Authoress here.
You all totally owe me. Here I am SLAVING away over this new chapter, the very eventide afore I fly off to exotic places for Spring Break.
I know, I know, boo-hoo for me. I'm writing a chapter in a story I love before I go off on vacation. Okay, so I'm not as melodramatic as I sound at times.
JewelValentine, if you print this story off and show it to real-live Alex, there will be PAIN. Lots and lots of PAIN. He's already read one of my…erm…more questionable stories and I'd like that number to stay the same. He still thinks I'm innocent……..(shifty eyes…) Just a friendly, happy-go-lucky reminder to a dear sister of mine.
So, here goes, the last chapter for at least a week. (There is no way my parents will let me type a chapter on the hotel computer….they'll chain me to a beach chair or something horrific like that.)
Chappie numba seventeen comin' right up!
Three Way Tie
Chapter Seventeen: Rock and a Hard Place
Gravitation
Shuichi's voice was soulful, and the rich vibrato tone of his voice had a throbbing sorrow behind it. If he were singing a ballad or a more mournful tune, that tone would have been perfect. Unfortunately, the songBad Luck wasworking on was a techno remix of "Glaring Dream," an already upbeat song.
"Shuichi!" Hiro half screamed, smacking his forehead with his palm. "This isn't working!"
"I'm sorry!" The pink-haired teen wailed. "I'm trying!"
"WILL THE BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND SING?" K's voice sounded over their headsets. "Don't know if you knew, but we do have deadlines in the music business!"
"Just give us a second, K." Hiro snapped, uncharacteristically harsh. "Listen, Shuichi, it hasn't been three days since she's left and you're still hung up over her? You knew it wasn't going to last!"
Shuichi glared at Hiro hotly, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "You don't know anything!"
"Shuichi," Hiro said again, more gently. "Try to get over this. You still have Yuki, ne?"
"Yeah," Shuichi sniffled.
"And you don't know if Aoyou permanently left- Oh, don't start crying again!" Hiro said desperately as tears fell down Shuichi's face at Aoyou's name. "All I'm saying is you don't know anything for sure, right? So don't let it get to you until you have some facts!"
Shuichi ran a hand across his damp cheeks and dabbed at his eyes before responding. "I'm sorry I'm sucking right now."
"You don't suck at singing, kid," K drawled through their headsets. "Y'just suck at this particular song."
"Thanks, K." Hiro said sarcastically. "Just what he needed to hear."
"By the way, Shuichi," K said. "Yuki called, and gave me a message to give to you. Once we get this song finished, you can call him back."
Shuichi visibly perked up at this and nodded to Sugaru to restart the song. The younger man grinned and slammed his fingers down on the keys, creating a seventh chord with one hand and manning the synthesizer's drums with the other.
Hiro grinned as well, and jammed his guitar pick across the strings in the opening chords of the techno beat. Shuichi took a deep breath, and then sang clearly into the microphone extending down from the ceiling.
The song went perfectly, Shuichi managing to muster up the energy to make the fast-paced song sound as perky as intended. Once it was over, he skipped from the recording room and ran to find K.
"The message?"
"What message?" K blinked innocently. It was not convincing.
"Yuki's message." Shuichi said, gritting his teeth.
"I'm your manager. I do whatever it takes to make you sing, and sing well." K shrugged, a wicked grin on his face.
"There was no message?"
"Sorry."
"My life is a swirling vortex of disappointment and sorrow!" Shuichi wailed as he ran towards the men's bathroom. K grinned, and shrugged again at Hiro, who had followed Shuichi to the glass wall room.
"At least his drama has style." K snickered. Hiro merely sighed and shook his head before going off in pursuit of Shuichi.
Aoyou Tsumaru
If only aliens existed. Then they could swoop down and abduct me. Or an earthquake should find a fault line beneath North Dakota and swallow me whole. Anything would be better than standing in front of James DuFrense, Alex's father and my confessor on the plane ride home, waiting for him to spill the beans to my family and my…boyfriend? I guess I never officially dumped him….
My heart sped up as James walked forewords, eyes boring into mine. I cringed as he moved his hand, half expecting him to slap me.
Not like I wouldn't deserve a good, firm bitch-slap from him.
But James just held his hand up for me to shake. Gingerly, and somewhat bewildered, I shook it.
"Alex has told me so much about you." James said simply. "It's very nice to finally meet you." There was a curious closed look behind his eyes, and a rushing load of guilt swept over me. Apparently, he wasn't planning on humiliating and shaming me in front of everyone else, but I almost wished he would, simply to ease my conscience.
"Well, I've got dinner on the table, so let's eat!" Rosemary suggested brightly. James still had my hand, Alex was beaming at me like I had done something of high merit, and my father was looking at James strangely, most likely wondering why he hadn't released me yet. But Alex and my father followed my mother into the dinning room adjacent to the kitchen.
