Introductions and Disclaimers from Tenshi
"Gravitation" and all its characters belong to the talented Maki Murakami. I originally wrote and posted this story here in 2001 in the span of a few days and thought I'd clean it up a bit in preparation for Nanowrimo this year. I hope you enjoy it even though it's just a quick write sort of thing! It's pure fluffiness Gravitation style. As a special note for this Track, I don't know how all the characters met and sometimes there is very little information so... just sit back and enjoy.
"A Dedication to Gravitation"
Track 3: Regarding a Past and Regarding a Future
"What's all this talk about Eiri?" Mika was roughly a half foot shorter than Yuki, but her attitude and stature made it obvious who was the older sibling.
Yuki gave a brief disgusted laugh. "Talk about what Aneki?"
"I think you know what I'm talking about."
"I never know what you are talking about because it's generally lies."
Mika stood ready to slap her younger brother right there in the toy store in front of everyone but a steady hand from her husband Tohma made her think better of it. She put her hand down and gave Yuki a disgusted look instead.
"Now, now," said the blonde with piercing black eyes. "Why don't we talk about this over lunch?"
"Can't. I have plans." Yuki said briskly and started to make his exit. Tohma grabbed him by the arm firmly. He wasn't strong looking but that never mattered when dealing with Eiri. He used his other hand to make Yuki's eyes meet his own.
"We need to talk Eiri." His voice left no room for negotiation or disobedience. It wasn't just the voice of a "brother-in-law"; it was the voice of somebody who had cared for him for many years. Yuki looked away, but he didn't motion to leave.
"Good!" Tohma said cheerfully and smiled. "Since you have plans for lunch, we'll just go have a drink then, okay?" He linked arms with his wife and turned around to face Ryuuichi, who was still sitting on the floor with Kumagorou. Kumagorou had made friends with Mr. Teddy Bear. Mr. Teddy Bear thought the green floral dress would look good on Kumagorou, but Kumagorou insisted he was a boy bunny and needed a tuxedo instead. So Mr. Teddy Bear rummaged around a bit more and found a tuxedo, but it was the wrong size for Kumagorou. Kumagorou seemed to be getting rather impatient. This impatience was mirrored in Ryuuichi's face. Tohma gently picked a nice looking sweater off the rack and handed it to Ryuuichi.
He was used to his friend's innocent way of acting after knowing him for so many years. Without Ryuuichi, there probably wouldn't have ever been a Nittle Grasper or NG Records. Tohma's current life was partially indebted to Ryuuichi, which is why he never questioned or insulted his friend and his bunny. It was actually due to Kumagorou that Tohma had met Ryuuichi.
Tohma was in his early 20s, playing a one-night gig as a fill-in keyboardist for a fellow musician. He was unfamiliar with the area, let alone the bar. When he first showed up, the bouncer had refused to let him in because he looked too underage with his baby face looks. He had to go call his friend from a nearby payphone to come out of the bar to let him in. After their short gig, the staff was cleaning up and one of the girls came across a pink bunny. Tohma picked up the toy and gave it an once-over. It looked well loved and something probably cherished by a child. He had momentarily considered asking for the bunny to give to Eiri as a small present, but somebody came rushing into the bar.
"OI! Ryu-baby!" yelled the bartender. "You seemed to have forgotten somebody."
This "Ryu-baby" person ran over to Tohma and snatched the bunny out of Tohma's hands. "Oh Kumagorou! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He started crying and then sat down at one of the stools at the bar. He positioned the bunny to be sitting in front of him, but in such a manner that Tohma could swear the plush rabbit was truly upset at being left behind. "I'm such a forgetful idiot Kumagorou! I'll never ever do this again, I swear." He then hugged the bunny and cried happily. "I'm so glad you forgive me Kumagorou. Let's go home."
"Just a second Ryu" the bartender stopped him. "It's too dangerous for you and Kumagorou to be walking around in the dark in this neighborhood by yourselves. Let me call you a cab." It was obvious the bartender knew the young man. In a few moments, a cab came and took him away. Tohma sat himself at the bar. "Hey Master, who was that guy with the bunny?"
The bartender smiled. "That, my friend, is none other than Sakuma Ryuuichi and his Kumagorou. I can't believe you are asking me that question. I thought you were a musician."
