Disclaimer---Gah, these things are SO boring. -sigh- I don't own any of this, if u wanna sue, I have a nice collection of TY beanie babies...that's about all u'll have. But if u take them, I'll cry, I swear it! ;.;

NOTE: This has to do with the music video later in the story. The scene changes every time a lyric appears! The scene takes place while the lyric above plays in the background.

Example:

lyric

Scene

Also, Shuichi "sings" in this video ONLY the words:

Can't get enough

Don't let me down

One more night

So when it refers to his cue in the song or such, it means he's supposed to appear as if he's singing those lines.

I am aware that is it Nittle Grasper that sings it, but in the video it's made to appear as if Shuichi is singing it.


"Are you sure about this?"

"What're you talkin' about Shu, you got to do this with your idol!"

"Y-yeah, but-"

"It was fun wasn't it Shu-chan! Kuma had fun!"

"It was a blast, but won't the press talk? I've had about as much of tabloids as I can handle . . ."

"Well, if they talk, we'll just talk louder." Shuichi glanced nervously at the arm holding the magnum point forty four over his shoulder, "Something like this'll make those fangirls scream and scramble for BOTH of your guys' new albums!"

"But does it have to be like this?" Shuichi felt extremely heavy, Hiro and K's arms draped around his shoulders and Ryuichi clinging to his waist, "You should have time to do it again if it didn't seem right?"

"Nope!" K was grinning, "It's being aired on tv in about . . ." he glanced at his watch "half an hour." Shuichi's eyes bulged

"We gotta hurry or we'll be late for the party!" Ryuichi tugged at Shu's shirt pointing down the long hallway frantically.

"There's a viewing party! But, but -"

"Will you relax, it's not that bad! I thought it was pretty good." Hiro winked at him.

"Tohma-kun!" Ryuichi suddenly waved frantically at the man walking down the hall.

Said president smiled his warmest and started toward them, "Sorry for being late. Mika insisted I speak with Eiri right this minute. It ran longer than I had anticipated.."

"Yuki's here!" The pink haired singer brighteneed suddely.

"My apologies Shindou-san, he had a meeting with his editor so he had to leave post-haste." Shuichi's face fell.

"Come oooon! We're gonna be laaaaate!" Ryuichi whined and tugged once more on his fellow singer.

Shuichi gulped once more, momentarily ignoring the whining Ryuichi, "Seguchi-san's gonna watch it too?"

"Come on! You weren't this chicken when you were doing it!"

"Having second thoughts, are we Shindou-san?" Tohma smiled at him knowingly.

"No!" He pouted and stalked off down the hall to the room where the video would be playing. Ryuichi looked from Tohma, to the retreating Shuichi before taking off after the pink-haired man, should for him to "Wait up! Kumagoro wants to sit next to you!"

"With the way he's taking it, you'd think we were talking about a porn flick or something." K watched them go with a bemused expression.

"Still, it's a good thing Yuki-san doesn't watch music videos, ya think?" Everyone present nodded and started after the two singers.

Yuki was moving toward the elevators with a fierce scowl on his face. Men and women with their noses stuck in the air, feeling self-important with the world in their hands, practically dove out of his way, fearing the wrath that could descend upon them. A few were even humbled and wished nothing more than to ran home, embrace their familes, and declare their love for all things living.

Yuki Eiri saw none of it. His family thoroughly annoyed him, they all knew exactly how to play any person on this earth, but they found the most enjoyment in playing each other. It was a past time to wind each other around their fingers and yanking back just when it was thought they had been successfully dropped like so much unwanted junk outside of the door for some other unfortunate soul to come by and find remote interest in.

At least Shuichi was not directly involved this time, all that dancing around Eiri like he were precious china ready to break if so much as touched had actually come in handy this time. Mika had learned her lesson last time she tried something so stupid as use the brat in her plans. Eiri would humor her, but feel the effects of his 'displeasure' for months to come. Eiri could not help but snort, momentarily disgusted with himself, yes, he had played on his sister's weakness, her, quote-unquote "advice of a concerned sister". This had to be some kind of defective gene his family possessed, perhaps it was a good thing he would not be having children. Yes, it was definitely a good thing they had left the brat out of this, Shuichi did not need to get involved with his family's games, especially for something as lame as a festival of some sort.