"Aoyou, if you wouldn't mind showing me to your bathroom before we get started on this wonderful meal." James said loudly, so that the others could hear. With a sinking feeling, I realized he wanted to talk with me privately.
"Sure. Follow me." I said feebly, and I turned back into the hall.
The sound of James' chuckles made me stop and spin on my heel. There he was, giggling and laughing at me.
"What?" I was confused.
"Oh, this is too much!" James managed out between bursts of giggles. "Your face, your reaction, everything!"
"Wha-"
"I've never seen- oh haha- someone get so white so- haha- fast!" His face was wrinkled up in mirth.
"But-"
"Aoyou, you must have forgotten some of the finer details of our conversation on the plane." He had calmed down enough to speak without interruption, but a wide grin still split his face. "You forgot that you told me all about Alex. When he came to Japan, to Yuki's home!"
I stared, replying the conversation in my mind.
"-And then Alex, remember me telling you about him? Yeah, well he came to Japan, found out where I was staying, and charged over to Yuki's house late one night! He saw Shuichi, and nearly leapt at his throat, if Yuki hadn't of held him back…"
"Oh no." I hid my face in my hands, to hide the burning red color from him. I had described the entire encounter to James, who had sat, straight-faced, through the entire thing.
"Oh yes." James grinned again. Then, his face softened. "Aoyou, I knew then that the business with Yuki and Shuichi had happened while Alex was still under the impression that you and he were together. But my advice is still the same."
I stared at him, lowering my hands. Even after I basically screwed his son over (in the figurative sense) he still had the grace to give me unbiased advice. This man was certainly amazing.
"And, now that you know my connection to Alex, I feel more secure in what I'm asking you now. Don't get back together with my son. He's got good intentions, no matter what an idiot he can be, and he doesn't deserve to be your rebound."
My face turned red again. So he WAS sorta mad at me anyways.
"And, Aoyou, he's not the sort of person I can see a fiery, adventurous person like yourself settling down with. Alex is young; he'll get over it and find someone more suited to him. Go back to Japan, and sort out your fears with the two men I know you still love."
His voice was final, and he turned and went back into the kitchen, leaving me confused and frozen in the hallway.
Gravitation
"Um, Yuki?" Mizuki peered at the irate author in front of her. "This ending is sort of….violent, for you."
"Does it not suit you?" Yuki's voice was silkily dangerous.
Mizuki hastily tried to pacify him. "No, it's just…unexpected. And it's not a romance novel. Sure, there are some romantic parts in the middle, but not your usual big, steamy, heady finish."
"What's so unexpected?"
Mizuki chose her words carefully, knowing the wrong one could garner a vicious response from the easily angered man. "Well, I was expecting a sex scene where Sunou, Shuro and Yahio all make love together, not for Sunou to get herself violently raped and killed by the burglar from the alleyway bit."
"Well, I decided not to play the predictable, fluff-writing fool." Yuki snapped, thoroughly wishing he had scraped the project altogether.
"Well, I'll edit it a final time and set it to press." Mizuki said briskly. She hesitated, and then added, "And I'll send a copy to Miss Tsumaru to translate."
"No you won't." Yuki's response was short.
"Why not?" Mizuki said innocently.
"I don't want that fucking bitch-whore reading my work. I don't value her opinion or her help." Yuki snarled. He stood so abruptly his chair clattered over backwards, and then stormed from Mizuki's office.
End Chapter
Authoress here in body and somewhat in mind.
I'll dream up what'll happen next while I'm sun-basking in Florida, and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
Geronimo, I'm flattered that you reviewed, especially as it isn't your habit to do so. I'm so glad you enjoyed Three Way!
Megumi and Darkless, thanks for the review via email for the thirteenth chapter. It was very nice to receive such awesome feedback!
L2SET, I apologize for nearly giving you a heart-attack over the last chapter…what can I do when the muses in my head start threatening me?
Saint Lucifer, once I finish it, Three Way is going up on the site you suggested. Thanks for the idea and the reviews.
Guren, domo for your steady support of Three Way. I always know I can count on a review from one of my most supportive readers!
Vampiress and Spotbunnigirl, I'm so very happy you both like Three Way!
Insanehumor, your review made me laugh. Thanks for reading!
To everyone who reviewed asking for the lemon chapter, thanks for defying Fanfiction and wanting to see the lemon anyways. You're all freaking awesome. And somewhat dirty. We can all use a little bit of that in our lives, ne?
Importantly, thanks to ThePerpetuallyAnnoyedEiriYuki, formally known as Kuja2001. YOU MADE IT ALL HAPPEN!w00t!
And always, to my three buddies from school and fanfiction, FierceOne, LadyKatsu and JewelValentine. (Who isn't printing this story off…..Right?)
Thanks for those two chapters you put up, LadyKatsu! And Suspender-straps took first at the meet this morning, and Rena Pae (coughs) got sixth. I sucked it up. WheeeeeE!
