Chapter the Sixth
There was silence.
Well, there was silence until Ryuichi grinned, and chirped "Welcome to Sparkly Imports, how the fuck can we help you?" Shuichi turned to hide his huge grin.
Yuki's eye was twitching, and his hands were clenched into fists as if he wanted nothing more than to punch Ryuichi in the nose. "I want my car checked over." He forced out through clenched teeth. He thrust the car keys at Ryu, and stalked over to lean against a wall.
The two hyper racers brought Yuki's car into the shop, and into a separate workshop, where they closed the shutter.
--
Some time later, the group were lounging about in the shop, when Shuichi came out of a door beside the shutter. He looked at Yuki. "Your car is in great shape, Ryu-chan is just finishing the check-up. It shouldn't take too long."
Yuki nodded in a distracted manner, while fiddling with something in his hand. When he looked closer, he realised it was the old lighter that had their picture from the amusement park stuck on the side. He wanted to grin, but kept a neutral expression.
Yuki spoke, not able to look him in the eye. "Look, uh, I was wondering..." He was actually fidgeting! "Do you want to go out tonight?"
Shuichi smirked wickedly. "What, like a date?" Yuki blushed… no actually he went bright red. "Uhm, well… yeah." Shuichi was mentally laughing himself silly. He'd never seen the blonde flustered before.
Shu shrugged. "Sure, why not." He paused. "Actually, you might not want to after you see what we did to your car." Yuki's eyes widened.
"What the hell did you do to my car!" He yelled frantically. Suddenly, Ryuichi's voice through the now-open shutter. The author practically sprinted through into the workshop. "Oh my god! My car! My baby! What did you do!" Why was he so emotional you ask? Because Ryu and Shu, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to give Yuki's car some character by adding flame graphics to his precious car.
Ryu grinned, but Shuichi actually winced a little. "Dude," said Ryuichi. "Take a chill pill. It's only some stick-ons!" The author unleashed his 'I'm-going-to-kill-you' glare on poor little Ryu-chan. He flinched a little.
"Okay, okay. I'll sort it out." He said, making a hasty retreat into the workshop to get rid of the offending graphics.
Yuki visibly calmed himself, and turned to Shuichi. "So… what time shall I pick you up?" Shu grinned.
--
They arrived at Club Zip, much to Yuki's annoyance, with Shuichi bouncing around insanely. They found seats, and ordered their drinks. What little conversation they had, was strained and awkward, with lots of unsure pauses, and uncomfortable silences.
Then suddenly, Shuichi's eyes lit up. "Hey! It's karaoke night!" He got up and bounced over to the karaoke DJ. Yuki blinked after him, stupidly. A minute or so later, Shuichi bounced onto the miniature stage with a microphone. A soft, slightly melancholic, piano began to play. He lifted the microphone to his mouth, and began to sing.
Mou hitori de arukenai
Toki no kaze ga tsuyosugite
Ah kizutsuku koto nante
Nareta kazu dakedo ima wa...
(I can't walk any further alone
The winds of time are too strong
Ah There were so many times
I was hurt but now...)
Ah kono mama dakishimete
Fureta mama no kokoro o
Kawaritsuzukeru kono toki ni
Kawaranai ai ga aru nara
(Ah Hold me like this
Hold my trembling heart
In this continually changing time
If there's a never-changing love)
Will you hold my heart
Namida uketomete
Mou kowaresou na All my heart
(Will you hold my heart
And catch my tears
It seems I've already broken down All my heart)
As Shuichi's beautiful voice carried through the club, Yuki couldn't help but think how much he missed hearing him sing.
Forever Love Forever Dream
Afureru omoi dake ga
Hageshiku setsunaku jikan o umetsukusu
Oh Tell me why
(Forever Love Forever Dream
Only the overflowing memories are
Furiously, painfully stopping up time
Oh Tell me why)
All I see is blue in my heart
Will you stay with me
Kaze ga sugisaru made
Mata afuredasu All my tears
(Will you stay with me
Until the wind has passed by
They're still overflowing All my tears)
Within no time at all, Shuichi had everyone in the club entranced. People had stopped their conversations, purely to listen to him.
Forever Love Forever Dream
Kono mama soba ni ite
Yoake ni furueru kokoro o dakishimete
Oh Stay with me
(Forever Love Forever Dream
Stay close like this
In the dawn, embrace my trembling heart
Oh Stay with me)
Ah subete ga owareba ii
Owari no nai kono yoru ni
Ah ushinau mono nante
Nanimonai anata dake
(Ah Everything should end
In this endless night
Ah What have I lost
Nothing Only you)
Shuichi had locked eyes with Yuki as soon as he began to sing. The way he was singing was starting to affect Yuki, and was making him feel extremely guilty, and ashamed.
Forever Love Forever Dream
Kono mama soba ni ite
Yoake ni furueru kokoro o dakishimete
(Forever Love Forever Dream
Stay close like this
In the dawn, embrace my trembling heart)
Ah Will you stay with me
Kaze ga sugisaru made
Mou dare yori mo soba ni
(Ah Will you stay with me
Until the wind has passed by
More than anyone else, stay close)
A tear rolled down Yuki's cheek, unnoticed to all but Shuichi. He smiled sadly as he sang, hoping Yuki didn't fuck-up this time.
Forever Love Forever Dream
Kore ijou arukenai
Oh Tell me why Oh Tell me true
Oshiete ikiru imi o
(Forever Love Forever Dream
I can't walk any further than this
Oh Tell me why Oh Tell me true
Tell me the meaning of life)
Forever Love Forever Dream
Afureru namida no naka
Kagayaku kisetsu ga eien ni kawaru made
Forever Love
(Forever Love Forever Dream
Until inside of overflowing tears
The shimmering season changes into eternity
Forever Love)
Thunderous applause echoed through the club as Shu returned to his seat. He looked at Yuki and smiled slightly. Yuki, deciding he may as well say what he thinks for once and mean it, said "You still have a beautiful voice." Shuichi looked surprised for a second, before he actually blushed slightly.
