Chapter 12: Frozen Flower

Standard Disclaimer Applies

Dim street lights glimmered under a pale moon, its waxen sheen covering the silent pavement. No human movement could be detected; the cool breezes signaling the subtle transition from summer to autumn might have had something to do with this, but one cannot be absolutely certain of such.

He recognized the figure strolling casually out of the building without much effort. Celebrities may try to disguise themselves with dark glasses and cavalier clothing, but their aura remains the same. He had gone exactly where Hiroshi led him to, and found his target with no problems.

Now, the confrontation began.

Being rammed against the nearby wall wasn't exactly Tachi's idea of an introduction, but it seemed to be this blonde stranger's way of greeting in any case. Murderous intent lay in angled amber eyes; involuntarily, the dark-haired vocalist shivered.

"W-Who the hell are you?! Get off me!" With a violent shove, Tachi managed to get the man off of him. "Don't you realize who you're messing with?"

"Aizawa Tachi, right?" The obvious derision and scorn in the taller male's voice could be heard. "And I'd have to say it's you who has no idea who you're dealing with. It's a shame you're so slow. And here I was, hoping I wouldn't have to spell it all out for you."

The cryptic response only angered Tachi further, and added to the obvious insult made before, apparently, he was beyond furious. "What the fuck is THAT supposed to mean?! And who are you, anyway?!"

Tachi didn't even see the fist coming at him until the moment it got to his face. Staggering backwards, he leaned on the adjoining wall for support, wiping the trickle of blood seeping past his lips. "Damn you..."

"So...how was it, Aizawa? Was Shindou good enough for your liking? I'd bet any amount of money that you tricked him into doing it, right?"

The fear that had been threatening to take hold of his features the entire conversation finally escaped. "W-What are you talking about...?"

And then, Eiri finally snapped, clearly fed up with his interviewee dodging the subject. "DON'T mess with me. Someone overheard you talking about how you held him down, took pictures, and did who-knows-what to the kid. He's so fucking scared over what you did that he barely even SMILES. You probably didn't think it would mess him up so much, now DID you? He's hurting inside because you raped him, and for the rest of his life, he's not going to forgive or forget you for it! And," -The glittering orbs already glaring with irreconcilable emotions changed into flaming rage- "I won't forgive you for it, either."

"L-Listen to me!" Tachi's voice reached an already frightened pitch, almost likened to a squeaking mouse begging for mercy. "I didn't fucking DO the actual stuff! The guys who did it were just some thugs I hired for the night! P-Please, don't kill me!"

"So you're saying it was you, are you not?"

Caught in his own words, Tachi managed a gasping breath. "N-No, that's not-!"

Eiri grabbed the other male by the collar, menacingly growling out his final warning. "Look, you can either give me the film for the pictures you took, or I'll have to painfully kill you. -Your- -fucking- -choice.-"

The mouth about ready to spit out yet another alibi collapsed downward, and some incoherent babble emerged. "B-But I was--you don't understand that it--!"

Eiri slammed the man into the wall again, and the singer cried out when the back of his head felt exploding pain. "I TOLD you not to goddamn MESS with my head!"

"Yeah, well, quiet messing with MINE!" Tachi retorted, finally shoving his hands into his pant pockets. A small container was hastily pulled out. "H-Here, take the damn thing, already...just don't hurt me!"

The hardened visage faded, and as Eiri took the film roll from the lead singer's hand, he appeared just as tired as Tachi did. "...I wouldn't have had to do any of this if it hadn't been for your idiocy. Just remember that."

As the dark clothed one departed into the night, somewhere outside his barely conscious mind, Tachi's knees came buckling out from under him.

"So, how'd it go?" Tatsuha lifted his head up from his work, speaking gently to the elder Usuegi that had just entered the suite. "He gave you the stuff, right?"

Eiri made a half-grunt of affirmation; but this clearly wasn't enough for the young one. "C'mon, Aniki! Aren't you GLAD this is all out of the way? I mean, you found out what was up with Shuichi, didn't you?"

"Shut up." Eiri ground out in a steely tone of voice. "Tachi wasn't actually the guy who didn't anyway, though I'd bet you any amount of yen that he was the one with the idea for it. The guys who raped Shuichi were a couple of thugs he hired for the night."

"W-Whoa, wait a second, Bro..." Tatsuha was gaping. "He was RAPED?! You never told me that! What the hell happened?!"

Shuichi snorted in his sleep, though it was more like an addition to his snoring than anything, and shuddered in the couch. Once the movement ceased, wary silence converted back into distress.

