1 Well this part is nice and shitty…uh I got so confused with my own fairytale references it's hardly funny. I can't find the book I was originally using for the fairytales so I had to go on the Internet to find a suitable version of Little Red Riding Hood for this part…I don't think I did well. I have a writer's block…I'm so not kidding I had so much trouble writing this part. As well I wrote the majority of this thing while listening to 'Welcome to my romance' and well really that part with all the groaning noises in the background does weird things to a person's mind. I really should stop putting that thing on repeat but damn I'm developing an unhealthy obsession for that song…it's so amusing. Well as usually enjoy if you can.

2

3 Let's Stay Together 3/3

By: Joyce

"What are you…never mind I know the answer…"

…and just as he was about to have the pleasure of being eaten, by what had to be the sexiest predator in the world, when a number of armed men rushed in…actually not really. It's just that Aniki is dangerous unarmed, I don't want to be near him when he's armed, although knowing him his fists are more than enough to whack me into orbit, also I'm quite sure Aniki could do just as much damage as a bunch of men armed with axes, that are probably rusted and dull, if not more…

However let's hope that the story does not continue this way…I do not think that it will be pleasant if Aniki tried to rip my head off. At this point I'm so confused I'm not really quite sure who the wolf is anymore but there is no doubt in my mind that Aniki would rip off my head should the story progress like that. I wouldn't mind as long as Aniki doesn't manage and/or want to get Ryuichi as well. The world is so imperfect, if they take Sakuma Ryuichi away the EVIL FORCES of the world may very well be able to take over.

Ryuichi is the light of the world if you take him away the earth will be engulfed in darkness…I'm a monk I should know. Why? …Shut up I just know, it's part of my job description. That's not important right now though…I have to focus on the predicament I'm in right now! I hope that he doesn't kick me out…but then again this is Aniki I'm talking about. I won't be surprised if he does…he's done it before and he'll do it again probably with a sadistic grin on his face as he does it too…

What the heck am I supposed to do in a situation like this? Ever since he walked in he hasn't said a word…and ever since he walked in I haven't moved. I can't really feel my legs anymore. What should I do…let's brainstorm! Hmmm…let's analyse the situation first…I'm lying on my back on my brother's hardwood floor with the world's hottest man straddling me…topless and my brother is currently staring at us with an unreadable expression on his face. Now…what to do? Hmmm…what should I say? 'This isn't what it looks like'…no it is… 'I can explain!'…naw I don't want to explain…besides what's to explain? It's not as if he caught me screwing around with his lover…he caught me screwing around with someone that looks like his lover. Or I could opt for the typical girly shriek but it's not really me, beside I think it's to late to do that…

It's really odd how no one is doing anything. I mean how long have we been frozen staring at each other? It's like we've all decided to make a game of it and we're all stuck in this embarrassing tableau. And we can't move. I can't even utter the simplest of sounds if my life depended on it. And this entire situation fills me with the oddest feelings, neither positive nor negative. I sincerely have no idea what to make of it. I feel like I'm falling but at the same time not falling at all. Like I'm suspended in midair but falling at the same time. It makes no sense whatsoever but that's how I feel. We're frozen like this until someone gives us a signal to move. I could be using all this time to be doing things that are so much more fun…I won't specify what because I'll probably just get censored anyways.

"YUKI!"

Everyone's heads swivel towards the direction of Shuichi's voice and as cheesy as it may sound it's what really happened…our heads swivelled. I kid you not. It seems like that was the cue for us to move.

I always thought that people usually snapped their fingers or something for those tableau thingies but no Shuichi has to be original and scream my brother's name. Now my ears have that pleasant hum that always follows…somehow I think the mood has been rather spoiled for the night. Damn. I have nothing against Shuichi but suddenly I have this undeniable urge to DESTROY HIM! My god my dream is about to come true why does everyone like to get in the way!? Having Aniki and his little lover boy walk in on me with my beloved was not part of the scenario. If Shuichi walks in now than I will most definitely not get laid. What did I ever do to him? Why must he spoil the moment?

"YUKI!!!!!"

As light as Shuichi is I can hear him trampling towards us. That boy has more patience than I give him credit for. He actually screams twice before he starts to trample over everything in order to get to Aniki.

"You're going to break my house you moron.'

What?

"Go get changed we're going out."

Again as stupid as this seems: What?

"Eh?"

"Just get changed and wait outside."

"Yuki are you kicking me out?"

