Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation. I like to buy things related to it, though.

A --- indicates a scene change. Text without quotations is not spoken.

Italics are internal dialouge/thought.

"Quotations are spoken dialouge."

--- Chapter Two- Lonely---

"Hey, are you Shindou Shuichi-san of Bad Luck? Can I have your autograph, PLEASE?"

"Ngg… what…?" Shuichi shook his head, trying to clear it up. Where was he? And why was someone asking for his autograph? "Where am I…?"

The voice who had asked him for his signature gasped, excited. "Did you get drunk and wander around? Did Yuki Eiri-san kick you out? That must be it! Are you going to go back to him? His he still your lover?" Shuichi's violet eyes traveled slowly upwards- he wasn't quite awake yet- to look into a pair of brown ones. The girl who was staring down at him seemed to be younger than him, maybe fifteen or so. What was she doing out here so early…?

"Uh, do you have the time?"

"Yep! It's almost quarter to six." So she was probably on her way to school. He stood up, pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen with strawberries on it. He paused before signing it and handing the paper to the girl, who screamed and ran away to catch her train, thanking him. Yuki had given him that pen… why did he take it with him? Still not awake enough to care all that much, Shuichi started walking towards NG. He'd surprise everyone by being there much earlier than was necessary, instead of being late like he normally was… Yuki hadn't kept him up for most of the night this time… and he was still too upset and angry to sleep…

His thought process remained stuck in that cycle for a while as he slowly made his way towards the recording studio. Why did Yuki break his promise? What had he done to make Yuki become so unfaithful?

Probably nothing, the bitter part of his mind sighed. That man doesn't need a reason for any thing he does; he just goes ahead without a care. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

No, I must have done something… is it because I'm younger than him? Is it because we're both famous, and the damn paparazzi vultures kept following the two of us everywhere we went? Is it because… I'm gay? No, he fucked me almost every night. He said he didn't care that I was gay about a year after we had met, and I had just started living with him… It has to be something else. I must suck so badly in bed that he felt he needed someone who knew what they were doing… but wait…. he told that whore that he only kept me around because I was a good partner… was… Confused more than ever, Shuichi started to cry harder. It was all his fault again. Everything was his fault.

I wish… I had someone to talk to…

The sound of someone quietly crying reached him and the rock star stopped, trying to hear where it was coming from. In checking his surroundings, he realised that he had arrived at NG studios. Who could be out here so early… it was almost six thirty, according to the giant clock on the side of the building. Okay, maybe not so early. But the building didn't officially open until seven. From the sounds they were making, it sounded like a small child. Perhaps it was one of the many children who went missing each year… trying to find their way home…

His own problems temporarily forgotten, Shuichi tried to locate the poor thing to comfort him or her and let them call home to their parents, who were probably worried sick. It seemed it was coming from one of the park benches… yep, definitely from over there…

Shuichi was stopped cold when he saw who it was. It wasn't a little kid, it was… Suguru. The keyboardist was asleep on a bench, head resting on a bag of what looked like clothes and some other things. Tears were running down his face as he whimpered in his sleep.

S-Suguru? What's he doing out here, especially in his nightclothes? Did he run away from home? Why's he crying…? Wondering if it was safe to approach him and whether waking him up was a good idea, he quietly walked over and knelt down so he was almost face-to-face with his band mate. Suguru's tears were still coming fast… something bad must have happened if he's all the way out here like this, Shuichi thought. The poor guy… he may be arrogant and a little cold towards us, but if he's upset like this, something must be going on at home… especially if he's crying in his sleep… then maybe, just maybe he had his reasons for being so mean. Maybe he just didn't know how to make friends… man he's so adorable in his sleep. Almost like a little kid… woah, where did that come from? The vocalist's expression softened as he gently ran his hands through Suguru's soft hair. The boy was a lot like his cousin Tohma, hardly ever saying anything about himself or his private life, and very little even when asked. Any number of things could have happened to make him cry like this, and even if Shuichi wasn't sure why he thought Suguru was adorable, he wanted to help. Suguru had offered some pretty good advice in the past… even if it was in an excessively sarcastic and demeaning tone of voice.

