(A/N): Chapter 16! Things have gotten bad...real bad. Yuki left to go back to NY and never look back, Tatsuha now works for Ryuichi..as a personal assistant. OH MY ME, this doesn't pose well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravi. Sorry. Wish I did. Murikami owns it. She's a genius.

Chapter 16:

"K-san, you can't let Tohma go on with this! Tatsuha CAN'T work for Ryuichi! I REFUSE to let that happen!"

"Don't you think I have tried?" K said exasperatedly. "Tohma is stubborn and won't give in to something he wants. He threatened my job. He said if I didn't stop complaining and just follow what he ordered he would see to it that I never found another job in the country of Japan ever again."

Shuichi growled. He looked sympathetically at his lover sobbing on the floor in front of him.

"I d-d-don't want T-T-Tatsuha to w-w-work for m-m-me. I'D RATHER DIE THAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR HIM TO HURT SHUICHI!

Shuichi took his free arm and wrapped it tight around Ryuichi who sobbed into his chest.

"K-san," Shuichi said into the phone, his voice low and hoarse, "thanks for all of your help. I appreciate it."

"I'm sorry, Shuichi. I'll keep trying all I can..."

"No, don't jeapordize your job anymore than you have."

"But, Shuichi, none of us want anything to happen to you again, nor do we want anything to happen to Ryuichi."

"I know you want to help..."

Shuichi sighed. This day was just getting worse and worse. Ryuichi had stopped sobbing and was listening to Shuichi talk. He looked utterly miserable.

"Looks like there is nothing we can do... We have to go through with it."

Ryuichi looked up, wide eyed, at Shuichi.

"Are you crazy?!" he yelled. "What if he tries to hurt you again?!"

"I'm not happy with it, Ryu, not at all!" Shuichi yelled back. "But, there is nothing anyone can do!"

Ryuichi sobbed again. Shuichi held him tighter.

"K-san, we have to go. Let me know if you hear anything else about it."

"Okay. I will."

"Thanks, bye."

Shuichi hung up, dropping the phone to the floor beside him and taking Ryuichi in both arms.

"I'm sorry, Ryu... I would do anything to stop Tohma..."

"Tohma goes to great lengths to get what he wants, Shu." Ryuichi said, nuzzling his head into Shuichi's chest.

"I know." Shuichi closed his eyes, tears threatening to come. "This day just doesn't want to go well, does it?"

Ryuichi held onto Shuichi tighter.

"If anything we still have each other, right?" he asked Shuichi, his eyes shining with tears.

Shuichi gave him a small, sad smile. "Of course."

"Hey guys, sorry for just barging in, but no would answer the door. Woah! What the hell is wrong, you both look horrible!" Hiro said, looking concerned at the two singers in each other's arms on the bathroom floor.

Shuichi looked up at his best friend, the tears now falling freely. He bit his lip and held Ryuichi tighter. Suguru peeked in from behind Hiro, worry spread over his young face at seeing two of the people he most admired other than Hiro sitting on the floor, Shuichi still in his towel, in each other's arms.

"Hiro...I don't think life likes me and Ryu anymore.."

"What happened?" Hiro said, squatting next to the two lovers, his hand on Shuichi's bare shoulder.

Shuichi looked down into his Ryuichi's hair. "Yuki left, to New York. He called me late last night. He said he was leaving so he could forget everything he left behind and that I would never see him again.."

"Ah, Shu, I'm so sorry."

"That's not all, Hiro! Tatsuha works for Ryuichi now, as a personal assistant."

"What? Who the hell would hire Tatsuha to work for Ryuichi after what happened to you?"

"Tohma."

"Tohma did?!"

Shuichi nodded. Hiro's eyes narrowed.

"That bastard..."

"Don't do anything, Hiro." Ryuichi said looking up at the red head. "I don't want you to do something rash and then lose your job."

Hiro's expression softened. "Why don't Suguru and I go wait for you two in the living room. Shuichi needs to put some clothes on and looks to me like you were going to take a shower. Alright?"

Shuichi and Ryuichi nodded. Hiro stood and lead Suguru to the living room. Shuichi hugged Ryuichi tighter to his clammy body, Ryuichi's fingers digging into his bare back longing for comfort.

"It'll be okay, Ryu-chan. The others will make sure he stays in line, I promise." Ryuichi just held him tighter. "If he ever lays a hand on you...I won't let him live to tell the tale."

"Shu-chan, you won't do anything you'll later regret, will you?" Ryuichi asked, looking back up at Shuichi with wide eyes.

Shuichi smiled sweetly at Ryuichi. "No, but I won't let him off easy."

Ryuichi's eyebrows furrowed. He leaned into Shuichi and planted a kiss on his lips. Shuichi returned it without hesitation, feeling a longing for that kiss, like he longed for the comfort of his lover's body on his. Ryuichi's lips parted allowing access for their tongues to wrestle in their dark chambers. Breaking for air, Shuichi leaned his forehead against Ryuichi's.

"I better get dressed. Don't want to keep them two waiting for too long."

Ryuichi nodded, putting on a sweet smile for Shuichi.

"And, I had better get a shower. I feel all icky. This day hasn't gone well at all."

Shuichi ruffled Ryuichi's hair playfully. "It'll be okay." he said standing up, pulling Ryuichi up with him.

"I sure hope so."