"No! Would you just do it you stupid idiot?"

I hear Shuichi walking back to the room to get changed. My Aniki is quite unpredictable if I may say so. I'm hoping but I think what I'm hoping may be too much to hope. But if my long time fantasy can come true than maybe it's not too much to hope that…

"I am going out. When I come back tomorrow I want the place to be spotless or I will have your head Tatsuha."

Did I ever tell anyone that I love my older brother? Well I do. Aniki is just so nice! I could just kiss Aniki right about now. And it wouldn't even be gross, after all it's pretty much like kissing myself, we look pretty much identical and I'm just sooooo hot! Aniki should consider himself lucky to have my looks…and no it should not be the other way around.

I'm staring at Aniki with my beautiful eyes trying to tell him how grateful I am. You know like how they always do in those stupid books, when you can't express how you feel look at them. You know how those super deformed characters look in mangas…you know with huge bubbly and/or sparkly eyes, sparkles and bubbles in the background, and drool coming out of the corner of their mouth just to ruin the picture? That is probably kind of what I look like right now. And you know how they tend to have the other characters either with large sweat drops on their heads or their veins popping and their eyebrows twitching? That's Aniki…the latter. I stop looking.

I don't really know what I'm supposed to do right now, I'd jump right back where we left off but Aniki is kind of still standing there looking at us and I don't really want to put on a show for him. And as if someone had hit the rewind button we're suddenly back at the exact same spot we were at merely moments ago. For the second time tonight we're frozen in our position with nothing to do but to look at each other. If anything this is even more awkward then before. On top of Aniki walking in on us like that I now have the knowledge that my brother is actually going to do me a favour…and I don't know how to react. I expected something way worse and now given this I don't know what to do. If he had kicked us out it would have been easy just like the usual and in a way I think that would've been easier to handle. Truth is I'm very embarrassed. I don't want to owe my brother anything but at the same time I'm grateful. I want to tell him that but my mouth refuses to even mouth those words. It's odd how I'm usually kind of talkative but in this night alone I've managed to loose count of how many times I've been rendered speechless.

I can hear Shuichi thundering towards us again but I'm not worried this time. I don't think I've managed to annoy Aniki in such a short span of time; he probably hasn't changed his mind yet.

"Go wait outside, moron."

"Wah so are you kicking me out?"

"NO! I'll be out in a second just wait outside."

I don't think Aniki is anymore comfortable with this situation than I am. Just as I'm not accustomed to receiving favours he is hardly the essence of generosity. But perhaps it's because of that that it makes the situation a little more surreal and as well makes me feel even more uncomfortable. What have I done to deserve this? When I could not do anything about Aniki's hidden sorrow, not even being able to listen to him, to console him, even to cry with him or whatever it is that he does, what kind of brother am I? And yet through the wedge between us we still manage to care. Aniki isn't cold hearted I know but I still feel that I owe him so much more than this alone, and I'll never be able to do anything about it. It's foolish to question good things that come our way but maybe it's just human nature to do so.

I've been staring at Aniki this whole time but it's just now that his gaze shifts away from me and he is suddenly staring pointedly at Ryuichi. They stare straight into each other's eyes and look at each other. Evidently Ryuichi is much better at it than I am because it seems that Aniki not only understands but also has no murderous flashes across his features at all.

"There's some in the couch."

Ryuichi gives Aniki a curt nod and as if it was his cue Aniki promptly turns and exits his humble home. Through the wooden door I can still hear Shuichi whining and Aniki snapping back at him saying something about a hotel and a park while Shuichi weakly squeals an answer. If that conversation was about what I think it was about Aniki and I are most definitely brothers.

Somehow the awkwardness of the moment refuses to fade. When we had started there had been a kind of flow to our actions and though clumsy everything just went as it should. With the sudden interruptions it seems we have lost that flow of events and suddenly I don't know what to do, where to put my hands, etcetera. Seems we are back to square one…just swell and we worked so hard too.

"Ne, Tatsuha-kun…"

Obviously Ryuichi has different ideas. He doesn't seem to be the least bit deterred by the interruption and falls smoothly back into course. What would I do without him? He gets up and walks to the couch and fishes around a bit like he's looking for something. He finds what he's looking for and with his sexy grin No.709 he shows me and that is all my overactive teenage hormones need. I'm excited and nervous to be honest I've never exactly done this before. Somehow I think someone is out there laughing at that right now but it's true. But…I want this…more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life. I want to be with him like this. The nervousness doesn't matter because it's nothing compared to the overriding sense of excitement.

