Gomen. I took so long! However, I am almost done the rough copy for up to chapter six!
Please review this time. It lets me know you care. I also revised the first2 chapters.
"Shuichi..."
Both of them lay on their backs in the grass, sunset to their left. There was water on two sides of them - by their feet and to the west.
"Shu, are you okay?"
Without responding, he turned away from his friend and let his fingers trail through the green.
"Shuichi?"
"You were right."
"Shui - "
"You were right! Okay, Hiro? This time was different!"
"Shuichi, what do you mean?"
"He doesn't need me... He never has..."
"Hey - "
"Seguchi-san's with him now! I hope you're happy!"
"Why should I be happy? I don't - "
"You should be happy! You got what you wanted! You don't have to deal with him anymore! Now you don't have to watch me - You're the one who can't stand me letting him walk all over me like that - "
"Shuichi!"
"Hiro!"
"What!"
They were on their knees and facing each other, Shuichi's tear-streaked face vehement in the twilight.
"I told him not to call me."
"Hmm."
"I miss him."
"Yeah?"
"I don't even have my phone."
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Shu-chan's Phone
The words blurred and split into two before Yuki's eyes. It was hard to figure out how to call someone when their phone was here and they were only God knows where.
It was even trickier to do this after something so earthshaking had happened. From very close man-friend to insufferable guardian, Tohma had become a schism in a potentially successful relationship - and it was his sister's husband, no less! He didn't want to be the next person Mika saw if - when - somebody told her. It wouldn't be a secret for long.
And Shuichi...
He'd come back, right? He always come back. He came back this afternoon - he always returned after he got kicked out so why should this time be any different?
Because I didn't kick him out.
He left.
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"Tohma? Are you home?"
Mika's voice floated up from the first floor.
"Tohma?"
If I ignore her, maybe she'll go away.
Tohma was half asleep and completely irrational.
"Tohma! I see your car out siii-iiide! I know you're here!"
"Ugh."
"He had his head on his side of the bed, his body everywhere else, and his eyes wide open when Mika turned on the bedroom lights. With a growl, he quickly clapped his hands over his face.
"Sorry, Honey."
Once his eyes adjusted, he could still see the smile playing about her lips.
"Oh, Toh, I was gonna ask - what do you think?"
"Think about what?"
"You can't tell me you didn't notice! I got my hair done today - I like it but I thin Dad's gonna have a fit next time I see him!"
Tohma sat up to get a better view of her hair. She was looking into the mirror, and now straight blonde locks reached the middle of her back. She turned to face him and his eyes widened, only now realizing how much the Uesugi children looked alike.
"Tohma? Toh, are you okay?"
"You...Yu - "
"Don't you like it?"
"I..."
"What's wrong, Tohma?"
"It's my fault..."
"Tohma?"
"I messed up his life..."
"What?"
"Ngh..."
"Look, is this still about my hair?"
"Mm - mm.."
He shook his head. his breath hitched in his chest and he choked.
"Hey! Hey, do you need something to drink?"
Mika pounded her coughing husband's back.
"Eiri..."
"What about Eiri? Tohma... Tohma, are you crying?"
"I'm sorry... Mika..."
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"Yo, Aniki, 'sup?"
"What is this, Unwanted Visitors Night?"
"Ha-Ha. Very funny, Yuki."
Yuki narrowed his eyes at his brother as he slid past him and into the house.
"Have you been playing Reno in FFVII again?"
"No. I'm more of a Cloud man myself. Besides - Reno's an NPC."
"Whatever."
Yuki closed and locked the door behind him. He really didn't want anyone else sneaking in
"You see his bike in 'Advent Children'?"
Tatsuha had already helped himself to the beer in Yuki's fridge.
"Not yet. I had a deadline to meet."
The author followed his brother's lead. The drink slopped over his hand and onto the floor urging not-so-mild oaths from the hot tempered man.
"Bad day, Yuki? Don't think I've ever heard someone say that to a mess."
"No comment." Yuki handed a mop to his little brother before heading to the kitchen to flop down on the couch and grab the remote.
"Yu?" Tatsuha leaned the mop against the wall and stepped over the spill towards his brother.
"What?"
"It's a kick-ass bike."
"Huh? What do you - Oh. 'Advent Kids'. Yeah."