The author's hand hovered over the "down" button on the elevator he planned on riding down to the first floor of this forsaken building. Something stopped him, however, and he was not quite sure why. Shuichi's impossibly shrill voice complaining about something or other should not have bothered him, but his interest was peeked and farbeit for him to deny it. Hiro's voice cut through the silence that the halls usually were, obviously trying to be heard above Shu's whines, "Come on, you weren't this chicken when you were doing it!" Now Eiri was curious, with his lover's current carrier, Yuki knew he would probably wind up discovering something as boring as watching some recording of a recent concert, but Shuichi seemed indeed paranoid and it would a nice teasing implement later on.

Deciding he had nothing better to do today, Eiri followed the muffled, retreating voices of those he knew whether he liked it or not.

"Lady and gentlemen!" Noriko quirked an eyebrow at the flourishing K-san standing in front of the large, flat-screen television covering the wall, but said nothing. "I give you the promotional video for Nittle Grasper's 'Predilection'!"

Ryuichi, who had placed himself on the ground between Shuichi's legs, gave a great "WHOOP!" throwing his arms up in the air and almost smacking Shuichi, who had placed himself on the edge of his seat, in the face. Anticipation and excitement all-but crackled in the air. Shuichi had forgotten earlier reservations and was anxious to see his idol sing in a video he himself was in.

Eiri stood at the door, unnoticed by everyone it seemed. He considered leaving, finding nothing too thrilling about seeing his brother-in-law's band sing on some five minute video slot that no one could find time to fill with something more interesting. Still, the earlier clip of conversation he had heard bothered him, something was definitely not right here. Before he knew it, the video came to life on the screen.

Intro music flooded the room and the screen opened showing Ryuichi's back as he was stood on an abandoned street in the dead of night in the pouring rain. Street lamps ahead cast into view a silhouette of a stranger who stood looking at him. The music began to pick up and the two started toward each other, building to a climax as they crossed paths just as lightning flashed, blinding the picture for a moment. Not, however, before a flash of something pink, or possibly purple, could be seen. Coming back into focus, Ryuichi threw his head around, scattering droplets of water in ever direction, a double-take was shown as the picture faded.

(1)nijuuhachi-ji no yoru wo kiritoru

mado wo toshimetara hajimaru

ichido shikaketara tokenai wana wo

ma ni awanai PROTECTION

Nittle Grasper was standing in a pool of water about two inches deep, set against an ethereal blue background. There was a haze about the scene, making it seem almost dream-like, Noriko and Tohma played avidly on their respective keyboards, their eyes distant as if caught in the dream. Ryuichi's bare feet caused the water to rise in a small splash as he stepped forward to take the microphone and sing the lyrics.

tatoeba kimi wo kizutsuketai

jiorama ni tojikomete

tataitemita tte sakendetemo

kikoenai sa PREDILECTION

Ryuichi had turned to shout soundlessly as the figure moved down the road through the rain as a ghost would. Water, be it tears or just the rain, dripped down Ryu's face as he watched the figure. Those tears stopped and his eyes widened as the figure stopped and turned to face him, the picture focused on a pair of violet eyes, flooded with tears and ready to overflow, held back by sheer force of will. The eyes closed for an instant as pain flashed across the face, allowing tears to escape their previous prison. Soaked pink bangs fell in front of those closed eyes, shadowing them from view, it was Shuichi. Lightning blinded the picture once more.

iki mo dekinai

joukyou shita de wa

sugureta ai wo musaboru

They, Ryuichi and Shuichi, were in a dark room, illuminated by a single red light that seemed to have no definable source, but was everywhere. Ryu reached up and placed a hand on Shuichi's cheek, caressing it lightly. Shuichi, for his part, looked nervous, but did not flinch away. Finding himself bold, Ryuichi leaned in, placing his mouth next to Shuichi's ear and whispered the last lines of what played around them. Giving the younger man not a chance to do anything but look shocked, Ryu landed a softly passionate kiss on his lips.

can't get enough kotoba yori mo motto

don't let me down tashika ni misete hoshii

one more night kusuka ni kizutsuita

kimi wo mitsumeru me sono saki ni

The two were outside, rain still poured from the sky, however, this time it did not seem as depressing. Despite the overcast sky, it was bright, and the large pine tree they took shelter under seemed to glow. Ryuichi had the pink haired singer pinned against it, one arm resting on the three while the other held Shuichi's waist, pushing the other man's body against his own. The older singer's mouth was securely attached to Shuichi's neck, kissing and nipping, yet never enough to actually leave a mark. Shuichi's hands were in his fellow vocalist's hair, and his head tipped back, mouthing his words to the cue of the song.

Almost suddenly, Ryuichi pulled away to look soulfully into Shuichi's eyes, mouthing the last line of the chorus. Rain dripped between them, reflecting light into Shuichi's pleasantly shocked eyes, causing them to glitter.

uragiru tame ni umaretekita

kuchibiru wo togisumase

muimi na rikutsu ni mata muragaru

orokashisa ni PREDILECTION

nasuketa mo nai

kono heya kara

hayaku sukuidashite yo

They were back on the ethereal scene, Nittle Grasper once again distant, as if caught in some haunting dream. The picture quickly flashed, however, to that of Ryuichi standing before a mirror as if expecting something. One flash, and Ryu was standing before the mirror, staring somberly at his own reflection. A second flash, and Shuichi looked back at him through that mirror, smiling to light up a room, with a small blush coloring his cheeks. A third flash, Ryuichi reached toward Shuichi's reflection, which now looked like that of a stricken child, betrayal marred his once bright disposition. One more flash blinded the picture.

can't get enough utsukushii mayonaka

don't let me down hashiritsuzukete mo mata

one more night nigerenai no wa dare

kizukitaku mo nai sono shinjitsu

Ryuichi and Shuichi were on the dark street, rain still fell in sheets around them, even harder than before it seemed, neither seemed to notice. The picture focused to that of Shuichi, who'd broken into a run toward Ryu, calling out the words to the rain. Upon reaching him, the younger singer threw his arms around the older man and locked their lips into another passionate kiss the picture instantly zoomed in upon

can't get enough kanashige na kao kara

don't let me down itami sae fukuetara

one more night junsui na ai dake

tookunai mirai kanaeru sa

In a rather large bedroom, a king-sized bed was the only thing visible aside from the large floor-to-ceiling bay window on the adjacent wall, open to a breathtaking view of the ocean during an early dawn. A creamy sheer canopy was draped elegantly over the bed, and did little more than slightly obscure the figure of a man, plainly visible as Ryuichi, that rose from the blankets that slipped from his body to display a lean, naked chest. Another figure, pink hair standing out from the powdery soft pale skin, rose to wrap his lush arms around Ryu's neck, his mouth moving with a bright smile evident on his features. Ryuichi cupped his cheek with one hand and pulled him in for a gentle kiss before they were both pulled back down to the mattress, to be lost among the blankets once more.

(2)Shuichi turned his head away from the video a moment while the instrumentals took over the song. Sticking his bottom lip in a pout, he tried to hide his growing fascination with the overall results of the video. Although most parts brought a blush to his cheeks, he was completely mystified, it couldn't look THAT good! "I still don't understand why you wanted to do it like this."

"Because dear Shuichi-kun-" K placed his elbows on either of Shuichi's shoulders, throwing his entire weight down on them so suddenly, he almost sent the pink-haired singer toppling over Ryuichi. He ignored this though and continued in that I-am-the-greatest-manager-in-the-world voice, "rather than do the same boring thing and use a woman, we, that is, Nittle Grasper, Sakano, and I, decided to, as the Americans say, 'Bring something new to the table'!"

Shuichi had long ago decided that if all Americans were like K, he was glad he did not stay for too long.

"And besides!" Shu jumped when K continued, "Predilection literally means 'preference'. It only seems natural if Ryu-kun prefers something different don't you think? Aaaaaaand," Shuichi snapped his mouth shut, stowing any protest that might have come out and resulted with cold metal pressed to his head, "considering you're current situation, it was a given who we'd pick!"

The vocalist was about to demand just exactly what he meant by "situation" his manager was really speaking of, but the voice of his long-time idol turned friend/velcro man, with the way Ryuichi clung to him sometimes, silenced any other voices that may have wanted to come from his mouth.

hajimari sae

ushinawareta

owaranai geemu wo shiyou

The hazy, dream-like scene was once again on the screen. However, this time, Ryuichi looked directly into the screen, as if singing directly to the audience that could not help but be transfixed by his eyes.

can't get enough kotoba yori mo motto

don't let me down tashika ni misete hoshii

one more night suka ni kizutsuita

kimi ga mitsumeru me sono saki ni

They were in a club now, people all around them dancing erratically without seeming to touch the two vocalists. They seemed to see none of it, only each other. Shuichi's eyes were clouded as his lips moved around the words, and Ryuichi's hands were on his waist, moving their hips around and against one another. Smirking in the way only Sakuma Ryuichi could, he leaned in and whispered the last word into Shu's ear.

can't get enough utsukushii mayonaka

The picture flashed to the beginning, two strangers crossing paths as lightning flashes for just an instant . . .

don't let me down hashiritsuzukete mo mata

Shuichi was running down that street, running to him . . .

one more night nigerenai no wa dare

Ryuichi had him pinned against that tree, kissing his face, neck, wherever he could get. . .

kizukitaku mo nai sono shinjitsu

They were behind the sheer curtain, Ryuichi so tenderly touching his cheek . . .

can't get enough kanashige na kao kara

That mirror reflected such a somber, sad expression on the singer's face . . .

don't let me down itami sae fukuetara

Shuichi threw his arms around his shoulders, crushing their lips together . .

one more night junsui na ai dake

They fell back onto the bed, hidden by the canopy and mess of blankets. A moment for just the two of them . . .

tookunai mirai kanaeru sa

The pictures settled for a moment on the band in the small pool of water.

can't get enough

don't let me down

one more night

The words echoed around them while a breeze ruffled clothes and ran invisible fingers through silken hair.

can't get enough

Shuichi's smiling face flashed for but one minute

don't let me down

Ryuichi's soulful eyes sparkled and disappeared

one more night...

The pair locked in a gentle passionate kiss. The picture faded . . .

can't get enough...

The street one last time. The cascading rain had ceased, the moon peaking out from behind roiling clouds to bathe the street in pale white light. As the song faded, two strangers passed and continued on their way.

The whole of the room was silent, staring at the now-blackened screen of the television. Jaws were slackened and eyes were wide. Even Seguchi Tohma was caught amazed by the outcome of the video. The only one who seemed calm was Ryuichi, who'd lain his head upon Shuichi's knee and continued to look at the black screen. His eyes still seemed innocent, though lost in thought perhaps. Suddenly, cheers exploded and confetti fell from random places on the ceiling.

The celebration was not to last however, Yuki Eiri stomped into the room, practically grinding his teeth together, took the pink-haired singer by the collar, and stormed back out, quite literally dragging the poor man with him. Mouths, again, were agape as they watched the door swing shut

Recovering first, Fujisaki sighed defeatedly, "Well, I suppose that means we're not going to be getting any work done tomorrow is it?"

Hiro responded slightly less upset, more amuzed, "Nope." He'd decided long ago not to put anything past those two.

