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."
Warning!: The beginning of this chapter contains lime. Now the whole story contains innuendo, yes, but this is actually "almost there". Just a heads-up.
---Chapter 4- Bonding---
Shuichi was hanging over him, pressing his arms into the soft bed underneath. His cheeks were flushed and beads of sweat were forming on both their brows as they stared at one another, waiting for the next part. Slowly, he leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips, his tongue requesting entrance. He complied, opening his own mouth, and soon they were battling for dominance, though Shuichi quickly won because he had the advantage of height. At the same time, their hands were busy, one pair threading through soft pink hair and the other tracing lines down his leg, slowly moving closer and closer to the inside of his thighs. Shivers of delight were sent through his body, and in response he moved his own hands down to gently tickle Shuichi's collarbone and then travel along his back, stopping at his hipbones. Suddenly, he was flipped over on to his stomach, and felt a warm body press itself on top of him, breathing in his ear.
"You ready?"
"N-no…"
"Then I suppose we can wait a little longer…" Shuichi whispered again. "I won't push you any farther than you want to go, Suru-kun."
"Thank you…"
Raucous laughter brought Suguru away from his dream. What the hell had that been about? He didn't like guys like that, and Shuichi especially! Who the hell was laughing? He groggily opened his eyes to find a mass of pink in front of his face.
What the…?
In another second he registered the body that was pressing against his, uncomfortably close. He scrambled away in a panic, breathing heavily, watching as Shuichi frowned in his sleep. They had been so close to each other… Suguru blushed with the memory of his dream. So that's what triggered it- the baka had been practically sleeping on top of him!
"S-Suguru… I'm… sorry…" Hiro was on his bed, laughing hysterically. "But it w-was too funny… you guys do the w-weirdest things in you-your sleep!"
The fact that he was laughing out of control was enough to tell Suguru that Hiro had witnessed the entire spectacle… whatever it was.
"Y-you didn't!" He launched himself off the floor at the taller boy to shut him up and explain what was so funny, but he was hopelessly outmatched. Within minutes Hiro was sitting on top of him, still laughing his head off, and Suguru was trying not to throw a tantrum.
---
He and Yuki were lying in bed together; close enough to feel each other's warmth, but not actually touching. He scooted closer so that they were, and wrapped his arms around his lover's neck. Yuki didn't move, deep asleep. He moved his arms down to trace lines along the older man's thighs, surprised when hands started to go through his hair. Yuki had responded in his sleep! In the moonlight filtering through the windows, a small ring of light reflected off the golden locks, softening his normally aggravated expression. He gently brushed aside a few strands, and the hands moved down to trace his collarbone, and then down his back.
Suddenly, he found himself on his back, staring up in to murderous golden eyes that made him quake in fear.
"Do you have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night?"
"N-no…"
"Then why'd you do it, idiot? Unlike you, I actually have work to do later on."
"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry."
"Too late for that," came the dangerous growl. "You're going to give me compensation, and if you don't scream loud enough to wake every one else up the first time, we'll keep going until you do!"
"Yuki, I'm sorry! Just, please…!"
"Shut up! You don't have any options here."
"Yuki!"
The other man simply laughed, leaning down to harshly bite his small lover's lips. Soon his laughing became loud and raucous, and he faded out, with the room not far behind him.
"Yuki? Where are you? What happened?"
"SHUICHI-KUN, WAKE UP DAMN IT!"
"Suguru, you ruined it!" Hiro's cheerful voice brought Shuichi back into his friend's room, where he found himself tangled in sheets. After he escaped their clutches, he turned around to find himself staring at his friend sitting on top of Suguru.
"Shuichi! Good morning!" Hiro said to him.
"Mo-u… morning…"
"Shuichi!" Suguru's escape efforts were renewed as Shuichi's awareness returned. "Hiro, get off of me this instant!" Suguru was squirming, not able to breathe properly after a few minutes of being sat on. Instead of calming down and eventually regaining his senses, Hiro had only grown louder and louder as Shuichi continued to move around and mumble in his sleep, entangling himself in his blankets and occasionally crying out "Yuki!" and "MORE!"
"Hir-o… what're y'doin' t'Suguru…" Not quite awake yet, his eyes were still misted over with the disconcerting dream that he had been a part of…
"Just sitting on him. He tried to attack me."
"Uwhaa? Why?"
Clamping a hand over the protesting younger boy's mouth, Hiro said the first wicked idea that came to him.
"He asked to go out with me, and I refused."
The stunned silence that followed lasted for an entire minute. Shuichi tilted his head slightly and frowned, trying to fully comprehend his friend's statement. It didn't make much sense… but it was possible… In the meantime, Suguru had frozen completely in anger and shock. He also could have sworn his hair turned completely white, but he'd have to worry about that after he murdered the conniving bastard that had him pinned to the bed.
"I. DID. NOT!" screamed Suguru, his voice reaching a register that not even Shuichi could hit on the best of days. Startled, Hiro lost his balance and fell, landing spread-eagle on the floor.
Suguru was suddenly and very unceremoniously released. He rolled off the bed and landed with a small thump next to Shuichi, who was looking very dazed and confused.
"Suguru? You didn' really wanna go 'ut w'Hiro, didja?" asked the singer weakly. He was still trying to figure out what was going on. Not to mention regain the greater part of his hearing.
