Sorry for the late update. I seem to be saying that every time I update. (Lol) Thank you for all your reviews, and don't worry, even though I'm slow at updating, I'm determined to complete this fic. Definitely.

Enough of my crap. Let's move on to the newest chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it! And, once again, THANK YOU for all your reviews!

DISCLAIMER: Gravitation does not belong to me.

MOU ICHI DO

Chapter 23 – Pouring Rain of Emotions

"Haven't I told you that you have absolutely zero talent for songwriting?" I flicked my lighter open, lit up my cigarette, and then leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, ninety-nine times, in fact."

I watched my little singer-lover, who was currently sprawled on the floor, lying on his stomach, scribbling lines of illegitimate words. "And you're still writing? It just proves that you are either deaf or stupid."

"No, I'm not. I'm just trying my best to convey my feelings to the world."

"What?"

"Lyrics can be meaningless, but they must contain a certain depth of emotions. This applies to the lyrics that I write, and the lyrics of any other songs. Isn't it the same for writing novels?"

"I don't write for that. I write to feed worthless crap to ridiculous women in order to get paid."

Shuichi sighed. I watched as Shuichi scrambled up onto his feet and started trotting towards me.

"Well, I'll agree to stop writing if you agree to stop smoking."

"Over my dead body."

"Say it again then."

I mirrored Shuichi's frown. "Say what? 'Over my dead body'?"

"Not that! THAT!" Shuichi's face lit up in excitement. "About my lyrics…"

"…" I deepened my frown. "You have absolutely zero talent for songwriting."

Shuichi smiled and stood on tip-toes, brushing his lips across mine. "That makes it a hundred times. Let's celebrate the hundredth anniversary of that!"

I rolled my eyes. "Baka."

"You may think I'm acting silly, but…don't you know? I don't mind hearing you say that, because it means that you're by my side." Shuichi wrapped his arms tightly around me and snuggled close to me. "Let's celebrate the hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary the next time."

"That'll be tomorrow then. Since I have to constantly remind you of your lack of talent…"

"Yuki!"

"Right, right…" Tired of speaking, I bent down and began kissing Shuichi.

"And the next… Mmm… time you… listen to me sing, ah… take note of the lyrics… Nn uhh… and the feelings behind them… because all the songs I sing…Ngh… are for you."

That had been the last thing that Shuichi said, in between all the kisses and touches.

(End of flashback)

"Take note of the lyrics and the feelings behind them, because all the songs I sing are for you."

Is that song you just sang meant for me too?

Yuki floored the gas pedal, swerving in and out of the traffic along the highway. He needed to get to the airport fast. He was not going to let Shuichi get away with this. Shuichi was the one who brought back all these memories with him, and now he's trying to leave without taking them away with him?

The night was turning cold. It had started raining minutes ago, and the roads were turning wet and slippery. He glanced at the scarf that Shuichi had given to him.

Shuichi…

All of a sudden, Yuki heard the loud blaring of horns. He looked up as the car in front of his screeched to a stop.

What the hell?

He stepped onto the brakes to slow his car down to a stop. But, to his horror, it did not work. He slammed down onto the brakes one more time, but nothing happened. He glanced up at the car ahead and instinctively swerved to avoid hitting it.

Within seconds, the screeching of tires was followed by a loud crash, and everything slipped into darkness.

It was then that Yuki recalled: They had parted after the hundredth-and-forty-eighth time.

xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx

Shuichi stood beside Jun while Akiha and Tsuyoshi settled the remaining procedures to be done (with Haruko tagging along). He fiddled with his cell phone, the conversation with his sister still echoing in his mind.

"But, onii-chan…"

"Maiko, I've already decided that this is the only way out. I don't want to hear anything regarding this matter anymore."

"I'm not saying this to make things difficult for you, it's just that… don't you think that it's a pity? It's rare to be able to find someone you truly love in a lifetime. Won't you regret giving up just like that?"

