Shindou Shuichi watched the stage as his idol sang. His heart fluttered
even now. It had been six months since Ryuichi's "incident", and not much
had changed. Nittle Grasper survived, and aside from being buried in get
well cards and flowers, Ryuichi hadn't had any problems performing.
Sakuma Ryuichi walked offstage easily. He waved at Shuichi, who he knew was standing there as he always did. Shuichi came bouncing over. "Shuichi, did you like the concert?" Ryuichi asked, grinning. Shuichi glittered. "Hai! Sakuma-san sugoi...." He murmured dreamily. Ryuichi laughed, walking over to the backstage couch. He felt around for a second, producing Kumagorou. He hugged and squeezed the poor rabbit nearly to death. "Did Kumagorou miss Ryuichi? I thought so." Ryuichi cooed.
"Are you coming to the NG party, Sakuma-san?" Shuichi asked tentatively. There hadn't been one since... since IT happened, and Shuichi wasn't sure if he should ask. Ryuichi turned to face Shuichi, then blinked, a clueless look in his empty eyes. "Why wouldn't Ryuichi want to go?" Ryuichi asked. Shuichi let out a breath he didn't know he held.
"Oh." Said Ryuichi quietly. Shuichi stiffened again. "The last time there was an NG party, Ryuichi went outside to dance in the snow. Kumagorou says the next thing that happened was that everything got dark for Ryuichi." He said. His eyes locked with Shuichi's, causing Shuichi to shiver. Shuichi noticed that the idol's eyes had gotten progressively lighter in color since the incident, and were now a very pale blue. "Ryuichi does not remember what things look like." Ryuichi said flatly, unconsciously squeezing Kumagorou tightly.
Shuichi walked to Ryuichi, embracing him. The older man nuzzled into Shuichi's neck, making a soft mew. Both men jumped as someone cleared their throat. Ryuichi looked vaguely annoyed, and Shuichi looked a bit embarrassed, as Seguchi Tohma broke them apart AGAIN. Why was it always him?
"Ryuichi, are you going to the NG gathering tonight? I'd understand if you didn't want to-" Ryuichi cut Tohma off. The idol's face was serious, an expression rarely seen offstage, as his gaze bore into Tohma's. "I am going." He said in clear English. Shuichi gulped. He could've sworn that Tohma did also, but with Tohma no one was ever sure. Ryuichi walked past both of them with that same expression, goosing Shuichi as he went. Shuichi let out a small yelp.
Ryuichi closed his dressing room door behind him, tossing Kumagorou to sofa he knew as there. He leaned on the makeup counter, head drooped. Ryuichi ran a hand through his hair, still slightly damp from performing. His fingers came to rest on his eyes, and his expression grew angrier still. "Useless!" He cried out, lashing out a fist into whatever was in front of him.
It turned out to be a mirror.
Ryuichi screamed, holding the damaged hand to chest. He could feel the jagged shards still lodged in his hand. He didn't hear the pounding on the door, the concerned shouts. He sat on the floor, hugging his knees. Sobs wracked his body as the curled tighter, hoping to disappear. The broken mirror had shed it's pieces everywhere, Ryuichi's blood covering the makeup counter like delicate red lace.
A loud noise caused Ryuichi to be brought back to where he was, but not enough to stop his sobbing. He heard several gasps, and people ran at him. He cowered slightly. surely they would be angry for breaking that mirror...
Arms wrapped around him comfortingly, while others tried to get at his injured hand. Ryuichi raised his head, turning it to the one holding him. His good hand went up to feel the person's face. "Shuichi?" Ryuichi asked in a small voice. The person began stroking his hair. "Yes." They said, and Ryuichi slumped in relief. He didn't know what he's do if Tohma was holding him right now. He felt odd...
Shuichi's eyes grew even more concerned as Ryuichi turned to face him. The idol's lips matched his eyes, a pale blue. As Ryuichi placed his hand on his face, a pit opened up in Shuichi's stomach. Ryuichi had always known it was him, never needing to touch him to know...
"I want Kumagorou..." Ryuichi nearly whispered. Someone walked over to the couch, Ryuichi couldn't tell who it was, and grabbed up the rabbit. Ryuichi leaned into Shuichi as Kumagorou was placed in his lap. He felt sleepy...
Tohma acted calmly, far too calmly. To be truthful, he was hysterical inside. The sight of Ryuichi's blood everywhere had done a number on him. Turning off his external panic, but leaving his internal struggles intact. Someone once told him that it was a human instinct, being eerily calm until after help arrived. But since the bleeding wasn't stopping, he WAS the help. Something stabbed into his heart as Ryuichi passed out. His blood ran cold as a voice near him used a frightening tone.