"No!" I don't date guys, he wanted to add, but for some reason the words wouldn't come. He settled for gently punching the baka on the head.
"Guys, while you were still asleep, Rage called and gave us a random day off. So what do you want to do?" Hiro was chuckling over the trick he had played, his face still to the floor, body spread-eagle. "Don't ask me why she did it! I don't know, but at the same time I'm not complaining. I think you guys should start looking for a house today."
"That is unusually nice of her… however, I see your point. Shuichi, as soon as you're ready, we'll start our search." Suguru quickly got to his feet and went in to the bathroom, taking his personal items with him to change and freshen up. When he took off his bandage, he was a bit dismayed that the bruise had only gotten bigger in the past few days. This was the third night they had spent at Hiro's place, and Suguru felt as if he was over-staying his welcome. It had been three days since he had overheard Shuichi's confession to Hiro as well, but he still didn't know what to make of it.
This is going to be very awkward living with a guy who thinks he likes me. Thank god he hasn't declared or showed it outright besides touching me a bit more than necessary, but I'm still worried… especially after what just happened out there. Relationships like that between members of the same band have a history of not turning out for the better. And though Shuichi may swing that way, I'm fairly sure I'm straight! All the weird thoughts that I've had for the past few days were probably from me being tired and hitting my head on that sink. So… I'll just try to lay low for a while in that respect…
For once, I'm glad Rage is slightly insane. I wouldn't have time to go on this search otherwise, since I just found out how much work I have to do if I want to go on the tour, and in all honesty I'm not sure I can finish it all. At any rate… I should move quickly. The other two are probably waiting to get in.
He changed and walked out, squeezing himself against the door post as Shuichi rushed past him, and was almost caught in the door itself as he slammed it shut.
"What's his problem?" Suguru dropped his bag down in the corner where he was keeping his things. "Did you tell him about his… talking while dreaming?" he asked, trying to phrase it politely. Secretly, he admitted that on a few levels, it had been funny.
"Yeah… he's not too happy about it. But he'll bounce back in no time. He does the funniest things when he's sleeping or only half awake, doesn't he?"
"I suppose, but I wouldn't really know. Why…" he trailed off, realizing that he didn't really want to ask the question that had popped in to his head. "Never mind. What are you going to today?"
"Probably visit Ayaka, maybe get some food since Shuichi's been eating like he's been starved for a week. You know... well, I'm sorry I did that to you this morning, but I couldn't help it." Hiro carefully avoided the deadly glare that was being shot his way. "To make it up to you, I have a camera with quite a few of outtakes on it that K-san shot while he was with us. I haven't watched the whole thing- just the first few, mind you- but there's some funny stuff on there. Do you want to watch them later?"
"I guess," he responded, with a non-committal shrug. "But I don't know when Shuichi-kun and I are going to get back."
"It's okay, as long as it takes you two- no offense, but I want you guys to leave as soon as possible. The owner is starting to get annoyed with the amount of noise that we make sometimes."
"I'm sincerely sorry! I'll make sure we find somewhere to go today, so we can leave as soon as possible. I'll find him and apologise later," said Suguru, whose feelings of being over-bearing were re-affirmed. Well, that's great… just great…
"'Sokay! I talked to him, and he said as long as you didn't destroy anything, it was okay for now. But he might expect some sort of compensation…"
"I should hope so, if we've been disturbing the peace," said Suguru, privately grateful that Hiro had already taken care of the problem for the most part. But… this morning... "Just out of curiosity, is there anything… damaging that happened and you saw earlier?"
"In what way?" smirked Hiro, raising an eyebrow.
"You know… anything that might compromise my reputation."
"I don't want to spoil it for you. Relax, it's fine." He watched with amusement as the boy frowned, trying to figure out what he had done in his sleep. It wasn't anything bad really, but Hiro wanted to keep the two guessing.
"I'll just take your word for it…" Suguru sighed, beginning to re-wrap the bandage around his head, wishing he had a mirror. He no longer had to wear the kind that covered his ears, but he personally didn't see much of a difference, beyond being able to hear. He still looked ridiculous. The only consolation he had was that today was the last day he had to wear it, if that was something to be happy about.
Barely noticing when Hiro left, he continued to struggle with the blasted thing, until hesitant hands took over, carefully wrapping it so it wasn't too tight or too loose. When they were finished, the hands placed themselves on his shoulders.
"Suguru…" the singer's unusually nervous voice said to the back of his head, "you saw the whole thing, right?"
"Mm-hmm." He must be embarrassed…
"Well, I'm not sure how to explain that, or what happened before it, but if you think I'm really weird or something, I understand…"
"Let's not worry about it until we get back, okay? We have a mission to focus on now." I don't think you're weird, Shuichi. I think it's a little unsettling that you claim to like me that much and still dream of Yuki so strongly, but… it's okay since that's only to be expected. I think…
They said their farewells to Hiro and promised him they'd be back for dinner. Suguru had his doubts about them being able to find settlement quickly, but he didn't want to say anything that might make his friend pout. (Shuichi thought the process was simple enough that they could do it in a half an hour or less.) He wasn't sure why, but just being close to the hyperactive idiot made him happy, even though he felt like he had to keep a constant watch on him at the same time.