"But I can't do anything about it. I really can't. I've already tried so hard…" Shuichi mumbled unconsciously.

"Huh? Shuichi? Did you say something?" Jun frowned.

"Nope, nothing." He turned towards the entrance and watched the rain fall gently outside. A streak of blinding white light flashed across the sky, and Shuichi heard the low rumbling of thunder, which seemed to be accompanied by a loud crash.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"It sounded like something had crashed into another."

Jun gave him a quizzical look. "Are you not feeling well? You have been acting strange ever since just now. I didn't hear anything except the thunder."

Shuichi frowned. Had he imagined that? It felt distant yet real.

They stood waiting for another 20 minutes. By this time, Jun was getting really impatient.

"Darn. Why are they taking such long time?" She cursed and called out to Haruko, who promptly ignored her. "That girl… I'll get her for this…! By the way, did you two have a fight?"

Shuichi turned to Jun, whose eyes were resting on Haruko. He bit his lip. "I-"

"Shu-chan! We're done with checking in, and we have 40 minutes before boarding time. Let's go get a cup of coffee. Everyone up for it?" Haruko came bouncing over, smiling.

"I guess I was wrong about the fight…" Jun whispered. "Let's go!"

Shuichi gazed guiltily at Haruko's back as she walked on ahead of him, next to Jun. They had not spoken since last night. It was as if nothing had happened. Or, in other words, Haruko was acting as if nothing had changed between them.

"Shuichi?" Tsuyoshi deep baritone voice interrupted his thoughts. "Don't think so much on it. She'll be fine."

Shuichi whirled around, looking up at Tsuyoshi in shock. "What? What did you say?"

But, all he got in return was a pat on the head. He watched as Tsuyoshi trailed after the ladies. "What was that about? He knows about it? Was it you!" He cast Akiha a frantic look.

"I swear I didn't say a word! Haven't you learned that he's a sharp guy? Come one, let's go." Akiha tugged on Shuichi's arm gently and pulled him along.

"But…!"

A loud ringing tone interrupted Shuichi. He frowned.

Eh? Not Maiko again…

"Hello?"

"Shuichi?"

"Hiro? What's wrong? You sound strange…"

"Shuichi… listen to me. You have to stay calm, ok?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I know that I shouldn't be telling you this now, but I think it's better to let you know. There's been an accident."

Shuichi felt his heart lurched in fear. He held his breath, waiting.

After a short pause, Hiro continued: "It's Yuki. I think that he may be hurt quite badly."

It was all too much for Shuichi to process. He stood there, frozen cold.

"Shuichi? Shuichi! Are you ok?" The phone slipped from Shuichi's hand, smashing into many pieces as it hit the floor.

Although his mind had not fully comprehended what had just happened, his body was already taking action. Shuichi turned and ran for the exit, cut the queue and scrambled into a taxi. There was this strange whirring sound in his ears, and he could not hear Akiha shouting out for him. He only knew that he had to get to the hospital fast.

xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx

It was raining cats and dogs.

Shuichi clawed at his own arms, unable to contain his worry. Although his body felt as if it was on fire, his heart was cold with fear. The trip back to town was agonizing. Due to the rain, traffic had slowed down to an impossible speed, and this was adding on to Shuichi's anxiety.

Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Shuichi looked out of the window and realized that he was finally nearing the hospital. The taxi slowed down to a stop again.

Shit! At this rate, it'll take another half an hour or so to get to the hospital.

He let out a frustrated sigh.

Yuki… I wonder if he's ok. I shouldn't have dropped my phone. Now, there's no way for me to contact Hiro.

Maybe Yuki's fine by now… if so, what am I rushing to the hospital for?

But, what if Yuki…

No! I shouldn't be thinking of that!

Shuichi shivered. He bit his lip, trying hard not to break down and cry.

I can't just carry on waiting like this... He fished out his wallet and passed the driver some money. "I'm getting off here!"

He leapt out of the taxi into the cold pouring rain onto the pathway and started running. The rain seeped through his clothes and within minutes, he was feeling a bit numb. However, he forced himself to continue moving.

Yuki… Yuki… Please, wait for me!

xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx

"Haa… haa…haa…"

"Is Shindou-san really coming?" Ayaka whispered to Hiro, as she watched Mika and Tohma paced up and down with worry.

"Tohma, don't worry, Yuki-san will definitely be all right!" Ryuichi chirped.

"Ryuichi-san…"

Tohma had called K to demand an explanation regarding Shuichi performing as a guest singer on their show. And so, they had arrived at the bar where Tohma, Mika, and Tatsuha were when Tohma received a phone call about the accident. Without hesitation, all of them had rushed to the hospital, out of worry for Yuki… and Shuichi (for some reason).

"I think so… he never really answered me though." Hiro sighed. "Why did this have to happen?"

"Haa… haa… haa…"

Hiro frowned worriedly. "If anything happens to Yuki, Shuichi will-"

"Waaahhh!"

CRASH!

Everyone turned in the direction of Suguru's yelp.

"What… Who…" Suguru muttered in pain. "…Shindou-san!"

"Shuichi?"

"Shindou-san?"

Everyone stared at Shuichi who had collapsed onto the floor out of breath, drenched to the core. "Haa… haa… haa…"

"Shuichi! Why are you drenched? Don't tell me you ran here in the rain?" Hiro knelt down on one knee beside his best friend.

Shuichi clung onto Hiro desperately. "Yuki… How's Yuki?"

"Shuichi, calm down."

"Shindou-san…" Tohma murmured gently.

Shuichi looked up in anticipation. His face was deathly pale, and his teeth were chattering uncontrollably, as drops of rainwater continued dripping down from his hair.

"Seguchi-san…" Shuichi struggled to his feet and leapt towards Tohma. "Seguchi-san! Yuki, Yuki, is Yuki safe?"

"Ah. He just got out of the operating theatre. Although it doesn't seem as serious as we expected it to be, he has a few broken ribs and he hit his head quite badly, so…"

"So?"

"The doctor says that it may be a while before he awakes."

Shuichi held his breath. "That means… no way… how could this have happened? Why?"

Tohma gazed at Shuichi sadly. "Apparently, someone had tampered with the brakes and because he was driving exceptionally fast, it added on to the damage. Shindou-san, Eiri-san was actually on his way to the airport, hoping to catch you before you leave."

"Wha-what?" Shuichi took a step backwards in disbelief. "But why…?"

"He left not long after he saw you singing on TV."

"It can't be… you're telling me that this is my fault? So if anything happens to Yuki, it's my fault? It's my fault…" Shuichi slumped back against the wall in shock. A wave of emptiness washed over him as he struggled to process what he had just heard.

Yuki had wanted to catch me before I leave? But why?

It was not long before Shuichi realized that the drops of water dripping down his face were not raindrops but silent tears. Suddenly, he felt a suffocating pain in his heart.

"Shuichi, it's ok, it's ok. It's not your fault. It was an accident." Hiro pulled the small, trembling boy into a hug immediately. "You need to change out of these wet clothes. At this rate, you'll fall sick soon."

At this point in time, the doctor came out of Yuki's ward.

"Doctor, how is he?" Mika asked worriedly.

"Like I said, it may take a while for him to regain consciousness. However, the longer he takes, the more dangerous it is for him. You can try to help him by talking to him and such."

"Shuichi!" Hiro called after the boy who had rushed into the ward.

Shuichi paused in his steps as he took in the sight of the unconscious man lying on the bed. He held his breath unwittingly, and his heart almost ceased beating. Yuki looked like a fallen angel with his peaceful sleeping face and glowing blond hair, set against pure white sheets. The only visible bandages were those around his head.

"Yuki…" Shuichi whispered and walked slowly towards the fallen angel.

Behind him, Tohma and Mika followed, while Hiro and the others stood by the doorway.

