Unexpected Bonds

By Days of Azure

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Gravitation or any of its characters. I do not profit from this in any way.

A/n: Wow, I've reached chapter four! Luckily, my new job isn't as time-consuming as I had anticipated, so I should still be able to update at least weekly. Thank you again to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry I can't leave responses anymore. I'll try to reply via e-mail to reviews that I feel call for response. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy. Also: I apologize in advance; this chapter may be slightly different than what I may have alluded to in my previous author's note. I write impulsively, making things up as I go along, so although I may have ideas planned, sometimes things come out a little differently than I originally anticipate. Sometimes after finishing a few pages, I'll look back at what I've written and go "Woah, how did all this get worked into the story?" So I can never be completely sure of what's to come in my own work. Sorry for rambling on for so long, I just wanted to explain myself. I hope no one is disappointed in this. I for one think I'm beginning to really establish where I want to take this story, and rather like this chapter. Let me know what you think, please. Thank again!

xXx

Chapter Four: The Bar Scene Part II

"Y-you! I remember you!" Shuichi stated rather loudly, as recollections of the previous night presented themselves in his mind. The exact events were unclear and imprecise, but the feelings of humiliation and anger that he had been left with were very well there, and quite perceivable. This was the perfect opportunity to liberate those confined emotions and to say the things he'd wished he had said that night. It was a chance he had every intention of taking advantage of. He shot up quickly, stumbling stubbornly to find a steady stance, and knocking a glass to the floor in the process. A loud crash could be heard as it fell to the wooden floor, shattering into an uncountable number of pieces that laid scattered near his feet. Although the strong sense of rage that surged through him was somewhat sobering, he was still quite unstable from his hefty amount of consumed alcohol.

While he swayed and swaggered about with his finger pointed directly at the blurry image of the man in front of him, a select few in the nearby crowds and those in the immediate area all turned their heads as to investigate the bizarre situation. Both surprised and taken aback by the sudden gesture, Yuki stood quickly to his feet as well, standing back just a few inches in a rather defensive manner. Angry violet eyes met with veiled brown, each searching one another in efforts to gauge reaction.

Yuki winced in confusion for a moment, attempting to bring forth something of a memory that would give him a distinct hint as to why his decided bang for the night was behaving so oddly. His eyes narrowed further, giving his vision just a dash of much needed focus. As he was steadying, he examined the boy more closely than he had gotten a chance to previously.

There was that messy mop of electric, pink hair that rested atop his head…those expressive, violet eyes that hid nothing, not even the most painful emotion, and made the boy's thoughts and feelings clear and sharp to the rest of the world…that lithe, petite frame that Yuki found enticing and difficult to overlook…but most of all, that confident, secure aura that surrounded the boy was what seemed most familiar of all his traits. It was what made him stand out amongst so many. He seemed the type who would pursue nearly anything, tackle the world head on and throw caution to the wind. There was a slight dignity to him too, if one looked close enough. A certain integrity was hidden in his character, as though he would stand up for what he felt was right. And as much as Yuki hated to admit it to himself (which he certainly did not), the boy's presence proved as much alluring as it did annoying. He was simply drawn to him.

As the memory of the night of their brief meeting, in which angry words had been exchanged, resurfaced, Yuki ended his scrutiny of the boy and quickly masked his subconscious, newfound realizations. There was nothing he felt he could do at the present; the boy was obviously angry, although Yuki felt he held no responsibility to in any way console him, or god forbid, apologize. Concise but distinct images from a past event flashed through his mind: a rumpled poem barely floating atop a pond's surface, a breezy evening, a distressed, pink-haired boy, an agitated Yuki, and a fierce clashing of the two that had concluded leaving one in tears, and the other secretly intrigued for quite some time.

"You can't just toss aside someone's feelings like that!" Yuki recalled the boy stating bravely. He had responded harshly, his full on agitation leaving no room for kindness or sympathy towards others. That was part of the reason why, when the anonymous boy had turned heel and ran, there had been no remorse on Yuki's part.

He stood now in front of his challenger, managing to keep himself in an upright position. Hands were placed lightly upon Shuichi's narrow hips, a stance expressing his undeniable stubbornness. He cocked his head to the side, his angry expression unchanging, as he prepared to make his case.