Tohma blushed. "I play keyboard alright, but I'm not from around this section of town. Is he popular?"
"They call him a genius. He was singing for a crowd before you showed up tonight. The place was packed with people. I hear his manager is looking for a steady keyboardist to play with him though. Maybe you should contact him. You didn't sound half bad tonight."
Steady work sounded appealing....but he was more interested in learning about this interesting Sakuma fellow. A genius vocalist with an odd affection for a stuffed rabbit. Not only that... but something about his eyes. Those misty purple eyes sent tiny chills down his back despite the innocence on the surface. The very next day Tohma got in contact with Sakuma Ryuuichi and eventually created the pheonemon called Nittle Grasper.
Nearly ten years later, Tohma was still looking into those misty purple eyes and feeling chills. He knew his friend's innocence, but always kept in mind that that innocence was masking somebody who knew far more about the world than Tohma ever would. It was that attraction that kept Tohma by Ryuuichi's side, and why Tohma hadn't hesitated when Ryuuichi asked that they put Nittle Grasper back together.
"Ryuuichi, what about this sweater? It looks similar to the one Shuuichi was wearing today."
Ryuuichi smiled and began putting the red sweater on Kumagorou. "Heehee, I bet it's the same one! Shuuichi is so tiny heehee... OH! That does look nice on you Kumagorou! I think we could get this one. Red is a Christmas color you know!" Ryuuichi stood up quickly and gathered his things, leaving a small mess of doll clothes on the floor. "I'm going to buy this and go home now Tohma. Thank you for today! It was fun!" Ryuuichi skipped off to the register. Tohma was glad Ryuuichi was taking his leave now. It made it easier to go to the bar with Eiri.
Ten minutes later, after paying in polite apology for the mess left in the toy store, they found a suitable bar and seats around a table situated in a private back area that was more quiet. Not only did that mean they could hear each other, but today's subject matter was of a more personal matter, and it wouldn't do to have it spread across every major newspaper in Japan.
"Eiri" Mika started out. Then she faltered. She couldn't seem to find the appropriate words and decided to spin her glass a bit and swirl the half melted ice cubes and liquor. Tohma picked up the conversation instead.
"You know we don't think this relationship is healthy for you Eiri. You'll only end up hurting yourself more and more by staying with him."
"And I think that I will only end up hurting myself more if I don't stay with him Tohma. It's not something I can explain. I know he annoys me beyond anyone else. I know he's why I continue to pop stress medication like candy. I know these things already Tohma, so I'd be quite obliged if you would just butt THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE ALREADY." Yuki downed his beer and lit up a cigarette. Only 3 more left in the pack. Being around Shuuichi in the morning had caused him to go through half of it, but that was in a matter of a few hours. He had only been around Tohma and Mika for less than an hour, but had gone through nearly the same amount. He wondered if that was something Tohma would be interested in considering everything else in his life seemed to be the personal concern of his brother-in-law.
"Eiri..." Tohma sounded slightly hurt, slightly wounded. It wasn't the voice of a brother-in-law anymore. It was the voice of a rejected lover. It made Yuki uncomfortable to hear it, especially in front of his sister. He glanced over to see if she picked up the same tone. If she had, she was ignoring it without any problems.
"Don't Eiri me, Tohma" Yuki went on to say. "And I bet I know what this is about too. You read my book didn't you?"
"I always read your books Eiri. "Tension" was a fine piece of work. But it's not the story I'm concerned about. It's the dedication."
"So I decided to include a dedication in my book this time. Big deal. A lot of authors do it." Yuki waved his arm and somebody swiftly came to give him another tall glass of Budweiser beer. He took a sip and thought about how drinking beer was better at home, on the couch, served to him by a short, cheerful, hyper... He stopped his train of thought and took another gulp.
"That's true, but you never have done a dedication until this book Eiri. And it's painfully obvious to anyone that knows you who that dedication is really for."
"So what? Is it suddenly a crime to dedicate a book to someone?"
"It's not healthy Eiri. You'll give him the wrong idea."
"No, Tohma. Maybe I'll be giving him the right idea. It's just not one I can express out loud."
Next Track: A Little Whipped Cream Never Hurt Anybody
Major Changes and Notes:
Once again, aneki is a term referring to one's older sister. Master is a title to refer to a bartender in Japan. Yuki talks too much in this Track but eh... it's just a story after all.
