Author's Notes: AHHHH! Sorry for the late update! Gomen! There's like 3 or 4 different versions of this chapter! I kept thinking of different ways to put it out and this was the final copy! Woopey! And if anyone cares, night school is killing me! And I can never find a matching pair of socks anymore! (sigh) Please enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review.
Warning: None. Sorry. xP
Disclaimers: I don't own Gravitation.
Chapter 8
Silently, a couple stood watching the sun set at the park.
Nothing was said between the two people and the thick uncertain air didn't do enough for either of them.
Silence took over the minutes and forced them into eternity until finally one spoke.
"It's nice here like this; just you and me." Shuichi said, breaking the long overdue silence.
"Yeah, it is." Hiro responded softy yet somehow empty.
"What's with you? All I ever see you do is drag your feet and you're always deep in thought about something!" Shuichi cried out, glomping his lover to the ground.
Hiro let out a soft chuckle. "Calm down, Shuichi."
"But you're hiding something from meee!" Shuichi's eyes watered. Suddenly Hiro's eyes turned straight with determination, causing Shuichi to blink at the surprising seriousness. "Hiro..?"
"Shuichi—I wanted to ask you something—but.." He trailed off, trying to find the missing words that would complete his sentence. "But I need you to answer me a question... do you-"
"Shuichi Shindou." They both sat up, turning to the owner of the voice. Mika? "You're coming with me..." She turned to Hiro. "Don't wait up." She told Hiro, before dragging Shuichi into her car and ramming her foot on the gas petal.
"Hiroooooo!" He yelled out, looking at his shocked lover through the rear window, watching him disappear behind the dust clouds the car was making. Finally, he turned back to his captor. "What do you want with me? It's wrong to kidnap people! Why do you do this to me all the time? And you left Hiro like a bag of garbage! Where are you taking-"
"Shut up." She said simply, making a very sharp turn at the corner, and running past four red lights.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? SLOW DOWN!" Violet eyes teared up as the wind from the open window sharply hit his face.
She smirked, finally stopping at another part of town, on a hill where you could see the glimmering lights of Tokyo.
Shuichi's heart skipped two beats. Thank god she stopped, another second and Shuichi would have seen his lunch all over again.
She stepped out of the car, flipping away a lock of hair from her face, and then turned back her hostage. "Shuichi, we need to talk." She said calmly, reapplying her red lipstick.
"You didn't have to kidnap me to talk!" He huffed, still trying to catch his breath.
She gave a small smile before she turned to the railing of the lookout and leaned against it. "Shuichi..." She whispered.
"Yes..?" He spoke softly, finding the clear sadness that he didn't notice during the car ride.
"Can you do me a favor?" She turned to him, inwardly smiling at the utter confusion laced in his face.
"Um... a favor?" He murmured slowly.
Hiro, tiredly stepped into his apartment, alone. Then he took a side glance at the clock that peacefully sat on the table's side drawer in his bedroom. It read 7:30.
"Hmm." He sighed sadly, taking his guitar in his hand and carelessly running his fingers along its strings. After all this time, it still hasn't lost its tune. He smiled to himself and put it down. Music won't do anything for himâ€"Tohma made sure of that. But then again he never played for the money or the people he would meet, he played merely because he was good at it, and of course Shuichi always wanted to rise to the top. And with him by Shuichi's side, they did just that.
Quickly, Hiro shook away his own random ongoing thoughts, and then shifted his mind to Shuichi once again.
Shuichi happiness is what Hiro would die for and Hiro knew that he was completing his job perfectly. But there was one thing that Yuki got that Shuichi still hasn't given him.
There used to be a twinkle—a shine in his eyes—that would only grace Hiro's presence whenever Yuki was the subject of their conversation. But that was a long time ago, now Shuichi is happy but that glimmer hasn't been seen since the final days of Yuki Eiri.
The doorbell rang, viciously pulling the guitarist from his weary thoughts.
"Coming..." Hiro said, taking another look at the clock which surprisingly marked 9:36.
He reached the door opening it to see... rain—and a drenched Shuichi. But there was something new within the aura of the beautiful songbird. In his eyes... here was a shine.
"I've found him..." He whispered, smiling. It was an uncertain, worried smile—but a genuine smile nonetheless. "I found Yuki." He said in a hopeful tone.
Soon after, Shuichi went to bed—not giving much detail to about his talk with Mika.
HIRO's POV
I watch him sleep, so angelically—next to me.
Shuichi is so perfect to me but now more than ever, his shining eyes only yearn for the sight of ...him.
I was wrong. About being happy and being lucky. I was lucky to have Shuichi rise up and choose me but...
He's not happy. Not like he used to be at least.
Music was his soul, Yuki was is life, and they were both taken away in the blink of an eye. But this isn't some kind of simple change as if the changing of the seasons—it was Shuichi's life and he was happy with it.
But... Yuki broke Shuichi's heart. And me, being his best friend, wanted to ease his broken heart. And don't forget... I was in love with him. I still am.
Reading the lyric over in my mind, the relationship between Shuichi and Yuki plagued my thoughts.
What if, Shuichi did know a Yuki that no one else knew or saw? What if I didn't talk Shuichi out of chasing after Yuki at the hospital?