"You're that jerk who told me off…yeah, I totally remember now!" He called aloud with conviction. In his mind, he was certain only of the fact that he was enraged, not of what it was that he precisely wanted or where exactly he planned to take his confrontation.

It was all wrong. This was supposed to be his screw for the night. Obtaining sex would be quite difficult from a furious partner. Yuki-although slightly tipsy was far from completely drunk-decided the wisest course of action that could be taken would be to simply act as if he had no recollection of his incident with the boy. Any other decision would certainly thwart his plans, he reasoned.

"Nope, I don't think so. I'm sure I would've remembered you," he said, his voice hinting at a slight sexual advance.

"Don't act like you don't remember me; you know damn well who I am!" Shuichi yelled at full volume, finding his growing anger somewhat sobering as he managed to both stand straight and provide coherent argument.

Yuki was determined. This incident would be forgotten, and within half an hour or less this boy would be in bed with him.

"I said it once and I'll say it again–I don't know you. We've never met," the blonde insisted stubbornly, trying his hardest to convince Shuichi.

"I want an apology." Violet eyes glinted with determination at their keeper's proclamation. He stood persistently, his outlook unwavering at Yuki's feigned ignorance.

It was a delicate situation for Yuki, doubtlessly. He did want to bang this boy, that was certain, but his pride took top priority upon the pink haired boy's demands.

"Well, you're not getting one," he said grimacing slightly in frustration at the fact that things were not panning out as he had hoped they would.

This did not settle with Shuichi well. "APOLOGIZE!" he demanded whilst slamming his fist down upon the bar, recapturing the interest of the crowds around them.

The blonde simply blinked as he stared ahead blankly. He was only willing to sacrifice so much for a one night stand. There would be plenty of others who would be more than available and more than willing for certain. The effort in this particular case simply wouldn't even be worth it, he decided.

"Go to hell," he spat, choosing his parting words carelessly. He turned his back to the boy and began to walk away, step by step adding to the space that separated the two.

In one split, passing second, a fist flew into the air, its destination located directly in dead center of Yuki's head. Fortunately for the blonde, impaired judgment fueled an inaccuracy, causing Shuichi's fist to land rather somewhere located directly beneath his left shoulder. The boy may have been small, but he was quite swift in his actions and packed a sturdy punch.

Yuki staggered slightly, flinching at the pain. He moved a free hand to make contact with the struck area and rubbed it gently, as to soothe the hurt. Turning to face his assailant, the blonde raised his fist, as he was well prepared to strike back just as brutally, if not more.

His plans were momentarily forgotten as tall figure approached, distracting him. "Alright, you've caused nothing but trouble since you got here. We're going to have to ask you to leave, sir," a suited man bearing a scowl and an agitated demeanor requested in a blunt manner as Yuki stood back and watched curiously. His eyes darted to the boy and a smug smirk spread across his face in perverse delight at the thought of Shuichi's being reprimanded. The man turned to Yuki. "That goes for you too. I won't have any violence in here. Now both of you get out before I call somebody to drag your sorry asses outta here," he said, his tone of voice beginning to show his growing frustration.

"Fiiine, fiiine…I don't give a damn anymore…I'm tooo…tooo…" Shuichi neglected to finish his final statement as he lost his balance, falling to the ground loosely like a rag doll. His fallen form and closing eyes gave way to the fact that he was cold passed out. As most seemed fed up with his antics, there was little sympathy in the room felt towards the drunk. An unknown man approached the boy, seizing him by the arms and dragging him out the door. Yuki took advantage of the opportunity to sneak out unnoticed. He kept his head down as he made a desperate dash for the exit.

oOo

In the sobering chilliness of the outdoors, Yuki threw his arms around his sides and cursed himself for failing to both bring a jacket and find a suitable bang for the evening. While a furious breeze blew harshly against his unprotected skin, chilling him to the bone, he found himself concerned with but one thing: finding nicotine and finding a way to get it coursing through his veins as soon as possible. Luckily, he had remembered to pack a spare pack along with a lighter for the evening. He reached into his pocket with a shuddering hand and pulled out a lengthy cigarette before placing it to rest gently between his lips (of which had begun to alter a pale shade of blue).

