Disclaimer: Gravitation belongs to the adored pervert mangaka Maki Murakami.
Reviewer Responses!
Kitty in the Box: Really? You think so? I was afraid I'd made him way out of character from the manga. But, if anyone can turn that boy into a cynic, it's Eiri Yuki.
YuKiYuKiHeSmYjUkI: Wow, thanks for the long review. Thank you! I think writing fanfiction is actually easier than writing your own story because the characters and such are already made for you XD Otherwise it's pretty much the same as writing a regular fictional story. I love Hiro, but I honestly believe he is straight (despite the 7th remix). I do think he loves Shuichi, but more in a "I have to watch over you because you'll kill yourself with your own stupidity" kind of way. Plus, they're best friends. I wouldn't want someone writing a story pairing me with my best friend. Thanks again!
Mimi2000: Really? Thanks! Gravitation is a lot of fun to write about.
AsnGothic: Thanks! I actually wrote this because I wanted to have a change from the typical 'Eiri left Shuichi so now Shuichi will become a suicidal anorexic' kind of story that plagues this website.
Yana5: Yep, Norweigan ones :x
Yasu-chan: I just re-read this chapter and realized I spelled 'devices' wrong...why didn't Microsoft word catch that? I write this in there for a reason! Anyway, I suppose he doesn't, otherwise he would've been in Norway along with Eiri. We all know he cannot resist stalking that man, even when his wife is in the hospital with an unstable pregnancy. Yup, Shuichi's very different...Too different? I don't know. I think I've told you where I'm sort of hoping to take this. Have I?
xXYukiXx: Thank you!
xangel of death sarah: Thank you too.
TenshiOnna, Shinki: Well, here it is! Hope you like it.
"So, let me get this straight. You made out with him right after he finished telling you that he couldn't tell you why he ditched you?"
"Uh…sort of."
Hiro looks exasperated. Have I mentioned that Hiro deserves a small country as a prize for putting up with me, especially where Eiri is concerned?
"Shuichi, you're always so….so…"
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Hiro throws the cup he was drinking out of towards the trash can and misses. He stares for a second like he's going to pick it up, but decides lecturing me is more constructive. "All right. Do whatever you want with Yuki-san, but leave me out of your twisted relationship this time, okay?"
"Pah. Did it bother you that much last time?"
He shrugs and stands up. "Watching you be so masochistic is a little disturbing. You're not so much of an idiot anymore, though. You can take care of yourself. Now, come on. K wants to talk to you."
Great. "I don't feel like being threatened right now."
"Too bad. Knowing K is a constant threat."
Well, he has a point there. Figuring tempting K's insanity seems more dangerous than just cooperating, I follow Hiro.
K is standing next to a very nervous looking Sakano-san. Fujisaki is reading some very large text book and putting sticky notes on pages. This is why I never went to college. I don't have that kind of patience.
"Sh-sh-sh-Shindou-kun!" Sakano-san trembles. I never realized I was so threatening. Maybe he's been next to K for longer than he can stand.
"Relax, Sakano-san. It's just Shuichi." Apparently, Hiro and Ryuichi are the only people who can act like I haven't grown a third eyeball over these last few years. K is staring at me. That's very uncomfortable. Stop it, Crawd.
"What's this about?" I ask. Fujisaki finally closes that ridiculous textbook and shoves it in his bag. I haven't seen him in a couple of months. His creepy smiles are looking more and more like Seguchi-san's every day.
"I think you already know that," K says.
I sigh and fold my arms. "To tell you the truth, I've been thinking about it."
Sakano-san looks as if Santa Claus has brought him a red convertible with several playboy bunnies in it. "Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, I do kind of miss -"
"Can we hurry this up? I have class in thirty minutes," Fujisaki snitches impatiently. Heh. He hasn't changed at all. You'd think losing his virginity to some French girl who couldn't understand him would've helped to remove the flagpole from his rectum, but apparently not.
"What did you come up with?" K says. He doesn't even take his gun out. I guess he wants a serious answer instead of a violence-induced one.
"We can try it. There's no guarantee it'll work, though."
Hiro and Fujisaki look relieved. Even Sakano-san looks happy. I guess I didn't bring him close enough to cardiac arrest last time we worked together.
