Welcome to 'Rainstorm', the second chapter of 'Kakumei'! I'm glad this got off to a good start! I was pretty nervous about the first chapter, but now I have a lot more confidence! I would like to give a big thank you to my first two reviewers, and PLEASE CONTINUE TO ENJOY! Yayness!
Things are about to get pretty hot! And it's only the second chapter! Everything's about to kick right into gear! I'm so excited! Yipeeness!
I would like to make a very special dedication to LaDiDaanifan, the author of 'Leaving Affections'. That fic is easily the best Gravi fic I've read so far. I would like also like to extend a special 'thank you' to Shuichi's Darling, who has reviewed many other Gravi fics in the past. Thank you all of you!
Theme of 'Rainstorm': 'Mystical Princess' by Masashi Hamauzu
The enigmatic night carried itself through the stream of time, and kept a watch over a young star and his friend. Rain poured itself into the stitches of their world, radiant with the composure of thunderous prophecies. There were strong winds, but they were blissfully refreshing to many people, including the young star. The winds were vibrant, and at the moment they were keeping their true power hidden...they seemed to have no desire to display their power at the moment, but the perfect opportunity was about to present itself.
The hyped-up puppy, who was none other than Shuichi Shindou, continued down the road of incessant happiness, 'torturing' his companion with rapid streams of speech. Nothing could penetrate the star's barriers; the young one was practically lost in a fairy tale, infatuated with dreams that were usually found in the hearts of young children.
Hiroshi followed his dearest friend loyally, completely drenched in the storm's exuberant silence. He kept up a solid, frustrated exterior, making himself out to be an annoyed parent, but he was truly happy to be in the light of his dearest friend. A warm smile kept itself on his face as streams of vibrant happiness poured themselves into his ears, radiant with the melodious light of resounding bliss.
Thirty minutes elapsed before they found themselves at their destination. Shuichi's reaction to the arrival was expected; his face exploded with happiness, and his eyes lit up like crystals.
"We're here! It feels as if we just started our day. Strange, huh?"
"Everything about you is strange." Hiro shook his head, feigning frustration. Warmth exploded in his eyes...as he drifted even more into his best friend's eyes. The vocalist of Bad Luck opened the door to Eiri Yuki's house, acting as if he were about to reveal the greatest treasure of all. Both of them were instantly greeted by Suguru and Tohma, two happy guests.
"Shindou! Welcome back! I see you dragged Hiro all throughout Japan!"
"Welcome back, you two. I hope the storm treated you well."
Shuichi took on Tohma Seguchi's greeting, and Hiroshi answered Suguru Fujisaki's. The second greeting belonged to none other than the gentle Seguchi, and the vocalist answered him with a smile.
"Thanks! We'll finish up tomorrow. We did a pretty good job!"
An accusation from the playful Fujisaki followed those words, and received a playful frown.
"Shuichi, Hiro just told me that you forced him to stand out in the rain. Is that true?"
The puppy's face fell; he looked as if he had been accused of the worst crime imaginable. He playfully delivered a barrage of fists to his friend, and received laughter in return. "That's not true at all!" the vocalist cried out, offended by the 'horrific' accusation. "I didn't do anything! He gave me his stupid umbrella!"
"I didn't say anything like that, Suguru." Hiroshi said gently, bringing a halt to the flow of blows. "Shuichi's right-I soaked myself for his sake. Speaking of being cold, why don't you go warm yourself up, Shu? I bet you're freezing."
An immeasurably warm smile lit up the vocalist's face, and fell into his eyes. His friend was always looking out for him; he had done so every since the beginning of time. Hiro cared for him...a lot.
"Thanks Hiro, but I'm okay. You should spend some time worrying about yourself, you know."
Hiro snatched his friend's bags playfully and spoke to him in the manner of an old-fashioned schoolteacher. "I'll do that later." he said firmly, his eyes twinkling like stars. "Why don't we go up and see your beloved 'you-know-who'? He's up in his bedroom."
Shuichi's face lit up for one second, but the smile turned into a frown almost instantly. "He isn't sleeping, is he?" he asked, sounding like a child that had been asked to give up chocolate. Hiro shook his head, laughing at his friend.
"No. Don't think so. He's probably just working. You know Yuki-he's not too big on all of this cheer..."
"Well, Shuichi did overdo things a little..." Suguru murmured playfully, scanning the jubilant displays of Christmas cheer. Hiroshi glared at him the way a parent would glare at an offending child.
"Why don't you do me a favor and stand in front of traffic?"
An opportunity to attack Hiro was available for a second, then Hiro took Shuichi by the hand and smiled.
"Come on. We don't have to take this."
The two of them removed themselves from the vibrant festivities by making their way upstairs. Once again Shuichi held the lead, and Hiro silently followed him, assaulted by a flow of delirious bliss. This flow was silent; even when Shuichi had his mouth closed, his heart was vivaciously loud. His face would have made the perfect lantern, for it was jubilantly bright, and his eyes beamed with happiness all the way up. The mere thought of his 'Prince Charming' brought tears to his eyes; he was a youthful soul lost in an undying dream...
A dream that was actually a nightmare.
Seconds passed, and the two of them arrived at Yuki's bedroom door. Shuichi placed his hand on the doorknob, but instead of opening it, he took one last look at Hiro.
"Hiro...do you really think he's going to like his present?"
