DISCLAIMER-- nah, I can't think of anything funny or clever to say at the moment, but even then I owe nothing but this story, which I made up…
A/N- Sorry I hadn't forgotten about this story, I have chapter 4 and 5 sort of down, but I just couldn't or didn't know how to do chapter 3, but I think I have a pretty good idea now… lets see how it comes out…
CHAPTER 3 - ALIGNED.
Day after day Touhma came to see Shuichi as soon as he could, there was not one day he would miss. He would even try to finish everything early or by 5:00 pm so he could go buy something to eat for himself and the young boy. Everyday was the same thing: He would go to find Shuichi in his usual spot, by the sliding doors, just staring out into the city. As soon as he neared the apartment complex, Touhma readied himself for his daily torture, to see the young boy destroyed, unresponsive, to be unable to get him out of such torturous place. It hurted to go back everyday, it was a reminder that Eiri was no longer breathing, alive. Touhma suffered everyday because he knew he couldn't see his obsession, because he knew that Eiri had been in so much pain that the only exit lead to his demise. As soon as he opened the door, he would tell Shuichi to come and eat, the boy would never acknowledge his presence, so Touhma would go get the plates for food and some cups. By the time he got back to the living room, the undead boy would be crouching by the coffee table still staring into oblivion. Not matter what, the boy would remain like that, unmoving, so by the end of the day Touhma left some food outside for the boy to eat. He knew Shuichi ate some at least if the somewhat touched plates were any indication; but even then Shuichi couldn't take care of himself. Touhma had to bath him and keep him clean along with the apartment. Today was no different.
As the boy kept his crouching position by the coffee table and Touhma sat on the sofa, Touhma noticed the dark sunken circles under dull purple eyes. Eyes that looked hollow were topped by dead, limp hair that hung from an unmoving head, as opposed to his old puffy hair. The hair now showed black roots of more than an inch, the rest was a fading pink. Cheeks, hollow, served to define the dead look of a former rock star, now deflated by fate.
"Shuichi…" Touhma allowed a moment so Shuichi could understand the blond was talking to him. It was always like this, if one talked to him, Shuichi would take some time to come a bit close to reality and acknowledge the voice. Eyes flickered slightly and Touhma took this to be his cue.
"Shuichi, I will be somewhat late tomorrow, okay? I will come at night, please wait for me until then, I promise I won't leave you…" the young boy started rocking back and forth. It pained Touhma to see this, but he couldn't tell the singer where he was really going. Tomorrow would be Eiri's funeral. A month had passed, and yet the press was still everywhere. He knew he had to be careful everyday when he came to visit Shuichi.
"I want to go…" a barely audible whispered crossed the tormented boy's lips as his body began to shake, and he rocked, with more force.
Touhma knew that eventually Shuichi would need to make an appearance on TV to pipe the media down, but he didn't want to expose his protégé to those piranhas but even a brief appearance at the funeral would do.
"Okay… I will arrange for everything…" with that the short blond left. It had been too much for him, to see Shuichi shake and rock like that, to know that he now had to say his final farewell to the person he cared the most about. It was all too much.
The following day came with many bustlings from the press. Overall, it was a hectic day for him, one he did not want to go through, because at the end of the day… it would be all over.
He wanted a private funeral for Eiri, so no one but friends and family were allowed. No press, no photographers, no nothing, but he knew that all those strangers would be nearby trying to get a peek of anything and anyone. That sort of imprudence would serve to pipe the media about the whereabouts of Shindou.
As the time neared, he got ready to leave and pick up Shuichi. He stood up from his swiveling chair, picked up his keys and the long bag by one of the sofa chairs in his office. On his way out, he picked up his trench coat and headed out to the elevator.
He used the back entrance to exit the building, knowing fully well that, at the front, there would only be reporters and cameras. His chauffeur avoided any street that might contain a reporter, then headed for the apartment, where there was another crowd of reporters and fans.
With a sigh, Touhma went into the apartment where Shuichi remained crouched by his usual place looking out at the crowd gathered.
"Who are they…?" Said Shuichi is his now usual detached whisper.
"Nothing you have to worry about. Now please change into this." answered Touhma as he tried to distract Shuichi from the commotion outside. Shuichi looked at the long bag that contained a formal outfit, and his eyes narrowed a bit with sorrow. Touhma took a hold of Shuichi's sleeve and took out a skinny arm off of it, then undressed the singer completely and changed him into the suit. That was all Seguchi did. He didn't make any other changes, thinking it better for Shuichi to make his appearance as he was now. In a wheel chair, Touhma took Shuichi to the elevator and then to the awaiting car, where the chauffeur placed Shuichi in the seat. The boy remained quiet and unresponsive through out the ride. Many cars from the paparazzi followed them, or passed them trying to get a picture of the missing singer, the tinted windows prevented this, however.