What's wrong, Suguru? What's going on? Shuichi put his finger on Suguru's cheek, wiping away the tear that was there. Despite himself and his storm of internal emotions, looking at the teen's face calmed him down enough that he didn't even realise it when he fell asleep, his forehead touching the others.

---

Suguru Fujisaki walked through the house he grew up in as a small child. The lights were dimmed and the twilight outside offered very little in the way of illumination, but he didn't need it. He knew where everything was by heart. The living room where he was now was very bare- no carpet, an ancient couch, a dilapidated coffee table, and a small television set that only showed a snow of static. The tiny, lone window in the room looked out to the street of the residential district of Tokyo. Moving into the narrow hallway where the ancient wood creaked with his every step, he passed the kitchen and welcoming area, trying not to gag with the smell of unwashed dishes and the heaps of trash that had never found their way to the dumpster. The floor was extremely dirty and in need of repair. Small shadows skittering away in the corner of his vision let him know that he wasn't alone in the house… no, he was never alone…

Continuing into another narrow hallway, he passed by the bathroom with a shudder. As Tohma had said half-jokingly so many years ago, it was a minor miracle that he wasn't deathly afraid to go in one, after what he had been through… most people would have. That night, his parents blamed him for the incident, but it hadn't been his fault… it wasn't his… it was theirs, his parents forced it upon him…

Suguru?

Images of blood and screams flashed through his head; a child's innocent trusting face looked up at him, slightly confused but still smiling.

"Onii-chan?"

No…

"Onii-chan!"

He was an only child…

Suguru, are you alright?

He was the only one…

Suguru!

He had been the victim…

Wake up!

He, the victim, was being blamed… it never ended, the cycle of blame…

Suguru, WAKE UP!

His green eyes flashed open to stare at the blue sky overhead. It took Suguru a moment to register why he was outside on an uncomfortable bench, shaking and having trouble breathing. Then he remembered the words he had exchanged with his aunt only a few hours ago and shuddered, remembering also what had happened to cause him to leave. Speaking of which, he was now homeless as well….

Great… more problems…

"Oh Suguru, please wake up!" a familiar voice cried.

"Shuichi, why are you hugging me? And why are you here?" He inclined his head to stare at the pink haired baka. Shuichi's eyes were full of tears, and he looked like he wanted to curl up and die at the moment. He was blushing at being caught hugging his friend, but he also had a slightly concerned expression on his normally carefree face.

"Mou, um… you were crying in your sleep… so… I thought you were lonely, and I wanted to keep you company until you woke up, but I fell asleep too… and I woke up when you started to shake and whimper… so I tired to wake you up too, but you didn't and only started to cry harder, and I was afraid…" Shuichi looked away and bit his lip. Why was he saying all this? He didn't want Suguru to know that. He would probably be laughed at now.

When his friend looked away, Suguru felt a surge of emotions. He couldn't help but think "Idiot…" and "He's so cute when he does that!" at the same time, which made his cheeks flush a little bit. That wasn't natural. Shuichi may be attracted to other men, but Suguru definitely wasn't. He decided to chalk it up to his usual morning grogginess and left it at that, until he realised Shuichi's hand was dangerously close to his own. That caused him to turn a deeper shade of red than before, and in a moment of indecision, he placed his hand on Shuichi's.

"It's- it's okay. Thanks." He tried not to look as the idiot's head turned towards him questioningly. Suguru kicked himself mentally- he should have given the baka a gruff thanks and pulled away. But while he thought about it, he also realised that their hands were still touching, and for some strange reason he didn't want to take it away. Shuichi's hand was soft, and smaller than he had imagined it would be.

W-wait! Since when have I imagined his hands, or anything else about him! This isn't right...!