I think, Shuichi…
Stepping out on to the barren street, the day proved it might be working in their favor. Very few people were out today, so there would be a lesser chance that the genki boy with shocking pink hair and the shorter one with deep green eyes and an eerily familiar smile would be spotted as they talked and laughed, oblivious to the rest of the world. Only one person who saw them took any notice at all, but she figured that they were just young kids trying to look like their rock idols. What celebrities would be stupid enough to go out in public without some form of disguise? Especially since every one knew that Shuichi Shindou was living with Eiri Yuki, not his band mate Suguru Fujisaki, and if they were to go out somewhere in public, the press wouldn't be far behind them.
---
"Suguru, isn't this great? No one's following us or asking us to sign things! And we don't even have any disguises on!" Shuichi was bouncing along, being his usual hyperactive, loud self. He didn't seem to realise that his yelling would draw unwanted attention to them as they went on their way.
"Shut up! Why are you announcing that to all of Japan! Once people hear that, they won't leave us alone! We were stupid to forget to put something on to hide our identities, so we'll have to keep ourselves under control." Suguru sighed, sensing that his words would probably start a flow of tears from the idiot next to him. Why couldn't he be calmer, like he was in the apartment? It was as if soon as he had stepped outside, he had forgotten everything about the early-morning incident.
Granted, I did tell him to forget about it until we could talk about it later, but still! If he's going to act like this… no, let him be. He and I… ah, what the hell, let people see us. It's not like we're going out or anything. We can do that later, if he's willing… no, no, I don't like him like that! I just don't want him to cause a major scene!
"A-ano, never mind, Shuichi- I don't care if people see us. It's not as if we're on a date or anything, so it's alright."
"Mou, right…" He stopped bounding around, walking calmly next to the synth player. He's uncomfortable being with me like this… damn, I wish he wasn't! He'll probably be mortified when we actually get to the downtown district. Still… it's hard not to hug him when he looks away like that! He may look like Tohma, but Tohma's not nearly as cute. I'd love to hold his hand right now…
"I said I didn't mind-"
"I know, but you're right- we shouldn't be making a big deal of it. We're headed to the downtown district any way."
Oh… crap… there's definitely going to be a lot of people there… "Do we really have to? Aren't there people around here we could buy from?"
"Just for places like Hiro's, and that's a bit small for two people. It won't be so bad! I know somewhere that famous people go to a lot- the guy who owns it doesn't reveal anything to the nasty reporters." He smiled winningly. "With any luck, there won't be as many people there. It's a workday, and all. I don't think Rage could've given us a better day off." A thought struck him suddenly. If the offices were open, then the schools should be too. "Nee, why didn't you go to school today?"
Suguru didn't bother to disguise the contempt in his voice. "My wonderful cousin arraigned it so that I have to do all the work I'm missing the last two months that we're on-tour. Unfortunately, that means I'll be covering material by myself that I've never learned! And by the time we get back, it'll be summer break. What they're going to do is send me some the work I'm going to be missing every Monday and I have to turn it in Saturday to be graded. If I get anything wrong or don't understand the work, then it's my fault for being absent," he sad bitterly. "In addition to the homework, I have to make up the class work and tests. They're not going to give me any allowances for mistakes since I'm at the top of my class- they must think I'm super-human or something." He muttered an oath under his breath. Sighing, he looked up at the cloudy sky above them. No wonder the streets were relatively empty- it looked as if it was going to rain today, though the clouds hadn't been there earlier. He hoped it would hold off until they got to wherever they were headed. "So I figured one day wouldn't matter much. I've been going to school regularly, including the days we've been spending at Hiro's, so I can't honestly say I care about missing today. I'll just make it up with the rest…"
I know that's not the way to go about it, yet I just can't deal with it all! I need a day off, a break from life. As if that'll happen.
Shuichi didn't know how to respond to the boy's dilemma. He certainly was in a tight fix, and he would have offered his help, except he himself never would have made it into a college- he had graduated dead last from high school. Hell, he didn't remember most of what had gone on in class… he had either skipped out or spent them writing songs. It had certainly paid off, but he still wished he had paid more attention back then, because all the songs he had ever written in high school wouldn't help his friend pass this new test. Instead, he would have to watch him sink under the massive load his cousin had dumped on him…
"That really sucks, Suguru," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll help out where I can, though I'm not sure I'll be of much use- I completely flunked out. If I had never been scouted by NG, I'd probably be living with my parents for the rest of my life. That would really suck too, 'cause I never would have met you or any one else. So I'll try my best for you, okay?" His heart nearly melted as Suguru nodded, true appreciation in his eyes.
"Thanks! Any help at all is better than none."
Traffic noises and the sound of many people moving by them alerted the two that they had almost arrived in the downtown district. They separated themselves by at least a few yards, with Shuichi walking in front and Suguru following behind, both acting as inconspicuous as possible. The plan was to have Shuichi lead the way and Suguru follow behind, far enough away so people wouldn't become suspicious, but close enough that he could see where to go. The only thing that would give them away at first glance was the singer's hair, but they were counting on people being too busy to notice, and out of the age-range that paid attention to their music, since both of them had had a momentary lapse in judgment when it came to disguises.