There was very little solace, he realized, as he stood alone against a cold brick wall outside the club. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come seeking fleeting pleasure for one night. It would not have changed his circumstances, by any means. He would still be a near broke writer with a career that was headed nowhere, he still would be stuck doing a series that he really didn't want to do, he would still be stuck with a nagging family that wanted him to peruse a "less idealistic" career, and would still be stuck in a life that felt empty, pointless, futile. There wasn't anything he could do to change that life now, he had decided years ago. He had made a dire mistake and was simply paying for his sins, he had always reasoned.

A loud thud was heard on Yuki's left. He turned his gaze and watched as the familiar pink haired boy, appearing to be still unconscious, was tossed roughly out onto the sidewalk. The limber body landed sprawled out, face down and flat against the concrete. "Dear God, he's got on even less than I do," Yuki whispered under his breath as he examined the boy's revealing apparel. This wasn't to say that he was feeling sympathetic; the assaulted area on his back was still slightly pained.

The blonde approached the outwardly lifeless boy curiously. He extended his foot, giving the body a slight nudge to see if he could ignite any signs of activity. There were none. Yuki bent down and gently cupped the boy's face in his hand. The flesh was cold to the touch and growing paler with each moment, he noted. "Shit…I mean he had it coming, but they didn't have to just leave him exposed and at risk like this." Placing more of his body weight upon his knees and leaning down further, Yuki brushed a stray strand of pink hair from the boy's view. "Huh…he could freeze to death out here…literally."

The blonde sighed aloud, his breath visible in the cold air, as he gave into his abnormal sense of pity and plopped down next to the boy rendered unconscious. Nimble fingers grasped his cigarette as he took a long drag on it that left a sweet sensation filling him. A few people had come and gone from the club, not a single one paying notice to either of them. He concluded that, if he were to clearly leave the boy in the freezing cold, there would be a good chance that permanent damage could be done. "What the hell am I thinking? It's his own damn fault…I'm not responsible for him." Yuki reasoned as his mood changed abruptly and returned to its normal condition.

He stood up amidst the wintry-like atmosphere and turned his back to the unconscious boy. It was none of his concern at all, he reminded himself as he raised his hand to hail an oncoming taxi. It was none of his concern at all, he repeated as he stepped inside the vehicle and watched the slumped figure grow smaller and smaller behind him until it ultimately disappeared completely with the moving of the bright yellow cab. "It's not my problem, it's his…and besides, I'm sure someone else will make sure he gets somewhere safe."

oOo

Approximately forty five minutes into his ride returning home, Yuki offered his cab driver a most sincere apology and an extra twenty dollars to return to the place where he'd found the blonde. After much examination of the situation, and much of a moral dilemma, Yuki had decided that perhaps he did after all have a sense of right and wrong. So regretfully, he was returning to the scene where he had left the stranger, the anonymous pink haired boy of whom, despite his astounding attractiveness (Yuki found), seemed to hold a personal grudge against the blonde. Yuki checked his watch; unless his suspicions were invalid, the boy would have been out for an hour and a half. It would be far too long for a half-naked, frail boy to barely tolerate.

As the bright yellow taxi once more approached the club, Yuki stepped out from the warm interior of the vehicle, searching worriedly for the stranger. His eyes scanned the area meticulously, his abrupt frantic growing. A small lump slumped against the brick outer surface of the building confirmed his fears.

There was his target, which seemed to have gained some level of consciousness, of whom was still obviously not in his entire right mind. Yuki approached him cautiously, unsure of how to behave in his usual casual manner after behaving so frantically. Upon closer inspection, he could see that the boy was obviously not well; his exposed legs, arms, neck and face were all ashen and drained of color. Violent tremors passed through his tiny body, causing him to shake fiercely. Yuki extended a hand and placed it upon the boy's face ever so slightly, as though not to shock him. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" he asked softly.

Shuichi's eyelids fluttered open, revealing bloodshot, weary eyes of violet as he glanced up at the man hovering above just inches above him. There was yellow…golden hair…and a voice that felt familiar; this was all that he could sense. Bits of thoughts flew wildly in Shuichi's mind, but he couldn't seem to force his body to make the words aloud. Wild pain coursed throughout every inch of his body and his skin stung angrily from the harsh cold. Unable to speak, he reached out his hand and took hold of the arm of the man before him. The contact was warm and soft, and comforting to him in so many ways.

"Hey! You alright?" Yuki repeated, his voice rising in apprehension. Pure silence hung between then, leaving no room for response. Shuichi at last managed to make some type of noise, emit some type of signal that he was there, alive, and very much in need. He groaned lowly aloud, expressing his pain in the only way he could think of. "You're damn lucky I have good intuition, boy," the slender man announced before scooping the younger boy into his arms. "Otherwise you'd be in a hell of a lot worse condition than this."

