Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

Warning: This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends anyone, do not read this story.

Summary: This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose".

Crystal Flowers

Chapter Nine

The singer flinched as a bright flash of lightening split the sky in two and cursed when he felt several small drops of water wet his hair.

'Great,' he thought with a sarcastic snort. Why, oh, why had he run out the way he did?

'Because you overreacted," his subconscious suggested. Harry knew that was the truth, even if he didn't wish to admit it. 'Stubborn,' his mind taunted him.

Harry shook his head at his thoughts and focused on the task at hand; finding Hiro's apartment in this mess. Before Hiro dropped him off earlier this evening, the redhead had given Harry his address and an open invitation to stop by any time he wished.

'I wonder if Hiro counted on me coming over at three in the morning?' the singer wondered. Somehow, he doubted that. The guitarist would probably maim him in some fashion. 'Filleted rock singer coming right up.' Harry snorted and shook his head. He was an idiot. Hiro would be happy to see him... he hoped.

Harry came to a stop in front of a large, brick building and took a deep, calming breath. He hoped and prayed Hiro wouldn't be too angry with him. Sighing, he started up the steps to Hiro's apartment.

Hiro had just crawled into bed and pulled the covers over him when a knock sounded at the door. A glance at the bedside clock told him it was just after three and he grumbled as he threw back his comforter and stepped out of bed. Grabbing his discarded boxers off the floor, he redhead pulled them on and headed toward the door.

The apartment wasn't very big. His bedroom, the bathroom, a small kitchen, and living room were the only rooms, so it did not take him much time to reach the front door. The guitarist sneaked a peak out of the peep hole and blinked in confusion at the person on the other side of the door.

'Why is Harry here at three in the morning?' he wondered.

Brushing his thoughts aside, Hiro pulled the door open wide. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Turning his eyes upward, Harry felt his lips begin trembling as he went to speak and pursed them tightly together. Hiro instantly noticed something was terribly wrong and stepped aside in silent invitation for the singer to enter. The singer brushed passed him and Hiro pushed the door closed.

Turning to face to singer, it was then he noticed the dried tear tracks on the singer's cheeks. "Harry...?"

Harry sighed, knowing he could not keep silent too much longer. "Ryuichi and I had an argument and I ran out."

"Oh..."

Honestly, Hiro did not know what to say. Ryuichi and Harry bickered all of the time but always made up quickly. Ryuichi annoyed the singer until he snapped and yelled at the goof. However, minutes later they were best buddies again. He honestly did not know what to do.

Harry must have mistook the silence and looked away, mumbling, "Sorry for bothering you. I'll just go." and started for the door. Hiro, however, would have none of it and stepped into his path.

"It's late and you look exhausted. You can have my bed and I'll take the couch," he offered. Things always looked brighter after sleep. Besides, he knew he would not get anything from Harry now.

Harry fidgeted for several moments before agreeing. "Alright, Hiro. I didn't really want to go back out into that storm."

"I'll get you some fresh sheets."

... ... ...

The next morning, Hiro awake to a wonderful smell. Nose twitching in delight and his mouth watering, Hiro threw back the blue blanket he covered himself with the evening before and pushed himself off the sofa. 'Yummy!' his stomach screamed in anticipation. Upon reaching the kitchen, which took all of two steps, he met a wonderful sight. Harry bustling around his kitchen dressed in a pair of his pajamas. It was... adorable. The pajamas were at least three sizes too big and hung low on his small waist and the shirt kept slipping off his shoulder.

"There's coffee already made." Harry voiced suddenly, causing the guitarist to blink. How had Harry known he was there? The singer had his back to him the entire time.

Deciding not the dwell on it, Hiro muttered a quick "thanks" and walked to the cupboard to grab a cup. Hiro filled his cup and inhale a large gulp before pulling a face at the bitterness. Harry rolled his eyes at the scene. If the idiot did not care for black coffee, then why did he drink it?

"The sugar is in the cabinet above the sink," he added helpfully.

