A/N: Okay, I have 300 hits to my fic "Love is a Gun," but only 2 reviews. I'm a little annoyed with that, but if you don't want to review that fic, okay—I just want to know if any of you who read this story have read that one—just tell me in your reviews to this story. (Also tell me if you actually read these author notes).
Generations:
Chapter Nineteen:
"Ta…Tatsuha-kun?" Ryuuichi stared at the younger man in the doorway, taking in all the changes the past few years had made to the man's appearance.
Suddenly the black-haired man flew at Ryuu and wrapped his arms around him saying 'My Ryuu—I found you at last!'
Startled, Ryuuichi stood silent for a moment and then smiled, the younger man's enthusiasm reminding him of the past—about how he himself been so giddy and hyper, back before he met Taki.
"Ah…." Ryuu grimaced when Tatsuha squeezed a bit too tightly, hurting his back anew; though the singer quickly masked his pain with a smile.
"Ryuu-sama? Did I hurt you? Gomen, Gomen." Tatsuha quickly let go, reluctant but desiring to make sure his idol was okay—he didn't want to do anything to hurt his Ryuuichi.
"I'm okay, Tatsuha-kun." Ryuuichi chirped, ignoring the soreness of his back as moved to let the younger man further into the apartment. That's when he glanced back at the entrance and saw Tohma standing there watching him. "Tohma…."
"Ryuu…it's been a while since I've been here." Tohma stepped into the apartment after Ryuuichi made no move to invite him in or to keep him out. "I thought you were still out of the country…when did you get back?"
"…why are you here, Tohma?" The brown-haired man kept his eyes on the blond, hiding his back from view self-consciously—he wished now that he had put on a thicker, darker shirt than what he now wore. The light color of the thin fabric shirt he wore too easily absorbed any blood that might seep from the welts from the whip.
"…." Tohma stared into Ryuuichi's eyes, searching for some clue to his former band-mate's thoughts that the brown-haired man's calm, unreadable face hid. 'When did Ryuu start looking so serious all the time? What happened to the childish Ryuu I used to know? The one who used to be so excited to see me?'
"Well…I….Um…." Tatsuha shifted his eyes from one to the other, uncomfortable in the heavy silence. "I…I'm a bit thirsty, do you have anything cold to drink, Sakuma-san?"
"Oh, there's some soda in the fridge in the kitchen—you want me to get you a bottle?"
"No, I'll get it…what room's the kitchen?" Tatsuha asked after glancing down the hall—too many doors greeted his eyes. 'This is one huge apartment…all those rooms….'
"Down the hall, second door on your right. Bring me a bottle, too, Tats-kun. And…." Ryuu turned back to Tohma, "Do you want any, Tohma?"
"No thanks, Ryuu. I'm fine."
Ryuu merely nodded as Tatsuha left for the kitchen, avoiding looking Tohma in the eye. 'Tohma…I hate being so distant with you, but if I talk to you and Taki finds out…he's afraid I might say something about what he does…and if I did…Kess….'
The Brown-haired man chewed on his lip as he thought unaware of the studying stare the blond man gave him or the searching look in the man's pale eyes.
"Ryuu, we didn't come here just to visit." Tohma caught Ryuu's eyes. "It's about…."
"If it's about leaving Taki, forget it." Ryuu intoned rigidly. "I'm not leaving him, and I'm not letting you make him leave again either." 'I wish I could leave, but Kess….'
"I wish you'd reconsider." Tohma sighed, giving up on finding a hint of that carefree singer he used to know. "This visit is not about that though, not fully anyway."
"…."
-
Tatsuha stood in front of the fridge listening to the muffled conversation of the two former band-mates in the front hall.
"What am I going to do? If Tohma can't convince him, what chance do I have?" 'Then again I can just kill that son of a bitch—I'm sure Tohma would help cover it up….' He smirked at the thought, and reached his hand to the fridge's handle. 'Then again, what if Ryuu-chan really likes Aizawa? I don't want to upset him…what if I do kill that bastard and Ryuu finds out and…he hates me because of it?'
Tatsuha's expression grew mortified, and he had to cover his mouth with his hand in order to keep from crying out 'no' as the thought passed through his mind.
'Ryuu hate me? No! I can't let that happen! No, no, no, I can't risk it.'
Calming himself by breathing deeply, Tatsuha opened the fridge door and reached in to grab two sodas. That's when something on his arm caught his attention, and he paused to look closer at it—a red smudge marred his skin, standing out.
"What the hell…? It's blood, but…I cleaned up after helping with Kessuke…how…?" Tatsuha narrowed his eyes in thought, stepping back in shock when he remembered how Ryuu had grimaced and gasped in pain when he hugged him. 'It…it couldn't be…it couldn't be from Ryuu….' Immediately he stared out the kitchen door, his disbelief fading each second he thought about it. 'It couldn't…why would Ryuu be…? AH! Aizawa!' Tatsuha felt his muscles twitch as he thought of the man. 'If he dare hurt Ryuu….'
Forgetting about the soda, Tatsuha stormed out the room and down the hall ignoring the argument going on between the two men. Neither man seemed to notice him as he stepped into the front hall and stepped to where he could see Ryuu's back.
"God!" He gasped at the sight of the blood staining the shirt, and quickly grabbed the shirt to look under it before the older man could react.
"Ah!" Ryuu flinched, grabbing at Tatsuha's hand, a look of fear in his eyes.
"Tatsuha! What are you doing!" Tohma stormed forward, startled by the black-haired man's bizarre action. "Let go of…."
"Ryuu, how long has that bastard been doing this?" Tatsuha demanded, his eyes never once leaving the sight of the older man's lacerated back, grimacing at the freshness of the wounds.
"Tats…." Ryuu gave the younger man a pleading look, his lips trembling.
"Doing what? Tatsuha? Ryuu? What…?" Tohma looked from one to the other, concern and confusion shining in his eyes. He got his answer when Ryuu suddenly pulled away from Tatsuha and fell to his knees, leaving his back viewable to both men.
The only sound for a few seconds was Ryuu's muffled cries as the N-G president took in the horrid sight of the badly abused back of the former-singer.
"GOD! Ryuu!" Tohma felt his stomach wrench at the sight, his previous anger at his friend disappearing as worry filled its place. "What has Aizawa done to you?"
"Yeah, and why have you let it go on so long? Why not kick that bastard out the moment he did that…and don't say it's because you like him, 'cause I…."
"Why didn't you tell anyone, Ryuu?"
"You two don't understand!" Ryuu sobbed, staring at the floor with blurry eyes. "He threatened…he threatened to hurt Kessuke if…if I told…if I didn't let him…he'd hurt Kessuke…I….I didn't want Kessuke to get hurt…I…."
"Ryuu…I…." Tohma felt tears fill his own eyes watching his friend breakdown, finally understanding Ryuu's stubbornness about Taki. "Ryuu…you don't have to worry about Kess…."
"You got that right." A chilling voice came from the apartment's main door—and the clicking sound of a gun being cocked filled the room. "He has himself to worry about for going against my rules."
Tohma's body stiffened at the touch of the cold metal against his neck, his stomach churning at the nearness of the person behind him.
"Taki."
A/N: End Chapter—I guess it's a cliffhanger, anyway, please review.