YAY! I finally updated! -cheers- WOOT! Yeah, sorry that it took so long! Please forgive me! I spent last weekend working on, "Just a Guilty Obsession", (whichburned me out for a few days, btw!)and that's usually when I start my chapters, and finish them.(I only have one hour of typing on the computer on weekdays!) My chapters are getting longer, so I can't finish them with the time I have during the week. I must now rely on the weekends! I don't know if I should be happy or annoyed...
BTW: "Just a Guilty Obsession", is something I worked VERY hard on! It's over 5000 words! -beams- So, please read and review it! If you do, you get a BIG SURPRISE! (I'm not joking! You'll like the surprise!) It's my favorite piece I've written, and it's in Yuki's POV.
Also, this chapter (without Author Notes) is 3600 words! NEW RECORD FOR CHAPTER! -celebrates- And, this chapter is sort of slow-paced, but I promise that the next chapter will be much more intense and edge-of-your-seat stuff. Remember to PLZ read and review! YAY!
Italics: Flashbacks
Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation. If I did... I'd make sure that Yuki was okay in the next track of Genzo! (66, I believe...)
Chapter 11: Run
It was cold in the room. Yuki must've forgotten to put the heat up or something. Or maybe he didn't, and it was just the chill the two men were experiencing. None the less, no one made an effort to put the heat up. Hiro was busy reading a funny manga that Shuichi had in one of the drawers. Yes, Hiro become very tense over the last five minutes. He didn't know what to do, with Shuichi sound asleep on the couch. He didn't want to wake the boy to relieve himself of all his fears.
Hiro, for once, wanted to talk to Shuichi about HIS problems, since he always did that for Shuichi. But he realized that he wasn't facing the same problem as Shuichi was when he confided in Hiro about Yuki. Hiro never had to urge to break out in tears while helping Shuichi. Occasionally, he wanted to rip the novelist's heart out after hearing Shuichi, but he was never sad as well. It would be unfair to try to calm himself by waking Shuichi up because Shuichi would get upset as well, and Shuichi definitely needed to sleep. The boy looked exhausted and very ill, but eerily silent. Hiro would never forgive himself if he woke his best friend, and he had no desire to.
So, he continued to read the manga. It was filled with jokes, which Hiro hoped would cheer him up. They only succeeded in making him cry more, for some reason. He sighed and closed the manga he was reading with a heavy heart. He let out another sigh as he placed it on the floor beside him. He didn't know what else to do. If he turned on the TV, it would wake Shuichi. Even if he muted it and read the bottom, he doubted anything would make him feel better. Every genre made him think of Tatsuha, and that didn't help him at all.
So,Hiro merely stood up and walked into the kitchen. Maybe some delicious food would make him happier. He gave it a shot and it failed. All the food only reminded him of funerals; when his grandma died, a relative whom he was very close to, everyone sent him so much food. He had eaten every single bite with tears in his eyes. He had tried to forget himself and stuff his face. His plan had failed that time as well. His only achievement was gaining five pounds, which he immediately lost the next day by running some miles with Shuichi. So, food only worsened Hiro's condition. He closed the cabinet he was looking in and walked away angrily. He yelled at himself mentally.
When he returned to the couch, Hiro decided to sit next to Shuichi to calm himself down. Nothing else he could think of was working. He quietly and softly sat down on the side of the couch Shuichi wasn't on. Hiro's eyes were deep, like an ocean that no one had measured the depth of yet, because it was simply too far to swim. It was a seafloor of secrets, emotions and thoughts; No one could see to the bottom torealize exactly what he was thinking. No one could understand how he felt, be empathetic, because no one could see him anymore, see his feelings. It was the opposite of Shuichi's eyes, well, most of the time. Shuichi's eyes told people everything. They could tell if he was excited, depressed, worried, content or scared. He was easy to read, most of the time, especially for Hiro, who had known Shuichi for such a long time. Hiro was a pro.
It was amazing how the world could give you everything you desired, fame, fortune, friends, a lover, and then have one thing disappear and let your little castle collapse. It was cruel, evil, and despicable. Hiro cursed whoever was causing all this misery for Shuichi, for Yuki, for Tatsuha, for Mika, for himself. Whoever it was, Hiro demanded some answers.