Hiro had to wrestle between two desires; the desire to strangle Eiri Yuki to death, and the desire to bring a smile to his friend's face. He envied the novelist, and hated him for the treatment he gave Shuichi...he was also saddened by Shuichi's delirious infatuation. The revered author had the affection of the brightest star...and chose to treat it like a bag of venomous waste.
Unfortunately, Shuichi was completely oblivious to the poor treatment...
...and so...once again...he had to lie.
"Of course he'll like it. He'll-"
An arrow pierced Hiro's heart a second later, and silenced him. His eyes became stern, and he took on the look of a vigilant canine. Something had caught his attention, but what?
"What's up?"
The warm smile that had been on Hiro's face quickly became a dream. His face became steely, and his eyes filled with cold hatred. Something was upsetting him...and it seemed to be something beyond the door. He looked like a dog that had just picked up the scent of a murderer.
"Move over."
Tension replaced the young vocalist's high level of happiness, and gave him the look of a fearful puppy. He looked as if he had been told to sit out in the rain, without any kind of shelter. Without a word he obeyed his friend's order...and his friend placed a hand on the doorknob. The vocalist felt as if he were in the middle of some horror film.
A moment of silence elapsed between them, then Hiro twisted the doorknob.
"Hiro, what's gotten-"
The door slowly opened...
And revealed a sight that broke Shuichi's heart.
A gasp tore itself from the Shindou's mouth, and he stepped back in horror.
A cold hand of hatred gripped Hiro's heart.
Two bodies were before them, entangled in passionate displays of affection. Both of them were on their feet, but their show wouldn't have been any different if they had been between the sheets. A woman was wrapped in the fervent embrace of a man, completely devoid of clothing...and drunk with ecstasy. The man was as drunk as she was, completely lost in uncontrollable lust.
The man was none other than Shuichi's prince.
Hiroshi stood in front of his friend, wanting to shield the one he loved from the horrific sight...but nothing could be done to remove the sight. Shuichi's eyes, which were now radiant with shock, glued themselves to the two bodies...unable to shake off the disgust flowing through him. The sight alone was enough to break him, but the true storm was about to begin.
After several moments of heavy breathing, the woman (who was a complete stranger to both Shuichi and Hiro) asked her lover a question, her face twisted in corrupted passion.
"So...what about your boy toy?"
The look on Yuki's face shattered Shuichi the way a rock shattered a window.
"Who are you talking about?"
"You know...what's-his-face...that baby-faced kid...uhhh..."
"Him?"
The laughter Yuki sent through the air made Hiro think of a diabolical maniac.
"He's not much. The half-assed twit drives me insane. I can barely even think of him without wanting to chuck myself into some damned river."
"But I thought..."
"Well, you've got nothing to worry about. The little bastard's a fucking menace. He destroys everything he touches, the sound of his voice is enough to drive me to insanity, and he's a pain in the ass. I thought him kicking out many, many times, but what the hell? Why should I place such a huge burden on someone else, right? And besides, he amuses me...in a way."
Hiro took one look at Shuichi-
-and felt his heart shatter in his throat.
Cold wrath pierced the Nakano's eyes.
He dropped the bags...flipped on the light-
"Hey pal, guess who's here!"
A gasp tore itself from Yuki's mouth.
His lady friend gasped, hastily put on her clothing and dashed from the room.
Silence rushed into the room...and filled it with tension was excruciatingly high.
Hiro's wrathful, vengeful eyes kept themselves on Yuki...who looked as if he had just been caught in the middle of a crime.
Shuichi's eyes filled with oceans.
The young one was no longer oblivious; everything was perfectly. He bore a resemblance to a child that had been betrayed by the one they loved the most...for he looked as if his soul was about to break.
Everything he had believed in...the one he had loved...
Shuichi was now exposed to everything his heart feared.
Deep down...I knew you didn't love me...but I kept on dreaming, kept on waiting...I kept on HOPING...
Seconds passed...Yuki made his way over to the young vocalist, his eyes filled with fervent guilt...and fear.
Shuichi stepped away from him, looking as if he were being approached by a total stranger.
"Shuichi, I-"
All of their lives changed with Shuichi's words.
"Yuki...I'm sorry."
At an alarming speed, the young vocalist dashed out of the room...blinded by oceans yet driven by thunderous sorrow. The lights of his home, the warm decorations...the happiness he had spent an eternity in...everything faded away from him...as he gave into the rainstorm of pain within his broken soul. Urgent voices chased after him, but human speech became foreign to him...blocked out by an explosion of newborn sorrow. His heart was no longer able to pulsate with the rhythm of happiness...his chest was painfully tight with sobs...
Life was no longer a dream.
Everything...everything was dead.
The skies found themselves in the company of Shuichi Shindou once again after a few minutes, but his return was not a joyous one. The winds were now releasing their true power upon the world; the city was lost among the darkness of a never-ending storm. The skies were completely black...the winds were viciously cold...the sheets of rain were eternal...
It was all a reflection of the vocalist's heart.
He had spent an eternity in a realm of happiness.
He was now lost in the darkness of deceitful truth.
What will happen next? Why did Yuki become guilty after exposing the 'truth'? Is the novelist really the coldhearted, soulless wretch he appears to be, or is there more to him? Hee hee...
You know what? If the characters of Gravitation were put into Ceres: Celestial Legend, Hiro would be Yuhi Aogiri, Yuki would be Toya, and Shuichi would be none other than Aya! Hee hee...su!
I'll be back soon! Have fun, and happy reading!