Shuichi took a deep breath and plunged in to the crowd, heading to the right. Suguru followed soon afterwards, being pressed and squashed between so many taller bodies. He caught some people staring at him from the corner of his eye, but he was moved along by the mass of people too fast for any one to get a second look. Right now he was trying to keep track of his band mate, who was steadily making his way forward. Things seemed to be going well for a while- everyone was either too active to notice (or just didn't care) that two of the most famous people in Japan were out in a public area in the middle of the day.
It was probably too good to last, he realised when he reflected on the coming incident later. It had been too convenient for them to get away with it…
At one point, Shuichi and Suguru had been separated across a line of traffic, and the singer was forced to wait for his friend who was still across the street, both willing the light to change as fast as possible. The longer they stayed in one place, the greater the chances were that they would be seen and recognized. While waiting for the light on the corner, he heard excited screaming from the other side of the street. It only took him seconds to realise that Shuichi had been spotted. Suguru wasn't sure whether he should hang back or not, but the light had finally changed and he was being forced across the street, closer to Shuichi and the crowd of people that was forming around him.
"Shindou Shuichi of Bad Luck! He's here!"
"You guys are gonna go on-tour in a few months, right? When do tickets go on sale!"
"Are you gonna have any new songs for your tour?"
"Ooh, what about Yuki Eiri-san? Will he be going with you?"
"Yeah, is he coming with you? Why aren't you out here with him?"
Amazing… grown women can still act like schoolgirls. I suppose I'll just have to rescue him… but I need an excuse, since we don't want to start any rumors… I know, I'll just say that Rage had Hiro and I look for him because he hadn't shown up at the recording studio and he wasn't at home. That should work.
"Shuichi you idiot, there you are!" Suguru pushed his way through the mob, trying not to scream with fright as people started to close in around him too. He didn't do well in large crowds like this…
"S-Suguru? What-?"
"Shut up! Rage has had Hiro and I looking for you for an hour now! Why are you here and not at the recording studio?" He gave the singer's arm a meaningful squeeze as he tugged him to the fringe of the crowd, ignoring requests for signatures and pictures, as well as questions about the bandage around his head and a million other things. He wanted to get away from these people as soon as possible. He also hoped Shuichi would realise that he was acting, and that he needed to play along, or else it wouldn't seem right.
"Mo-u! I just wanted to explore a little bit! Can't I go later?" Shuichi wasn't sure what was going on, but by the iron grip that was holding his arm, he suspected that he was supposed to go with the flow.
"How many times do we have to tell you? You're the lead singer! That means only you can perform your part, or else it won't sound the same! This blasted tour is coming up soon, so would it kill you to at least show up on-time for once in your life?"
"Waaah! Suguru's being mean!" Shuichi began to cry very convincingly, earning sympathy from the on-lookers and a chuckle when he was hit on the head.
"Stop it, baka! You're causing a scene." Suguru had no idea where he was going, he was just pulling the wailing teen behind him, hoping for something to come and save them. Even Rage and Pandamonium were becoming very welcome at this point.
D-damn… I don't like being surrounded like this…
Uh-oh, Suguru's getting really nervous- I can't feel my circulation any more! Now it's my turn to rescue us! Shuichi deftly tripped Suguru, who released his hold to stop himself from falling. The horde gasped as the singer dashed madly into their ranks, screaming "catch me if you can!" to the synth player, who was trying to gather his wits as he got up.
"You idiot, get back here! Rage's gonna have our heads!" He was led on a merry chase through alleyways and smaller streets, following the vocalist and leaving the mass of people behind, whom suddenly realised that they had somewhere to be. Finally, when he couldn't keep up, he called out:
"Shuichi! Stop!"
He stopped, backtracking to where his friend was kneeling on the ground, hand to his chest. Why was he out of breath so soon? They hadn't been running that long, and there hadn't been much jumping going on… then he remembered when he was carrying him down from Tohma's office, remarking that his colour wasn't good. Getting down on his own knees, he came face-to-face with Suguru, not terribly surprised- but very concerned- that he had grown even paler.
"What?"
"Suguru, have you been eating right? I know Rage told us to go on a diet and all, but you're looking awfully pale…" He gently brushed the boy's bangs back, concern evident in his violet eyes. From the way his gaze was avoided, he gathered that no, Suguru hadn't been eating right.
"Well, that's going to change, understand? If you're going to be living with me, then you're going to be changing your habits or whatever- I won't let you starve yourself or anything." A knot formed in his throat as Suguru simply stood up, muttering something about still being a little dizzy and stressed about his schoolwork, but he was fine.
"How far are we from… where ever you were going to?" That's it, really, I've been too worried and nauseous to eat much. Maybe living in my aunt's house had something to do with it too, but now that I'm out of there, I should be getting better… Shuichi's worried about me… that's a first; I didn't think any one cared all that much. That's not fair to him- he's obviously trying to look out for me since that morning in front of NG, but still…
"Hey, no grouchy faces. We're actually right behind it, so we just have to sneak around to the front and go on in." Shuichi stood up and kissed the tip of his friend's nose, earning a blush and ducking a half-hearted punch that was aimed at his head. "Let's go get ourselves our own hide-out!" He's not telling me something. But now's not the time to ask- we have to find an apartment. Maybe I can ask him when we move in.
I wonder how Shuichi's so sure we can get one today and move in so soon; maybe this guy is really good. If so, all the better. Now, how am I going to avoid answering any of Shuichi's questions about my personal life? Why does this have to be so complicated…?
