Title: A History of Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation and this is just my little theory of what could possibly of happened.

Author Notes: Well it started out as a fic for a contest, but I decided to change it and make it a continuing story. So this is the story of Shuichi and Hiro's relationship Pre-Yuki! Enjoy, and remember that the more reviews there are the quicker the next chapter is put up! -_^

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It was a chilly autumn day and the park just a block away from the Shindou residence was sparcely occupied. An eight-year-old Shindou Shuichi ran with all his might after his older sister, Maiko, as she sped down the park's path and off into the grass. Letting out a huff Shuichi followed suit, not gaining much ground at all.

"Maiko! Wait up would you, I can't run that fast!" Shuichi yelled at his older sister agitatedly, speeding across the park.

"No way Shuichi, that's the whole point of tag!" she snapped, jumping behind a tree. "You're trying to catch me so I will be it and I'm supposed to run. Got it?"

"I know, but you run too fast! You're legs are longer than mine are and you cheat too!"

Maiko gave her brother an indignant look and then stuck her tongue out. With a little bit of trouble she pulled herself onto the lowest branch of the tree and took a seat. Finally catching up with his sibling, panting for breath, Shuichi leaned against the tree.

"See Maiko, you're cheating! I can't reach that high up and you know it. No fair!" he wailed, wrinkling up his nose as he attempted to touched his sister's dangling feet.

Laughing Maiko pulled her feet up to her chest and grinned slyly at her brother.

"Show me a rule book!" she jeered.

Stomping his feet some Shuichi stuck his tongue out and turned away from the tree with a noise of annoyance. As the little blonde mulled{1} over a way to get his sister he heard some one shouting a little ways away. turning over to see what the commotion was about he spotted a soccer ball only briefly before it plowed him in the face and knocked him to the ground. The ball bounced away and Shuichi groaned, hands over his face.

"Shuichi!?" Maiko shouted and a thud on the ground indicated that she had jumped from the tree.

"I didn't do it!" shouted a distant voice unfamiliar to Shuichi.

Maiko kneeled by her brother's side and let out a gasp. Putting her hands on his shoulders she shook him some.

"Shuichi, Shuichi, Shuichi!" she cried. "Oh no, oh no! Mom's gunna kill me! Please get up Shuichi, say something!" she shouted at him.

"Don't shake him like that! He's hurt." came another voice that Shuichi did not recognize.

Maiko's hands reluctantly let him go and her hands were replaced by gentler ones that lifted his head and laid it into a lap. The hands then came to rest over his which covered his face and he made a noise of protest. His forehead felt like it was broken into a million pieces! The hands gently tugged at his own, but Shuichi kept his hands firmly over his face.

"Hey, hey....I need you to move your hands, k? I need to make sure your not really hurt." soothed the unfamiliar male voice.

"Of course I'm hurt!" Shuichi wailed, flinging his hands from his face so he could yell properly.

Before he could replace his hands back over his aching face they were pinned by his sides with incredible force. Keeping his eyes squeezed shut Shuichi made a keening noise in the back of his throat. He heard a third party jog over and then make an eeping noise.

"Woah! That can't be natural skin color-Hey, ow!"

"Shut-up!" Maiko's familiar prissy voice sounded. "You're fine Shuichi, your fine. Now open your eyes and look at me."

Ignoring his sister's command Shuichi kept his eyes glued shut and felt his arms let go. Before he could move them back to his face however he was distracted by a sudden pain on his forehead. The blonde howled as cool fingertips caressed his forehead in a curious manner. They then tentatively pressed over his face and a soft 'hmmmmm' noise sounded.

"He's just bruised," anounced the boy at his head with a snicker.

Maiko let out a sigh and then whapped her brother in the forehead harshly.

"OW!" Shuichi shouted, sitting upright in a flash.

As sat up in his pained haste he smacked the boy leaning over him right in the forehead with his own. Both crying out Shuichi held his head and the other boy fell backwards. Glaring through his fingers at his sister Shuichi made a hiss of pain.

"What was that for?!"

"For making me get worried over you, baka!" she shouted back before glancing back over at the redhead who had fallen over. "You ok?"