Hiro scowled at the ceiling, examining it. It was one of those ceilings that you could lose yourself in. It had bumps and lumps that made tiny pictures. One moment, you could see a dog, but if you looked away, you would probably never see that same picture again. Hiro continued to examine the ceiling and let himself go. He couldn't understand why these things happened to him.
Well, some things didn't directly happen to him, but whatever happened to those around him, practically happened to him. He was a very friendly, easily attachable kind of guy. That's why he could handle Shuichi; sometimes the pink-haired singer was difficult to handle with his constant whining and complaining, and his tardiness. Hiro could handle that, but this was another story. He was probably going to lose someone he barely knew, but at the same time, knew so well. It was strange. He told himself that he should just forget it and comfort Shuichi, but he couldn't do that. He was incapable of performing such a task, even with his upbeat attitude.
Hiro remembered the times when he simply broke, even if it only took him a minute to put himself back together sometimes. He remembered when Shuichi came to his apartment, covered in bruises and emotional scars that would never leave him. His best friend had been raped, and Hiro was devastated. When he heard Shuichi call, he was thinking that Shuichi expected to be pampered, wanting Hiro to carry him inside. Then, Hiro had thought for a moment, and realized that Shuichi didn't sound good. When Shuichi informed him that he couldn't move anymore, Hiro had rushed outside quicker than you could say, "Shu!" He had been so angry and afraid. He didn't put himself back together for awhile, and he experienced a 'second-hand rape' so to speak. It hurtalmost as much, but he had put himself back together over the night, and rape victims couldn't, especially Shuichi. The other instances Hiro couldn't seem to remember, because his head was beginning to spin. He rubbed his temple before leaning back, prepared to relax.
Who was Tatsuha to him anyhow? Was he a friend? Family? Just a person in need of compassion? Hiro didn't know. He looked at Shuichi sadly before closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them a few minutes later, done thinking for the time being. Shuichi's breaths were slow but steady, which comforted Hiro a bit. He shivered. Once again, he noticed the chill in the air. Or was it just him? Or was it something even more sinister? And what about Yuki? What if Tatsuha died? If Tatsuha died, what would Yuki do? Would he become a different person, or what? Hiro shivered again. He brushed off the feeling of uneasiness and made himself comfortable.
Hiro watched Shuichi sleep, and he let a smile escape him. Shuichi was so wonderful, even though he could be annoying. He never gave up, and was always faithful. His love knew no bounds, and his hatred never existed in the first place, unless someone murdered Hiro or someone else close to Shuichi. Then, the vocalist would probably feel hatred. But Hiro wasn't planning on getting murdered any time soon, so he dropped the thought.
The clock ticked noisily. Hiro ignored it, as he embraced the chill. It gave him the feeling that maybe he wasn't the only one awake. Maybe someone was watching over him, like an angel perhaps. His guess was far from reality. The clock just reminded him that each minute would cost another minute of despair in waiting. Suddenly, Hiro realized something. The clock had never ticked like that before. This tick was louder and longer, while the old clock had short and soft ticks. Was it a new clock? Hiro looked at the clock. Yup, it was different. 'Why would they get a new clock?' he thought dryly. Hiro's brow rose, but he tried to ignore his gut-feeling that something was odd. Just to be sure, Hiro looked around him. He saw nothing.
Hiro sighed. He had never felt so restless in his life. He couldn't take it anymore! It was driving him crazy! Ever time he tried to stay still, his body urged him to move around, to do something to take away the silence and invisible darkness. It was nagging him; Hiro really needed something to do besides watch Shuichi and stir in his spot, and worry about his friends. It wasn't helping him at all. He wished that he could just disappear for awhile.
Hiro noticed a book on the floor behind the couch. He blinked and frowned. What was a book doing on the floor? 'Maybe I should put it away' Hiro mused. It would be something to do, and he didn't like the thought of leaving the book there anyhow. It was unnerving. He sighed and gave in. He stood up quietly and slowly, as to not move the couch and wake Shuichi. He walked over to the book and leaned down to pick it up. That was when he felt a twinge of pain, and darkness fell onto him, enslaving him. It was so sudden and unexpected; Hiro didn't have a chance to even breathe before the impact. The eerie silence followed afterwards and did not help the situation. Shuichi merely continued to sleep, because he knew nothing of what was occurring.