---
Four hours later, Shuichi burst through the door of Hiro's apartment. "We did it!" he yelled, "we did it!"
"Was there any doubt?" asked Hiro, patting him on the head. "So, where is it and what does it look like?"
Suguru came in and wearily sat down on his mat on the floor, head in his hands. His splitting headache had come back when they had started trying to figure out where they wanted to live, which had been the beginning of a very, very long process...
"It's pretty standard- a corner room on the fourteenth floor of a respectable establishment in the heart of downtown Tokyo. It has a small porch, two bedrooms, a study, a bathroom, and a small kitchen combined with a living area. The washing machines are further down the hall."
"Sounds like you guys did all right for yourselves. So you're moving in… when?"
"Friday! That gives us five days! It's going to be so much fun! We're gonna get a taxi to take us there and everything!" After they had left the realtor's, Shuichi had been very hyper, and that had only served to instigate Suguru's headache to new levels of pain. "Hiro, do you wanna come with us to help out? I wanna show you!"
"Uh, sure, why not? Suguru, do you mind if I come along?"
"No, not at all." Maybe he can keep Shuichi busy and under control… go away, go away, go away, go away…
"Want some Aspirin?" The synth player blinked as a white bottle was shoved under his nose. "You can dose yourself, right?"
"Yeah… thanks…" he took the bottle and staggered slightly into the bathroom to get some water. He was just about to down both when Hiro called him back.
"Before you do that, have you had anything to eat? No offense, but I don't want you throwing up in here."
Wow, I forgot to eat again. That's not good… how many people honestly forget to eat more than once a week? "No, Shuichi and I didn't get anything while we were out."
"No wonder your head hurts! Come on, we'll go out and get something special to celebrate."
"Uh… about that…" Both heads turned to look at Shuichi, who was now sitting meekly in a corner. "I kinda caused a scene today…"
Hiro sighed in mock exasperation. "What else is new? So, what happened this time?"
Suguru and Shuichi took turns explaining how Shuichi had been spotted and Suguru had had to pretend he was looking for him to take him to the studio, but he had "broken free" of his hold and they had run away from the horde of people, escaping in to an alley.
"If I understand this correctly, you guys tricked everyone into thinking that we were recording today, which would mean that we'd still be there at this point. Consequently we can't go out for something to eat because it would put a hole in your story." He shook his head sadly as the other two laughed nervously. "That's fine, we can order-in and watch the video that K-san shot."
"Dinner and a movie! Dinner and a movie! Alright, I'm getting miso, and rice with shrimp, and that tea I really like, and pot stickers, and…" As Shuichi excitedly ran off his list, Hiro ignored him and asked Suguru what he wanted. He knew the baka's usual order by heart.
"Just some onigiri, please. I'm not very hungry."
"But Suguru-! That's not a dinner! You have to have some meat, too! And a drink!"
"I don't eat meat." His announcement was followed by stunned silence. (Vegetarians are rare in Japan, since its main staples are fish and rice. Not eating meat would eliminate about half of the regular person's diet.)
"You're a… vegetarian?" Shuichi couldn't believe it. Suddenly, the prospect of living with him didn't seem as exciting.
"Yes. I eat fish and dairy products- just not livestock, poultry, or eggs. I'm allergic to those any way. But I'm not really hungry, so some onigiri and maybe plain tea would be nice."
"You're allergic to eggs?"
"I just said that, didn't I? Hiro, how much is my order going to cost?" He was massaging his temples, mentally willing the pain in his head to go away. For some reason, it irritated him to no end when people couldn't get over the fact that he had restricted some of his diet. So what if he didn't eat livestock or chicken? Those were delicacies that most people only had once in a great while. And eggs weren't a huge loss either- he just had to watch what he ate a little closer than other people did.
"I'll pay for yours with mine, since you're not getting much- don't worry about it. Shuichi, can I just put your usual order in?"
"Yeah. Can you-"
"Pay for yourself."
"But Hiro!" he wailed, jumping up to cling to his best friend's arm. "I'm almost broke!" He squeaked when Hiro detached him and whispered in his ear-
"And so am I. We aren't getting paid until the end of the week, so I'm trying to stretch what I have as far as possible." He sighed. "Sorry, but stuff's been happening, and… well, just take a few things off this time. Besides, do you want to look like an idiot in front of Suguru? I thought you were going to try and act more mature. Try and help him with his headache while I step outside to call the take-out place."
"Sorry… alright, take off whatever four things I listed first, besides the tea. But what do I do to help him?" He whispered back.
"Your choice," Hiro said with a wink. "I'll go put in our orders now- you two behave until I come back in." He picked up his cell phone and stepped out on to the balcony, pressing one of the pre-programmed numbers.
"Ah, yes… I'd like to place two orders… no, they're separate… okay, here's the first one…"
---
"Shuichi, what was that all about? I can cover too if either of you doesn't have enough- I know we haven't been paid for a while."
"Nah, 'salright. I just had to do without a few things this time. That's probably for the best any way 'cause Rage wants us to eat better." He sat down next to Suguru, reclining back on his elbows to stare at the ceiling. "I was going to ask you later, but… Suguru, you ran out of energy way too fast for someone of your age and build when you were chasing me in the alley. Can you explain why? I'm not trying to pry, but I'm worried about you."