With one last smile and one last kiss Shuichi walked out of the bathroom to leave Ryuichi to shower and to change his clothes. He went to Ryuichi's room, changed, and then went into the living room eyeing his two friends' sadly. Hiro looked into Shuichi's eyes, concern etched on his face.

"Shu, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah...I'll be fine. I...I just can't believe...he's gone..."

Hiro patted the couch cushion beside him, asking Shuichi to sit. Shuichi did so, his eyes now focusing on the floor. Neither Hiro nor Suguru knew of anything to say to Shuichi. They had no kind words of reassurance to take his pain away. Nothing that could be said or done can heal the wounds of a broken heart. Only time.

Ryuichi came in shortly after, the same sad look as Shuichi on his face. He and Shuichi locked eyes. Ryuichi sat beside him (the couch is big enough for all four of them to be seated comfortably). They all say in silence, not knowing of what to say to each other. Hiro, suddenly coming up with an idea, spoke up.

"Who wants to go out for ice cream?"

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Yuki carried no luggage with him, nothing except his laptop. He left everything else back at the apartment. He wanted to leave absolutely everything behind, all except his laptop, which was special to him because saved as a wallpaper on it's desktop was a picture of him and Shuichi that Tatsuha had taken a month before he (Yuki) and Shuichi had split up. It was a rare moment that Shuichi amused Yuki and they were in each other's arms smiling and looking into each other's eyes. Tatsuha thought it was too priceless to just leave alone so he set it as Yuki's background, and Yuki would constantly take it off only to have Tatsuha put it back. So, after a while, Yuki got fed up and just left it, and to be honest, it started to grow on him. Sad thing is, neither Shuichi nor Hikaru knew the picture was there.

Yuki threw away his cell phone after Hikaru called him 168 times, leaving 168 voicemails begging him to stay and scolding him for thinking he could just get up and leave and that he loved him and would do anything to have him back. Yuki, fed up with it, just threw the phone on the ground, smashed it underneath his heel and threw it away.

After calling his editor and telling her where he will be, telling his sister to sell his car, possessions, and house (her asking a million questions until he got angry and told her to stay out of his business and that he was 'leaving'). He wanted no trace of ever being in Japan, except for his books. Those were the only things he would leave behind, because from now on, writing would be his lifeline. Forever and always.

As he walked through the streets of Tokyo viewsing the familiar buildings and streets for the last time, he heard a very familiar voice...one that shot right through his heart.

"I want chocolate...no mint...no strawberry...ooooooh, it's so hard to choose!"

His eyes shot over to the source of the voice. Standed just a few yards ahead of him was the person his heart bled for, Shindou Shuichi. He felt his breath constrict. He stood, his legs not letting him move, staring at his ex-lover, hands on his hips, leaned slightly forward over the ice cream stand, viewing all of his choices of ice creams he could get. He saw Hiro, Suguru, the one person that took his life away, and his rival that he couldn't compete with, Sakuma Ryuichi. He saw his rival beside Shuichi also viewing the ice cream.

"Yeah, Shu-chan." he said, finger to his lips. "It is hard."

A small smile cracked on Yuki's lips. He saw the same smile on Shuichi's. It brought back memories of the random times when either one of them would say, 'Yeah, it is hard," and the two would end up in bed. Inside joke that lead to other things. Those were the good times, the times that Yuki was leaving behind.

"I'll take strawberry." Shuichi said cheerfully.

"Make mine a chocolate." Ryuichi said, just as cheerfully.

Yuki, just out of instinct, could sense a sadness in Shuichi's aura. He felt one in Ryuichi's, too, but that was the least of his concerns. That smile on Shuichi's face, it was real, sure, but it was only there because it had to be, because he wanted to make himself feel better. Yuki's heart ached. He knew Shuichi was sad because of him. But, it couldn't be helped. He resisted the urge to chase after the pink-haired brat and smother him in his arms.

The four friends, after ordering their ice cream, took their cones and went to sit on a bench nearby. No one noticed Yuki, just as he wanted it, and didn't want it. Shuichi was laughing along with his friends, his aura lightening slightly. Yuki knew that Shuichi's rememdy to all of his aches was being with his friends. He was happily licking on his ice cream, not noticing that he had gotten some on the corner of his mouth and on his bottom lip. Yuki saw Ryuichi bit his lip, grin mischeviously, and put his lips to Shuichi's licking the ice cream away. Yuki saw Shuichi's shock disappear as his eyes flashed. Ryuichi tried to pull away but Shuichi wouldn't let him. When Ryuichi moved his head back Shuichi would move with him. The two broke after their teasing, their faces flushed, giggling, Hiro and Suguru staring at them with relief and admiration.

Yuki, stifling his jealousy, figured Hiro and Suguru took Shuichi out to help him feel better. (Ah, too bad Yuki-san doesn't know that Ryuichi is depressed, too). With one last look at his ex-lover, the love of his life, his now ex-lifeline, savoring this last image he could get of him, he turned on his heel and walked in the direction of the airport.

"Bye, Shuichi." he said to himself.

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Boarded the plane, staring out the window, Yuki fought off his tears with a sigh.

"See ya, Tokyo. Don't miss me too much."

(A/N): Ah, Chapter 16 done! It's not as long as a lot of my other chapters, sorry. Chapter 17 is going to be the last chapter, so I expect to make it longer than all the others. Last chapter...wow, shocking, even to me. Please Review!