"No. This will not happen. You will not be taken from me again." Shuichi said, with a voice of steel. His resolute statement was reinforced as he lifted Ryuichi off the ground and carried him out of the room. Everyone stared after him. Noriko ran after him a few moments later, to continue the pressure on Ryuichi's hand as he was carried to the ambulance outside.
Tohma stared mutely. Why was he so shocked at Shuichi's actions? It made no sense. Hiroshi was the next one to speak.
"There was no way that Shuichi could have lifted him. It happened again."
Tohma blinked. Everyone else had left, leaving only him and Hiroshi still sitting on the floor. "Happened again?" Tohma edged, his voice squeaking a bit as he spoke. Hiroshi nodded. "I'll explain on the way." He said, walking out of the room. Tohma shook his head to clear it, gaining most of dignity back after that squeak. He smoothed himself out, shedding his feather jacket (which had blood all over it and wasn't much of a fashion statement to begin with), and going out the door.
Figuring neither of them were fit to drive, Hiroshi feeling quite rattled and Tohma being an absolute wreck and not hiding it as well as he thought he was, Hiroshi and Tohma sat a bus stop and waited. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the bus came, and the two men sat in the very back of it.
"Shuichi isn't like most people, not at all." Hiroshi began. From what Tohma could see, this either meant he was an alien, who some sort of superpowers, or had a strange disease. Tohma nodded scarcely, waiting for more.
"He has... well, different modes. At least that's what I call them. They've been called mood swings, personalities, you name it. Sakuma-san has a similar trait I've noticed. He's usually in genki mode, or depressed mode. But what you saw today was one I haven't seen in years. I don't have a name for it. You didn't see him, but he wasn't himself."
"I noticed something different, but yes, my focus was definitely on Ryuichi." Tohma said, nodding again.
"And rightly so. But Shu wasn't himself. His eyes were like steel, the pupils narrowed. some people are scared of Yuki-san's looks like that, but they haven't seen anything. You know as well as I do that Shuichi couldn't logically have lifted Sakuma-san being the waiflike idiot he is. And he didn't." Hiroshi clearly planned on ending the thought there, but Tohma wasn't satisfied.
"Ryuichi seems to have split personalities. Do you mean like that?" He asked.
Hiroshi locked eyes with him, a serious expression on his face. "No. NOT like that."
Sakuma Ryuichi walked offstage easily. He waved at Shuichi, who he knew was standing there as he always did. Shuichi came bouncing over. "Shuichi, did you like the concert?" Ryuichi asked, grinning. Shuichi glittered. "Hai! Sakuma-san sugoi...." He murmured dreamily. Ryuichi laughed, walking over to the backstage couch. He felt around for a second, producing Kumagorou. He hugged and squeezed the poor rabbit nearly to death. "Did Kumagorou miss Ryuichi? I thought so." Ryuichi cooed.
"Are you coming to the NG party, Sakuma-san?" Shuichi asked tentatively. There hadn't been one since... since IT happened, and Shuichi wasn't sure if he should ask. Ryuichi turned to face Shuichi, then blinked, a clueless look in his empty eyes. "Why wouldn't Ryuichi want to go?" Ryuichi asked. Shuichi let out a breath he didn't know he held.
"Oh." Said Ryuichi quietly. Shuichi stiffened again. "The last time there was an NG party, Ryuichi went outside to dance in the snow. Kumagorou says the next thing that happened was that everything got dark for Ryuichi." He said. His eyes locked with Shuichi's, causing Shuichi to shiver. Shuichi noticed that the idol's eyes had gotten progressively lighter in color since the incident, and were now a very pale blue. "Ryuichi does not remember what things look like." Ryuichi said flatly, unconsciously squeezing Kumagorou tightly.
Shuichi walked to Ryuichi, embracing him. The older man nuzzled into Shuichi's neck, making a soft mew. Both men jumped as someone cleared their throat. Ryuichi looked vaguely annoyed, and Shuichi looked a bit embarrassed, as Seguchi Tohma broke them apart AGAIN. Why was it always him?
"Ryuichi, are you going to the NG gathering tonight? I'd understand if you didn't want to-" Ryuichi cut Tohma off. The idol's face was serious, an expression rarely seen offstage, as his gaze bore into Tohma's. "I am going." He said in clear English. Shuichi gulped. He could've sworn that Tohma did also, but with Tohma no one was ever sure. Ryuichi walked past both of them with that same expression, goosing Shuichi as he went. Shuichi let out a small yelp.