"Look," Eiri began with a heaving sigh, "Your guess is as good as mine as to what went on there. Shuichi hasn't told me a goddamn thing since the incident, and no one else actually saw or heard what happened. But he's been so...depressed for three days that it's really starting to piss me off..."

"You're really worried about him, aren't you...?" Tatsuha's wide eyes softened upon hearing the sound of defeat in his sibling's voice. "And are you sure that...there's really nothing else we can do...?"

The same, catlike honey orbs that were once cold shuddered with a completely unfathomable ambiance for him; love and concern.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Padding footsteps came over to the two talking brothers, as well as a timid, innocent voice that was far too familiar and characteristic to not be recognized.

"Tatsuha-san...Yuki-san...does that mean that Shu-chan won't go back to the way he used to be? Never, ever, na no da...?"

Heartbreaking it was, really, to hear a full-grown man with the soul of a child asking such an honest, childlike question. Not only that, but Ryuichi was one of Shuichi's closest friends who truthfully wanted the singer back to his old self. For a moment, it seemed there was a shared discarnate feeling about these three. All were concerned for Shuichi; but in three completely different senses. And, Tatsuha thought to himself, glancing at the young guitarist who had had fallen asleep against the very sofa Shuichi occupied, There would be one other person to worry for Shuichi with us, if he was awake right now.

"Ryuichi, don't worry about anything." The dark-haired teen replied in assurance, hesitantly motioning to pat his idol's shoulder. Ryuichi did not make a motion to escape from the touch, so he continued it. "All of us will make sure Shuichi gets back to the way he was...I promise."

There was a pregnant calm, however, before Ryuichi suddenly broke into tears. In an attempt to quiet his own crying, the smallest adult covered his mouth, his expression taking one of both astonishment and sorrow. Even as Tatsuha meekly questioned the vocalist's state of mind, Ryuichi went on talking about something completely unrelated behind his sobs.

"I-I'm so sorry...i-it's just that...I feel so horrible, no da...Shu-chan is really sad, and we've been trying to make him better...but nothing's working, Tatsuha-san; Yuki-san! A-And I really hate seeing people sad...'specially my friends and my family...even though it's silly t-to s-say that, 'cause you guys aren't really my family...b-but Ryuichi thinks of everybody as his family...and Kumagorou agrees with me, too...!"

All of the doubts, insecurities, and pain build up in his heart were suddenly dispersed, coming forth as welling tears and incomprehensive babble. He could not, would not, be consoled, for there was already too little assistance that he had been given in the years before. Lovingly, and almost exhaustedly, Tatsuha pulled the petite young man into his arms. And though the teen was much younger than Ryuichi, the olive-haired one nuzzled against his comforter's shoulder, calming down somewhat in his embrace.

"Ryuichi...it's all gonna be okay. We'll get him through this, somehow. No matter what it takes...Shuichi'll go back to the way he was. And we'll be there to help him every step of the way, right?"

Nodding against Tatsuha's chest, Ryuichi looked up and sniffled. "S-Sankyuu, Tatsuha-san...you're right...I shouldn't be crying and not helping, no da! Tomorrow, we'll work on a way to get Shu-chan happy again, no da! Umm...but can Kumagorou help us?" Ryuichi motioned to the little pink bunny entrusted into Tatsuha's hands. "You probably don't have to ask him; he's Shu-chan's friend, too, so it'll be no problem."

Tatsuha answered with a brilliant smile, and handed the stuffed animal back to its owner. "Sure thing. Whoever wants to help us can help us. After all, the more the merrier, I always say!"

"Yeah!"

This time it was Hiro and Shuichi who shifted in their spots at the noise, though only Hiroshi was the one to get up and speak sleepily on behalf of both of them.

"Oi! Keep it down here; Shuichi and I wanna sleep...you guys can party all night long, but take the celebration outside..."

And to that end, the redhead plopped back down on the sofa, promptly falling asleep again.

The sound of Eiri's forehead making contact with his oncoming hand covered the abruptly silent atmosphere. "God...idiots really do attract idiots as friends, don't they?"

A teasing inflection could be heard in Tatsuha's voice as he spoke up, wrapping his arm around a considerably cheered Ryuichi. "Maybe...I think Hiroshi-san may have just had a little too much to drink before, ne, Aniki?"

Ryuichi sniffed Tatsuha's neck, making a strange noise of naivety and surprise. "Meep! Tatsuha-san, you smell nice, na no da."

"Say what?!" Tatsuha rather inarticulately, turning bright red.

