Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or it's characters. This chapter is in Shuichi's P.O.V. so you readers can have a little insight on Shuichi's view of the situation. There won't be many chapters in Shuichi's P.O.V. so I hope this one is liked. There isn't a whole lot of action in this chapter. I'm sorry. I will try my best, though. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

"What's the assignment this time, boss?" Hiro asked, tying a cloth around his head to protect it from sweat.

Yuki unrolled a scroll, reading the neat writing on it slowly, making sure he didn't miss anything.

"We have to take all the weapons and artillary from the storage house in the village a mile from here." he answered Hiro, rolling the scroll back up and throwing it into a corner with the many other scrolls that the group was given.

"Why such a difficult task?" Suguru asked, running a hand through his green hair. "That place is swimming with guards."

"We're strong, we can handle it." Hiro said with a smirk.

He looked over at me, a look of pride on his face. I admired Hiro and how he could do things without warning or without fail and do it without care. He was an apathetic guy, though he knew the right times and places to be emotional. He was my best friend, and he alone understood me. He respected my love for Ryuichi, he supported me, and I give him all of my respect for that.

"Ain't that right, Shu?" he asked me, his smirk widening.

"Yep, that's right." I answered, nowhere near as enthusiastic as he was.

Yuki glared at my tone. I was supposed to be the bubbly, loud, happy-go-lucky guy of the group, but at that moment I was very distant. I wanted to see Ryuichi, I wanted to break away from the stupid 'game' that I got myself into, but...I also wanted Yuki's lips. I hated when I had moments like that, when I could do nothing but long for Yuki: his body, his lips, his power. He had such a desirable aura around him. I felt drawn to him, as much as I wanted to stay away. I turned my face at his glare, avoiding his piercing, golden eyes.

"Let's go. We have to have this done by sunrise."

Yuki and Hiro always lead when we go on an assignment. Suguru and I are usually distrations or look-outs. Hiro and Yuki were the strongest of our group and did most of the dirty work themselves. Very rarely would Yuki actually let me take a big part of the assignments. He always said that being the lookout is the most important because the less they get bothered and distracted, the quicker they could get in and do what they had to do. I despised being a lookout, but I was in no position or power to argue with him.

We arrived to the village quickly, all of us taking to the trees. The village was dark, because everyone was asleep. All except the people guarding the storage house that we were supposed to steal from. Yuki turned to Suguru and I, his eyes burning into ours, his voice low, tense, and threatening.

"Hiro and I are going to take care of the guards and get into the storage house. You two know what to do. Keep a look out and if anyone interfers, kill them."

I hated killing people, absolutely hated it. I always felt dirty after taking someone's life. The victims weren't doing anything wrong, they were just doing their jobs of protecting the village. But, what Yuki says goes. No arguments. No if's, and's, or but's about it. I nodded numbly, signaling him that I understood the orders. He turned to Suguru who also nodded, then he and Hiro lept out of the tree branch they were on and ran to the village gate, meeting and anayilating the guards quickly.

"I hate this blood bath." Suguru said, more to himself, but I heard him clearly.

He was watching the scence with wide, sad eyes. He hated fighting more than I did. He, like me, didn't know why he got into the 'game.' He didn't know whether he was forced into it, or whether he got into it by will. He was also frightened easily. He didn't like to show it, but it could be read clearly in his eyes. He was an effective fighter, very useful for his keen awareness, but he took things to seriously. Never once did he kill anyone. Yuki didn't force him to, usually laying that responsibility on me. Suguru would knock them unconcious, but it was my job to stop their heart.

"Yeah." I whispered softly, my eyes leaving the scene to scan the area for any approaching life.

My eyes spotted a patch of bushes moving. I narrowed my eyes, watching carefully, ready to pounce into attack at any given moment.

"It's a man." Suguru said, his eyes on the same spot mine were.

I braced myself to jump when the man stepped out. I almost fell out of the tree. It was Ryuichi.

"It's the prince." Suguru said softly.

I could feel his eyes on the back of my head. I turned to him, my eyes begging him not to let Yuki know of this. He looked back at me in understanding.

"Don't worry, Shindou-san, I'm not so cruel as to keep you away from the one you love."

I smiled softly at Suguru. He wasn't such a bad guy. He had a crush on Hiro, I knew that for a long time, though Hiro didn't share the same feelings. Or, if he did he never showed it. Suguru knew how hard it was to be seperated from love, so that's why he was so sympathetic with me.

"Thanks, Suguru."

