Disclaimer: Maki Murakami owns Gravitation. not me. Life sucks doesn't it.
When Ryuichi finally got out of hospital, he checked in to a private "rest home", only the price tag stopped it from being a "loony bin". He was there for three months. No one thought he should be alone when he came out, numerous friends offered to put him up. He wanted to go home; he wanted his music, his books and the garden which had been left to run unkempt since no one had thought about paying the gardener - Ryuichi was pissed off about that one.
His mother said she would move in with him for a few weeks. Ryuichi gave her a key and she set about airing the house, dusting shelves, and washing linen. Are you sure about this? Isn't there a reason you haven't spoken to her for over ten years? Wasn't there a reason you moved out? Are you sure you trust her Ryu? Of course he didn't say any of that. It was good that Ryuichi had patched things up with his mother.

Tohma picked him up from the rest home.
"Ah To-chan!" Ryuichi was in one of his exhibitionist moods, "I've missed you so so much!"

He flung his arms around Tohma's shoulders and kissed him squarely on the lips.
The manager of the home raised an eyebrow.
Tohma almost felt sorry for Ryuichi, it was a much smaller audience than he liked to play to.
He disengaged himself from the embrace.

"Everyone has missed you too Ryu-chan," he said. He pointed to the two small suitcases leant against the wall. "Are these your cases? Shall I take them to the car? Are you ready to go?"

Of course Ryuichi wasn't ready to go. He had forms to sign, that he could have signed hours ago; he'd left something in his room; he wanted to take Tohma on a tour of the grounds; wanted Tohma to meet the lovely friends he'd made while he was staying here. He'd done this every time Tohma had visited. Tohma simply didn't have the time, or the patience for it this time.

"Ryu-chan we've a long journey ahead"

It was closer to Ryuichi's house than it was to Tokyo itself, but Ryuichi didn't want to go straight home.

"It wasn't shiny in there. It was quiet, quiet, quiet. I want to see people. Pick up some new music. I've missed out on things being stuck in there, no no da"

Tohma knew for a fact that people had been sending Ryuichi CDs. He had been sent just about every new release from the last three months. He'd been kept up to date on the music magazines as well. Everyone had phoned him and emailed him and kept him up on the gossip. Tohma didn't comment on this.

"I love Tokyo, its so shiny!"

Last week you said you hated it. Told us all that that's why you moved. You could have stayed in Tokyo. People offered to let you stay with them.

"Your mother is waiting for you, Ryuichi. She's made you dinner."

"My mother can't cook for shit. I want something that isn't burnt"

"We'll ring your mother and let her know we're going to be later than I said."

"Oh don't worry. She won't care. She's probably drunk already. Stupid tart... She used to be a whore, you know."

"Ryuichi!" Tohma was actually shocked.

"Poop head!" said Ryuichi and elbowed Tohma in the ribs. He put some force behind it and Tohma nearly veered of the road.

Tohma had finally recognised the mood. Noriko called it Ryuichi's "bitch queen act"; Ryuichi (who had an odd turn of phrase at the best of times) called it "being a red elephant" - "sorry I shouted at you Nori-chan, I was being a red elephant last night"; "Ah well I don't think he's talking to me any more, no no da. I was being a Nellie." Tohma thought Noriko's description was better. Whatever you called it, it was a mood Tohma hated.
Thankfully it was one of Ryuichi's rarer moods, in fact one reason Tohma hadn't recognised it immediately was because it was so out of context. Ryuichi's bitch queen act almost always coincided with big concerts, and really really important performances. Tohma had always thought it was a form of stage fright, rather than simply just one of his mood swings.
You're going to have to see her some time Ryuichi, you can't ask the woman to drop everything and move into your house as an unpaid housekeeper for an unspecified length of time, and then turn chicken. You haven't seen her for ten years. She's looking forward to looking after you. Expect many many burnt dinners. And questions you don't want to answer – she is your mother after all.