"…don't you think those pants are kind of in the way?"

Well he only needs to ask once.

3.1 XXXXX

My back kills…probably from sleeping on the hard wood floor then again my back isn't the only part of me that aches. But it is damn well worth it…anything is worth it to wake up in the gentle glowing sunlight with my ideal man. I'm sure every girl has that kind of fantasy and just because I'm a guy doesn't mean I don't want the same thing. Nothing is more wonderful than waking up next to a perfect someone in a perfect morning, and every morning will be perfect despite, weather, smelly breath, foul tasting good morning kisses because no body cares about that part of it, because you and your perfect someone are together isn't that alone perfect enough.

I want to look at his face so much right now but my eyes don't really want to open. Of course I should wake up since I don't know when Aniki is coming back. Ugh…yeah I better wake up now I like my head just fine where it is. I turn to take a glimpse of my god and well he's not there. I'm so sure he fell asleep next to me on my left side. I watched him sleep for like ten minutes before I fell asleep maybe he got up and moved last night or maybe…

I sit up and blink my eyes several times and look around the room. I'm alone. There are no sounds in the house that show that anyone else is here. I'm alone, sitting naked in my brother's living room with my own clothing strewn about the floor randomly, several object knocked onto the floor (thank god they're not broken), and a sticky stain on his lovely hardwood floors…not exactly an ideal scenario.

I feel sort of numb. Not really disappointed…okay never mind actually I am rather disappointed. But I don't blame Ryuichi, even if it was just that one night…it's a dream come true. This is kind of like a tired sort of resignation. What you're surprised that I'm feeling these things?! I'm not as loud and obnoxious as I may seem sometimes! I just don't really feel like I have the energy to do anything but…I should be happy with what I had. I had a wonderful night that went far beyond my dreams; it was perfect…yet that point of brilliance makes everything I look at now dim in comparisons. That's the problem with fools…they're impossible to satisfy. And like an addiction I can't help but crave for more but I know better than to expect that. Having reached the peak it is only natural to fall. I wonder…I wonder if I'm still Kumagorou's friend.

I better clean up before Aniki gets back. His living room is a royal mess…not surprisingly. I hope he sleeps in or something I' do not want to have my already sore ass to get kicked. Not that I think I'll feel it too much considering the general level of numbness I'm feeling.

It's weird to be cleaning this up. Pieces of last night keep coming back to me like some scene from a cheap romance novel…I hope that Aniki's novels aren't like that, I'd be highly ashamed of having him for an older brother. But it's really weird the thoughts, feelings, and all that other crap just sort of sit there in the middle of the air and I feel like my fingers tingle from whatever it is they're supposed to be tingling with. And all I want at this moment is to hold these things forever. All I have left is a whisper of my fantasy that I can only cling on in my mind. The numbness is fading, I'm not sure if it was even supposed to be there or if it was just some defense mechanism crap, because the truth is I feel like crap. If Kumagorou doesn't want to be my friend anymore it's probably my fault. I almost wish I hadn't leapt so high… the fall hurts more than the climb. Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than to have never loved, or something like that, was truly the father (or mother) of lying…losing SUCKS! And the sad part is that I achieved one dream but the one that I desired even more is just that much more out of reach…

…hope Aniki doesn't kick my ass I really wouldn't appreciate him rubbing salt on my wounds.

3.2 XXXXX

I think Aniki knows that something is wrong. It's not as if he's treating me differently from usual it just that his own actions seem every bit as forced as my own. And even though I'm trying to act normal I know that it's obvious that I'm not my usual self. I want to go and search for him, to find him and then hold him forever so that I can make all my dreams come true. That's what I want to do. But I can't do it. If he left me I don't want to chase him down and cause him trouble…because all I want is for him to be happy. 'If it's for him I'd sell my soul to the EVIL FORCES of the world.' Is what I want to say but if that's true then how can walking away hurt so much? The truth is this is my fault. I set out to find him, to meet him, as long as it was something to do with him but I never truly thought out the consequences nor did I ever think about rejection. He was never mine to own but I want to own him so much because without knowing he already owns me. For some reason I can't detach myself from him and with him gone I feel like I'm missing.