Yuki would have learned his lesson and Shuichi would be happy—or more to the point—happier than he is with me. I work hard to keep my songbird happy, but Yuki's mere presence was enough for him. I'm working for what Yuki would get with just one look with his golden eyes; Shuichi's heart.
And here I am—crying like I did something wrong—when all I wanted to do was be with him.
I only wanted to love him.
And so, somehow, I've become selfish. Shuichi loves Yuki... and after reading the lyric for the hundredth time, I know Yuki loves Shuichi—the exact same way I do.
So what am I doing here, laying next to him? When I know it's not me he's dreaming about.
Shuichi... who do you see with your whimsical eyes? Who do you love with your magical heart?
I cursed at myself but didn't know I did it out loud.
"Hiro..?" He sat up, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. "What's wrong?"
A lot of things. "Nothing, go to bed."
"Am I hurting you... that bad?" He asked me, eyes—radiant with sadness.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, bewilderment laced in my voice.
"Are you that mad that I didn't tell you what Mika told me?" He asked again, slower. So that's what he meant.
"..." Before, he had told me that he and Mika talked about some things, and that now he knows where Yuki is. He never got into detail.
"Mika... wants me to talk to Yuki. He's in a coma." Shuichi's voice, held so much pain. Pain that I'm unable to ease. Pain I'm unable to confront.
"What's talking to him going to do?" I asked, a bit cold, but I don't think he even noticed.
"The American doctor said that talking to him will keep him connected. And so Mika told me that if anyone could get him out of this... it would be me." His violet eyes, teared up with an emotion I didn't understand. "I'm so scared." He finally whispered—more to himself than me.
"It's okay... what are you scared of? Tohma?" I said sympathetically, running my hand over his back.
"No.. it's not that. I don't want to see him—not like this." He looked up at me. I didn't say a word. "Tell me what to do!" He yelled out softly, falling into my lap and crying. I hate it when he cries. "Hiro... I don't know what to do... please tell me." He cried harder when he said my name.
And in truth, I didn't know what to do. If Yuki's in a coma, no real harm would happen if Shuichi went to talk to him... would it?
I placed a gentle hand over his head. "Do what you think is right."
He looked up at me with lost eyes. "What if Yuki doesn't really want me around, like Tohma said? What if I do something stupid?"
"You won't. And I'm pretty sure Tohma doesn't even know about Mika telling you all that. So stay hidden. And talk to him."
"What do I tell him?" He asked me, after a long moment of silence.
"I don't know. Whatever is on your mind." I gave him my best assuring smile. This must be hard on him, but can I really blame him? It's YUKI we're talking about. But then again, its not easy for me either.
I turned my attention back to him. He was thinking—I know because every time he thinks about something important—he pouts.
"Mika told me... that if he doesn't wake up... it's either he'll stay like that for the rest of his life, or he'll die."
"Then it's final! Go see him."
"What about you?" He asked me. Well what about me? I have no idea.
"Don't worry about me. It's fine." I smiled. He smiled back. "Now let's go to bed."
"Hmmm... Okay."
END Hiro's POV
"Sorry I'm late... my appointment went longer than I thought." Mika said, entering the bar and pulling off her shades.
"It's okay... Tohma isn't here." K said with a smile. "Did it go well with Shuichi?"
"I don't know if I really got through to him or not." She sighed, sitting next to the gunmen. "But since it's Yuki, I'm pretty sure he'll come." She smiled sadly. "They deserve each other... no matter what Tohma tells me."
"Hm." Was K's simple response.
"And if Yuki ever wakes up... everyone will know the reason. His love for Shuichi Shindou."
"And what about the other boy? Hiroshi."
She sighed with frustration. "Hiroshi? Of course, that's the one Shuichi's with now. We'll deal with that after Yuki wakes up."
"Don't you think we're meddling a little too much? Shuichi needed to know what was really going on with Yuki. And now that he knows everything... he can take care of himself."
"Hmm, you sound pretty confident in the boy." Said said, running her finger along the glass of wine in front of her with a smile.
"Years of pointing a loaded gun to his face simply warmed my little heart up." He grinned.
"Yes... Shuichi has changed a lot of lives. Mine included. I never thought anyone would be let into my brother's heart... and yet, somehow, Shuichi got in. That's something everyone should be happy about. And yet Tohma continues to act this way."
"Tohma is one tough cookie. Love comes in different ways. And that's why we'll make sure love doesn't find out about Shuichi visiting Yuki. Or love might come out as an ax, all over Shuichi's face."
"I still can't believe he tried to kill Shuichi."
"I can." K said too quickly for comfort, toward Mika, who, in turn, just sighed.
"Hmm... And so, this epic, continues."
"Oh, yes." K grinned.
Author's Notes: I hope no one minded that I put the conversation between Mika and K in this story, but I needed to make sure that there was no misunderstandings about what's going on. So how did you like this chapter? I hope no one thought this chapter was too OOC. Hiro has changed but he had to with all this happening. And Mika would call Shuichi if something did ever happen to Yuki, right? Well, anyway, PLEASE REVIEW!
Next chapter: Shuichi goes to see Yuki. Hiro is selfish. And Mika seduces Tohma?
