Author's Note: Sorry it took so long. I saw a lot of people pleased, but a
few saying my heavy dialogued chapters weren't as good as the others.
Unfortunately, this had to be a heavy dia for me to finish it in four
parts, but I've taken my time and I'm very pleased with it. Eiri is a
sweetie.. because I like how he acted in the manga. ^_^ So here it is, the
conclusion of my first multi-chaptered Gravitation story. Enjoy, and
reviews are welcomed.
The Few and the Far Between – 4 Till Death Do We Part
Violet met the dark gaze of amber and he stared, fumbling the ring between his fingers. "I… I can't stay away." He whispered.
The author raised an eyebrow and lit a new cigarette, remaining silent. If only the singer knew how badly he'd ached to be with his lover as well. He couldn't deal anymore with the cries and the fearful glances. He was grateful for all Tohma and K had done to rid the couple of the man that haunted his lover, but it was never enough.
It would never be enough.
He knew only he could help. Though the reasoning had been so simple, it could not have been done any other way then it was. He knew how big of a mouth Shuichi had… it just couldn't be done.
"I … I need you, Eiri.." Shuichi continued.
If only the vocalist could realize how much he was truly needed, too.
The longing welt in his heart, and at that moment he wanted to hold the cotton-candy haired boy, and express just how much he needed and loved him too. Anger had long since burned away. It wasn't truly anger to begin with, mainly impatience that the vocalist didn't ever wait for explanation.
But at the same time…
He felt relieved.
The author held his hand out to the lyricist, in an attempt to bring him closer to himself. "Have you had any nightmares recently?" Golden eyes grazed over the boy. Dark circles visibly surrounded his eyes. He knew the boy had probably sat watching the door since he'd left. He didn't even know if the boy had eaten... probably not.
The idiot.
He glanced at his watch, and mildly wondered where the dinner was. Shuichi still remained silent, and he waved his arm slightly, urging Shuichi to answer him. Eyes softened ever so slightly as he took another long draw from his cigarette.
"Just answer.. Shuichi..."....I won't get mad.
Shuichi bit his lip and gently reached out, taking Eiri's hand. Where had that question come from? "I took a nap this afternoon and had one.." he whispered. He let himself be folded into the blonde man's arms, and he rested his head in the crook of his neck. "I don't understand… why did you leave?"
It didn't make sense. He twisted the ring around his finger, and sighed deeply. He never could understand his lover. He was always so mysterious, yet perhaps that was one of the things that made the author quite so enticing.
Perhaps that was what made him love the author even more.
Eiri smiled softly, but turned his head, hiding the amusement from the boy. Such simple matters that the young one worried about. He hoped that the lyricist always remained so innocent and naive of the world. Yet after the ordeal with Aisawa, he knew he may as well be wishing on a star. He quietly put out his cigarette, looking down at the boy. "I was tired.. of seeing you cry. All because of me, you had to suffer…."
Since the beginning, he'd blamed himself. It never stopped, and the cycle continued, but once the nightmares with Aisawa began, the terrible thoughts intensified as did Shuichi's disturbed behavior, and it began to hurt his work, his lifestyle, and more importantly, their relationship.
And that, was something that Yuki Eiri would not tolerate.
Shuichi's eyes widened, understanding. He clutched the edge of violet fabric and sat up, straddling the man's waist as he stared deeply into the golden eyes. "No! No, it wasn't because of you, it would never be you…" he whispered. He pressed his face into Eiri's shirt, nuzzling his chest gently before pressing a kiss through the silky fabric and sitting back up to gaze at his lover's pained features.
Eiri nodded, yet glanced at the doorway, avoiding contact. "I wanted to get away. I thought if we got away, the nightmares would go away.. and you'd be happy. I saw that magazine, it made me so angry…"
How Tohma could let something such as that be published was beyond him. It infuriated him, to have his lover exposed in such horrid ways. Yet he let it go and didn't say a thing....
"Oh Eiri.." Shuichi sighed, and gently toyed with the buttons on the author's shirt. "It didn't bother me…it—"
"But it did! Don't lie to me Shuichi!" The author shouted, and drew in a breath, shocked by how coldly he'd bitten off Shuichi's words. He watched the vocalist tremble in his lap, and violet eyes fill with hurt as he searched into the blonde man's own, looking for any sign of remorse. He sighed, and gently stroked Shuichi's cheek, exhaling and looked down. "I hated seeing those eyes filled with tears! I hate knowing what Aisawa did to you and I couldn't stop it! I thought this was the only way to free you. I decided we'd run away, just like I did so many years ago!" He winced, and looked down, staring at the couch in a pause before meeting the eyes of his lover again, "I couldn't tell you. I didn't want it to be ruined, I wanted to get away and get settled, so we could be happy, but...."