For the second time that day, Yuki Eiri sighed. "Dumbass."

lee: Your suggestion is highly appreciated, Lee-san. And I'm not being sarcastic at all, really! Constructive criticism is always good for a person, right? Yes, I will try in later chapters to not have so much, 'personal stuff,' and I will work my very hardest to do just that...to the best of my abilities. I realized now that some of the last parts of the previous chapter were not necessary; however, if you are referring to the sections about my trip—which I put there for a VERY important reason; my updates and replies to all my reviewers are usually quite speedy, so I wanted to let them know the reason why it wouldn't be—or if you are referring to the other important note about the question regarding a HiroxShuxYuki love triangle, I hope you understand that those are more crucial to the story than what I actually agree with you about what is not important. I hope that was a coherent enough reply for my actions for you, and I hope that you will read the chapters to come...if you think my story is still okay, that is. I understand if you don't feel that way, because everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Thank you for the comment, though.

Goku-the-saru: -Falls over hysterically laughing over the, 'past life lover,' comment- AHAHAHA! Holy crap, that was FUNNY! And true! XD Tenpou and Kenren are so cute, too, though I've honestly only seen Gaiden in the few episodes the anime provided us with. I'd like to read the Gaiden manga soon, though; that would be neat, because then I'd be able to fic them better. –Holds up a wine glass filled with milk, since Keruri is too young to drink alcohol- Here's to TokyoPop, who's doing a pretty good job on making me love the Saiyuki manga, hoping they'll keep translating soon! (I can't say I liked TokyoPop's Gravitation translation all that much; but hey! The past is the past...-shrugs-) As for your other question regarding those anime, yes, I've heard of them; and not only that, but I've read some One Piece in past issues of Shonen Jump US, (I've started getting lazy in reading them, lately), and I manga volumes 1, 3, and 5 of Tokyo Mew Mew, (which is SUCH a cute shoujou title. I really like it now. Ichigo-chan's so sweet, and Lettuce is just adorable. She reminds me of myself...), so I've been exposed to how interestingly cool they are. :D I can't WAIT to check out both anime, even if they are dubbed! Sankyuu for the review!

Deppfan1016: Oh, really?! –Blush- Wow, I didn't know I was suddenly a mind reader! And while I'm glad you liked his introspective on life, I must admit that I don't think that way. I'm more of a pure person—too trusting and naïve, even—because I always think there is good in every person. Call me crazy, but that's my ideal of life. Tatsuha-san's my exact opposite when it comes to that. But he and I have very similar birthdays! His is one day from mine! –Squeak!- I was very happy when I realized that. And yes, now you have something other than loving Ryu-chan to compare yourself to him with. :D Though a lot of people love Ryuichi, so doesn't that mean that all those people can identify with him? Ah, well. My trip was fine, thank you very much. Visiting family and going shopping is rather physically draining sometimes, but it's always fun!

Oh, and as for the love triangle; don't fret, dearie! I haven't decided yet whether it will be, because I still want to ask the rest of my reviewers to state their opinion on it. While I DO understand how you feel, (that was why I hesitated to do it in the first place, actually; so you read my mind), it's up to my reviewers and readers to decide. I won't call the shots, because I feel that's unfair, Your vote for, 'no,' will be remembered, however, and tallied into the actual score of things. :) Sankyuu for the review, depp-san!

kanilla: ANOTHER love triangle, 'yes,' person? Well, that's one more to add to the list...the actual effects of it, however, probably won't start until a few chapters from now; but know so far that YES to HiroxShuxYuki is ahead of NO. :D I'm sure that should make you quite happy. Thank you for the compliment about my grammar, kanilla-san! –Smiles- I try very hard to let people know that I'm always improving and making my writing the best I can, but I'm glad to see that's enough for somebody! As for where I originate, I was born up north in New Jersey, though my father's side of the family originates from New York, and my mother's from Hong Kong. So that makes me half-Asian, and half-American. I also have some Polish on my Dad's side, and some Caribbean on my Mom's side of the family, so I'm a bit of those, too. Hai, Tatsuha-san is cute when he's an artist, and even when he isn't, he's sweet. I know that this isn't the first time an artist motif has been used for him in fics, (read Shining Acrylic and you'll probably see what I mean), but I had the idea long before that authoress wrote that story, really. So my Taa-san is totally original. His personality, yes, is older than his age, but that's the other part of my motif for him in this story: a young teen that is psychologically much more mature than he lets others perceive him to be. Enigmas are fun, aren't they? Sankyuu for the compliments, kanilla-san, and I hope to see you next chapter!

