Authoress here. Again.
People say good things never die, right? Well, perhaps this is the right sentiment, because, once again, I'm dragging Aoyou out. Not just her, though. Hopefully all of you readers will be well pleased with this new character, and this new story.
For those of you who have not read Three Way Tie, here's the deal:
Aoyou Tsumaru is a half Japanese half American editor who comes to Japan to get a translating job. She runs in with irritable and incredibly sexy Eiri Yuki, romance novelist and lover to rock-star Shuichi Shindou. After some very odd twists and turns, Aoyou ends up inhabiting the spare bedroom in Yuki's house, becomes the assistant to Yuki's editor, and in the media's eyes, Shuichi's girlfriend. The trio becomes more and more inexplicably intertwined until it's clear that their relationship is anything but professional.
Breaking the Tie continues the twisted story of love, taboo, music and literature with Aoyou, Shuichi and Yuki's offspring. Who the true father is, no one is certain, resulting in a very confusing home to grow up in. Sixteen years pass, and the young Toshi Shindou is finally beginning to ask some questions….
When Gravitation is in Italics, it means the story is in third person view. When someone's name is in Italics, the story is from their point of view.
As you've guessed, this story is rather AU. It follows the storyline to book five, before Shuichi and Yuki go public with their relationship.
And now, here by popular demand…
Breaking the Tie
Chapter One: In the Beginning
Gravitation
"DAAARGH!"
"Keep breathing!"
"YOU KEEP BREATHING, YOU F-ARRRRRRRGHH!"
"In on one, out on three-"
"One more-!"
Through the cacophonic din in the delivery room, one thin, tiny wail cut through, persistent and healthy. The young doctor (who until now looked very frightened about the whole business) held up an altogether unremarkable newborn child. Upon first glance, one could not tell this child was going to be remarkably different. Upon first glance, this too-small premature child looked small and sickly, still wet and messy from the birthing.
Two men sprang up from their kneeling positions on either side of the bed to get a better look at this un-extraordinary child. Expressions akin to awe were mirrored on the boyish, round face and the hardened, hawk-eyed one next to it. They watched as the child was gently wrapped in a nondescript hospital blanket, and handed to the weary woman sitting in the hospital bed.
In that moment, a moment repeated by different new parents every second, that small, rather unremarkable child became special. In that moment, that small boy became a life-changing force, became an awe-inspiring thing. In that moment, cradled in his mother's arms, Toshi Shindou became someone quite extraordinary.
Sixteen years, four months, and twenty-two days later
"I'm HOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEE!" The gleeful shout rent the air as the front door of the bodacious suburban house shot open, and the red-headed boy who darted inside was very different from the premature child he had been. Time had made Toshi Shindou lanky, lean, and handsome. A particularly violent shade of strawberry-blonde hair crowned his head in an unruly mess, and sparkling out from under untrimmed bangs was a pair of deep golden eyes. His face was cherubic, but as many children do as they age, he had lost his plump baby cheeks.
"You're HOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMEE!" As many fathers sound, Shuichi Shindou's voice was proud. He flew around the corner in typical Shindou fashion, and collided into his son's outstretched arms. The pair went down (clumsiness was typical in the family, save the aloof Eiri Yuki) onto the doormat, both father and son giggling hysterically.
"When you're done smothering our son with the floor, I'd like to give him a hug." The icy voice of the illustrious romance novelist made son and father stop their game and look up, grinning.
"Hey, Father!" Toshi clambered up and wrapped his other father in an affectionate bear hug. He had only just done so when Yuki pushed him back and held him at arm length.
"Finals?"
Toshi cringed a little, but nodded. "I...think I did well."
Yuki's voice was stern. "You think? Shouldn't you be positive, with all the studying you supposedly did last night?"
Toshi's blush was deepening, but he nodded again. "Yes, Father."
One of Yuki's eyebrows shot up so far, Toshi fancied it would get lost in the mane of thick blonde hair. "Oh? Funny, I thought I heard a violin playing last night…"
As Toshi dropped his head in shame, Shuichi stood as well to defend his son. "Aw, lighten up, Yuki. It's his first official afternoon of summer!"
"Be that as it may," Yuki admonished, "He needs to concentrate on his studies, he must think about his future-"
"Father, I do think about my future!" Toshi said earnestly. "I just need to find band members, and I'll start something like Dad and Goddad Hiro-"
"Don't interrupt Yuki, Toshi." Shuichi broke in gently, tousling the teen's hair. "It's not polite."
"Sorry, Father." Toshi gave Yuki another hug, apologetic. "I don't mean to be rude."
"We know." Yuki broke down and hugged the boy in return. He released him with a rare, genuine smile. "And whatever you were practicing last night sounded excellent, even if it was interrupting your trigonometry practice."
"Thanks, Father!" Toshi seemed to inflate with happiness, his smile widening. "It's something I've been working on for awhile. I've even started writing the words!"
"Oh?" A female voice made the three men standing in the front hallway turn. Standing in the kitchen doorway was Aoyou Tsumaru, mother to Toshi, hypothetical girlfriend to Shuichi and lover to both the rock star and Yuki. Her years and child birthing had left her a few pounds and laugh wrinkles more, but she was still a very pretty woman. She smiled at the trio. "Let's hear them. I've been wondering when you would start writing."
Toshi went ridiculously red and muttered something unintelligible. Shuichi burst out into laughter, while Yuki chuckled and Aoyou smiled warmly.
"Y'know, he's the only one in the family who has any modesty." Shuichi remarked good-naturedly, patting Toshi's back.