The phone rang, interrupting the two and Eiri looked up, and lifted it from the couch. "Moshi Moshi."
"Eiri!" Tohma's normally cool and collected tone voiced panic as it carried through the phone, and Eiri's eyes shifted to look at Shuichi once more and back at the phone.
He mouthed the rest of his sentence. "But of course…" and the arm swept to the phone, "Couldn't come through and help me."
Of all people to call, and now of all times. But he felt a little better. Maybe now he wouldn't have to explain as much. But his thoughts were interrupted as Tohma's panicked voice echoed through the earpiece again.
"Eiri, the papers were signed and Shuichi's gone, Eiri, Shui—"
Shuichi frowned for a minute. Tohma knew? Tohma knew and he'd still faked it so well? No, he couldn't have known. Yet he never knew with Tohma. The keyboardist was definitely one who had the demon inside him. Perhaps it was fear that kept Shuichi in check when around Tohma. Or perhaps it was the keyboardist's love for his own. He knew he should be angry, but all he could care about was what was in front of him..
His Eiri.
"Shuichi is here, Tohma. Thank you for your help. I'll talk to you later." Eiri cut in, and promptly brought the conversation to a close, hanging up on him.
Shuichi looked at him with questioning eyes for a minute, then reading the author's face, understood. Tohma had been to help. He sat the phone down and slid his arms around the vocalist's waist, and stared at him deeply.
"I couldn't just have you telling people things… How could you be better if you are chased wherever you go?" Eiri asked.
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the vocalist.
"I want to be the only one to chase you." He whispered. He sucked in a breath, and drank in the view that sat before him. He looked down at his hands, and fumbling his own ring, stared back into those deep violet eyes. He knew he could say it, he knew he could….
"Shuichi, would you marry me?"
It'd hadn't been …that… hard to say….
Any barrier that had held back those tears was destroyed as soon as those five words escaped Eiri's mouth.
Saline dripped down Shuichi's cheeks and he cupped Eiri's face, cradling it as he cried. "Yes, of course, yes!" he whispered, and brought his own face forward, lips meeting halfway with the author's.
Kiss.
"I love you, Eiri.."
Pause.
"I love you too, Shuichi."
Kiss.
Arms wound tightly around the vocalist and he snuggled against him, bringing him down to lay on the couch. Sliding his body over the other, he smiled down on his pink-haired lover, and lowered himself to kiss him again.
"I'll never run away…. I promise you Shuichi…"
He smiled down on his lover, and gently nuzzled his cheek. To hell with what anyone thought. This was his happiness. His chance to seize the opportunity for love like everyone else. And even his own coldness wouldn't chase this chance away.
"I'll never run away."
The Few and the Far Between – 4 Till Death Do We Part
Violet met the dark gaze of amber and he stared, fumbling the ring between his fingers. "I… I can't stay away." He whispered.
The author raised an eyebrow and lit a new cigarette, remaining silent. If only the singer knew how badly he'd ached to be with his lover as well. He couldn't deal anymore with the cries and the fearful glances. He was grateful for all Tohma and K had done to rid the couple of the man that haunted his lover, but it was never enough.
It would never be enough.
He knew only he could help. Though the reasoning had been so simple, it could not have been done any other way then it was. He knew how big of a mouth Shuichi had… it just couldn't be done.
"I … I need you, Eiri.." Shuichi continued.
If only the vocalist could realize how much he was truly needed, too.
The longing welt in his heart, and at that moment he wanted to hold the cotton-candy haired boy, and express just how much he needed and loved him too. Anger had long since burned away. It wasn't truly anger to begin with, mainly impatience that the vocalist didn't ever wait for explanation.
But at the same time…
He felt relieved.
The author held his hand out to the lyricist, in an attempt to bring him closer to himself. "Have you had any nightmares recently?" Golden eyes grazed over the boy. Dark circles visibly surrounded his eyes. He knew the boy had probably sat watching the door since he'd left. He didn't even know if the boy had eaten... probably not.
The idiot.
He glanced at his watch, and mildly wondered where the dinner was. Shuichi still remained silent, and he waved his arm slightly, urging Shuichi to answer him. Eyes softened ever so slightly as he took another long draw from his cigarette.
"Just answer.. Shuichi..."....I won't get mad.
Shuichi bit his lip and gently reached out, taking Eiri's hand. Where had that question come from? "I took a nap this afternoon and had one.." he whispered. He let himself be folded into the blonde man's arms, and he rested his head in the crook of his neck. "I don't understand… why did you leave?"
It didn't make sense. He twisted the ring around his finger, and sighed deeply. He never could understand his lover. He was always so mysterious, yet perhaps that was one of the things that made the author quite so enticing.
Perhaps that was what made him love the author even more.