But suddenly, minutes later,there was a loud noise coming from behind the couch. Shuichi sat up abruptly and looked around wearily. He was still very tired, but he was afraid. Shuichi noticed something: Hiro was nowhere in sight. This worried him greatly. He looked around a few more times, his vision improving with each attempt, but Hiro was still not there.
"Hiro?" Shuichi called loudly. The only response he got was an echo. "HIRO!" Still, only silence greeted him back. Shuichi's eyes widened as he heard a CREAK come from behind him. "H-Hiro? Is that you?" Shuichi had a feeling that Hiro wouldn't be greeting him. He shuddered.
Suddenly, a black-haired man jumped up and grabbed Shuichi. Shuichi tried to shout, but the man covered his mouth. Shuichi kicked and punched, but the efforts were pointless, because the man still pinned Shuichi to the wall. The man was Anoiji, and his red eyes gleamed mercilessly. He had a hateful, evil smile that sent shivers down Shuichi's spine. Shuichi felt helpless. He was so confused and afraid.
"Ah, Shuichi!"Anoiji cried. "How are you?" Shuichi glared angrily at his father. "It took me quite some time and a lot of effort to get you alone, but I must say it's worth it." He paused and smirked evilly as Shuichi continued to struggle. Anoiji punched Shuichi in the stomach and watched Shuichi's struggles simmer down. He pointed to the phone, and Hiro, who was unconscious and tied up against a chair in the kitchen. Shuichi's struggles grew more violent with rage and disgust. Anoiji kicked Shuichi hard in the leg. Shuichi winced."I planned everything out. And now you'll have to listen to me, or I'll kill your little friend, and your lover." Shuichi's eyes widened in horror. "But first, I want to make you suffer a bit for causing me so much trouble." (1) Shuichi gulped.
Meanwhile, Yuki continued to drive down the street, muttering curses as he did so. He was so angry, afraid, and worried. He couldn't believe his stupidity. He kept mentally slapping himself over and over again, until it became a regular pattern in the Mercedes. The wind howled outside and it tasted like cold, salted ice.
Every time the car turned, Ryuichi and Tatsuha felt like they were on a roller coaster, one that, in the end, killed you. They couldn't help but shiver silently. Ryuichi even grabbed Tatsuha's arm for comfort and warmth. With his other hand, he held Kumagoro desperately. He looked like a frightened kitten, one who knew nothing of the danger he was about to face. Tatsuha tried his best to stay calm, but he was failing miserably. He had no clue what was so important to his brother, but he knew that it wouldn't be good. And it definitely had something to do with Shuichi. That was what worried Tatsuha the most.
'But why did bro think I got hit by a car?' Tatsuha wondered. 'He looked so worried… I guess he DOES care about me. But still, he said Mika told him that. Sis said that I got hit, and was at the hospital… Was she playing a trick on him? She'd never go THAT far, at least to my understanding. But…who called and told bro that I got hit then? Does that have something to do with the thing he just realized?' Tatsuha paused and "Hmmm"-ed a few times before Ryuichi hit him with Kumagoro.
"Sorry…" Ryuichi whispered. In one motion, he grabbed Kumagoro and hid his face with it. "I didn't mean to. I just got…nervous…" Ryuichi started to shiver. "Please forgive me, Tat!" His voice was muffled and quiet.
"It's fine" Tatsuha assured his god. He patted Ryuichi's head and sighed. "We're all a bit tense, especially bro. So, I forgive you." Ryuichi let out a relieved sigh and put Kumagoro next to him, no longer covering his face. He smiled softly to Tatsuha before looking away. He was glad that his friend wasn't mad at him; he hated when people were mad at him.
'I hope Shuichi is okay…' Ryuichi thought. 'Mr. Yuki seems really worried about him… What if he's hurt? Then he can't sing and be sparkly anymore! No, he'll be fine! We'll get there in time to save Shuichi! But, what exactly am I supposed to be worried about?' Ryuichi's eyes drooped. He was confused and afraid, not a good combo for the childish singer. The day had started so well, too….
(8PM) The audience was huge, and the lines to get inside had been stretched for miles. People all over the world came, and they sat down in their seats. They all anxiously waited for their god, Ryuichi Sakuma to start. The instruments were lined up on the stage, waiting to be played. The mic stood, waiting for Ryuichi to sing his glorious voice into it.