"It's Advent Children. It's got sword attachments and everything. The bike, I mean."
"Yeah?"
"And hot chicks."
"The bike."
"No. The movie. And there's this one guy... Kadaj."
"Ka...daj?"
"Yeah. You know - I can get you some."
"Some Kadajes?"
"No. Hot chicks. Kadaj is mine, anyway."
"What?"
"Nothing. Hot chicks."
They were silent for a moment. The announcer for a live television show was introducing the next event. One of the tech guys darted on stage and whispered something to him. His face grew red and the audience roared.
"Are you okay, Yuki?"
"Hn. I - Yeah. Why?"
"Well... I'm not supposed to tell, but Mika - "
"Hey, is that one of my cigarettes?"
Tatsuha looked quizzically at the ignited stick of plant and paper that he held between his fingers.
"Uh...Yes?"
Yuki's icy eyes narrowed.
"You'd be dead right now, except I want to know what Mika did to get you to come over here. After you tell me, I'll decide whether I'm gonna kill you or not."
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"Tohma?"
He lay on his side facing away from his wife. His eyes were wide open even though the lights were off.
"I sent Tatsuha to Eiri's to check up on him - to see if he's alright. I'm a little worried, you know - last time you were like this something really bad had happened to him."
Tohma sighed gently, but he still didn't move or reply.
"I'm going to wait up a bit longer... You know, to see if Tatsuha's called back. Good nigh, Tohma."
She closed the door almost all the way then stopped as if she had forgotten something.
"I love you, Toh."
If he showed up at work tomorrow with red eyes it would give him a bad image.
He really should stop crying.
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"So he kissed you?"
"Yes."
"On the mouth?"
"Yes."
"In front of Shuichi?"
"Yes."
"Shuichi?"
"Yes, we've established that fact already."
Yuki drained his can of beer and added it to the small collection he had started. Number five.
"If you keep going at that rate, you'll make it into the Guinness Book of Records."
"Yeah, as the most brain-dead. Want another?"
"No. I've gotta call Mika, then I've gotta get home. I've got some uh... friends waiting for me there."
"Yeah..."
"So I guess I'll see you later?"
"Wait a sec! You're gonna tell Mika?"
"Yeah, she wanted to know what was - "
"You can't!"
"What? But you - "
"Forget it! Just - don't call, okay? Or call and tell her everything's fine. Don't tell her what I said, okay"
"Why - ?"
"Because. Just..."
He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself - trying to explain to his little brother why even this man had caused him to lose the one sincere relationship he had ever had he still didn't want to hurt him. Even if he had done something so wrong that Yuki had begun to hate him for it...
"He would do everything for me. Can't we... just don't tell Mika. This time."
Just grant him this one indiscretion.
"I guess it's okay,"
Tatsuha looked troubled - worried?
"You want me to call you a cab?"
"No. I'm walking to the bus stop."
"You better start walking before they start running."
"Yeah."
"Mm - hmm."
Tatsuha unlocked and opened the front door.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure of what?"
"You don't want me to call her?"
"I'm sure."
Tatsuha nodded and started to close the door behind him.
"'Bye, Yuki."
"Later."
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"Shuichi?"
His friend groaned and stirred on the grass.
"Wake up. We're gonna head back to my place."
"Ugh... Hiro?"
"Come on, Shuichi."
"How long was I out?"
"Few hours."
Shuichi stood up shakily. Stretched; yawned.
"I'm all stiff."
"You ready to go?"
"Yeah... My back hurts."
"Shuichi?"
Hiro turned to face his friend. Shuichi gave him a funny little half-smile; his eyes were haunted. Defeated.
"It's gonna be okay, Shu."
Hiro pulled the smaller boy close to him, and he could feel warmth and tears against his neck.
"It still hurts... I wasn't ready to let go..."
It hurts me, too. It hurts me to see you like this, Shuichi. I want to see you smile again... As long as you keep your faith in me... I'll help you hold on.
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Miles away, moving at high speed through traffic, a young man on a bus stared at his cell phone, contemplating.
A minute later, he held the phone to his ear.
"Mika? Is that you?"
He paused, breathing heavily, nearly suffocated by the enormity of what he was about to do.
"Mika... I have to tell you something."
A/N: