Disclaimer: Don't own Gravitation or any of its crazy characters and I don't want to either. Too much drama for me folks.

Broken Promise

Chapter 5

DAY 6

Shuichi was awakened by the sound of thunder. He slowly opened his eyes and for just a few seconds couldn't recall where he was. Then it all came flooding back to him. He and Ryu had slept together last night. Twice. The first time while watching movies, and the second didn't come until after they picked themselves up off the floor and went upstairs to shower. That had led to the most exhausting and satisfying sex of his life.

Shuichi sat up and stretched, looking for a clock. When he couldn't find one he slipped out of bed, made a quick trip to the bathroom, and then set out to find Ryu. It didn't take long to find the man lounging on the balcony with a cup of coffee and a magazine.

Shuichi hung back a few steps and just observed the man for a few moments. He was wearing a robe that was the same color as the storm clouds threatening overhead and his damp hair was tied back in a short ponytail with a few shorter strands falling down framing his face. The sight was mesmerizing.

"I never figured you for a voyeur, Shu." Ryuichi looked up at Shuichi with a playful grin. "Good morning."

Shuichi walked out onto the balcony and sat down on a chair next to the singer. "Good morning." He wasn't sure what was appropriate after last night and wasn't sure if it was ok to give him a kiss good morning. Which, after he considered what they did last night…..

Shuichi chuckled and shook his head.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Shuichi leaned over and gave Ryu a quick kiss. "I'm hungry. Come inside, I'll make you breakfast."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rain came during breakfast and didn't let up all day which was just fine with the two men who just seemed to want to be with each other and no one else. They spent the day attached to each other as much as possible. They ate breakfast then showered together which resulted in activities necessitating another shower, then they cuddled up together and watched a movie, ate and then took a nap.

The seclusion was interrupted momentarily when Ryu heard the doorbell. He slipped out of a groaning Shuichi's grasp and slipped on a pair of pants, heading for the door.

"Who was at the door?"

"Mailman."

Ryu turned the corner and stopped in his tracks at the image before him. Completely unaware of the picture he presented, Shuichi shuffled into the hallway. Ryu wasn't sure what was more tempting: Shuichi lying naked in his bed or Shuichi just the way he was now. He was wearing a pair of Ryu's black silky pajama bottoms and nothing else. His hair had that sexy tousled 'bed head' look and he gazed at Ryuichi with those big innocent lavender eyes as his arms reached skyward in a lazy stretch, showing off his abdomen.

"Ryu, are you ok?"

"Couldn't be better."

Shuichi smiled and turned to go back the way he came, so intent on getting something to drink he didn't notice the hungry look in his friend's eyes.

"Shu, wait. The mail is for you."

"Me?"

"It's from Hachiro."

"Pictures!"

Shuichi came flying by, grabbing the package and running past Ryu to throw himself onto the sofa. Ryu just chuckled as he followed and sat down next to the writer who was haphazardly ripping open the mail.

"Careful, Shu." Ryu put his hand out and covered Shuichi's which drew the young man's attention. "Let me."

Shuichi let the package go and watched as Ryu carefully opened the stiff envelope. He was amazed at how calm and slowly Ryu was willing to take things now. When they first met he was a 'powder keg of happy' as K liked to call him and Shuichi was pretty much the same except his emotions ran the scale and he could be just as psychotically depressed as he was happy.

But Ryu now possessed a maturity that Shu found incredibly fascinating. He'd noticed it when they had sex too. Shuichi was accustomed to quick, lustful rounds of sex. But Ryu was teaching him to enjoy the slower, passionate side of sex which blew his mind equally. Not that Ryu hadn't shown he liked the hard and fast stuff too. This morning's shower proved that.

"What are you smiling for?"

Shuichi blinked out of his memory and gave the man a quick kiss, grabbing his envelope back.

"For you." Shuichi brought out six packets which were all clearly labeled with their contents. "Alright, let the slideshow begin."