Ryuichi closed his dressing room door behind him, tossing Kumagorou to sofa he knew as there. He leaned on the makeup counter, head drooped. Ryuichi ran a hand through his hair, still slightly damp from performing. His fingers came to rest on his eyes, and his expression grew angrier still. "Useless!" He cried out, lashing out a fist into whatever was in front of him.
It turned out to be a mirror.
Ryuichi screamed, holding the damaged hand to chest. He could feel the jagged shards still lodged in his hand. He didn't hear the pounding on the door, the concerned shouts. He sat on the floor, hugging his knees. Sobs wracked his body as the curled tighter, hoping to disappear. The broken mirror had shed it's pieces everywhere, Ryuichi's blood covering the makeup counter like delicate red lace.
A loud noise caused Ryuichi to be brought back to where he was, but not enough to stop his sobbing. He heard several gasps, and people ran at him. He cowered slightly. surely they would be angry for breaking that mirror...
Arms wrapped around him comfortingly, while others tried to get at his injured hand. Ryuichi raised his head, turning it to the one holding him. His good hand went up to feel the person's face. "Shuichi?" Ryuichi asked in a small voice. The person began stroking his hair. "Yes." They said, and Ryuichi slumped in relief. He didn't know what he's do if Tohma was holding him right now. He felt odd...
Shuichi's eyes grew even more concerned as Ryuichi turned to face him. The idol's lips matched his eyes, a pale blue. As Ryuichi placed his hand on his face, a pit opened up in Shuichi's stomach. Ryuichi had always known it was him, never needing to touch him to know...
"I want Kumagorou..." Ryuichi nearly whispered. Someone walked over to the couch, Ryuichi couldn't tell who it was, and grabbed up the rabbit. Ryuichi leaned into Shuichi as Kumagorou was placed in his lap. He felt sleepy...
Tohma acted calmly, far too calmly. To be truthful, he was hysterical inside. The sight of Ryuichi's blood everywhere had done a number on him. Turning off his external panic, but leaving his internal struggles intact. Someone once told him that it was a human instinct, being eerily calm until after help arrived. But since the bleeding wasn't stopping, he WAS the help. Something stabbed into his heart as Ryuichi passed out. His blood ran cold as a voice near him used a frightening tone.
"No. This will not happen. You will not be taken from me again." Shuichi said, with a voice of steel. His resolute statement was reinforced as he lifted Ryuichi off the ground and carried him out of the room. Everyone stared after him. Noriko ran after him a few moments later, to continue the pressure on Ryuichi's hand as he was carried to the ambulance outside.
Tohma stared mutely. Why was he so shocked at Shuichi's actions? It made no sense. Hiroshi was the next one to speak.
"There was no way that Shuichi could have lifted him. It happened again."
Tohma blinked. Everyone else had left, leaving only him and Hiroshi still sitting on the floor. "Happened again?" Tohma edged, his voice squeaking a bit as he spoke. Hiroshi nodded. "I'll explain on the way." He said, walking out of the room. Tohma shook his head to clear it, gaining most of dignity back after that squeak. He smoothed himself out, shedding his feather jacket (which had blood all over it and wasn't much of a fashion statement to begin with), and going out the door.
Figuring neither of them were fit to drive, Hiroshi feeling quite rattled and Tohma being an absolute wreck and not hiding it as well as he thought he was, Hiroshi and Tohma sat a bus stop and waited. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the bus came, and the two men sat in the very back of it.
"Shuichi isn't like most people, not at all." Hiroshi began. From what Tohma could see, this either meant he was an alien, who some sort of superpowers, or had a strange disease. Tohma nodded scarcely, waiting for more.
"He has... well, different modes. At least that's what I call them. They've been called mood swings, personalities, you name it. Sakuma-san has a similar trait I've noticed. He's usually in genki mode, or depressed mode. But what you saw today was one I haven't seen in years. I don't have a name for it. You didn't see him, but he wasn't himself."
"I noticed something different, but yes, my focus was definitely on Ryuichi." Tohma said, nodding again.
"And rightly so. But Shu wasn't himself. His eyes were like steel, the pupils narrowed. some people are scared of Yuki-san's looks like that, but they haven't seen anything. You know as well as I do that Shuichi couldn't logically have lifted Sakuma-san being the waiflike idiot he is. And he didn't." Hiroshi clearly planned on ending the thought there, but Tohma wasn't satisfied.
"Ryuichi seems to have split personalities. Do you mean like that?" He asked.
Hiroshi locked eyes with him, a serious expression on his face. "No. NOT like that."