Shuichi couldn't believe his ears. Had Suguru Fujisaki, the mean synth player of Bad Luck, just admitted appreciation to him? Even now he was blushing, probably embarrassed that he had let his cold exterior drop for a moment.

He's so cute! That's it- I'm going to be really nice to him so he opens up more. He isn't mean because that's his personality, he just doesn't know how to interact with other people very well! He'll probably be really mean to me for a while, but so was Yuki… Yuki… why…

Suguru started as Shuichi suddenly burst into tears. Why was the guy such a spaz? He decided to wait it out- his crying fits didn't usually last long. As the minutes ticked by, however, he was starting to grow more and more awkward by the moment as Shuichi just cried buckets of tears onto their hands. In an attempt to calm down the upset singer, he hesitantly reached with his other hand to ruffle his pink hair, finding to his surprise- and secret liking- that it was soft and smelled faintly of strawberry and vanilla shampoo. He had to consciously restrain himself from leaning forward to inhale the scent. What in the world was wrong with him this morning!

I must be incredibly tired… it couldn't have been good for me to sleep outside on a bench like this… oh, crap, I'm not even dressed to be outside… and it's probably close to opening time, which means I have to change and get presentable fast… Suguru made to get off the bench, but Shuichi just held on to his hand tighter, resting his head on it. It was obvious what he was saying: "Don't leave me yet!"

Is this what Hiro puts up with every time he gets upset? He's an amazing friend! I suppose I can't leave him here… that would be cruel. But I really need to change!

Squinting so he could see the clock, he started to panic when he read the time as 6:54. People would be showing up any minute! He looked around frantically, trying to see if any one else was coming, failing to notice the tall figure sneaking up behind him.

"Boo."

Both teens jumped a mile. Hiro stood behind them, watching with amusement as Shuichi tried to figure out what was going on now, and Suguru put his hand to his heart, looking as if he had had the scare of his life.

"Ohayo! What are you guys doing here so early?" He kindly didn't mention the fact that both of them seemed to have forgotten how to dress themselves.

There must be a reason behind it, even though it's probably a crazy one. I wonder what they were up to?

"HIRO!" Shuichi launched himself on to his best friend, clinging to him and continuing to cry. Figuring that this was his chance to escape, the synth player hurriedly grabbed his things and headed towards the back entrance to the building to get changed in the bathroom. He could explain everything later- Hiro wouldn't make any judgments until he heard the story behind it.

Shuichi had better be eternally grateful he has such an understanding and caring friend. I know I'd be if I did… unfortunately, I just can't seem to open up. But I don't really mind since I wouldn't have time to form deeper bonds with people. If it's not the band, then it's school, and I have to maintain my position at the top of the class, even if I'm not going to go to college after I graduate. I don't care what Tohma says- he put me in this crazy situation and I'm going to see it through to the end! Besides, when you get past the fact that two out of the three are insane and one could probably destroy all of Japan if they wanted to, it's not so bad. Rage is a serious threat to our health, but as long as Shuichi does most of what she wants, she's fine. And Shuichi himself is too stupid to be capable of anything on his own… the only things he has going for him are an innate ability to write music and sing. Those and his sexy body… NO! No, no, no, no…

Walking over to splash his face with water from the sink, he accidentally slipped and hit his head on the edge as he fell, landing on his stomach. The world spun in and out of his vision as he tried to register what happened, feeling a splitting headache coming on.

"Ah… damnit…" He got up shakily to check for any obvious damage. A massive bruise was forming where his head had made contact, already swelling and turning black and purple.

That's going to be really nasty and impossible to cover up… this just isn't your day today, is it Fujisaki?

---

"So, Shuichi… why were you and Suguru out there like that? You do realise that other people are awake that early in the morning too, right? What's up?"

"Y-Yuki cheated on m-me!" He wailed, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah, you said that- about a hundred times already, and he's a worthless, cold-hearted bastard for doing it. But was Suguru making fun of you or something?"

