up at her. He hadn't been crying, but he did look upset.
"I guess I owe you an explanation, huh?" Kyra nodded and unlocked the door.
"Yeah, ya do. Come on, we can go in my room," she led him down the hall, tossing the bags carefully on the couch, and closed the door behind him.
Kyo walked back over to the apartment. He had avoided it just in case Kyra had lied to him and Sano was really coming today, but he just couldn't find anything to do. It was just a boring day. He fished out his keys from his coat pocket and unlocked the door. He was just about to shout to see if anyone was home, when he heard sobbing.
He paused for a moment, listening. It was coming from somewhere down the hall from what he could hear. Slowly, he silently shut the door and hung his keys. Taking off his shoes he walked into the living room and peered down the hall. The sobbing was coming from Kyra's room. Fang came up to him just then, wagging his tail, ears flat on his head.
Kyo bent down and patted the dog before shooshing him. He tip toed all the way down the hall and stopped at Kyra's door listening. He then realized that it was Shuichi who was sobbing. He gently pressed his ear to the door next to the key hole.
"But if H-Hiro's here," the boy cried, hiccupping. "Then Y-Yuki's pr-probably here too!"
"What's the problem? He obviously came to apologize," Kyra tried to comfort him.
"No! He ignores me all the time! It's like in the past month, no one- Yuki, Hiro, or Suguru ever cared what I thought. They just brushed by comments aside like they meant nothing!"
"Well, did you tell them you haven't been feeling good?"
"I tried, but I told you! They brushed it aside!"
"I understand, Shuichi, but you're letting your emotions get the better of you. Yuki's your lover! You should accept his apology and make up!"
Kyo froze. 'Lover?'
"I don't care! And besides-," the boy paused and Kyra waited patiently a few seconds before pressing the boy to continue.
"'And besides', what?" she asked in a soft voice.
"I don't want to go. I like it here…..a lot."
Kyra looked a bit stunned at this. But at the same time, she felt a little happy that he liked staying here.
"You guys have been like family to me. Especially you. I didn't know what was going to happen to me after I boarded that train, but you just appeared out of nowhere and offered me a home. Had I been in my right mind, I would've said 'no' and I would've never been chased by cats and dogs or meet Kyo or get lost in a mall."
Kyra chuckled. She could tell Shuichi was trying to soften the tension and make them both feel a little better. She then wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
"Well, I'm glad you like it here. And I'm glad that you weren't in your right state of mind because I would've gotten to know you, SHUICHI SHINDOU!" she gave him a noogie.
"Hey!" Shuichi shoved her away.
"Imagine YOU, a famous star. I'll tell you one thing, I couldn't believe it when I found out you were the singer of Bad Luck."
Kyo was shocked out of his mind. First Shuichi had a lover, and now he's a singer? 'What's going on!'
"Ah, well, my friend," Kyra scooted closer to Shuichi. "I don't agree with you hiding from your friends and all, but I can understand it. And I won't drive you away, either. You can stay as long as you want."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, so long as it's OK with Kyo. Now cheer up! Everything will be alright, gnome. Besides, I've got to step out for an hour, but I'll be back in a while," Kyo heard footsteps and crept swiftly back into the living room. Kyra opened the door and looked back at Shuichi who was wiping his eyes.
"Oh, and speaking of Kyo, you might want to tell him as well," Shuichi said nothing, only nodded. Kyra closed the door and walked down the hall. She walked past the kitchen and turned the hall to the door before stopping and backing up.
"Hey," she greeted the figure on the couch. Kyo sat there casually reading the newspaper. He looked up at her.
"I'm going out, do you need anything?"
Kyo turned his head back to the paper. "So long as it's not fat free."
"Right," Kyra smiled and disappeared down the hall. Kyo waited till he heard the door closed and could no longer hear Kyra's footsteps.
Once he was sure she was gone he tossed down the paper and slumped back in the couch, massaging his head. "I don't believe this," he said to himself. "I'm sheltering a pop star who thousands of people are looking for."
Almost as if on cue, a door opened and closed and Shuichi appeared in the doorframe. He looked at Kyo and forced a smile. "Hey Kyo,"he greeted. Kyo smiled at him, then looked away.
Shuichi sighed telling himself to get it over with. "Kyo I have something to tell-,"
"Don't bother."
Shuichi paused at the abrupt interruption. "What?" he asked.
"I heard it all when you were talking to Kyra."
"You heard every word?"
"Enough to know about you, your career, and your 'lover'."
Shuichi stiffened. "Y-you know?"
Kyo nodded but never bothered to look at Shuichi. On the other hand, Shuichi was…..unsure of what to say to Kyo. He intended on telling him about his career, but not about Yuki. He slumped down on the opposite end of the couch Kyo was sitting and cast his eyes at the floor.
"Kyo, I-,"
"Don't worry about it," Kyo stood up and placed the newspaper on the coffee table. "I'm sure you have your reasons."
Shuichi nodded. "Kyo, I just remembered something. Kyra," he paused and took a breath. "Kyra told me to ask you if it was OK if I stayed here."
Kyo stood a little straighter and listened more intently. Shuichi shook his head and continued.
"So, Kyo, would it, I mean- could I stay here? For just a while longer, I-," he was cut off once again, only this time by Kyo's lips pressing hard against his. They stayed there for a second before Kyo released him and started walking toward his room. Shuichi sat there, stunned. He didn't know what to say or how to react. As soon as he heard Kyo's door close, he turned on the TV and began skipping through the channels, but could not help touching his lips every now and then.
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Oooooo, somebody stole a SMOOCH! Please R&R!