"Gravitation" and all its characters belong to the talented Maki Murakami. I originally wrote and posted this story here in 2001 in the span of a few days and thought I'd clean it up a bit in preparation for Nanowrimo this year. I hope you enjoy it even though it's just a quick write sort of thing! It's pure fluffiness Gravitation style. As a special note for this Track, I don't know how all the characters met and sometimes there is very little information so... just sit back and enjoy.
"A Dedication to Gravitation"
Track 3: Regarding a Past and Regarding a Future
"What's all this talk about Eiri?" Mika was roughly a half foot shorter than Yuki, but her attitude and stature made it obvious who was the older sibling.
Yuki gave a brief disgusted laugh. "Talk about what Aneki?"
"I think you know what I'm talking about."
"I never know what you are talking about because it's generally lies."
Mika stood ready to slap her younger brother right there in the toy store in front of everyone but a steady hand from her husband Tohma made her think better of it. She put her hand down and gave Yuki a disgusted look instead.
"Now, now," said the blonde with piercing black eyes. "Why don't we talk about this over lunch?"
"Can't. I have plans." Yuki said briskly and started to make his exit. Tohma grabbed him by the arm firmly. He wasn't strong looking but that never mattered when dealing with Eiri. He used his other hand to make Yuki's eyes meet his own.
"We need to talk Eiri." His voice left no room for negotiation or disobedience. It wasn't just the voice of a "brother-in-law"; it was the voice of somebody who had cared for him for many years. Yuki looked away, but he didn't motion to leave.
"Good!" Tohma said cheerfully and smiled. "Since you have plans for lunch, we'll just go have a drink then, okay?" He linked arms with his wife and turned around to face Ryuuichi, who was still sitting on the floor with Kumagorou. Kumagorou had made friends with Mr. Teddy Bear. Mr. Teddy Bear thought the green floral dress would look good on Kumagorou, but Kumagorou insisted he was a boy bunny and needed a tuxedo instead. So Mr. Teddy Bear rummaged around a bit more and found a tuxedo, but it was the wrong size for Kumagorou. Kumagorou seemed to be getting rather impatient. This impatience was mirrored in Ryuuichi's face. Tohma gently picked a nice looking sweater off the rack and handed it to Ryuuichi.
He was used to his friend's innocent way of acting after knowing him for so many years. Without Ryuuichi, there probably wouldn't have ever been a Nittle Grasper or NG Records. Tohma's current life was partially indebted to Ryuuichi, which is why he never questioned or insulted his friend and his bunny. It was actually due to Kumagorou that Tohma had met Ryuuichi.
Tohma was in his early 20s, playing a one-night gig as a fill-in keyboardist for a fellow musician. He was unfamiliar with the area, let alone the bar. When he first showed up, the bouncer had refused to let him in because he looked too underage with his baby face looks. He had to go call his friend from a nearby payphone to come out of the bar to let him in. After their short gig, the staff was cleaning up and one of the girls came across a pink bunny. Tohma picked up the toy and gave it an once-over. It looked well loved and something probably cherished by a child. He had momentarily considered asking for the bunny to give to Eiri as a small present, but somebody came rushing into the bar.
"OI! Ryu-baby!" yelled the bartender. "You seemed to have forgotten somebody."
This "Ryu-baby" person ran over to Tohma and snatched the bunny out of Tohma's hands. "Oh Kumagorou! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" He started crying and then sat down at one of the stools at the bar. He positioned the bunny to be sitting in front of him, but in such a manner that Tohma could swear the plush rabbit was truly upset at being left behind. "I'm such a forgetful idiot Kumagorou! I'll never ever do this again, I swear." He then hugged the bunny and cried happily. "I'm so glad you forgive me Kumagorou. Let's go home."
"Just a second Ryu" the bartender stopped him. "It's too dangerous for you and Kumagorou to be walking around in the dark in this neighborhood by yourselves. Let me call you a cab." It was obvious the bartender knew the young man. In a few moments, a cab came and took him away. Tohma sat himself at the bar. "Hey Master, who was that guy with the bunny?"
The bartender smiled. "That, my friend, is none other than Sakuma Ryuuichi and his Kumagorou. I can't believe you are asking me that question. I thought you were a musician."
Tohma blushed. "I play keyboard alright, but I'm not from around this section of town. Is he popular?"