"No, he w-was being nice…" Shuichi stopped crying profusely and stared down at the floor, still sniffling. "He actually thanked me…"

"What? You've got to be kidding! That kid's just as bad as Tohma!" And he didn't care I just insulted the love of his life either… that's unnatural.

"No he isn't, he's just not sure how to act around other people. And he really was nice to me, even though I was crying all over his hand and all."

"How'd you figure that out?" I'll ask about them being in their nightclothes later- obviously there's more going on than Shuichi's willing to tell me. But that's insane, thinking Suguru's actually capable of being kind to other people. We've been together as a band for a whole year, and the only nice things he's ever said to us were after concerts! Even then he acted like he was our coach or something… it's only been in the past few months that he's shown any signs of real humanity in him. But making a jump from not freaking out over Shuichi's chronic lateness to actually trying to comfort him is too big to be feasable!

"Because he was blushing after he said 'thanks', and he had just woken up, so I figure that he was embarrassed at letting his nasty personality drop because he was too tired to realise it at first. He ruffled my hair too." Suguru would kill me if I told Hiro that he held my hand as well… I'll just let him think that I did that. "I'm going to be nicer to him, now that I know he's just awkward."

Hiro couldn't help but stare at his best friend for an incredulous moment before asking another question. Since when did the baka think things through like this? Had he missed something? It was possible- as he and Ayaka had started to become more serious with each other, they had encountered opposition from her parents, since Hiro didn't come from a wealthy or distinguished family. They had begun to soften a bit, but it was very slow going all the same. He had been so wrapped up in his own life that he had failed to notice that the little ball of energy that was Shuichi had matured somewhat.

We've got to hang out more often- I've fallen behind in keeping track of him.

"Back to the original question… why were you two out there like that? Or do I have to ask Suguru myself?"

"Well, he looked pretty lonely, and I was too, so I walked over to him. He didn't notice because he was already asleep. I was really tired, so I ended up falling asleep next to him…." Because his face is so cute, and it looked so… what's the word… aw, crap, maybe I should start expanding my vocabulary…

"And that's all?"

"Y-yeah," he said, wincing as Hiro's eyebrow arched in amusement and speculation. For all he had grown up, he was still a bad liar.

"I think I will ask him after all…"

"Ask who what? Where's Fujisaki? We've got to start!" Rage, their psychotic manager, rushed through the door to the practice room to find two of her charges talking and the third one missing. "It figures! The one day Shindou decides to show up on-time the punctual one is late!"

"Actually, Rage-san, Suguru's here- he's in the bathroom," interjected Hiro politely. Come to think of it, he's been in there for a while. Perhaps Shuichi doesn't want to tell the whole truth for a very good reason…

His thoughts were interrupted by someone coming to the door, informing them that Suguru Fujisaki was in his cousin's office at the moment, and that the rest of them were to come up within the next fifteen minutes as well.

"So much for getting started on-time…" Rage sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "When I saw Shindou's adorable little head in here, I thought that we were actually going to be able to use all of our available time to get that album done, but no… Fujisaki had to go and do something to land us all in trouble!" A dangerous light came into being behind her eyes. "I won't stand for this! He may be an amazing musician, but his attitude really needs some work! I hope he gets fired so we can get a respectable player in here!"

"Rage-san, it's not Suguru's fault! He didn't do anything, honest. Tohma probably just wanted to talk to him. They are related, after all."

"Shindou, why are you defending him? He's clearly in the wrong! And especially how he's almost never nice to you! MY PRECIOUS SHINDOU!"

Even K-san wasn't this crazy! "P-perhaps we should go and see Tohma now? The faster we do so, the faster we can start on the recording."

Rage gulped in a few breaths of air to calm herself down. "Alright, Hiro, I guess we can't argue with that… let's go. We'll set everything up when we get back." She led the way out of the room and in to the elevator, muttering dire threats under her breath. Rage then led them along the long hallway to Tohma's office. Pausing just before opening the door, she added one more thing.