Shuichi sat down on the bed beside Yuki, and started stroking Yuki's cheek gently with his trembling hand. "Yuki… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry… I shouldn't have come back. If I didn't, all these wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

All the emotions that had been building up inside him were struggling to be released. Finally, unable to bear it anymore, Shuichi broke down into hysterical sobs.

"Yuki, please don't die. Please wake up… I beg you. There're so many things I haven't told you… Remember how you asked me why did I stop singing? I lied to you back then. Everytime I sang, all I could think of is you. It was simply too painful singing."

Hiro looked on sadly. It was then that he sensed someone standing close behind him. He turned back and widened his eyes. There stood Haruko, Akiha, Tsuyoshi and Jun. Haruko was looking extremely pale and hurt, while the others looked at her in concern.

Shuichi took hold of Yuki's hand and held it to his cheek. "I love you. I love you so much that it hurts. But you hate that, don't you? Those words mean nothing but a burden to you. You hated those words… that is why you didn't want me… you never wanted me. All you needed was someone to sleep with… You were satisfied back then when you got me to sleep with you again, right? But I wasn't… You'll never understand how much it hurts for me to return to the house that previously had been our home just to see that everything has been replaced with their belongings. I hate it! I hate them! I even hate you! You're really heartless… taking back each and every one of your lovers in such a short period of time. It's as if nothing had happened between us…"

He was pouring his heart out. All that he had kept bottled up over the past year. Everything. He needed to let them all out now.

"I even picked up smoking because of you. Smoking and drinking until I was able to stop thinking of you. The brand of cigarettes I smoke is similar to yours. Did you realize that?"

Shuichi bent down and leaned against Yuki's chest lightly. "But even if you didn't realize that, I'm sure that you knew the truth behind that photograph. I was thinking of you back then, Yuki. It even won an award… How ridiculous! It felt as if the whole world was happy with me being miserable…"

"I love you, Yuki. I can't help it. I've tried letting go over the past year, but I can't. So please don't die, Yuki!" He lifted his head. "If I can't stay by your side, I still want to be close to you. Please don't die! Yuki…"

Shuichi ceased sobbing and lowered his lips upon Yuki's, murmuring: "Yuki… please, Yuki… open you eyes… I'll do anything you say if you wake up. If you want me to disappear forever, I'll do it right away. I promise. Yuki… Yukiii…"

He was growing increasingly desperate by the minute. The thought of Yuki leaving this world had never crossed his mind before and it scared him to death that that was what might be happening right now.

Yuki!

It took a while for Shuichi to realize that something was amiss. He felt something warm and wet brushed against his lips.

What…?

Shuichi's eyes widened in bewilderment as he gazed down. It was Yuki. Yuki was returning the kiss. The next second, his eyelids fluttered open slowly.

Shuichi jerked away in shocked. "Yu… Yuki?"

"Eiri-san!" Tohma rushed forward and so did Mika.

"Eiri, how are you feeling? Are you ok?" Mika asked fretfully. Her eyes were red and puffed up.

"I'll get the doctor!" Tatsuha yelled.

Shuichi continued staring in wonder, unable to believe his eyes. "You're… awake…"

"Of course, baka." Yuki ignored Tohma and Mika and turned slightly to face Shuichi, answering in a soft and gentle tone. "How could I not wake up with you being so noisy? Stupid, noisy brat…"

"Wha-what? You're the one who made me so worried!" Shuichi could not control his tears again. He started crying uncontrollably, this time, in relief. "You're the stupid one…"

"Right, right. I got it. Can you please stop crying…? Shuichi? Shuichi?"

In that split second, Shuichi had collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. Yuki tried to get up, but was stopped by a sharp bolt of pain in his chest.

"Eiri!"

"Shuichi!"

"Shindou-san!"

"Shu-chan!"

"Shuichi!"

xXx xXx to be continued xXx xXx

Yeah, the ending of this chapter sucks, but oh well… haha!

I thought about it and realized that Shuichi's confession may be too long, but I still decided to leave it as it is.