"YUUUUKKIIIIIIII!" Shuichi struggled against the stronger man, who still yanked him along by the collar of his beloved orange sweatshirt. He wriggled now more to avoid being choked than to actually get away. Shuichi was now beyond the paranoid stage that Yuki had actually seen the video, he just wanted a chance to explain things. Finally finding his footing, he wriggled, this time, out of the sweatshirt.

Yuki, instantly noting the lack of weight behind him, stopped and turned, facing his lover with, what he hoped, was a cold expression. "What was that." Finding his cigarettes, he lit one up, comforted slightly by the familiar sound of the stricken flint of his lighter as it ground together to form that blue-to-orange flame.

The panic welled back up in Shuichi, draining color from his face and chilling his bones. He suddenly found the ground VERY interesting. "W-well, that . . . that was a video. A music video. Everyone figured that i-if we did something different, like that, then there'd be better sales for Nittle Grasper AND Bad Luck." Looking up at Yuki, there were stars in Shuichi's eyes. No matter how close to the top he was, publicity always got him excited. It was never about the money, it was about the band, being known for his band.

"Don't you ever get tired of being used like that?" Eiri turned his eyes toward the stone ceiling of the parking garage they were in, really, why did they have to make these things so depressingly ugly?

"It's ok. It's for the band. It's not so bad." Suddenly, the singer threw himself at Eiri, tears cascading down his face and he wailed fit to burst the poor author's ears, "YUKI! IT MEANT NOTHING I SWEAR! IT WAS JUST A STUPID VIDEO! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE FOR ME YUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" He wailed for a few more moments before resolving himself to hiccups.

"Are you finished?" When Eiri felt Shu nod against his stomach he continued. The video may have meant nothing to Shuichi, but it meant worlds to Yuki Eiri. Tossing his cigarette away, he snorted, yes, he was jealous. "Eiri."

Shuichi voiced a small "Huh?" and looked up at his lover,

"Just call me Eiri." Eiri did not exactly feel like hearing his old tutor's name coming from Shuichi's lips any more. Perhaps it was because he needed to be reassured that Eiri was the one Shuichi loved. Perhaps not. Either way, he thought it sounded better.

As he digested the words, a wide smile practically broke Shuichi's face in two. He leapt away and started to dance around the parking lot. "WEEEEEE Yu- um, Eiri loves me!"

A smirk graced Eiri's features, "Yeah, something like that."


A/N: YAY it's done! I am SO mad! I closed out the stupid word processor before I saved the end of this, so I had to go back and write this completely over again! Grrr, I hate doing that. But I promised myself I would not go to bed until this was done. So here I am. Heh, I'm sorry if this ending turns out o be a little less, but u have to understand my energy's about done with typing and everything.

And I'm SO proud of this fic. It turned out EXACTLY how I wanted it to! And by the way...watching music videos is fun, I'm sure making them is too to some extent, but writing them like this is HARD. I mean oober hard, it's taken me quite a while, but I had tons of fun playin with ideas.

Anyway, everything I was going to say here is completely gone...

(1) Ok, so I got these lyrics off of this site, and this is what I'm basing the whole video on. It's really much better when you have an idea of what the lyrics mean and what the song actually sounds like. Anyway, just replace real periods with the (dot) and a backslash with the hyphen mk?

http:--www(dot)animelyrics(dot)com-anime-gravitation-predilection(dot)htm

(2) I feel kind of bad here. It's all instrumental through here and I had NO idea what to do with it. So, I plopped in some explanation stuff. I hope it works out for you.

That's about the extent of my thinking abilities tonight.

OH my sincere apologies for those who would want me to continue Lookin' For You but that was a one shot and I'm all done with it...I wouldn't know what else to put anyway...if anyone gives me ideas I might be able to do something.

And for those who were humorously baffled by The Lost I am considering doing a "Kumagoro's Side of the Story" kinda thing. I've gota think on that too.

Just to let you know, I've not given up. I just hit a wall with muses and they're finally trusting me again...yay me! Heh, anyway

TTFN