Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation, or any of its sexy bishies. -wails-

Shatter CH 7. Eiri POV.

It had been days. No, weeks. Her heart burned with an angry, uncontrollable passion to see him. He was all she wanted. She needed him, she feared.

She wasn't used to needing anything, or anyone. Especially not a man. And why Jean-Claude, of all men? He was average, at best. What was it about him, Jean-Claude, that made her heart flutter, ache, that made the arches of her feet tingle in the most delightful way, when she so much as thought of him?

What, she wondered, was the world coming to?

-

I push Seguchi the hell off me, and get the hell out of there.

Well. I try to.

"Eiri," he calls after me, in that silken voice, rippling through the ear and sneaking its way into my ear. My insides curl.I'd like to throw up, pass out, or cause serious physical harm to Seguchi's face.

Decisions, decisions.

He takes my hand, pulling me back to him. He has such small, dainty hands. But it feels like they can crush me, break me, into small, tiny pieces that one gust of wind could send flying so far away that any one memory of a person called Uesugi Eiri would no longer exist.

He runs his gloved finger over the scar, the scar I've forgotten, finally, after all this time, reminding me who I am, and that I most definitely, in this moment, exist.

In one swift movement, I take my hand back and take a few strides to the door. I do not turn back to watch him stumble backwards into his desk.

I do laugh, though.

-

She buttoned up her velvet coat and found her way out the door, abandoning her lonely apartment for, she hoped, the last time.

The steady clicking of her heels on the sidewalk helped calm the nervous pounding of her heart. But nothing could quiet the excited buzz of her mind, filling her head with oh-so-many magenta thoughts of lust and passion, anticipation.

She was going back.

She was going to see him.

-

I storm out that infernal elevator (it was playing a Bad Luck song, for God's sake) and stomp my way to the front door, stopping only to wipe the hot, angry tears from my eyes with the back of my hand.

But who am I angry at, exactly?

Shuichi? Seguchi? Me?

That receptionist who's giving me dirty looks behind her glasses?

Just keep glaring, lady. Today is not your day.

I decide to take it out on the ivory flower vase that just so happens to be mocking me from where it stands on a glass table.

I admire the intricate swirls, made of too-shiny gold, decorating, choking, the side of the vase. It really is nice.

I smash it to bits.

The receptionist is yelling at me.

You've done it now, Eiri.

Oh well.

Seguchi'll take care of it.

-

I don't know where I'm driving. I don't care. It's raining. Storming. Normally, I like this kind of weather. But at this precise moment, I'd prefer some glaring sunshine, chirping birdies, laughing, skipping children – that kind of cruel irony. Some kind of reminder that the rest of the world is not as sick and miserable as I am.

But no. It has to be freaking storming.

I can't drive like this.

I've somehow ended up right in front of Tanemura Hospital. This is a joke, right?

Right?

Next, I find myself standing in front of a desk, asking a too-polite lady with curlers in her hair where Shuichi's room is.

I don't even remember getting out of the car.

Okay, who drugged me?

The door to his room is cracked open, just a little, like someone didn't completely shut it on their way out.

I peek in, finding Shuichi sitting on top of the bed in the dimly-lit room. He's smothering a pillow, suffocating it, holding onto it like it's his own life itself. He's rocking himself back and forth, in and out of the minimal light.

And he's singing.

Crying.

A simple tune, a tearful requiem. A bittersweet goodbye, mourning the loss of hope.

I close my eyes, standing in the doorway here in this gloomy hospital. His voice, his song, washes over me. Everyone, everything else vanishes, into thin air. I'm carried away, he's carrying me, to a place I could never even dream of.

I don't belong here.

I'm too twisted, and screwed up. Only Shuichi could dream a place like this, so innocent, and pure.

Heaven.

Or maybe it's hell.

I can't tell, anymore.

This all must have been a mistake.

It must have been.

And even, even if it wasn't...

I hear it in your song. The quivering notes, the trembling lyrics that surely would be crappy if I could decipher them, they're grabbing onto the very last pieces of my heart, holding on so desperately, and I know.

You need me.

Maybe even almost as much as I need you.

I forgive you, Shuichi.

Let's start over again. We'll pretend last night, and today, and any other days you want to forget, never happened, not even in our dreams. We'll start all over again.

And we'll start with this song.

-

A/N: Hmm. Well. Before all the super-duper-rewriting of this chapter, I entirely loathed it. Now, I don't mind it as much. But the few rough copies of this chapter...oh, they were horrendous.

On to the reviews! Wow, six? I feel spoiled. Thanks so much, guys!

Rena Is So Cool. Of course the pocky was strawberry! Only the best for youuu! -falls over- I LOVE YOU TOO AND YOUR CAPS LOCK. :D

sayuri-girl! Have I ever told you how much I love your reviews? Yes, I have. Oh well, I'm telling you again! -triumphant pose- You're like, way too nice to me, and I'm so glad you're reading it the way I hope it's being read. (If that made any sense at all...) It looks as though Eiri will try to comfort Shuichi now...but will he let him?

Yuki-Mizu: Yay! Another Tohma-hater! I say we gang up on him and throw water balloons at his head! ...Or maybe not. Wow, you are way too kind to me. I guess you can post the links if you want to...but I really don't think it's that good! Thanks so much, na no da. -wipes happy tear-

vixen-of-the-roses: Thanks so much! I hope they get back together too. -laughs- By the way, I love your username. So pretty. :D

Silvea: Really, you wrote that too? -highfive!- Yeah, I felt a little bit lame using that particular cliché, but at the same time, I really like it so...I have no idea what I'm trying to say. -laughs- Tohma actually does get punched later in the story, but at this point in time, I don't know who punches him yet. And thanks so much. :D

Oh...wait a minute. Did you mean you sang? Man, I'm slow. Well, I sing away my pain too, so highfives either way!

-slinks into a corner-

Murmury-chaaaan! Well, that was the stupidest nickname of all time. Oh my gosh...really? You think so? Wowie, thanks so much! The truth is, when I wrote this, these were my exact same emotions too. Maybe that's why it came out well? Anyways, I do hope you feel better, as you know, for I love you! -laughs- And thanks a million-billion-hundred! 'Cause we all know I'm just as bad at math as you are. ;D

To everyone: Thanks so much for reading! It really does mean a whole lot to me! Now that I've got six reviews for one chapter, think we can match that? Or maybe even...-gasp- beat it? I'd really love to know everyone's opinions, so please review if you can!

Thanks again, I love you all!