"I have modesty!" Aoyou said indignantly.
Yuki and Shuichi turned to her, brows raised. Even Toshi had to bite back laughter at this.
"Sort of." Aoyou grumbled, but she quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, Toshi, I don't want to remind you again about that car of yours. It needs a wash, and a through one. I haven't dared to look on the inside, but I suspect it needs a good cleaning as well. The sight of it in our driveway is starting to get embarrassing."
Toshi flushed again, but bowed his head in deference to his mother's wishes. True, the flashy sports car was looking a little dirty lately, but embarrassing? Well, maybe.
"Kay, I'll hose it down tonight."
"Now." Aoyou directed.
"But Mom, I was going to pick up my electric cables and amp today…" Toshi trailed off as the expression on his mother's face hardened dangerously.
"Electric cables can wait." Aoyou said firmly. "In fact, Shuichi could probably pick them up."
"But they're not guitar amps and cables," Toshi protested. "They're the special ones I bought myself. For my new electric violin."
"Electric violin? Now I've heard it all." The good natured voice at the screen door announced the presence of Hiroshi, Shuichi's band-mate and Toshi's godfather.
"HIRRRRRROOOOO!" Toshi bellowed, chucking his lanky frame forewords to yank the screen door open. He embraced his godfather. "How was it?"
Hiro grinned. He had just returned from a sort of side job in the United States. He had excellent English, and had been asked to host a talent search show for one season of four weeks. It had been a wonderful way to further promote Bad Luck in the States, and Hiro had been able to take his new wife, Ayaka Usami- or now, Ayaka Nakano- to visit several state parks as sort of a prolonged vacation between filming.
"Fucken'- er, fricken' awesome." Hiro glanced hastily at Shuichi, who was giving him a glare over the swearword. Although both Yuki and Aoyou swore on a regular basis, Shuichi still wanted to protect Toshi and "keep his innocent little mind as clean as possible for as long as possible, damnit!"
"Ayaka had the time of her life in Yosemite." Hiro continued. "And the Americans were really nice, mostly." His face darkened slightly. "Except for this one punk, who thought Ayaka was my sister, therefore making it okay to start hitting on her while I was sitting right there…"
Hiro trailed off, a deep scowl on his face, obviously thinking about the American's nerve to do such a thing. Aoyou allowed him thirty seconds' worth of brooding before inviting him in for tea.
Toshi hurriedly backed out of this, letting the adults drift into the kitchen without him. His car really was a mess, and the sooner he cleaned it off, the sooner he could see Sugaru. The older man was the one who had hooked him up with the company who manufactured instruments, the company that had made the electric violin and its various other accessories for specially him.
The car sat on the driveway, covered in dead insect splatter and mud. It looked very out of place in the pristine neighborhood were the family lived.
The neighborhood was surrounded by a beautiful brick wall, and had an ornate gateway at the entrance. One needed a special key and password to get in. It was nicknamed "The City of the Stars," and appropriately so. Only a short bus ride away from Tokyo, it was the perfect place for celebrities to raise their families in private. Hiro had recently purchased a home here, and Toshi knew several other famous singers, actors, and rich businesspeople that lived within its private walls.
There was a private school inside of this small city for children that lived there. Toshi had grown up without feeling strangely apart from the other children as a result. Because everyone was famous there, fame itself didn't matter very much. Sure, there was the short period of time when all of the children felt strange together, but that wore away quickly. Throughout his life, Toshi had only felt like the son of a famous father a few times.
One of those times was when he had recently discovered that no, girls did not carry a horrendous breed of cootie, and yes, those strange lumps of fat protruding from their chests were indeed very interesting. He was in fifth grade, at his first co-ed party. A few of the girls had found the music video channel on the large widescreen television, and had squealed in excitement when a bare-chested Shuichi appeared on screen.
"It's Bad Luck!" Their squeals were loud enough to attract all the other girls, who soon all were staring, enraptured, at Shuichi's image. He had been shirtless, and his tanned torso was glistening with a fine spray of sweat. He had been singing soulfully into the microphone, Hiro (also squeal-worthy, according to the girls) strumming in the background.
"He is so cute." One of them had sighed, and they all turned around to look at the rapidly reddening Toshi, all of the girls obviously hoping that one day, he too would evolve into a singing sex god.
But aside from its privacy and great child-rearing environment, the occupants were mostly very accepting of the threesome of Aoyou, Shuichi and Yuki. They had all agreed to keep this information quiet, and their neighbors (the man who owned the Honda Company on the left, and the woman who was the manager of V6, an extremely popular singing group, on the right) were very kind. In fact, Aoyou often looked after Mr. Honda Car's children when he and his wife went on business trips overseas.
Toshi hauled out the hose, sponges, and some regular dish soap, (for lack of better supplies, or a laziness to find them) he started cleaning the grime from his front tire. A loud burst of laughter from inside came wafting through the screen door, someone across the street waved to him while picking up the mail, and two smaller kids on bikes (twins, children of Mr. Billion-Dollar-Company down a few blocks) called out greetings as they wobbled by on training wheels.
Y'know, Toshi thought to himself with a wide smile, his hubcap sparkling brightly in the afternoon sunlight. Life is pretty darn good.
End Chapter
Authoress here.
The first chapter of a new story! What a good feeling… Toshi and me, we're both out for summer, so I thought I'd celebrate with a new story. (Chuckles to self a little before starting to feel quite stupid, just sitting and laughing at the computer.)
I do hope this is up to scratch- tell me what you think!