Gravitation

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. Maki Murakami does.

"Hiroshi!" K. said seeming a bit irritated. "Go home already."

"Why?" The guitarist asked looking confused.

"Spending time here won't do you any good." Mr. Sakano told him.

"It's not going to ease your pain." Mr. K. added.

"Don't you think I already know that?" Hiroshi snapped. "I know it won't bring him back but I hate being alone in that apartment. Especially since I know he won't be coming by anymore!"

Both Mr. K. and Mr. Sakano couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Hiroshi broke down crying right there in the middle of the studio. Mr. Sakano helped him up and sat him down in a chair. The whole ordeal was taking a tole on him, especially since Shuichi's parents told him something he didn't want to hear.

"They're really gonna do it." Hiroshi whispered softly. "They're really gonna take him off of life support."

Mr. Sakano placed an arm around Hiroshi's shoulder. He knew the boy was going through hell right now. They all were. Shuichi had become the face of NG records. He was what everyone wanted and now his life was slipping away. Fujisaki, K. and Mr. Sakano had seen the boy as a nuisance. He was always showing up late, always stopping in between songs to take a break, sometimes not finishing lyrics on time. The boy was a handful. His constant whining and crying made your ears bleed.

But on the other hand, Shuichi was also very caring. The boy had a gentle heart. He was so quick to forgive people and forget what they had been fighting about. And dispite the way he argued with people, Shuichi was actually very respectful.

"It should've been me." Hiroshi whispered.

Mr. Sakano gasped. That was the final straw for K.

"Take that back." He said pointing his pistol at Hiroshi's head.

"Why?" Hiroshi asked without looking up.

"Uh, Mr. K," Mr. Sakano interupted, "perhaps there is a better way to resolve this."

"How?" K. asked without looking at him.

"Just let me talk to him." Mr. Sakano insisted.

Mr. K. put the safety back on the pistol and stepped aside. Mr. Sakano pulled up a chair and sat next to the red head. He straightened his glasses and cleared his throat before beginning.

"Hiroshi." He began. "Do you really mean what you just said? Do you really think it should have been you?"

The younger male only nodded his head.

"Well, think about this," he went on, "if it had been you in that accident, how do you think Shuichi would feel?"

That hit the spot. Hiroshi looked down at his hands in silence. Mr. Sakano was right. Either way it happened, both of them would have been grieving for the other person.

"Think about that for a moment." Mr. Sakano stated.

"I know." Hiroshi said in a low voice. "You're right."

"Good boy!" Mr. K. said patting the boy on the head. "Now, why don't you head on home."

Hiroshi nodded his head and wiped his tears away. He really didn't want to, but he had no other choice. He reluctantly got up and grabbed his keys off the table then headed out the door. Mr. K. and Mr. Sakano watched him leave. Mr. Sakano glanced at Mr. K. There was the slightest bit of pitty on his face.

"So...what now?" Mr. Sakano asked him.

"They're pulling the plug next week Friday." Mr. K. said. "Today is Saturday. There's only six days left."

"If he doesn't wake up by then, that'll be it." Mr. Sakano said in a low voice. "Mr. President has three bands lined up. It'll be the end of Bad Luck. Their recording contract will be terminated."

"The President was thinking about doing just that." Mr. K. confessed.

"What?" Mr. Sakano yelled in shock. "And you're just telling me this now?" He started spinning out of control.

"Relax." Mr. K. said rolling his eyes. "Fujisaki already took care of everything."

Mr. Sakano stopped in his tracks. "Uh...how?"

"Well, he is the President's cousin after all." Mr. K. said grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, of course." Mr. Sakano said pushing up his glasses. "But how, exactly?"

"They made a deal." Mr. K. said plainly. "That's all I'm going to say."

The blonde gaijin left the blue haired man standing there looking confused. What kind of deal could the two of them have made with each other he wondered.

~Meanwhile~

Eiri sat at his desk looking through some of his old books. His manuscript was finally finished. Due to his current situation, Mizuki decided to give him some time off. A lot had been going through his mind. His books kept him somewhat distracted, but they were no match for what he went through at night. Eiri had actually found himself tossing and turning less and less. Though the fear of his past still remained, he was getting use to the reaccuring nightmare. The gentle voices that told him to walk and not run seemed easier to obey. But he was walking at a fast pace. He felt the need to run again, but the soft voices put him at ease. He kept reaching out for that one thing he needed. A few times he came close to reaching it. But he would wake up from his sleep before he could get to it.

There was a knock at the door. Eiri got up to answer it. But before he could reach the front door, the person had already let themself in.

"Bro?" Came a loud voice.

"Thank Buddha." Eiri whispered to himself. Normally he would be irritated seeing as how Tatsuha always seemed to invite himself in most of the time. But Eiri didn't feel like being alone. He walked into the living room to meet his baby brother.

"There you are." Tatsuha said grinning from ear to ear.

Eiri made note of the black and blue duffle bag laying on the couch.

"What now, twirp?" He asked pretending to be irritated.

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood, you know," he said looking up at the ceiling, "and I just thought I'd drop by and see my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother, dumbass." Eiri said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, that's right!" Tatsuha said in mock amusement. "I almost forgot about that."

Something wasn't right about him. Eiri could tell when something was up with Tatsuha. The seventeen year old had a tendency to show up unexpectedly to either deliver news or to crash at his place due to exhaustion. But this was different. Eiri could clearly see that something was upsetting the boy.

"What happened?" He asked dead serious.

"Ryu's been acting strange lately." Tatsuha confessed running his fingers through his hair. He sat down on the couch and rested his chin in his hands.

"When has that guy not been acting strange?" Eiri mocked.

"Very funny, bro." Tatsuha said defensively. "I'm serious. He hasn't been himself lately. He's all serious and angry and shit. It's fucking creepy."

"I would actually think that was him being himself." Eiri said with a raised eyebrow.

"Fuck you!" Tatsuha hissed.

"Fine." Eiri said sitting next to him. "What did he do?"

"A few hours ago, he asked me a strange question with that serious look on his face."

"What was it?" Eiri asked.

"He asked me...how far would I go to protect someone I cared about." Tatsuha explained to him.

"What the hell?" Eiri said in somewhat of a shock.

"Yeah, I know right? I told him, but then-"

"Wait, what exactly did you tell him?" Eiri asked interupting his brother.

"I told him I would do anything to protect the person I cared about." Tatsuha went on. "If it were someone...precious to me, I would do just about anything."

"Someone precious." Eiri repeated with a far away look.

"And then he asked me, 'even if it means hurting someone else you care about?'" Tatsuha went on.

"Oh, really?" Eiri said with a smirk.

"That fucking freaked me out, dude!" Tatsuha said shaking his head. "So I left."

"And you think he's up to something?" Eiri asked.

"Well, yeah." Tatsuha replied.

"He's probably still upset about what's happened." Eiri told his brother.

"You're actually on his side for once?" Tatsuha asked looking a little surprised.

"I never said I was on his side." Eiri said defensively. "But it's understandable."

"Well, would you go to great lengths for someone you cared about?" Tatsuha asked.

Eiri froze. Not once had anyone asked him that question. He was so busy being an asshole towards Shuichi that he never stopped to think about what would happen if he lost him. The incident that occured with Taki Aizawa was nothing compared to what has happened now. The boy's life was hanging by a thread and Eiri couldn't help but feel responsible for it. He clenched his fists as an image of Tohma crossed his mind. Eiri wanted to kill the man so bad. Shuichi wouldn't be in the hospital right now if it wasn't for him.

"Bro?" Tatsuha said interupting Eiri's thoughts.

"Now that you mention it," Eiri responded, "I would do the same. Though...it's probably already too late."

"Says who?" Tatsuha snorted.

"He's in a coma, Tatsuha."

"He doesn't have to be."

Eiri looked at his younger brother long and hard. Tatsuha held his gaze with a smile. For the first time in years, Eiri saw his brother's mature side. The usual sexually charged teen had set aside his selfishness. Eiri sat next to a man with deep concern for his big brother and his lover. Killing his pride, Eiri returned that warm smile.

"Will you come with me?" He asked his little brother.

"You bet!" Tatsuha replied slapping his brother on the shoulder.

~Meanwhile~

The limo pulled up to a mansion on fifth avenue. The man in the back seat rolled down his window. He stared at the mailbox in front of the house. He had been given specific instructions from a certain someone to deliver the package indirectly. That someone was going to make this guy do something that could not only hurt his bandmate, but his lover as well.

The man got out of the limo and walked slowly up to the mailbox. The words 'Seguchi Residence" was written across the top on a thin brown plaque in gold lettering. The person that this guy was working for wanted to expose Tohma for the monster he was. He opened the mailbox and slipped the package inside. He raised the red flag and closed it shut then quickly retreated back to the limo.

"Go." He told the driver. Then he pulled out his cell phone to make a quick call. It rang twice before the person on the other line picked up. "It's done, sir. As you requested."

"Thank you." The person on the other line said in a low voice. "I really appreciate this. I'll see to it that you're rewarded greatly. Goodbye." And with that he hung up. "Forgive me, Tatsuha." He wept silently knowing full well that this could be the end of his friendship with Tohma Seguchi and his relationship with Tatsuha Uesugi.

~Owari~

Angel Eyes Kiyone- Sorry that took so long guys. I was actually waiting for one more review but I just couldn't wait any longer. Wait until you guys read the next chapter. I'm so proud of it. Haha! Everything is coming together nicely. So review review review. And thanks for being so patient with me. Next chapter: The New York Case. Ja ne!