Yuki wasn't sure as to why he had stepped outside of his comfort zone to care for a stranger. His impulsive reasoning told him it was simply his civilized human instinct to not allow another human being to undergo serious harm, although there were a number of feasible reasons he was less aware of. Sometimes he was just sick of being alone. It was difficult to believe from a man who preferred to isolate himself from the majority of the population, but at times he desperately craved companionship. Sure, sometimes the cold hearted man would write it off as simple sexual instinct, but it also held true that a warm body at night provided comfort and temporary release and distraction from the nightmares that so often plagued him. It wasn't uncommon for the blonde to awake in the dead of night trembling. It was brought forth by a hidden side of his soul that was dark, vulnerable and simply afraid; afraid of being hurt once more, afraid of getting close, afraid of reopening wounds…

The boy was predictably light and easy to carry, Yuki noted as he carried him into the waiting taxi and slammed the door behind him after entering. He laid him down gently, propping his body upwards and allowing his head to rest gently against the foggy glass of the window. There was nothing to cover him with, to warm him, and Yuki regretted it instantly as he watched the boy shake violently.

He held the body steady as the vehicle began quite suddenly at a quick pace. The driver, an elderly man estimated to be in his sixties, took a quick gander at the two in his rearview mirror, attempting to obtain a grasp on the situation that his customer had treated with such urgency. The driver's mouth fell open for a few moments in shock and distress.

"Dear God, what happened to your friend?" he inquired.

"He'll be fine, he's just an idiot who decided to get completely wasted and stand around outside in the freezing cold until he passed out," Yuki explained, concocting a lie that he felt would require the least amount of details.

"You sure? You want me to take you to a hospital or somethin'? He ain't lookin' too good…."

"No, it's quite alright. I'll be accompanying him home. He should be fine from there," Yuki replied in a positive tone. "Damn nosy man…"

"If you say so," the elderly man murmured.

A rough fit of coughing swiftly erupted from Shuichi, causing Yuki to flinch slightly at both his surprise and imagined idea of the pain the boy was in. He examined the younger boy's exposed flesh, of which upon closed examination one could see had turned a pale shade of purple. Yuki debated: he couldn't even speak, and his body appeared in poor condition. There was little he could do.

The blonde hesitantly, not feeling as though there was much room in the situation for another option, reached out his arms to gently pull the boy to lie against his chest. Yuki waited for a brief moment, attempting to gauge his unusual companion's reaction. He highly doubted that the boy was aware of the source and yet was aware of the heat that was beginning to permeate throughout his body. Shuichi inched closer to the source of his newfound warmth, huddling close and reducing his sporadic shivering.

Yuki gazed downward, into the face of his unidentified accompanying person. He lifted his hand from where it had rested upon the boy's back to brush a stray, falling hair from his veiled eyes. "You sure are lucky…for all I know you could be a thief, a serial killer…"

There was little reasoning that could explain why the bitter, antisocial, man who was cruel at times had abandoned his typical traits and mannerisms to aid an entire stranger, and one who seemed to hold a grudge against him no less. He was assured that the boy would not try anything to harm Yuki, particularly due to the physical state he was in. "I don't even know your name…what did I get myself into?" Yuki asked himself as the cab drove forward into the freezing night.

XxX

End Chapter Four

A/n: Whew, that took quite a lot out of me. I hope everyone enjoyed. As always, reviews/comments/questions/critiques are encouraged. Thank you for reading! Also: sorry about the slight typos. Grammar is not always my strongest area as a writer, and I am in dire need of a beta. If anyone is interested or knows of someone who would be an available beta, please e-mail me or let me know someway. Thank you again.

Thank you to Written Words, Masqueer11, siriusly delusional, Ichigo Pocky, Luciver, DeathMetalAngel of Destruction, Trunks Koi, Lady Storm, liz poling, Dejichan444, Lady Storm and Mistress Drucilla for all your reviews!

IMPORTANT NOTE (03-20-2006): I had posted chapter five for a brief time, but have decided to remove it as I have changed my mind and feel that it needs many revisions that will take a bit of time. I am truly, truly sorry for the inconvenience. I will have it posted again shortly.