Some people in the audience were chanting Ryuichi, Tohma and Noriko's name. Others were screaming loudly, demanding to see their favorite band. Some jumped up and down. Some danced like no one was watching. Others just sat patiently, which was rare to see at a Nittle Grasper concert. One person in the audience was the most obsessedfan there, Tatsuha Uesugi.
Tatsuha was wearing a white shirt with black pants. His sister forced him to wear it, because she wanted him to wear 'appropriate' clothes. She knew that if Tatsuha could, he would go to the concert naked. That's why even after forcing the outfit on Tatsuha (it was quite entertaining to watch…) she had guards watch Tatsuha's every move until the end of the concert. They were surrounding Tatsuha at the moment, but they made sure that they didn't block his view of the stage.
Even though he was being watched by guards, Tatsuha was overjoyed. Every concert with Ryuichi Sakuma in it was Heaven on Earth to him. Ryuichi was his god, and the stage was Heaven's so-called clouds. Yes, Ryuichi was on a cloud, so to speak. No one could touch him, emotionally or physically, if he didn't want them to. He controlled everything when he was in his Heaven. But Ryuichi was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Noriko or Tohma.
Tatsuha jumped up and down in his seat and started to scream Ryuichi's name over and over again. The guards, all dressed in black andbald, looked at Tatsuha with bewilderment as he proceeded to dance merrily. It was a strange sight for the dignified, strong guards. They would never forget it; that was their source of entertainment for the day.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the lights from the stage lit up. The lights were many different colors, and they skipped across the stage. Tatsuha's eyes grew bigger and bigger, until Ryuichi Sakuma finally emerged from backstage.
Ryuichi was wearing a button-up white dress shirt that had most of the buttons undone. His pants were black leather ones. His hair looked wild and exotic and he had a mischievous smile on his face. Tatsuha drooled and drowned some of the guards.Ryuichi went up to the mic, his beautiful eyes darting around the stage. Noriko and Tohma emerged from backstage as well and they got into their positions. But they weren't the ones everyone was looking at. It was Ryuichi Sakuma, their god, in his serious mode.
As the band began to play, magic ran through the air. Everyone could feel it move through them as Ryuichi began to sing. His angelic, perfect voice made everyone freeze. They were stunned. Ryuichi WAS a god, the god of music. As the words passed through Ryuichi's lips, Tatsuha was mesmerized, as was the rest of the crowd. And the song went on…
(8AM) Twelve hours later, and a thousand encores later, the concert finally ended. It was a sad moment when the exhausted Ryuichi told the audience that it was finally over. Everyone had groaned, wanting more, even though the concert ran very late. Tatsuha was the saddest of them all. He wanted to see Ryuichi and hear his wonderful voice. It was an addiction, one that he made no effort to break.
The guards were dismissed, and Tatsuha was grateful. He looked at his watch and gasped in horror. It was 8:05PM! His train left in five minutes! 'Oh shit!' Tatsuha thought angrily. 'Mika's gonna kill me! Dammit! I'll never see Ryuichi in concert again! The misery! They'd better have TVs and CD players in Heaven so I can watch my honey from above!'
"Tatsuha!" Ryuichi called, back to his childish demeanor.He came rushing down to Tatsuha in a disguise. (It was a bunny costume) He looked worried, and he gave Tatsuha a concerned glance. Tatsuha was frozen. He was rejoicing inside his head, but he kept a cool exterior. He didn't want to flip out in front of his idol, again. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, can I tell you outside?" Tatsuha asked, slightly happier. 'I might die, but I'll die happy!' he thought logically. Ryuichi paused and scratched his head for ten seconds before responding. He nodded, and Tatsuha cheered mentally. He got to talk to his god outside!
Ryuichi led Tatsuha backstage. There was an exit there for the musicians to get out without being swarmed by rabid fan girls and boys. It was quite convenient, for the musicians of course. To the fans, it was the devil. But now, Tatsuha was grateful that it was there, because he got to walk out with Ryuichi Sakuma! It was another advantage to having Tohma Seguchi as his brother-in-law.