Eiri smiled softly, but turned his head, hiding the amusement from the boy. Such simple matters that the young one worried about. He hoped that the lyricist always remained so innocent and naive of the world. Yet after the ordeal with Aisawa, he knew he may as well be wishing on a star. He quietly put out his cigarette, looking down at the boy. "I was tired.. of seeing you cry. All because of me, you had to suffer…."
Since the beginning, he'd blamed himself. It never stopped, and the cycle continued, but once the nightmares with Aisawa began, the terrible thoughts intensified as did Shuichi's disturbed behavior, and it began to hurt his work, his lifestyle, and more importantly, their relationship.
And that, was something that Yuki Eiri would not tolerate.
Shuichi's eyes widened, understanding. He clutched the edge of violet fabric and sat up, straddling the man's waist as he stared deeply into the golden eyes. "No! No, it wasn't because of you, it would never be you…" he whispered. He pressed his face into Eiri's shirt, nuzzling his chest gently before pressing a kiss through the silky fabric and sitting back up to gaze at his lover's pained features.
Eiri nodded, yet glanced at the doorway, avoiding contact. "I wanted to get away. I thought if we got away, the nightmares would go away.. and you'd be happy. I saw that magazine, it made me so angry…"
How Tohma could let something such as that be published was beyond him. It infuriated him, to have his lover exposed in such horrid ways. Yet he let it go and didn't say a thing....
"Oh Eiri.." Shuichi sighed, and gently toyed with the buttons on the author's shirt. "It didn't bother me…it—"
"But it did! Don't lie to me Shuichi!" The author shouted, and drew in a breath, shocked by how coldly he'd bitten off Shuichi's words. He watched the vocalist tremble in his lap, and violet eyes fill with hurt as he searched into the blonde man's own, looking for any sign of remorse. He sighed, and gently stroked Shuichi's cheek, exhaling and looked down. "I hated seeing those eyes filled with tears! I hate knowing what Aisawa did to you and I couldn't stop it! I thought this was the only way to free you. I decided we'd run away, just like I did so many years ago!" He winced, and looked down, staring at the couch in a pause before meeting the eyes of his lover again, "I couldn't tell you. I didn't want it to be ruined, I wanted to get away and get settled, so we could be happy, but...."
The phone rang, interrupting the two and Eiri looked up, and lifted it from the couch. "Moshi Moshi."
"Eiri!" Tohma's normally cool and collected tone voiced panic as it carried through the phone, and Eiri's eyes shifted to look at Shuichi once more and back at the phone.
He mouthed the rest of his sentence. "But of course…" and the arm swept to the phone, "Couldn't come through and help me."
Of all people to call, and now of all times. But he felt a little better. Maybe now he wouldn't have to explain as much. But his thoughts were interrupted as Tohma's panicked voice echoed through the earpiece again.
"Eiri, the papers were signed and Shuichi's gone, Eiri, Shui—"
Shuichi frowned for a minute. Tohma knew? Tohma knew and he'd still faked it so well? No, he couldn't have known. Yet he never knew with Tohma. The keyboardist was definitely one who had the demon inside him. Perhaps it was fear that kept Shuichi in check when around Tohma. Or perhaps it was the keyboardist's love for his own. He knew he should be angry, but all he could care about was what was in front of him..
His Eiri.
"Shuichi is here, Tohma. Thank you for your help. I'll talk to you later." Eiri cut in, and promptly brought the conversation to a close, hanging up on him.
Shuichi looked at him with questioning eyes for a minute, then reading the author's face, understood. Tohma had been to help. He sat the phone down and slid his arms around the vocalist's waist, and stared at him deeply.
"I couldn't just have you telling people things… How could you be better if you are chased wherever you go?" Eiri asked.
He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the vocalist.
"I want to be the only one to chase you." He whispered. He sucked in a breath, and drank in the view that sat before him. He looked down at his hands, and fumbling his own ring, stared back into those deep violet eyes. He knew he could say it, he knew he could….
"Shuichi, would you marry me?"
It'd hadn't been …that… hard to say….
Any barrier that had held back those tears was destroyed as soon as those five words escaped Eiri's mouth.
Saline dripped down Shuichi's cheeks and he cupped Eiri's face, cradling it as he cried. "Yes, of course, yes!" he whispered, and brought his own face forward, lips meeting halfway with the author's.
Kiss.
"I love you, Eiri.."
Pause.
"I love you too, Shuichi."
Kiss.
Arms wound tightly around the vocalist and he snuggled against him, bringing him down to lay on the couch. Sliding his body over the other, he smiled down on his pink-haired lover, and lowered himself to kiss him again.
"I'll never run away…. I promise you Shuichi…"
He smiled down on his lover, and gently nuzzled his cheek. To hell with what anyone thought. This was his happiness. His chance to seize the opportunity for love like everyone else. And even his own coldness wouldn't chase this chance away.
"I'll never run away."