One thing Tohma was not going to do was let him see her when he was still in this state.
Ryuichi's bitch queen act had alienated many people over the years, deservedly. He was childish and petulant; he stamped and strutted; demanded the ridiculously impossible and then (if you were stupid enough to do whatever it was he said he wanted) claimed that he had wanted the ludicrously easy instead; he called people names, often with enough truth behind them to be really hurtful; he lost his temper; strutted and stormed. It always ended in tears.

Tohma was certainly not going to set him loose upon a mother he'd barely spoken to for ten years. Tohma was one of the few people who could cope with Ryuichi when he was like this anyway.

"You can come back to mine and I'll cook you dinner"

"Ah Tohma's wonderful stew. I was longing for that in there."

Now the immediate problem had been removed, Ryuichi was prepared to be more conciliatory.

"Missed that?" Tohma said, with a somewhat forced cheerfulness. "I thought the food was excellent in there. Five star menu. Better than either of us eat most days."

"Ah yes, but it isn't the same. You know how it is. It's good to be out of there, Little Cat."

He patted Tohma on the shoulder, his hand slid to Tohma's thigh and rested there hopefully.

No. No Ryuichi, no more delaying tactics. We go into Tokyo, go shopping, do whatever it is you want to do. Try and get you calmed down. Then I cook you dinner, and then I take you home

Tohma took a hand off the wheel and calmly removed Ryuichi's hand.

Not a word was said by either of them.

Ryuichi did want to go shopping. He hit a clothes shop and bought several new shirts, tried to buy Tohma a jacket that was far too garish and that he didn't like. He then said he wanted to buy presents for his mother. To say thank you. They hit the department stores and stood in the women's section while Ryuichi chatted up sales girls and glowed in their attention and Tohma grew more and more uncomfortable. Finally Ryuichi insisted on hitting the toy shop. Ryuichi liked toy shops. He spent hours in there, he made the assistants demonstrate almost every gadget in the shop. He ended up buying a robotic dog for Saki which she was far too young to appreciate, although Noriko would probably enjoy playing with it.

By the time he got him back to the apartment, Tohma had had quite enough of Ryuichi for one day. He knew why he'd been acting up, but it didn't make it any better.
They left the bags in the hall. Went into the kitchen to cook. Tohma put the groceries on the counter.

"This is a good kitchen, no no da."

"Thank you."

"Not as good as the last one."

"Sorry you don't like it."

"Let's not have dinner. Let's visit Nori-chan and give her little girl the dog I bought."

"I've started cooking now."

"I don't want anything to eat. Let's go back out into Toyko."

"I've started cooking."

Ryuichi looked at the pot.

"It looks nasty. Let's go back out. Get food at a restraunt somewhere."

Tohma had had enough.

"Just shut up." he snapped.

Ryuichi crumbled visibly. He looked like he was about to cry.Tohma felt bad immediately.
He's only just got out of hospital. Its the first time he's been outside in the real world for over five months. Of course he's playing up. Shit! I'm a bastard.

"Sorry Ryu, it's been a long day for both of us, hasn't it?." Tohma threw his arms round Ryuichi and hugged him. "Come here, you idiot."

Ryuichi rested his head against Tohma's shoulder. He was very still.
They stood like that for what seemed like hours.

Finally Tohma patted him on the back.

"Come on," he said, "It's going to be Ok."

Ryuichi kissed him. Tohma had been half expecting that.
Ryuichi liked kissing people, he did it frequently, often out of sheer exuberance. Because he did it a lot he was a good kisser. This was not a good kiss, certainly not by Ryuichi's standards. It lacked his usual confidence and determination.
Poor Ryuichi, he never could tell the difference between sex and affection.

Ryuichi stepped back, he ran a hand down Tohma's chest.

"Please," he said.

Tohma didn't say anything.

"You're cross with me, aren't you? Everyone's cross with me. Everything's changing."

"I'm not cross with you. And nothing has changed."