"This means we don't have a break until we finish at least half of the songs! I hope you've written a new one, Shindou."

Oh, shit! I'm dead!

---

"Suguru, I'm disappointed in you." Tohma's soft voice echoed slightly in the spacious room, the intense anger in it sending shivers up his cousin's spine. "I had thought we had agreed that you were to stay at my mother's until you were eighteen? As of now, you are only seventeen, if you have forgotten."

"I haven't, but the fact of the matter is, I can't continue to live there any longer. You forgot to tell me a few of her less desirable habits." The president of NG Records had come out of his office himself to retrieve him, and all for the chance to tell him that he, Suguru, wasn't doing something he should. His headache was threatening to overpower him at this point and send him into dreamland, but he didn't show it in his face. There was more than a battle of words going on at the moment.

"Are you implying that one of our family- my own mother, no less- has tendencies that would be considered indecent or frowned upon?"

"Yes, I am, and if you had bothered to stop by once in a while, you would have noticed. I'm surprised you didn't already know about it." Tohma glared at his younger cousin. True, he hadn't gone home for a few years now, but surely not that much had changed. And Suguru was being exceptionally rude this morning, which was very out-of-character for him… maybe it had something to do with that hideous mark on his head.

"For argument's sake, what are these alleged 'bad habits'?"

"She'd bring home loose men after spending a night out on the town, drinking. Ever since your dad died, she'd do that to drown her sorrows, and when she came back with those… people… I'd be thrown in the mix against my will, if you know what I mean." He had to talk carefully and as politely as possible to the enraged man behind the desk now, or else he could find himself in a very drastic situation.

"I see. It seems uncharacteristic of her, but I suppose anything is possible. I'll look into it." He flicked through a spiral-bound phonebook, idly glancing at the massive bruise on his cousin's head. "How did you get that injury? Are you alright?"

From the most dangerous man on earth to a caring family member in seconds flat. He's so unpredictable. "I slipped in the bathroom. I'm fine though, it doesn't hurt much."

"If you're sure, then…" Tohma got up from and walked to the front of the desk to stand in front of the smaller boy. They had a glaring match, boring holes into the other's eyes with their deep distrust and dislike of each other. It probably could have gone on for a good while, but the older man laughed quietly and brushed his hands over his cousin's brow, sneering when he fell to the ground in pain.

"It doesn't hurt, hmm? You might want to have that looked at. I've seen things like that incapacitate a person for quite a while…"

He's probably bluffing. I'll check myself in to the hospital later today to have it looked at, but I doubt it's anything serious. Only a nasty headache.

They didn't say anything else to each other- Tohma returned to his desk to sort through some paperwork and Suguru climbed in to a chair, too dizzy to stand. Minutes passed, and he wondered if he should try to walk again to join the rest of the band in the practice room when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

"Seguchi-san, can we make this quick? We're behind schedule." Rage edged herself through the door with Hiro and Shuichi right behind her.

Well, we're all here… what does he want with them? Suguru twitched when a horrible thought came to him. Is he going to throw me out of the band since I just told him his mom was a drunken whore?

"I have something to tell you, and I hope you will like what I have to say. However, if you have problems with it… you'll just have to suffer through." A predatory smile formed on his lips as Tohma glanced at each member of Bad Luck individually, assessing them before moving on. "There has been a small change in the matter of your tour."

"WHAT!" Rage ran forward and slammed her hands on the desk, fracturing the expensive wood. "How can you make a change without consulting us first!"

"Easily. I request that you please go back to where you were before you do any more damage," he said pleasantly, the same smile on his face. The infuriated manager complied, though her hatred shone through. Rage had earned her nickname well.