"Thank you." He murmured. They sat in silence for a moment, each wondering what to say next.
Two Hours Later
By now, the two were well on their way to becoming pissed as rats. Shuichi had become more like his old self with every drink he poured down his throat. "Ne, Yuki why don't you sing a song?" Giggled Shu-chan. Yuki blinked drunkenly for a second, before shrugging, and making his way towards the stage.
Toumei ga yozora somete
Hitori aruku itsumo no kaerimichi
(Transparency dyes the night sky, and
I walk alone on the road that always leads home.)
Kuchizusamu konna kimochi
Nemuru kimi ni todoketai na oh... um...
(Singing to myself, I want to send these kinds of feelings
to you in your sleep, oh, um...)
Shuichi was in awe. Not only because the normally cranky blonde was singing a Bad Luck song, but because he was a very good singer.
Nanika ni obieteru jibun ga chotto iya ni naru
Tsugeru omoi torinokoshita hibi ni...
Dokoka ni wasureteru kokoro ga chotto itakunaru
Toki wo tsunagu hoshi no yoru ni kimi wo sagashiteru
(I'm tangled up in something; I'm getting a little sick of myself
tangled up in the feelings to convey to those days that have been left behind...
The heart I've forgotten somewhere is starting to hurt a little.
I keep searching for you in a night lit by the stars that are bound to that time.)
Toozakaru kumo ni nosete
Boku no kimochi tachidomaru kaerimichi
(I place my feelings on the receding clouds
on the road home, where I pause to stand.)
Kimi wa mou yume no tsuzuki
Todoku hazu mo nai koto da to wakatteiru
(You are already a part of my continuing dreams;
I know that (those feelings) can't possibly reach you from here.)
Yuki's voice was deep and sexy, with an underlying sadness.
Namida ga koboreteru egao ga chotto hoshikunaru
Kimi no soba ni ireru dake de boku wa...
Dareka ga toikakeru rikutsu ga motto hoshikunaru
Kieru kage ni mabushisugita hibi wo utsushiteru
(The tears keep falling; jut by being able to be close to you,
I'm starting to want a smile, just a little...
Someone asks questions; I'm starting to want this to make more sense.
You cast those too-brilliant days into a fading shadow.)
Nanika ni obieteru jibun ga chotto iya ni naru
Tsugeru omoi torinokoshita hibi ni...
Dokoka ni wasureteru kokoro ga chotto itakunaru
Toki wo tsunagu hoshi no yoru ni kimi wo sagashiteru
(I'm tangled up in something; I'm getting a little sick of myself
tangled up in the feelings to convey to those days that have been left behind...
The heart I've forgotten somewhere is starting to hurt a little.
I keep searching for you in a night lit by the stars that are bound to that time.)
Shuichi was gaping at him as he sat down. He blinked. "What?" he asked. Shu stuttered for a moment. "Why the hell have you never sung before if that's what you sound like!" Yuki shrugged. "Hey, I'm not exactly the next Shindou Shuichi, am I?" Shuichi smiled at him.
--
A while later, after deciding that they were both too drunk to drive, they were walking back to Sparkly Imports, as the apartment that Shuichi and Ryuichi shared was just around the corner from the workshop.
Shuichi slipped his key in the lock, and opened the door. They walked in. and Yuki examined the décor. The walls were a startling contrast of white and midnight blue, the same colour as the occupants hair, it was hard to tell what kind of furniture they had other than a neon green couch, as there was so much clutter. He noticed that the walls were plastered with not only Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper posters, but also lots of posters of an incredibly sexy guy he didn't recognise.
"Who the hell is that guy?" he asked Shu, pointing at one of the posters. Shuichi turned, looked at where he was pointing, and gave a huge smile. "Oh, that's Gackt Camui! He's the sexiest guy to ever walk the earth!" 'Apart from you' he added silently.
Yuki just grunted. Shu disappeared into the kitchen, and came out moments later with tea. They sat on the couch together talking about insignificant things. As they finished their tea, Yuki moved and covered Shu's lips with his own. Shuichi responded to the kiss but as Yuki tried to move things further, he pulled back.
"Wait a damn second… there's no way in hell I'm giving up that easily. You've gotta do better than that. I'm not sleeping with you after one measly date. Take things slow. I still don't know whether I'm going to forgive you or not. You've got to prove that you deserve it. You've got to prove you actually love me."
Yuki was silent for a moment, before he sighed. "To be honest with you, I don't have the words to make you feel better, but I do have a heart that's aching to see you smile again." He paused and looked down at his hands. "Somehow we always say the least to those we love eternally and hope our thoughts will be understood although they are unexpressed."
Shu was inwardly surprised that the normally closed-off author was coming out with romantic lines. He blinked for a second, before shaking his head. "Love is communication… the bottom line is, a lack of communication is a lack of love." He said quietly.
Yuki was quiet for a moment, staring at him. Then, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Shuichi, pulling him close. He lowered his head, and spoke softly in Shu's ear. "Don't fight, don't argue, just give me the chance to say that I'm sorry. Just let me love you. Don't turn me away, don't tell me to go."
They stayed that way for a short time, both thinking about what had been said.
Shuichi pulled away, and stood. "I need to think. You can stay the night, but you'll have to stay on the couch." He went to get some pillows and a blanket for the blonde staring after him blankly.
A while later, Shuichi was in bed, and Yuki was on the couch, feeling extremely guilty and lonely. 'So this is what he felt like back then.'