Who knew he could sound so mature and thoughtful? He must be going through some pretty erratic mood swings if he's clinging to people, crying like a spoiled kid, and then considerate and caring the next. I don't suppose it would hurt to tell- after all, it's just stress. "It's just that there's a lot going on right now, as you probably know. Sometimes I forget to eat… but usually no more than twice a week at the worst." He inwardly winced at his tiny lie- it was more like two or three days on average, every week. But there was no reason to make the singer worry more than he already was- they all had other things to concentrate on.
"Mou, that's horrible! How could you forget to eat?" How come your parents didn't make sure you were? he wanted to ask. What was so bad that you had to run away from home without looking back?
"I'm still alive, aren't I? Don't fuss over me." How am I going to escape him from now on? He'll be watching over me so closely it'll almost be force-feeding!
"We're going to be living together starting Friday, so I'm going to make sure you eat something every day! I wouldn't be a good friend otherwise." Shuichi smiled his most infectious smile, and he was pleased when Suguru gave the tiniest of grins in return. Secretly, though, he knew he had been lied to. A person didn't get as thin as Suguru by forgetting to eat only once a week; it had to be on a near-daily basis. But his new resolve would put an end to that!
"Cute! Come here!" He sat up and scootched behind Suguru, hugging him so tightly he squeaked.
"Sh-Shuichi?" What's wrong with him!
"You're so cute! Oops, I guess I'm not helping your headache, am I?" Slowly, he loosened his hold, expecting it to be broken immediately. To his surprise however, Suguru merely leaned back and closed his eyes.
"It's not a compliment for a guy to be called cute, you know."
"People call me cute all the time! I think it's fine."
That's because you are cute, baka. I, on the other hand… "Mmm. That's because you're the lead singer… you probably get called all sorts of things."
"Yeah... don't you ever hear people saying things about you?"
"Nothing flattering."
"Really? Oh come on, what do they say?"
"I'm just like a shorter version of Tohma. I'm just as good as Tohma. I look just like Tohma."
"Oh…" And he hates the man too! That's really unfortunate, and probably really bad on his self-esteem, being compared to family… and a rival at that… "Well, I can see where they're coming from, but you're better than him. Personality and everything." Tohma's a mean shark that hunts down and brutally kills his prey. But Suguru… he's like a cat. Really standoffish and aloof until he warms up to you.
Suguru didn't say anything with words; he merely put his hands on Shuichi's and leaned his head to the side of his neck. Just being like this had helped some of the pain go away. Did Shuichi really mean what he said? Suguru didn't have a reason to think he was lying…
"Hiro's taking really long, isn't he? I wonder if he's talking to Ayaka-chan," Shuichi wondered aloud, but his tone of voice was muted and had so many undertones that Suguru couldn't even begin to figure out what they meant. Just a simple question had endless meanings to it. He wondered if Shuichi even knew how he sounded… it was a few minutes before he realised that he should respond, completely engrossed in trying to discern what he was really trying to say.
"Maybe… wait, I think he's coming back in." He slowly sat up, trying not to make any sudden moves for fear of the pain returning. The doorknob clicked and the door was opened, squeaking a bit on its hinges.
"Hey, sorry about that- they were a little busy tonight. How do you feel, Suguru?"
"A little better. Thanks for asking." He had his head in his hands again, willing away the pain once more. The bandages wrapped around his head seemed a little too tight now.
"The food should be here in a few minutes. Who wants to pick it up?"
"I do, I do! I promise I won't eat anything on the way back!" Shuichi eagerly jumped up and started to dance in circles around the guitarist, begging and making extravagant promises not to touch the contents of the delivery until he was back in the room.
"Alright… here's my payment, exact change. You'll have to ask about yours."
"Sure! Be back soon!" Shuichi rushed out the door, trying to gather his frazzled nerves as he raced down the stairs, not wanting to take the elevator. Suguru had willingly let him hold him!
---
A few minutes later, a frantic knock at the door signaled the food had arrived. After Shuichi staggered in and set it down on the floor, he demanded that Hiro explain what had happened this morning- now. Hiro smirked and told them between giggles how Shuichi had accidentally woken him up by kicking his bed, and from there he had watched the scene. Apparently, while they were asleep, the two had moved towards each other, so close that they were nearly touching. Then Suguru started to murmur in his sleep, and Shuichi responded by grabbing his wrists. The unintelligible speech continued until Shuichi first stroked Suguru's thighs, with the synth player's hands running through his hair- then half-threw himself on top of the younger boy, earning a squeak and the first discernable word- "NO." Hiro could barely explain between laughs that Suguru had said it in such an athorative voice that for a moment, he had thought he had woken up- until Shuichi snuggled closer to Suguru, and the boy didn't protest; he simply sighed in his sleep with exasperation. Soon after Hiro's raucous laughter brought the boy back to consciousness, and they had tussled until Suguru had lost and waited impatiently for Shuichi to wake up. The rest was history.
"HI-RO! You should have woken us up before! Meanie!" whined Shuichi, who had finished his dinner in less than two minutes. He was licking the excess rice and sauce off his face as though he was a little puppy. "But I'm glad it wasn't anything too serious."