"Now, the tour. You are scheduled to start three months from tomorrow, correct?" Heads nodded in affirmation. "Good. The change I made is this- at a request from Ryuichi, Nittle Grasper will be accompanying you. In a bid for glory, Bad Luck and Nittle Grasper will share the same stage and take Japan by storm, vying for supremacy in a battle of music and talent."

Silence followed this announcement, each with their own thoughts.

Well, I suppose I don't mind… it's a great chance to prove that we're not just some Nittle Grasper copy-band… I don't think Shuichi could be happier, either. Sounds like fun.

HOW DARE HE! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUR TOUR! I HATE HIM! NOW HOW IS SHUICHI SUPPOSED TO PROVE THAT HE'S BETTER THAN ANY ONE ELSE ON HIS OWN! HE'LL EASILY LET HIS IDOL TAKE THE LEAD!

OHMYGODIT'SADREAMCOMETRUEICAN'TBELIEVETHISISHAPPENINGANDITHINKI'MGOINGTOPISSMYSELFI'MSOHAPPYOHTHANKYOUTOHMARYUICHIANDIWILLGETTOSINGONTHESAMESTAGELIKEMYFIRSTCONCERTANDI'MGOINGTOBEONTOURWITHHIM!

Great… the loving older cousin gets to look out for the younger one who really couldn't give a shit either way about him. Wait, no, I could- I despise him. I was looking forward to just spending time with the band, but now Rage is going to be miserable because we're with another band, Shuichi's going to be following Ryuichi everywhere, and Tohma's going to be there… Hiro's going to be the only one I can hang out with, and he talks to Ayaka almost all day when he has the chance!

"I see not every one is happy with this decision. However, I will also remind you that NG Records is sponsoring the event, so you can either go along with it or disappoint your fans by calling it off." The grin on his face told Suguru that his cousin was going to get exactly what he wanted- a joint tour between the two bands would sell out in a matter of days, bringing in a huge revenue for his company. Tohma never did anything just to satisfy others- he also did something for himself at the same time.

"I guess we don't have a choice, do we! I don't like this change in plans at all, but we'll go along." Rage stomped her foot and looked away, furious with her president. But she knew some of his reasoning behind it too, so they'd go with it.

"Sure, I don't mind." Hiro was holding on to the back of his friend's shirt in case he decided to throw himself on the person who could choose to drop them from his label at the drop of a hat. "I don't have a problem with it."

"THANKYOUSOMUCH!" Shuichi squealed, jumping up and down in his spot, since he wasn't allowed to hug Tohma. It didn't take much to make him happy- he was a simple kind of guy- but this was something that he had only dreamed would happen since he had started with Hiro back in middle school. It was really going to happen!

"Suguru, are you alright with this decision?"

"Of course, Tohma. I could never go against what you want." He got up and bowed sarcastically, fighting to keep himself conscious as the movement sent a rush of dizziness to his head. He'd pay for his insolence, he knew, but for some reason he didn't really care.

"Actually, now that I think about it, Suguru…" Tohma said as he laid eyes on his disoriented cousin, an idea forming in his head. "I'm not sure if I want you to go on-tour with us." He held up his hand to quell the storm of protests. "Hear me out, please. At the moment, Suguru is seventeen, which means he is still in school, and though I hear he's kept up rather well there, for him to miss a month or more to travel Japan would put him very far behind. His family and I would like him to maintain his current class position, and then move on to college after he graduates."

I'll kill you, thought Suguru, I swear to god I'll kill you!

"Noriko or I could cover his part for the tour. Rage-san, what do you think?" Rage wasn't the one who answered first, however.

"If Suguru isn't coming, then neither am I!" All heads turned to Shuichi, who was now standing protectively next to Suguru. "And if I don't go, then what's the point of saying Bad Luck will be with Nittle Grasper? I'm the lead singer after all and no offense to Hiro or Suguru, but I'm the one the crowd wants to see most. Bad Luck will cancel its joint performance with Nittle Grasper if one or more of its members are not allowed to go with them!"