I'm going back to Kyoto today by train. Originally I had been planning to stay longer but now that seems meaningless. I have to go back to attend my duties anyways, maybe that'll help…never mind the fact that I'm not at all dedicated to my job never mind like it. At least going back to Kyoto will give me a routine to follow. I'll perform my duties dad will lecture me on something or other, and then Mika will look for something to lecture me about and then lecture me…and then at night I can dream of him. Somehow I think those dream will be painful for me now. Dreaming yet knowing they're dreams…it's painful.

I've been drifting through the entire day like a ghost and it feels so unusual for me. I can't get my spirit up for anything. Shuichi mentioned Ryuichi once today but I was afraid to stay to hear anything. I walked away before he could say anything and when I came back I could swear that Aniki looked kind of angry, not directed to me though. I was afraid to find out where he was or what he was doing because I would have been so tempted to go chase him down but I have no right to do that so now I have to do everything I can to stop myself. It feels so wrong to stop myself from chasing after him but I'm sure that this is right. If Ryuichi wanted to see me he wouldn't have left, if last night had been more than just a casual fling then he wouldn't have vanished. It's better to leave things as they are.

The train I'm taking is probably going to be here in about an hour and twenty minutes. There's really not much to do so I do something that I'd never thought I'd do. I go into a bookstore and purchase a novel by Aniki. I know he usually writes tragedies and what better way to drown my own sorrows than to sit there and laugh at someone else's life…nothing I tell you. It's amazing how much someone else's angst makes you feel better. I think it's just that it gets my mind off of my own problems and since it's fiction it's okay to make fun of these people. I just go and grab a random one. I've never read anything by Aniki so I have no idea what to expect. There are so many books by him I'm not sure which to grab. A title catches my eye 'Silver Stage' I wonder what it's about. It kind of makes me think of Ryuichi. I pick it up and pay for it. Why am I paying for it when my brother writes it anyways? But then again I don't think I'll be able to actually ask my brother for a copy without dying of embarrassment. Why am I buying a book that reminds me of him anyways? It kind of looses the point but it's too late cause I already paid and I don't really want to return it. The lady at the cashier looks at me kind of funny…maybe it's because I look like my brother.

The cover is really plain I guess Aniki doesn't care much for packaging but man it's dull to took at. It's just a white cover with the title and his name on it and two thin horizontal strips. It really doesn't draw attention yet these are the novels that everyone practically worships. I guess a person can never judge a book by its cover. If so many people buy it than it must be some good. I don't read much so I think I'll just skip the beginning. I open the book to a random page and start to read…

…it was easy for him to lie to her face. He was used to hiding from people but the truth this was no different. But then why did he feel so frustrated. Never before had he ever felt bad or frustrated while lying to someone but the way she looked at him crying all the time. ' Naze?' That was the only thing she asked him but he couldn't answer. He had to leave her before it was too late. He had no choice. He had to make her go before she went too deep and fell in love. So he said it. The meaningless words he had decided on before, words designed to chase her away from him. To be honest it wasn't so easy anymore.

I close the book and stare at the cover long and hard. Never in my life would I have guessed that Aniki used his novels as a personal journal. He's making millions out of writing about his own love life in third person that and replacing he with she? I suppose that explains the title. The book no longer serves the purpose I bought it for. I can't laugh at my brother's love life, I can't laugh at the problem between him and Shuichi, it no longer a simple book reading would mean I'd know Aniki in a different way. I don't know if I want to. I'm afraid to know him sometimes I'm afraid to find out exactly how much he's changed because it would feel like those drastic changes would be my fault…because I couldn't do anything for him. As it is I already have slight feelings of inadequacy reading this would not help. I'm considering abandoning the book on the bench I'm sitting on…but I reconsider and in a few seconds I'm heading back to the store to buy a few more. Maybe it'll help me understand my brother even if I can't do anything else at least it gives me some insight to how he thinks after all it looks like every book is a little piece of him. However, someone should really tell Aniki not to use his career as his personal journal.

3.3 XXXXX

The train's in sight. The station is crowded but that's to be expected. It's always a busy place. I spent the last hour or so reading bits and parts of Aniki's novels; I'm not good at reading. I have a short attention span when it comes to books so I keep switching back and forth so much that I can't remember which book is which. The only one I can really separate from the others is 'Silver Stage' I can recognize almost all the characters, it really focuses on three or so characters but I think there was this one part where he was referring to me and to Mika. It surprises me but I feel…I'm not sure how to say it kind of happy that Aniki finds me important enough to mention. I nearly, for a few moments, forgot about Ryuichi, nearly. The girl in the story isn't a complete copy of Shuichi but they were similar enough for anyone who knew the two of them to recognize the significance. Sometimes the way Aniki describes her, especially her love for music, makes me think of Ryuichi. I'll probably come back and visit soon just to pop into Aniki's life to make sure he's still relatively sane and that he hasn't left Shuichi out in the cold too many nights in a row but I think that's all. I'll probably never see Ryuichi too his face again.