The two of them turned their attention to Suguru, who looked as though he had been turned to stone. His face was frozen in a horrified expression, mouth agape, with an onigiri that didn't quite make it to its destination quivering in his hand.
That's… terrible… unforgivable…I'll never sleep again…
"Suguru? Hey-o, Suguru! Daijob des ka?"
"Shuichi, I don't think he's as comfortable with it as you are. Um, okay… this is a little awkward…" Hiro pushed his hair away from his dark brown eyes. "Maybe I should have edited it? I didn't think he was this stiff…"
"Nah, he's got to come around to all the… interesting points of life sooner or later." Hiro's suspicious glance was enough to stop Shuichi from making any further comments.
If he's going to pursue Suguru, then he's got one hell of a project ahead of him.
"Shuichi…"
"Hiro, it's okay, I won't do anything. I'm just going to get him to stop staring at the wall- it's kinda creepy." The singer got on his hands and knees and kneeled in front of his little friend, poking him repeatedly in the shoulder, trying to talk Suguru into "not being stupid and wake up". The only response he got was a small grunt and a slight headshake.
"Shuichi, surprise him."
"Okay! Can do!"
"Wait, don't-" Hiro almost instantly realised the mistake he had made. Shuichi's idea of a surprise was usually more likely to shock the synth player even further- if it was possible- than bring him around. He watched with mingled fascination and horror as his friend got a seductive, bedroom look in his eyes. This was bad… what had he done!
His fears were re-affirmed as the singer leaned in and passionately kissed Suguru on the lips, his hands roaming into what, for the younger boy at least, was uncharted territory.
"Shuichi! What the hell are you doing!" To everyone's astonishment, Suguru had tried to kiss him back- before a hand was placed in a very uncomfortable place, and from there he had hastily crab-walked backwards until he hit his head on a low-hanging bookshelf. The poor boy was spluttering and wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve as if he wanted to rip the skin off his face, the other hand holding the back of his head, in a futile attempt to mitigate the new stabs of pain.
"You wouldn't talk or anything, so Hiro said I had to surprise you. It worked, eh?" The lustful look had disappeared completely from his eyes as Shuichi cocked his head and grinned idiotically. "So you're okay now!"
"Shuichi…" glowered Suguru, not sure who he should blame the most- the perpetrator or the one who planted the idea in the first place.
"Hey, hey, why don't we watch some home-movies? K-san gave me a tape of stuff he recorded while he was still with us; I haven't watched all of it myself, but some of it's pretty funny." Hiro desperately tried to diffuse the situation before something worse happened- Suguru was looking especially menacing, glaring with skulls in his eyes like he was.
"AHH! Dinner and a movie! Dinner and a movie!"
"AHH! Shut up, shut up!" Said Suguru, doing a bad imitation of Shuichi's voice (it fell short a few octaves), still glaring at him. He'd get revenge… sooner or later. In the meantime…
"Suguru, do you want to watch the movie too? And baka," Hiro said, referring to Shuichi, "you've already eaten all your food." His words fell on deaf ears, though, as Shuichi kept babbling on about "dinner and a movie".
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Suguru dropped his death-look and tried to discern any patterns on the perfectly even, white ceiling. It was a useful way to ignore the fluttery sensation in his stomach as Shuichi's recent escapade continually ran through his abused head.
"Cool. I'm assuming that you kind of hate me now, but seriously- I think the tape'll be amusing…"
"You're wrong…"
"Really? See, I told you it was funny."
The temperature in the room dropped sixty degrees with the smile Suguru directed to Hiro.
"No, I think I want to kill you."
It took a few seconds for Hiro to thaw, his fear of the synth player growing just the smallest bit. He then pressed play and all three watched the tape, regarding it with some surprise as they saw some of their antics in various places from early on in their career. The first scene was from after their first concert as a trio, and Shuichi was giving Suguru a hard time.
"Not so cool on-stage, are ya? I saw you shaking up there! You looked like you were gonna piss your pants!"
He was ignored.
"Nee, Hiro, wasn't he so funny? I wish someone had recorded that for us- I'd watch it over and over again, wouldn't you?"
"Maybe," said the guitarist slowly, "but he also played perfectly. At your first concert, you kept missing notes, and we were lucky that no one seemed to notice. Either that, or if someone did, they were too nice to tell that to us."
"Why you- you're supposed to take my side!" The camera flicked back and forth between Hiro, who looked uninterested and a little vacant, and Shuichi, who was only a step away from having a temper-tantrum. Suddenly, a small voice spoke up from the other side of the room.
"Shindou-san, I'm sorry if I didn't meet your expectations on-stage. However, I'll remind you that I've never done something like this before, at least not on this scale, and I'm learning as I go along, just as you and Nakano-san are. In addition…" the camera switched form Shuichi to Suguru, who was clearly creeping the singer out as he slowly advanced towards him. "As Nakano-san said, I played flawlessly, so there should be no reason that you are complaining to- or about- me otherwise."
As Shuichi began to yell at Suguru who simply stood and ignored him on the spot, the camera was pulled away, its holder sighing.
"Man, I was pretty mean to you."
"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter now… hey, what's this?"
Hiro and Shuichi were sitting at a table in the cafeteria of NG Records, having a conversation and laughing as they tried to see how many fries would fit up Shuichi's nose.
"I wonder how we didn't notice K standing there. He would have been in plain sight!"