Shuichi is… defending me? And why's he standing so close to me? He still smells like strawberries and vanilla… it's… nice… His eyes rolled back in his head, and he barely felt it when Shuichi caught him, yelling at him to see if he was alright.

"Suguru! Suguru, what's wrong? Hey…" Shuichi gently lifted away the boy's bangs to fully expose the massive bruise on his forehead. "Where'd he get that? He didn't have it earlier this morning!"

"Ah, he said he slipped in the bathroom. I told him he should have gotten someone to look at it, but he's so stubborn… at any rate, Shindou-san, I'm dismayed to hear that you would rather call off the tour than let one of Nittle Grasper's performers fill in for your synthesizer. However, I'm also happy that you and your band have become so tight. I'll make arrangements with my dear cousin's school to see what he can do about being away for two months."

I don't want Suguru coming on this tour! However, if Bad Luck doesn't go with us, then we won't bring in as much as we would if both bands went. I'll simply have to arrange it so that Suguru is swamped with work which he'll never be able to finish… by the time it becomes apparent to Shindou-san, it'll be too late and he'll have to come along.

"Thank you, Seguchi-san! I'm sure Suguru will be happy when he wakes up!" The singer looked down at his band mate, a strange feeling inside him. It was similar to how being with Yuki had made him feel, but it was different… he wasn't sure what it was.

"I'm happy we could reach an agreement, Shindou-san. It doesn't seem as if you'll get anything done today with your keyboardist out of commission however, so I hope Rage-san wouldn't mind giving you a day off. You may come back in whenever my dear cousin feels up to working again." If any one caught the slightly sarcastic tone in which he spoke, they didn't mention it. Instead, they thanked the president and left his office, Shuichi and Hiro carrying the unconscious Suguru between them. Rage went ahead to tell the staff that they had a day off, leaving the other two behind in her wake.

"Wow, that was really weird wasn't it, Hiro? I can't believe Seguchi-san would let us go on-tour with Nittle Grasper! It's a dream come true!"

"Yeah! But for someone who's just had one of his life's goals come true, you're being awfully calm about it." Looking at his friend sidelong, he could see concern in those violet eyes.

"You've been really down-beat today, even for what happened between you and Yuki." He winced, forgetting that the mere mention of the author's name was enough to send the lovesick fool into another crying fit. This time, however, Shuichi merely looked down at the boy he was carrying.

"Hiro… Suguru's really thin. I can feel his ribs through his shirt. And his cheeks are a lot paler than they should be, now that I'm looking at him… I don't think he fainted just from hitting his head."

"Really?" he asked quietly, mellowed and a bit surprised by his friend's unusually downhearted tone of voice. "What do you think is wrong with him?"

"I don't know, but I'm worried. I'm not all that strong, and yet … I can carry him without a problem, even though he's almost my height. That shouldn't be. You know…" he paused before going on, not sure whether he should tell his friend what he had heard. "I didn't tell him I heard this, and I don't really think I should tell you either, but when he was asleep… he was crying, and whispering for someone to stop hurting him. He was shaking and flinched sometimes, begging them to stop."

Hiro didn't say anything for a while. When he did, it was in a softer tone of voice. "Shuichi, do you think there's something going on between him and Seguchi-san? They were staring bloody murder at each other back there. And for cousins, they've been pretty distant and cold with one another."

"I don't know… but Hiro, he ran away from home- that's why he was outside this morning, same as me. That's why he took everything with him. We've both run away and don't have anywhere to go."

They reached the lobby and sat down to take a break before parting ways. "I'm going to get my own place, Hiro. I can't live with Yuki and my parents stopped talking to me after I publicly announced I was living with another man." He avoided his friend's concerned look that said 'why didn't you tell me that!' and went on:

"I think I'll invite Suguru to live with me until he can find his own place, since he needs somewhere to go too. Like you said, he and Seguchi-san aren't getting along well at the moment, and he probably doesn't want to go back to his parents since he ran away…"

"Doesn't he have any siblings?"