"Oh so he gets sympathy and I get smacked. You're so mean, Maiko-chan!" Shuichi whined, eyes going round and teary.

The redhead sat up, a nice little red spot forming on his forehead where the two had collided. He laughed a bit and the other boy, a brunette with sunglasses pushed up on top of his head, came and kneeled beside him.

"You ok, little man? How many fingers am I holdin' up?" he asked sporting three fingers in front of the younger's face.

"Three and yes, I'm ok...nothing major."

Yuuji looked at his three fingers oddly and counted them before realization dawned.

"Oh yeah, I do only have three up!"

Shuichi and the others sweat dropped before the redhead shook his head at his brother and turned to Shuichi sincerely.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry Yuuji hit you with the ball, it got past me. Oh and you might wanna put some ice on your forehead to keep the swelling down."

"Yeah," Shuichi said with a slight whine. "I think I'm ok, no thanks to stupid Maiko."

He stuck his tongue out at his sister and she mimicked him. The brothers laughed and Yuuji helped the younger one to his feet. Once he brushed himself off the redhead extended his hand too Shuichi who gladly took it. Pulling the smaller boy to his feet, the nameless helper flashed a bright smile.

"I'm Nakano Hiroshi, but you can call me Hiro." he motioned to the brunette at his side. "That's my brother Yuuji, he's.......a bit out there."

Yuuji flashed a goofy smile and peace sign, "Yo."

Shuichi returned the smiled enthusiastically and bowed."I'm Shindou Shuichi! Nice to meet you!" he said brightly.

"You recover fast." muttered Maiko. She paused and cleared her throat, hands on her hips. "Aren't you gunna introduce me, baka?"

"No."

"Ugh! I'm Maiko, the stupid one's older sister. Nice to meet you Hiro-san, Yuuji-san." she said with a curt bow.

"The pleasure is all ours Maiko-san, so....I guess you guys wouldn't be too keen on a friendly game of soccer, huh?" Hiro asked with a grin as he stooped to retrieve their forgotten ball.

"Not really," Shuichi grumbled, rubbing the lump on his forehead.

"Well I would, what do you say, Yuuji-san?" Maiko asked, looking at the older boy expectantly.

"Uh....sure! But, who's team is Hiro gunna be on if we only got three people?"

"I think I'll sit out with Shuichi," the redhead said with a smile, turning to the blonde. "That ok, Shuichi?"

Shuichi blinked and then nodded. "Sure."

Maiko shrugged and took the ball from Hiro, giving Yuuji a coy sort of grin. She tossed the ball from hand to hand and then around her back in a fluent motion.

"Get ready to be beaten by a girl." she said cooly, dropping the ball to the ground and taking off with it.

Yuuji laughed and ran after her, "I don't even think so, girlie!" he shouted.

As the pair disappeared over the well cut grass Shuichi let out a sigh and sank to the ground leaning back on the tree's mighty trunk. Hiro followed suit and then fished a box out of his back pocket. Shuichi sniffed and his round violet eyes lit up.

"Is that....strawberry pocky?"

Hiro laughed and nodded, "Hai! It's my absolute favorite, you want some?"

Before he even finished his offer Shuichi tackled the box from his hand and hugged it. Hiro laughed and reached over to take it back. The blonde pulled away and stuck his tongue out.

"It's mine now," Shuichi laughed as he waved the pocky at Hiro. "Want some then you'll have to get past me!"

"Fine then."

With that the taller boy pounced on Shuichi and they laughed whilst they fought over the pocky. In a mass of tangled limbs they struggled, the box of pocky getting tossed aside somewhere along the line and fight suddenly became a tickling match. Maiko stopped where she stood, looking over at the boys oddly. Yuuji came up to steal the ball, but stopped at the sight.

"Well that ain't natural." he muttered, scratching the back of his head.

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{1} I think Shuichi is a natural blonde really. The scene where he's with Ryuichi is drawing with him he makes a picture of himself and he draws himself blonde. So....I have a hunch that Shu-Chan's actually a blonde

I had always wanted to do a fic with Yuuji and Maiko involved, now I've gotten my chance. *beams* Review Please! - Kuroi