Hiro nodded his thanks, completely ignoring why Harry knew his apartment better than he did. 'Only here one night and he already knows where everything is.' If you asked him, it was a bit strange. 'Oh well,' he mentally shrugged as he pulled the sugar from the cupboard. Hiro snatched a spoon from the dish strainer, marveling at the clean dishes that Harry had probably cleaned, and scooped two spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee. Bringing the cup back to his lips, he sipped the now sweetened ambrosia and sighed happily.

"So..." he began, turning his attention onto the singer, "Care to tell me what you're cooking?"

Harry glanced up from the skillet and shot him an irritated look. "What does it look like?"

"Well, it looks like eggs and sausage." Hiro shrugged. "But I could be wrong."

"No, Hiro, you're not wrong."

"I didn't figure I was wrong." the redhead returned with a cocky smirk.

Harry, once again, rolled his eyes at the redhead. Hiro grated on his nerves at times. "If you didn't think you was wrong, then why did you ask?" Harry asked as he put out the flame and moved the skillet to the back burner. Turning to face Hiro, Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

Hiro shrugged his shoulders helplessly at the singer. "I don't know, Harry. I just wanted something to talk about other than last night."

Emerald eyes automatically hardened at his words. "There's nothing to talk about," Harry said frostily. "Ryuichi and I had a disagreement, and that's it."

"If it was only a disagreement, why did you show up here at three AM?" Hiro shot back. He really cared for the singer, but he hated his attitude at times.

Harry, however, was in no mood to discuss the fight. Instead, he set about grabbing some plates and silverware to set the table with and ignored the guitarist. Hiro growled silently. He was trying to help here! Did Harry not see that? 'No, I guess he doesn't,' he thought as he watched Harry set the table.

Sighing, he decided he would take a quick shower and hopefully things would be better when he returned.

... ... ...

"Ryuichi, please sit down. I'm sure Harry is fine," Tohma said to his friend for the tenth time in an hour.

Ryuichi paused in his pacing and turned to stare at his friend with wide, shocked eyes. "How can you say that? After the things I said to him last night, I doubt he'll ever forgive me!" the singer wailed.

The blonde sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. If he did not love Ryuichi like a brother, he would have told the idiot to shove off when Ryuichi called him at three in the morning. The singer called him and babbled hysterically into the phone about his missing cousin and about the argument. Sadly, Ryuichi was probably correct in his assessment. It would take a lot for Harry to forgive. That is, if he ever did. Ryuichi had thrown some pretty horrible accusations at him. Even so, Tohma wanted to believe Harry would simply forgive and forget. He did not need nor want two depressed and angry singers working for him... one was bad enough.

Glancing back at his friend, he wished he had something to say to melt away the look of despair and guilt on his friend's face.

"Ryuichi, Harry will eventually forgive you. I know he will."

He did not know whom he was trying to convince; him or Ryuichi. He knew how Harry's family treated him, so Ryuichi shouting at him the way he had last night probably cut him deeply.

"I guess you're right, Tohma." Ryuichi sounded broken as he spoke. "But we still have to find him."

"Ah..." Tohma hummed. "I don't think that'll be a problem, my friend."

He already had a good idea of where Harry might be hiding. He knew Suguru was out of town for the weekend, so that left only one place to hide from his cousin. 'Good thing I know where he lives,' he thought happily. Oh, he had no intentions of dragging the singer home, but he could talk to him at least.

"Ryuichi, I have some things to deal with at the office," Tohma told his friend. Ryuichi looked at him oddly but nodded. It was unusual for Tohma to set foot in NG during the weekend.

Without wasting another minute, Tohma started for the door. He had to settle things between Ryuichi and Harry.

A/N: Hey! I'm sorry this chapter is so short and that it's taken me so long to update. My muse was on a long-term vacation and wasn't sending me her reports like she said she would. -slaps muse- Oh, well, I've updated so be happy, merry, and dance the night away! I do hope you enjoyed and hope you review. Well, until next we meet; cheers!