"No, he's an only child."

"How do you know?"

"I asked him. He's not as cold as you'd think…"

"What about other relatives? Shouldn't he be staying with his own family instead of you? Not that I think you're incapable or anything, but his own blood might be better."

"Somehow, I get the feeling he doesn't want to have anything to do with them. Hiro, stop trying to talk me out of it- I've made up my mind. I'll ask him to stay with me for a while. Besides…" he paused, looking up at the high glass ceiling above them. "He needs someone to look out for him a little bit- obviously he's not taking care of himself, so I'll ask him to live with me." Shrugging, he added; "besides, we're in the same band. We've got to help each other and stick together. It'll be easier to get the songs done, too, since the synth part and the vocals can be tested a little bit before they're actually hashed out in rehersals. It'll save a little time."

"Now you're just making excuses. But I see your point, as vauge and far-away as it is. You guys can crash at my place for a while until you get your own. However, it can't be forever, since it's not exactly roomy."

"Gotcha! Thanks, Hiro! I'll get our stuff, and maybe we can get it all onto your bike…"

"Forget it. I'll take Suguru- you take the bags onto the train."

"But-!"

"No. Riding with you is hazardous enough, not without adding two giant bags of god knows what and an unconcious little shark." Hiro playfully defended himself against Shuichi's riteous anger as the baka tried to tug his long brown hair.

"Hiro! Suguru's not a shark! And I'm good at riding now; I learned after having my face slammed into that sign two years ago! How do I know you won't take him and ditch him at Tohma's or somewhere else?" The real fear in his voice surprised the two of them, and an awkward silence fell over them both. Shuichi resumed absently threading his hands through the still unconcsious synth player's hair as Hiro mulled over Shuichi's sudden distrust of him.

What's with him today? Since when does he care so much about Tohma's clone? … Enough to suspect me of wanting to be rid of him? Yeah, I tease Suguru and make fun of him, sometimes behind his back, but I'd never do anything like leave him in some godforsaken place… and I don't think I'd even let Tohma get ahold of Yuki Eiri, for all the bastard deserves it. I hope Shuichi isn't falling for someone else so soon. It would never work. If anything, it would be a replacement relationship, not a real one. And besides, Suguru's one of the straightest guys I know.

How many feet can I stick into my mouth! And why the hell am I being so protective of Suguru? Yeah, he's a band mate and all and I want to be nicer to him, but this…? I just told Hiro that I didn't trust him to keep him safe! I'm not a mother! Fuck, I don't know what's going on… I think the thing with Yuki's been screwing with me more than I thought. I haven't cried as much, but hell, I've been acting so strange that I don't need to. I hate growing up.

Awkwardly, they apologised and agreed to Hiro's plan. Shuichi watched as his two friends sped off towards Hiro's flat. He then went inside to get what he needed and Suguru's bag, then to the terminal and boarded the train. Though the ride was short, he felt like he had been on there for hours, lost in thought.

I hope I'm not falling for him… he's cute, but I don't think I'll like what's underneath. He might be just as cold as Yuki… I've been wrong before. I've been so far off the mark that I might as well have been -blind.

---End Chapter Two---

A/N: Ugh, I hate this chapter- I've hated it since I wrote it in July. It's not rational, nor does it make sense! But I have to have SOMETHING for the sake of plot. Sheesh. And, and, since I'm totally AHHOMGSTRESS about all of this and life, can someone reassure me that this shouldn't be rated M for language or innuendo? I had a really racy last chapter planned, but it got scrapped because of restrictions and my own... um, Catholic-bred innocence?... and therefore, I thought T would be okay. But I need to know that my judgment's correct. Do I lack self-confidence? No... I don't think so. Dunno.

Domo arigatou to KagomeGirl21 for the review! I just hope I don't disappoint too badly with my lackage of writing skillz. (With a "z". You know I'm tired now.)

Chatper Three- Simple Songs is next.