"That's my boy, Shuichi!" K booms, punching my shoulder. I flinch. "We'll start tomorrow! Can you still write lyrics?"
"I don't know. I haven't tried." Is he kidding me? I don't think I could write lyrics in the first place. That's what Eiri always told me, anyway.
"Okay. Well, we'll get together next Monday. Try to come up with something." He turns to Fujisaki. "You realize this means you'll probably fail college, right?"
Fujisaki shrugs. "If it's not worth it, I'll quit the band."
Hah. He's been threatening to quit the band since he joined it.
The walk to my new apartment is longer than the one to my old one. Maybe I should learn to drive. Maybe Eiri would teach me. Hahahahaha. Oh, I kill me.
Speaking of Eiri, he's sitting on the front steps of my building. I really have to visit Norway sometime to see what it has that makes people like Eiri turn into a stalker with an apparent personality.
"Should I get used to this?" I ask, standing in front of him. He jumps. How zoned out was he?
"Probably. Are you going to kick me out?"
"Nah. I'm not as much of an asshole as you are. Come in."
He follows me and throws his coat on my couch. "Did you like it when I was an asshole to you or something?"
"I don't know. I just liked you. Is that so hard to understand?"
Eiri doesn't answer. He's rocking back and forth on his heels and staring at the ground like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Maybe I should buy a mirror and study my reflection more carefully to see what people are finding so frightening.
"What's with you?" I ask, staring up at him. He just shrugs. "Stop it. Talk, Eiri, or I will kick you out."
"Sorry," he mumbles. What? Sorry? I used to hear that word once every two months if I was lucky, but he's said it two days in a row now. Scary.
"Yeah. Did you have a reason for coming here?"
He licks his lips. "You never seemed like the type to hold a grudge, Shuichi."
"You paid attention?"
He looks surprised. I think I do, too. I've always had trouble controlling my mouth.
"Yes, I did. But, uh…"
"What? If you just came here to make excuses for shit, I've got a lot to do."
Eiri looks up at me. He looks really pale and tired. What the hell happened to him?
"I heard your band got back together. Uh, that's good."
What the hell? "Who told you that?"
"Tohma."
Go figure. "How much has Tohma told you, exactly?"
"Not much. He doesn't keep close tabs on you when I'm not around."
I bite my lip. "I don't really want to talk about Seguchi-san."
"Then what do you want to talk about?"
"I want you to tell me about why you went to fuckin' Norway for three years." He groans. I laugh. "You walked right into that one, you know."
He smiles. Sort of. "Yeah, I know."
I sit on the couch and motion for him to come sit by me. "So, tell me. Was it cold in Norway?"
"Very. Makes Japan look like Australia in the summer."
"Did you keep writing?"
He shakes his head. "I didn't see a reason to."
"I bet every female on the planet had meltdown. No Eiri Yuki books for three years? Such a tragedy!"
He coughs. "I don't go by Yuki anymore."
"Huh?"
He looks as uncomfortable as he did when he first came in here. Oh, wait. Now I get it.
"So you left because of Kitazawa."
"What? Oh, no. I wasn't lying when I told you I was over that."
"Then was it my fault."
"Eh? No, don't think that!"
I feel frozen. I don't want to get worked up over this again, but I can't help it. It's important. To me, anyway.
"Eiri, I…"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"I still like you, but I can't get into anything really serious until I understand."
"I'm sorry."
Now, that's just creepy. He's apologizing as much as I used to. "Don't bother being sorry."
He's silent for what seems like forever. "I think I should leave before I get you too upset."
"Okay. Can I, uh, have your address?"
He raises his eyebrows. "You want my address?"
"Yeah."
He finds a random piece of paper and scribbles on it. Before leaving, he kisses me quickly and waves. I stare at the door after he's gone.
Jeeze.
Being with Eiri can't be healthy.
That didn't bother me last time, though, so it shouldn't now.
Maybe. I guess.
Yeep! I don't like the ending to this chapter. Anyway, I apologize for the overdue update. I went to Florida and this last week has been kinda hectic. I hope this was worth it? Thanks for reading!