"I dunno, maybe he was behind a door or something… hey, Suguru, is that you behind us…?"
The camera had switched over to show Suguru relaxing against a wall, watching the other like they were immature children as they moved on to see who could do the funniest impression of Sakano and not laugh first. It zoomed in as he reached into his pocket, a rubber band and some folded paper in his hand. The zoom went back to its original position as Suguru put one of the papers in his rubber band, aimed, and then fired, hitting Shuichi directly on the nose.
"Ow! That hurts! What was that?" As he began to look around for the source of the attack, he was clipped in the ear and then suffered a hit to the neck before realising where it was coming from.
"Hiro, it's to your behind you to your left. Who's there? I can't see!"
"No one's there, Shuichi…" Hiro tried not to laugh as another paper bullet hit his friend squarely between the eyes. "I think they've moved…"
"Yeah, no shit! Ow!" Yet another one stung him, just barely missing his eye. "I'll kill them!"
"You've gotta find them first, though."
"Ow! I know that! Ah, there…! Wait, no one's there. Over there! OUCH! No, other side… damn! WHERE THE HELL IS THE BASTARD THAT'S SHOOTING AT ME!"
They heard K snicker as Suguru came into view again, slightly off to the side at an empty section of the cafeteria and glaring at Shuichi, who was looking around with an expression that said he was ready to commit murder. Hiro was trying not to make it obvious that he thought the situation funny, so he was looking behind him, hoping his friend wouldn't notice that he was laughing. Behind the camera, K was heard muffling his own laughter as the sniping continued for a few more minutes, driving Shuichi mad. Hiro was heard several times advising him to leave, but he wouldn't until he found out who it was. After he ran out of ammunition, Suguru positioned himself directly behind Shuichi, reached up and ruthlessly snapped the rubber band on the back of the unsuspecting singer's neck, then darting away as he turned around, more enraged than ever.
"WHO THE HELL IS DOING THIS!"
The camera shifted a bit to show Suguru on the other side of a low wall, curled up and shaking with mirth.
"Damn, he's good…" said K, before it switched abruptly to one of their less successful recording sessions- Shuichi was crying over Yuki again as Hiro tiredly patted him on the head, and Suguru was hitting his head on the wall in obvious frustration.
"That was you?" asked Shuichi incredulously, as he began to wail in the middle of yet another song on the screen. He winced with the memory- that was the one where he had had to lie about falling down the stairs.
"Y-yeah…" the synth player was nearly choking on his tea as he tried to explain between snickers. "I really hated you at that point in time, and I was bored… so I decided to have a little fun, at your expense, of course."
"Why you-!" Shuichi playfully tackled his friend, getting some long over-due revenge, though he was careful not to do any further injury to his head. They wrestled for a little bit until Shuichi claimed victory by sitting on his friend, who wasn't exactly happy to have that happen twice in one day. Then Hiro launched himself towards the two and knocked Shuichi off. Suguru watched as they tussled and pretended to be American wrestlers, making exaggerated growls and grunts with the occasional crude taunt until he found his bearings, then joined back in. All three of them began to try and pin each other to the ground in attempt to claim supremacy and "leadership" of the band. Suguru was again accidentally thrown out as Shuichi and Hiro began to go at each other in a more dangerous fashion; backing up to opposite ends of the room and slamming into one another continually. The process repeated itself until they collapsed on one another, too tired and bruised to stand. Suguru saw the opportunity and carefully perched himself at the top, proclaiming himself lord of the band, tamer of idiots, and king of all that was to do with music.
They all laughed, and for the first time, it felt as though they had really bonded as both a band and as friends.
A/N: I don't think this turned out half-bad, considering how many times I felt the need to change it, which I stopped counting at ten or so… twitch. To tell the truth, "Bonding" was orignially part of "Simple Songs", but it got so long that I had to split it in half. I think the writing turned out better for that, but only you, my lovely readers and reveiwers can tell me that. ;)
That reminds me: Cherushii, Kyuuen-kun, The Yaoi Pimpette, Medusagemini, and KagomeGirl21- DOMO ARIGATO! To answer some questions: Suguru's past is to remain only hinted at until later on in the story. I can't say much about it because, not only would it be fair to Suguru (he's not very clued-in either yet), it would ruin the surprise at the end. Yuki's being a jerk because that's his personality, and we'll see him again in Chapter 5 with reasons behind it. The random Japanese, from the scattered notes I can find (this was back in August and I don't remember them all), goes like this (in order of appearance in Shuichi's song): alive, beautiful dream, your proximity, perservere, gentle passion, I'll make you happy, completely, eternally sleep, hide me forever, feircely, beautiful …, …, …, obvious, silent truth, unfold my heart, release my love, your proximity. sighs Sorry I couldn't find them all- there's a reason I get C's on binder and notebook checks…
Apologies now and into the future for spelling/grammar mistakes. I have no beta, and I do my best with editing and Microsoft Word's spell-check, but… sometimes things just aren't caught.
"Are you alright?" I know most people know it as "Daijobu", but the nifty translation book I have lists the spellings as they're actually said. So, apparantly, the Japanese tend to omit the "u" at the end, making daijobu "daijob". It looks and sounds weird, but… whatever. I'm just following the book.
Next is Chapter 5- Moving In!