"I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I see Yuki and Hiro return."

"Okay."

I jumped down from the tree, landing flat on my feet. I looked around in the darkness for a glimpse of my love, and found him coming nearer towards me.

"Shuichi?" he called in a low voice, as if scared to yell out into the night.

I found a sense of relief in that. He knew better than to yell out for me when Yuki was near.

"Ryuichi." I said back, just loud enough for him to hear.

He looked over and spotted me, a huge smile spreading across his beautiful face. He ran to me, taking me into an embrace when he reached me. I pushed him away slightly so I could look into his face.

"Ryuichi-kun, what are you doing here? How did you manage to get out of the castle?"

"It was easier than I thought. Most of the guards were asleep." he answered with a boyish smile.

I wanted to laugh. Some guards they were, not awake to watch over the prince. I also felt a sense of anger towards them because if something were to happen to Ryuichi and they weren't awake to help him, I would never let them live it down.

"That still doesn't explain what you are doing way out here." I said. I lowered my voice. "I'm on an assignment. If Yuki sees you here with me, then I'm a dead man standing."

"I'm sorry, Shuichi-kun. I just had to get away." he answered me sadly.

"Ryuichi, you can't. This isn't the life for you."

"I wanted to see you again." he said, looking up at me with tearfilled eyes.

My heart shattered at his expression. I knew he wanted nothing more than to runaway with me, and at that point it sounded like paradise. But, I was bound to the 'game' and was forced to follow along by it's rules. Until the 'game' was over, I couldn't be with him.

"I met my soon-to-be-wife today." Ryuichi said, shuttering at his words.

My heart sunk. He was going to be forced into marriage. I could never be with him. That hurt more than anything.

"I don't like her." he continued. "She's too...clingy and...unlike you."

I ran my hand down his cheek, his warm skin tingling against my fingers.

"Yo, Shuichi, heads up. Yuki's on his way." Suguru called from the tree tops.

My heart lept.

"You have to go, Ryuichi." I said quickly.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I know, I know. But, go. Yuki's coming." I urged him on, not wanting Yuki to see me with him.

"I love you, Shuichi-kun."

"I love you, too. Be careful." I said as he began his journey back through the forest, I praying that he makes it back to his castle before Yuki caught him.

I watched until he disappeared and turned to see Yuki and Hiro approaching, leisurly walking towards Suguru-who had just jumped out of the tree he was perched in- and me. Hiro was laughing at something Yuki said as they approached.

"Man, those guys were a bunch of wimps! They ran away scared! Practically handed the stuff to us." Hiro said in an amusing voice, jutting a thumb at the large bags he and Yuki were dragging behind them.

"Whoever hired them has to got to be the most idiotic person..." Yuki said shaking his head in disappointment. "I was hoping for more of a fight."

"Oh, well. We got what we came for, so let's head back." Hiro said, taking his free arm and throwing it over Suguru's shoulder.

I couldn't fight back a grin as I watched Hiro lead Suguru through the forest. Suguru, the poor guy, was melting with each step they took. I felt Yuki's breath of my ear. I didn't dare turn my head to look at him in fear that he'll back away.

"No interferences today, Shu-chan?" he asked me, his voice deep and seductive.

"Nope, none at all." I said quicker and louder than I had expected or wanted, my body heat rising. He knew I liked it when he breathed in my ear.

"That's good." he replied, gently pushing me back against a tree, licking my ear.

I didn't want to be there in that position with Yuki. Especially, since I just saw Ryuichi. It always made me feel like a whore whenever Yuki would try and have his way with me after I was with Ryuichi. I knew that Yuki did it on purpose because he knew that I wouldn't turn him down. I couldn't turn him down. He was just so desirable. I couldn't help it. I wished it wasn't that way. I wanted nothing more than to be with Ryuichi, but the stupid 'game' had me bound and I could do nothing but fall under Yuki's control. I had always felt a deep desire for Yuki from the day I met him. Needless to say, I was extremely young when I met him, I always saw something that made me come back for more, like he had an imaginary hook in my mouth and he could reel me in at any time.

"Let's get back. I don't want them two out alone. Never know what Hiro might do to poor Suguru."

Yuki pushed himself away from me and began to walk ahead of me. I followed after I saw him disappear into the darkness. My legs felt like jelly and I couldn't move them. I sunk to the ground, my mind racing, begging for the 'game' to end so I could escape away from all the torment. My heart went out fully for Ryuichi, but I was torn...torn between my love for Ryuichi and my lust for Yuki.