When they got outside, Tatsuha directed them to an alley. "We can talk privately in here" Tatsuha told the childish rock star. Ryuichi nodded happily and skipped with Tatsuha into the alleyway. Tatsuha smirked. "Ryuichi, I'm upset because I missed the train back to Kyoto! Mika will literally kill me if I don't get back on time!"
"Oh, yeah…" Ryuichi muttered. "It was because my concert ran late. We had too many encores; that's what Tohma said, and he's almost always right. I'm sorry! How can I make it up to you?" Ryuichi looked upset. Tatsuha felt so sad; he didn't want his beautiful god to be unhappy. He paused and looked thoughtful. Suddenly, Ryuichi jumped up happily. "How about I ask Mr. K to come pick us up by helicopter?"
"Really?" Tatsuha demanded. He wiped away his drool and smiled sweetly. "That's so nice of you Ryu!" He hugged Ryuichi and inhaled his scent. Ryuichi smiled proudly. "But wait, won't Tohma and Noriko be looking for you?" Ryuichi shook his head.
"I was supposed to leave in a prettiful limo" Ryuichi explained. "I already cancelled them. Tohma had to get back to NG, because he had some paperwork to do. And Noriko wanted to get home to her husband and daughter really quickly." Tatsuha nodded with understanding. He was glad that there were no complications. Mika would kill him if he got Ryuichi in trouble.
"Thanks Ryu!" Tatsuha said, and he let go of Ryuichi sadly. "You're the best!" Ryuichi smiled. "I would've been sulking out on the street if you hadn't volunteered to help!" Ryuichi nodded.
Suddenly, Tatsuha's cell phone began to ring. Ryuichi nodded, and let Tatsuha excuse himself. Regretfully, Tatsuha answered his phone. "Hello, Tatsuha Uesugi here!" he answered. "Who could be calling on this glamorous, wonderful, spectacular, radiant day?" He let out a chuckle. But there was a short period of silence on the other line. It ended quite abruptly.
"Are on the train?" It was Mika. She seemed angry, like always. "'Cause if you're not, I'm going to run you over, and then burn you." Her voice was venomous and deadly. She was definitely in a bad mood, and was not to be messed with. Tatsuha gulped. "Answer me, Tatsuha, or I'll have to send those guards again." Tatsuha checked the caller ID just to be sure. Yup, it was Mika alright.
"Ah!" Tatsuha squeaked. Ryuichi noticed Tatsuha's distress and smiled sympathetically. "Uh, yeah! I'm on the train right now!" Ryuichi made train sound affects, quite well actually. Tatsuha gave Ryuichi a thumbs up and smiled. "Woops! Mika, I'm gonna have to call you back! The lady next to me dropped her stuff, and I want to help her!"
"Tatsuha!" Mika threatened. "Don't you dare ha—" Tatsuha quickly hung up his phone and turned it off. He sighed in relief when he could no longer hear Mika's bickering. Ryuichi laughed with Tatsuha.
And then, Yuki had come by, and he heard the rest, or so Ryuichi thought. But it was a good day, before they saw Yuki. Nothing seemed to be capable of going wrong, but everything backfired. Ryuichi's singing friend was now in trouble! And Yuki seemed distressed, as did Tatsuha. All Ryuichi had wanted to do was sing! The car continued to move, but Ryuichi was too deep in thought to notice.
"We're here!" Tatsuha cried. Ryuichi turned his attention to outside the window. It was right in front of the apartment. Yuki hastily parked his Mercedes before rushing out of it. Ryuichi and Tatsuha weren't far behind. Yuki pushed the door open and ran inside. Ryuichi and Tatsuha followed him obediently.
"SHUICHI!" Yuki yelled.
(1) I'm gonna be nice and give you guys a hint. He's not getting raped. I know, I know, thank me in the review! LOL!
A/N: How was it? Did I do okay? I hope so... Yeah, the flashback thing was unnecessary, but I did it for fun. Dunno, I needed some entertainment... And, I'm quite happy because I got some reviews from well-known authors on gurabite, and they were positive! I'm getting somewhere, I guess! Anyone know what Anoiji is gonna ask? I'll give you a clue if you review! (Hey, that rhymes!)
Remember, please read and review "Just a Guilty Obsession" to get the BIG SURPRISE. THANKS FOR READING!
