Disclaimer: I do not claim this series or any of these characters as my own, they all belong to their creators, their production companies, yadda yadda yadda so don't sue me.



Sweet Bitterness

by: Shoujo Priestess

Chapter Three - Night and Day at Hotohori's



Hotohori opened the door before Nuriko had a chance to knock. Hotohori's success in the music industry allowed him to live very well, his apartment was the largest in the building and was decorated in the most up to date fashion. Still there was nothing he loved more than visits from his dearest friends.

"I'm so glad you called." Hotohori said pulling Nuriko into a hug.

"I didn't realize how late it was, sorry if I woke you."

"Enough of that, where have you been keeping yourself?" Hotohori asked closing the door behind them and walking into the living room. "I haven't seen or heard from you in weeks."

"We've both been busy and time just slips away before anyone realizes it." Nuriko said looking at the pictures on the wall, they were different from the last time he had visited. "Besides you've been on tour haven't you?"

Hotohori smiled. "Just a little thing across Europe, nothing too fancy." His smile turned to a frown when he saw Nuriko's expression was not a happy one. "What's wrong?"

Nuriko turned to face his friend and grinned painfully. "Lovesick as always, pretty pathetic isn't it?"

"Not at all." Hotohori shook his head. I know exactly what you mean." After a long sigh and an awkward silence Hotohori raised an eyebrow. "It's Miaka isn't it?"

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yes and no, you keep your feelings pretty well hidden to the common bystander... But I know you far too well to be fooled by that cool demeanor." Hotohori said honestly. "And I... also know what it feels like to be rejected by..."

"I wasn't rejected, it just didn't go as I planned." Nuriko snapped. "I'm sorry, I just am not acting like myself lately."

"It's okay." Hotohori said warmly. "Want to get some sleep and talk about it in the morning?"

"Well I wasn't planning to stay over..." Nuriko said checking his watch and finding out that it was well past two in the morning, he had forgotten how far away Hotohori lived from the city. "But if it's no trouble?"

Hotohori made a face while leading Nuriko into the guest bedroom, he loaned him a pair of pajamas and showed him where the shower was. Deciding that a shower was sounding pretty good Nuriko went into the bathroom and folded his clothes neatly and laid them on the shelf, he frowned at the wine stains he had forgotten about and lamented that the pants were probably ruined.

The hot water that fell upon his body was just what Nuriko had needed, its soothing touch was making him forget about the troubles he felt and it also made him drowsy enough to get a good night's sleep. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, he was going to fall asleep standing up if he didn't hurry up and get out. Slipping into the borrowed pajamas Nuriko felt a hundred percent better, in the morning he would get his clothes cleaned and go from there.

Turning off the light and slipping under the sheets Nuriko prayed a silent prayer and closed his eyes. In a matter of minutes he was breathing evenly and without dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hotohori sat in his bed with the light on, he was reading the article that Nuriko had seen earlier in the evening. Whenever a picture of him was in any type of publication his manager would send it to him, showing how popular he was and how lucrative his career proved to be. Hotohori made a face at the very thought of it. It was true that in his youth that he might have found this information to be somewhat interesting but in his maturity he could care less if everything ended tomorrow, he was at peace with himself and that was all that mattered.

"Nuriko... How you've suffered so..." Hotohori said touching the picture. He remembered their past life together and how much Nuriko had loved him, but he had never returned the feelings, Nuriko eventually took the hint and was content to only be friends. Afterwards when he became fond of Miaka he still kept his distance, because of his respect for Tamahome, allowing another love never to ignite. Even now when he could have anyone he wished Nuriko chose a person that would probably never be able to return the feelings.

Releasing his long brown hair from the confines of a rubber band Hotohori turned out the light and slid underneath his cool satin sheets. He wondered what Nuriko would think if he told him that he had developed a huge crush on him and that he was secretly pleased that perhaps Miaka would remain with Taka forever.

"A little too late I'm afraid." Hotohori said sadly to himself. "I will do like you, I will remain in the shadows and make your happiness my own."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Miaka you know that I love you to death," Yui said standing outside the door in the pouring rain. "But did you HAVE to call me over at six-thirty in the morning on a Saturday?!?"

"Sorry, I'll make it up to you, promise!"

"It's going to take a lot of stuff for that." Yui said scowling as she removed her raincoat and ran a hand thru her wet hair that was beginning to curl slightly on the ends.

"I could lend you a hat?" Miaka joked while Yui tried in vain to pull the curls straight.

"Way too early for jokes Miaka..."

"Well I needed your opinion on something and couldn't wait any longer, I've been up since three thinking about it." Miaka said as they walked upstairs to her room. Sure enough there was a nearly empty coffee pot on her desk along with a pink mug with a picture of a cat on it, Yui knew that something difficult was on her friend's mind.

"I'm here for you, tell me everything." Yui said sitting down on the edge of Miaka's neatly made bed. Yui reasoned that either Miaka was getting better about making her bed or that she had not slept in it that night.

"I think I've blown it... With both of them." Miaka said biting her lip. "I tried to choose but I don't want either one to be hurt or mad at the other one."

Yui sighed. "Oh Miaka... What am I going to do with you?"

"I know... I'm such a wimp when it comes to things like this."

"I'm just going to ask you this once and then I'm going back to my house and resume my nap." Yui said getting up from the bed and walking directly in front of Miaka so that they were looking into each others eyes. "Who makes you happy? Pretend that your pasts never happened and think only of the present and future, YOUR present and future. Who do you think will be there for you regardless? Once you answer you'll know everything you'll need to."