Ryuichi moved forward, kissed him again. This time he was more passionate, more insistent.
Tohma kised him back, knowing perfectly well that he was standing on the slippery slopes of the mercy fuck.
Ryuichi ran his hands along Tohma's shoulder blades.
Where's Mika? Her car wasn't outside, has she gone out? We're going to have to move this out of the kitchen.
Ryuichi nipped him on the ear playfully. Tohma found himself responding. The same old moves. He moved his head down, kissed Ryuichi on the space where the shoulder met the neck, he was extremely senstitve there.
We really have to move this out of the kitchen.

Tohma saw her first. She was wearing her headphones, something Rock n' Loud, he could hear the glare of the bass. She had her back to them, didn't appear to have noticed anything.
Their marriage was run on giving each other space, not noticing some things, noticing what not to notice, and not ever talking about some things. It was obvious what had been happening, but it didn't need to be blatant. A step forward, pat Ryuichi on the back, move away from the embrace, a comment to Ryuichi, something innocuous. A comment to Mika, to bring her into a conversation. They could play it as him comforting an old friend. Which was all it was anyway.
She was moving something on the stove, she still had her back to them, there was still time.
Ryuichi turned round, saw Mika. He shot her a look of undisguised hatred. He moved back to Tohma, pulled him closer. Tohma stood on his foot heavily, he put all his weight behind it. Ryuichi yelped, but thankfully moved back. Tohma slipped out of the embrace, rearranged his clothing, tucked his top back into his trousers, leant forward against the table.

Mika put the pan under the tap, ran water into it, put it on the washboard, turned round.
She slipped her headphones round her neck.

"You left the pan on the stove," she said. "It was burning, couldn't you smell it?"

Very casual, very matter of fact, maybe she hadn't noticed. They could get away with it.

"Mika love, didn't hear you come in."

Mika gave him an old fashioned look.

"I've been in all day, my car's in the shop. I told you that. "

"So you did, I forgot."

"Good evening Ryuichi san."

Ryuichi didn't say a thing.

"Good to see you again. I'm glad you're feeling better. Everyone has been missing you."

"That's good no, no, da." Ryuichi was standing far too close.

Ryuichi reached for Tohma's hand. Tohma moved it away.

"I do hope you've been looking after my little cat here, while I was away."

"No, no Ryuichi-san I haven't being doing anything more than I usually do."

"Well I'll see you again some time Mika-san"

"Aren't you staying for dinner?"

Ryuichi ran his hand along Tohma's cheek, "Oh no, I've already had dessert."

"My that was a quick meal," said Mika "You barely had time to swallow."

And if Tohma hadn't been so angry and embarrassed he would almost have applauded her for the speed of that.

Ryuichi didn't say anything at all. He grabbed his jacket and walked out.
They heard him close the living room door, but they didn't hear the front door slam.

"Mika..."

"He's in the hall."

"Mika listen..."

"He just got let out of the loony bin, didn't he?" Mika said.

"Rest home." Tohma corrected her.

"Whatever!"

"Look Mika..."

"He's left his rabbit, you better go and give it to him before he throws himself under a bus or something"

Tohma picked the rabbit up from the table and glared at it.

"Sometimes I really think I want to burn this thing," he commented.

"Where's he staying?"

"He's going back to his own house. His mother's looking after him for a few weeks."

"That's a long drive."

"Yes."

"Shall I save dinner for you? Or will you be staying the night?"

"Mika. Listen..."

"Just give him the damn rabbit and drive him home before he does something stupid."

She obviously didn't want to talk about it.

Tohma still couldn't find his keys. Could Ryuichi have pocketed the bloody things? In the mood he was in it wasn't unlikely.

"They're on the coffee table in the living room"

"Oh thank you Mika. I was beginning to get worried."

"It's a pleasure. One thing Tohma."

"What?"

"Little cat."

"What?"

"Little cat."

Mika started laughing.

"What? Its not that funny."

"I'm sorry Tohma I just can't see you as Sakuma Ryuichi's 'little kitty cat', that's all."

There were a host of possible responses, few of them were polite. Mika had the moral high ground.

"I don't like the rain." Tohma said coldly, and in partial explanation.

Mika seemed to think this was even funnier.

And that was about the time Mika moved from occasional one night stands to full blown affairs.