I step on the train and millions of other people flood on closing in around me filling every gap, flowing like water. It's for the best to stay a good distance from Ryuichi. That way I can't ever hurt him and I won't have to fall again. That way he can remain the beautiful distant dream he has been to me for half my life. I'm standing by the door and as usual they warn you that the door is about to close. Why is it still so hard to leave at the last moment? And just as the doors are about to start sliding closed I hear someone calling my name. For a moment it seems like an illusion…the next moment I can clearly see Ryuichi plowing his way through the crowd at the speed of light…and shoves Kumagorou into my arms just as the doors slide closed. I've either gone insane and I'm making all this up or it's really happening. I look at the stuffed rabbit in my arms there's a note attached to its red ribbon…

It doesn't matter whether I'm hallucinating or if this is real in dream or reality I'm going to be selfish! I…I want him too much to be selfless. To be with him right now is more important than anything! He's chasing the train running towards me with the same childish expression on his face, like the one he had when he met, like the one he gave me when I asked him to come with me, like all his smiles. The most important is that what I want most…more than anything in the world is to see his smile. Not to simply have him smile but be there to witness it! Like Shuichi, like the girl in 'Silver Stage', even like Ryuichi himself if they can all mindlessly chase after what they want why shouldn't I do the same! I'm going to think of myself and do as like! Because then I'll be more deserving of them of Ryuichi and Aniki. If they can feel something for me, see something in me, than what right do I have to feel useless or helpless? It'd be doubting they're judgment! If Aniki thinks I'm a good brother and if Kumagorou sees me as a good friend than I am!

I run toward Ryuichi and shove myself out of the aisle and into one of those seats. The lady is giving me dirty looks but I don't care. I fling the window open and squeeze myself, my backpack (filled with Aniki's novels), and, most importantly, Kumagorou out the window and land in a messy pile an arguably safe distance from the train with a dull thud. Ryuichi appears seconds later a small distance away from me looking at me worried, shocked, happy, and something else, lots of other thing I can't name actually. Everyone at the station has their attention focused on us. I think we caused a bit of a scene. But it doesn't matter because just as everyone is focused on the two of us I'm focused on Ryuichi and him on me…and for a small eternity neither of us speak nor move.

…and then we're kicked out of the station for causing trouble…ah well.

"Tatsuha-kun you shouldn't have done that!"

He sounds kind of angry but it softens into the worry I saw before. "You could have gotten really hurt! Are you okay?" He's sweet. "I'm fine sorry for…"

"But," he cuts me off just as I'm about to apologize for worrying him, "I'm glad you're here…did…um did Kumagorou tell you what he wanted to yet? I went to your brother's house to look for you because Kumagorou had something to tell you but you had already left so I came and chased after you…" "Yup! He told me!" "Tatsuha-kun! Um…not just Kumagorou but Ryu- chan too…we both…" I look down at the note attached to Kumagorou and I feel like I have to be not only the happiest man on earth but the luckiest too. "I'm glad you guys told me…I want the same thing too."

3.3.1 Tatsuha-kun

Let's stay together!

--Kumagorou

After all I'd have to be the luckiest person in the world to be wanted by both Kumagorou and Ryuichi.

OWARI!!! O.o (about time too)

Wah I'm finally done! LET'S STAY TOGETHER is officially finished!!!! It's time to rejoice and use way too many exclamation marks!!!!!!! I'm so sorry about the cheesy ending…it was cute when I played it out in my head. The novel Tatsuha bought was titled after a manga that my sister is reading. I've never read it, it's in Taiwanese so I can't really read it. I actually have no idea what that manga is about I just liked the title. I know that it seems really odd for Yuki to write a novel based on himself but I just felt like adding it in. Again I apologize for the poor quality but I hope I'll improve in the future! Thanks for reading!

Disclaimers: I don't own Gravitation. No profits are made off this and this piece of fiction is merely a show of fan appreciation. Please don't sue me!