Miaka thought for a moment but did not respond verbally, she knew that saying it out loud would finalize the decision and someone would ultimately get hurt. Yui saw the decision and her eyes softened as she gave Miaka a hug.

"You don't have to tell me who it is, but just be honest with yourself." She said.

"Thank you Yui, you're my best friend."

"Of course I am, now if you don't mind, I'm off to bed." Yui said as she started towards the door.

"Yui-chan?"

"What?"

"If I were you I'd take the hat."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nuriko woke mid morning and for a second had forgotten where he was until he heard Hotohori singing in the shower, it was amazing how the man's voice could project. He rolled out of bed and pulled the covers neatly over the mattress and placed the pillows back how they were before he had fallen dead away. Wanting to get his clothes cleaned before heading home he remained in the borrowed pajamas, he hoped that Hotohori would not mind.

Nuriko debated on whether he should call Miaka or not, he didn't want to seem like he was avoiding her but at the same time he did not want it to seem that he was hanging around waiting for her to call him. In the end he closed his phone and placed it back on the dresser, however this time he kept it on so anyone who called could leave a message. For him it was a happy medium and the most he could do at the moment.

"Finally up sleepyhead?" Was Hotohori's morning greeting when Nuriko walked into the kitchen. Hotohori handed him a cup of coffee. "This will wake you up in no time, it's my own special blend."

"Thanks." Nuriko sipped the coffee and was surprised at how strong and thick it was. "Geez, one sip of this stuff will keep me up for a week!"

"That's what I drink when I'm on the road, when I have to be up all hours. I can't seem to give it up when I'm at home." The man said scratching his hairless chin. "At least I get a lot more accomplished than most people."

"Yeah that happens when your days are twice as long I suppose." Nuriko remarked putting the coffee away and reaching for the carton of orange juice on the counter. "I however like to blink every once and awhile."

"Hmmmmm you've grown bitter my friend." Hotohori said looking at his friend with concern. "Ready to talk about it?"

Nuriko sat down on a tiger striped couch and Hotohori sat beside him. Hotohori listened wide eyed while Nuriko filled him in on everything that had happened, about the date, about Taka's statement, and about the way he felt his life was spinning out of control. "Sometimes I wish that I was never reborn you know?" Nuriko said sadly. "I grew up knowing one thing and then all of a sudden here I am having to learn a whole new set of rules, I have never really fit in either place and I think that's becoming more and more apparent."

"Nuriko..."

"I don't have your musical talent, I don't have Taka's natural ability with people, I'm not smart like Chichiri or Chiriko... I'm just a body without a purpose." Nuriko's eyes welled with tears. "I thought I had found my place with her... I thought that..."

Hotohori scooted closer to Nuriko and put an arm around him. "I think you're special, we all do." He whispered softly as he brushed back Nuriko's bangs. "You have more compassion than anyone I've ever met, you have a natural ability of making people feel safe around you."

"What a bad liar you are..."

"I mean it." Hotohori said pulling him closer, his own emotions and judgements waning. "I dare say that I wish that I could have been more compassionate back then."

"Back then?"

"When you were in my harem, I always thought you were the most lovely, your smile and laughter were far above the rest... But after I learned the truth about you I could never allow myself to feel towards you the way you felt about me." Hotohori said, not believing that his own mouth and thoughts would betray him. "Since I've gotten to know you better, I realize now that it was wrong of me. I think if I had not cared about what others thought we could have been very happy together."

Nuriko smiled, happy that at least someone seemed to care about him. But like Hotohori had stated the night before it was a little too late for anything between them now. He sighed. "So what do you think I should do?"

"You should tell Miaka exactly how you feel, it's the only way." Hotohori said. "As long as your honest with yourself you can be at peace, you deserve that."

"You're right." Nuriko said looking at Hotohori and seeing the kind man who was the person closest to him, he was second only to Miaka but sometimes not even Miaka could compare to what Hotohori meant to Nuriko. He had been the first person Nuriko had ever loved and would always keep a special place in his heart. "I'll go to her this afternoon. Um, you don't suppose I could borrow your washing machine do you?"

"Of course, toss your stuff in there and it'll be good as new."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After she has gotten much needed rest Miaka was up and ready to face the world again. She decided to go for a run, she wanted some fresh air and just felt that the experience would do her a world of good. She opened her drawer and pulled out a white tank top and some blue running shorts, she felt guilty that she hadn't worked out in a while and winced when she discovered that the shorts were a bit snug.

"No more after school stops with Yui!" She joked to herself while lacing up her sneakers and jogging out the door. She was in bright spirits and was planning how to tell her chosen one how she really did feel.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh before I forget, here." A fully dressed Nuriko handed Hotohori the magazine he had been given. "Could you sign this? It's for a friend of mine."

"Heh, I really hate to do this but if it's for a friend of yours..." Hotohori mused as he scrawled out his name with a sharpie marker. "I swear I'm just like everyone else, I just sing for my supper."

"And the crowd loves you for it, and so do I." Nuriko winked. "Thanks for everything, and I promise the next visit will come a lot sooner than this one."

"I hope so, it's lonely around here. We need to all get together and do something one of these days." Hotohori sighed and looked around. "What's so great about all of this if you don't have anyone to share it with?"

"It'll happen one day, and if not we could always have another go at it." Nuriko laughed. "I swear if this doesn't work out I'm going back to being a girl, at least then I can be bitchy to people."

Hotohori laughed and pulled Nuriko into another hug. "I'm holding you to that, but seriously I wish you all the best, I hope everything works out." Hotohori gently kissed Nuriko on the forehead before letting him go. "You go and get her."

"On my way." Nuriko said smiling walking towards his car.



~*~ end chapter three ~*~