Shuichi pulled photos out of a folder marked Tour. These were pictures that Hachiro had taken when they'd first arrived and Ryu had given them a tour of the house. There were pictures of Shu and Ryu singing together and pictures of the three of them alternately playing dress up in the Nittle Grasper room.

"You look really good in Tohma's hats."

"Don't tell him that, he'll have a reason to hate me again."

"He didn't hate you Shu and you know that. He was jealous."

"Whatever. It didn't bode well for me either way."

The next two folders were labeled Zoo 1 and Zoo 2. They laughed at the crazy pictures which Hachiro took, skewing perspectives making them larger than elephants and such. Shuichi smiled fondly at the pictures of him and Hachiro.

"I'm glad you took his camera and turned it on him. I don't have any pictures of the two of us. He's the one always taking the pictures."

"You and Hachiro seem pretty close."

"Yeah, I guess so. I mean, we work together a lot but we hang out sometimes and we know enough about each other's lives to advise and harass."

"You compliment each other."

Shuichi looked up, his head cocked to the side. "That's funny because he said the same thing about us."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Shuichi smiled and turned his attention back to the pictures, missing Ryuichi's slight frown. He knew. I don't know how, but Hachiro knew that night we talked that something like this was going to happen. But I thought he was interested in Shu.

The next folder was labeled Miscellaneous. This was a collection of photos Hachiro managed to take while they were driving around town, eating out or just hanging out.

The last two folders were labeled Interview 1 and Interview 2. Shuichi swallowed hard before starting to flip through the first stack. He remembered his emotions getting out of hand and he wasn't sure he wanted to see pictures of it.

He tried to quickly bypass a picture of himself leaning forward, demanding an answer of Ryuichi who was obviously just as upset as he was, but Ryu stopped him with a gentle hand on his own.

"You had questions I couldn't answer at the time. Do you still want answers, Shu?"

Both men had their heads bowed, gazing down at the picture that was partially blocked by their hands.

"Yes."

"Ask me anything."

"I……I don't understand why you left. If you were having problems, why didn't you stay in Japan and let your friends help you?"

"I was really messed up, Shu. I was using sped to stay happy and energetic and hide my depression. Then I was taking anything else I could find to bring myself back down."

Shuichi just looked up at his friend and idol, the sadness showing through his liquid filled eyes. Ryu's heart melted at the sight.

"Tohma really helped me out. He got me into therapy, kept everything very quiet. But when the extent of my problems was revealed, we both knew there was no way I was going to be able to get proper treatment at home. The press would have been all over me."

"So you left." Ryu just nodded his head. "But why didn't you tell us?"

Ryu sighed and sat back, resting his head on the back of the sofa and staring up at the ceiling.

"I didn't want to worry anyone and I didn't have the confidence to face any of you and confess my problems. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Shu. I really am. I was trying to do what was best for everyone."

Shuichi saw the shiny trail leading from Ryu's eyes back into his hair. He tossed the pictures on the table and straddled the singer's lap, cupping his face and kissing him deeply, almost desperately. Ryu latched onto him and returned the kiss, a small whimper escaping that sounded like 'forgive me' but Shuichi couldn't be sure.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryuichi reluctantly disentangled himself from Shuichi's limbs and grabbed a pair of boxers before heading out of the bedroom. He sat down on the sofa and looked through the discarded pictures on the table, the only sound in the dimly lit room was the steady drumming of the rain.

"What have I done?"

He flipped through the pictures, listening to the argument going on within his head. His mind was berating him for doing something as stupid as letting himself sleep with Shuichi.

What made you think you could carelessly sleep with Shu and then just say goodbye!

But his heart was adamant.

I needed to feel again. It's been so long since I've been so purely desired. Shu cares for me and I care for him. There's nothing wrong with giving each other comfort. The soul needs love and affection or it will die.

Ryu sat back and ran his fingers through his hair, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm so sorry, Shu."

To be continued…..