darksaphire: Don't worry; I would never blame anyone for not having the time to review fics! I have that problem personally because of school, so I can totally sympathize. –Kicks her schoolbooks- EBIL. XP Ah, and thank you for the compliment on Tatsuha's insight. I wanted people to like his thoughts on life, because they're quite deep, I think. It also ties in with the themes of the story, though, if you ever stop and think about it: "The ones who are too trusting get hurt physically, sometimes end up dead; the ones who trust no one are extremely pained emotionally and lonely beyond belief." That's what happen to poor, trusting Shuichi, remember? But my little angst kitten's life should get better soon. Or it could turn horribly worse. I'm really not sure yet. Depends on what the plot bunnies order me to do. And people like Yuki, who are cold and wish to have no ties with anyone, internally feel that way, too. I tried for a bit of inadvertent symbolism there, though I'm not sure if anyone noticed it. Yes, Hiro DID slip up rather annoyingly, but I think that it's only human to make a mistake. And Hiro is one of the most humane humans I know. (Does that make ANY sense?? XD) You can have the 100th review only if you can get it, saphire-san; I'm afraid there will be others trying to get the credit all for themselves. So, good luck with that, and sankyuu for the review!

Kitty in the Box: Phwee? You liked this chapter? :D I'm glad, then! You didn't seem very happy with me last time, so if at least one reviewer is enjoying this, then my job is done. –Smile- Yes, I personally believe that Hiro and Tatsuha could be kindred spirits; they both love two people who do not seem to care for them in that way. Or do they...? –Mwahahaha...- Oh, speaking of, what do you think of a HiroxShuxYuki triangle? Good idea? Bad idea? The worst thing in the universe?? I'd like to know so this story can have that extra, side conflict. Because side-stories rock. :D Sankyuu for the compliment, enjoy the plushie, and I hope to see you next chapter!

Dntfckwifme: Awww...you're sick, dear? Here, have some tea and a Shuichi plushie to make you feel better. –Hands you the items charitably- I was sick, too, a good week ago, but it went away. It was a sinus infection, which SUCKS because of the medicine they make you take! Not to mention the virus was heck to go through, as well. Feel better soon, sweetheart! :D

As for the Yuki and Shuichi thing, I completely understand. You're the only other person who's opposed to it so far besides another reviewer, so I'll keep both your opinions in mind for the final vote count! I hope this Yuki and Tachi confrontation was good to you, and sankyuu for the review! Please stick around for the other chapters if you feel inclined to do so!

KageKitsune16: Oh, don't cry, Kitsune-san! –'Phwee-s,' and holds out a box of tissues- I hadn't realized this chapter would be a tearjerker, but, um...glad you liked it. Even if it DID seem to make you a bit more emotional...by the way, your RyuxShuxYuki fic will be up soon, so please wait just a bit longer on that! :D Hope this chapter was to your liking, and sankyuu for the review!

clari chan: Clari-san, you're back to review? Coolies! :D Hai, Tatsuha-san no sugoi! I pretty much just LOVED him after hearing his voice and attitude in the anime, so now he's one of my top favorites in Gravi. I still lurv Hiro a bit more, though. –Hugs Hiroshi plush- Phwee. I hope you liked this chapter, and sankyuu for the review!

Everyone, thanks to ALL of my reviewers for reaching past the ninety review mark! I'm going to give a SPECIAL surprise to the person who writes the 100th review, so please look forward to that as well! And to all the readers of this fic, you know what I'm going to say. Everyone's assistance in giving me inspiration to continue this story is always appreciated. I really, REALLY mean it, so...SANKYUU NA NO DA! :D

And since I'm still not totally sure about what to do, I ask everyone again: should there be a HiroxShuxYuki love triangle later on in this story? I'm sorry if this is becoming terribly repetitive and annoying, but I'd really like YOU guys to decide what will become of these three. I think it would be unfair if I decided, so now I'm letting my readers decide. The votes so far: 'YES' Love triangle: 3 votes; 'NO' love triangle: 2 votes. 'YES,' is ahead, but don't let that stop you guys who disagree from letting me know! Every vote WILL be taken into consideration when the time comes!

The title of this chapter came from the D-N Angel instrumental theme, named, obviously, 'Frozen Flower.' It's a beautiful piano and violin sonata, and I highly recommend it for anyone who can get a chance to hear it. It sets the mood for most of the final part of the chapter rather well, especially the paragraphs where Ryuichi breaks down crying.

Until the next installment of Paradise, everyone...I hope to see you soon! –Waves-