"They call him a genius. He was singing for a crowd before you showed up tonight. The place was packed with people. I hear his manager is looking for a steady keyboardist to play with him though. Maybe you should contact him. You didn't sound half bad tonight."
Steady work sounded appealing....but he was more interested in learning about this interesting Sakuma fellow. A genius vocalist with an odd affection for a stuffed rabbit. Not only that... but something about his eyes. Those misty purple eyes sent tiny chills down his back despite the innocence on the surface. The very next day Tohma got in contact with Sakuma Ryuuichi and eventually created the pheonemon called Nittle Grasper.
Nearly ten years later, Tohma was still looking into those misty purple eyes and feeling chills. He knew his friend's innocence, but always kept in mind that that innocence was masking somebody who knew far more about the world than Tohma ever would. It was that attraction that kept Tohma by Ryuuichi's side, and why Tohma hadn't hesitated when Ryuuichi asked that they put Nittle Grasper back together.
"Ryuuichi, what about this sweater? It looks similar to the one Shuuichi was wearing today."
Ryuuichi smiled and began putting the red sweater on Kumagorou. "Heehee, I bet it's the same one! Shuuichi is so tiny heehee... OH! That does look nice on you Kumagorou! I think we could get this one. Red is a Christmas color you know!" Ryuuichi stood up quickly and gathered his things, leaving a small mess of doll clothes on the floor. "I'm going to buy this and go home now Tohma. Thank you for today! It was fun!" Ryuuichi skipped off to the register. Tohma was glad Ryuuichi was taking his leave now. It made it easier to go to the bar with Eiri.
Ten minutes later, after paying in polite apology for the mess left in the toy store, they found a suitable bar and seats around a table situated in a private back area that was more quiet. Not only did that mean they could hear each other, but today's subject matter was of a more personal matter, and it wouldn't do to have it spread across every major newspaper in Japan.
"Eiri" Mika started out. Then she faltered. She couldn't seem to find the appropriate words and decided to spin her glass a bit and swirl the half melted ice cubes and liquor. Tohma picked up the conversation instead.
"You know we don't think this relationship is healthy for you Eiri. You'll only end up hurting yourself more and more by staying with him."
"And I think that I will only end up hurting myself more if I don't stay with him Tohma. It's not something I can explain. I know he annoys me beyond anyone else. I know he's why I continue to pop stress medication like candy. I know these things already Tohma, so I'd be quite obliged if you would just butt THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE ALREADY." Yuki downed his beer and lit up a cigarette. Only 3 more left in the pack. Being around Shuuichi in the morning had caused him to go through half of it, but that was in a matter of a few hours. He had only been around Tohma and Mika for less than an hour, but had gone through nearly the same amount. He wondered if that was something Tohma would be interested in considering everything else in his life seemed to be the personal concern of his brother-in-law.
"Eiri..." Tohma sounded slightly hurt, slightly wounded. It wasn't the voice of a brother-in-law anymore. It was the voice of a rejected lover. It made Yuki uncomfortable to hear it, especially in front of his sister. He glanced over to see if she picked up the same tone. If she had, she was ignoring it without any problems.
"Don't Eiri me, Tohma" Yuki went on to say. "And I bet I know what this is about too. You read my book didn't you?"
"I always read your books Eiri. "Tension" was a fine piece of work. But it's not the story I'm concerned about. It's the dedication."
"So I decided to include a dedication in my book this time. Big deal. A lot of authors do it." Yuki waved his arm and somebody swiftly came to give him another tall glass of Budweiser beer. He took a sip and thought about how drinking beer was better at home, on the couch, served to him by a short, cheerful, hyper... He stopped his train of thought and took another gulp.
"That's true, but you never have done a dedication until this book Eiri. And it's painfully obvious to anyone that knows you who that dedication is really for."
"So what? Is it suddenly a crime to dedicate a book to someone?"
"It's not healthy Eiri. You'll give him the wrong idea."
"No, Tohma. Maybe I'll be giving him the right idea. It's just not one I can express out loud."
Next Track: A Little Whipped Cream Never Hurt Anybody
Major Changes and Notes:
Once again, aneki is a term referring to one's older sister. Master is a title to refer to a bartender in Japan. Yuki talks too much in this Track but eh... it's just a story after all.