When they arrived at the shire, several other people had already arrived, among them Mika with her enlarged belly, Tatsuha, K, Ayaka, Mizuki the editor, Suguru, Noriko, Sakano, and others. They all looked at Shuichi with such pity at the state the singer was in. It was pitiful to see such a shining star finally lose its light.
With everyone surrounding the place that was to become Eiri's new resting place, as the men carried the coffin to its new place, Shuichi could only stare with tears on his eyes. The procession went on in the background. Shuichi could hear none of what was happening, his attention was solely focus on the wooden brown coffin. The time came when every one had to say their last farewell and leave, leaving a mound of roses on the coffin. Quiet steps approached the coffin, as the last of the guest put his flower down.
"I'm sorry, Eiri-san." whispered the last blond. He turned to see Tatsuha, K and Hiro slowly walk away. It was then that he heard the quiet sniffling.
"… Yuki…" followed by the unshed tears that had stubbornly held on to dull purple eyes. There, in the wheel chair, sat Shuichi looking at the coffin, no longer staring, and crying openly. He tried to stand up, but his weak legs gave under him, dropping him to the cool wet grass. The sobs became louder and more frequent. He tried to get up one more time, succeeding, if only for a brief time, brief enough to make it to the hole where four men lowered the casket.
"Yuki no…!" He cried and almost fell into the hole if it weren't for a hand that clamped on him last second. The person pulled on him to bring Shuichi back to safety, but when Shindou turn to see the offending hand, he could only stare dumbfounded.
"Yuki…" Tatsuha's eyes widen as Shuichi confused him with his deceased elder brother.
"Shu-chan… No, you got it-" but before the young monk could finish, Shuichi realized his mistake.
"NO! YUKI! WHY? WHY, YUKI? WHY?" he screamed and struggled against Tatsuha's gripping hold.
"LET GO! LET GO YUKI! LET GO!" he tried to escape the hand that held him, wanting to go back to his lover, trying to stop the dead from resting. Tatsuha couldn't hold on to him forever, and it their current position, both men could fall with the dead.
"Shindou-san, please stop this!" admonished Touhma, but the desperate boy wouldn't listen, and kept on his struggle.
"Ooof" and the boy fell unconscious. Everyone looked the tall American for an explanation.
"Its obvious that he's not gonna listen. Don't worry, he's just unconscious, so lets get him back to a safe place." K gathered the boy in his arms and walked the entrance.
"Hold on, K-san. The press will be there, we have to avoid it at all cost." said Touhma
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Everyone, get in your cars and drive in different directions, one after the other, staring with you Touhma. The press will think that you have Shindou. Go." with that Hiro, K, Tatsuha and Segushi all left trying to diverge the media. All four men drove in a direction that would make the tabloids think they had Shuichi with them. Touhma drove to the airport, Tatsuaha to Kyoto, Hiro into a secured and well-known hospital, and K went straight to the apartment complex. They all waited their due times until they met again, but Touhma was worried about the boy.
As K carried the unconscious boy inside the apartment, he worried that he might have hit him too hard in the head. At least he's still breathing… he thought. He walked in and remembered what Touhma had told him…
"Remember, K-san, once you are in just lay him down in the couch and sit opposite to him. Don't go opening doors or any of that sort. Shuichi refuses to open any door that might have anything to do with Eiri-san." said the N-G CEO. Touhma had warned him that Shuichi hadn't been stable since Eiri's death. He did, after all, see his own lover die.
By the time K came out of his trance he saw Shuichi wide awake, but it was as if there was nothing inside of him. He had a vacant look that stared into infinity.
"Shindou, can you hear me? Are you alright?" he asked but got no response. He called Touhma to let him know that Shuichi was alright but unresponsive.
"I'll be right there." the blond said and hung up. Not five minutes had past when Seguchi opened the door to see what new development had occurred. When he saw Shuichi, he knew that it had been a bad idea to let the boy go to the funeral, now the boy really look like he could break at any moment, yet it was as if there was a barrier shielding him from reality that had not been there before.
"His parents wanted to take him away, wanted to care for him in their home, but I couldn't let them. I cant let them hurt Shuichi. He doesn't want to leave and I wont force him, I promised Eiri-san I would care for him." rambled a dishearten Touhma.
"When did you promise this to Yuki-san? Did you know-"
"No! I would have never allowed him to die! I received a letter from him days after his death…" he didn't want to talk about it anymore, it hurted too much, so he changed the subject. "His parents hadn't been able to come. The got caught in a storm while in vacation, so now they want to visit him. I told them it would be alright, as long as they respect Eiri's wish to keep Shindou here. I know I can't force them, but for now they just want to see him, so on Monday I will bring them." he looked at the boy sprawled on the couch, and wondered if he had done the right thing by keeping the boy.
Before leaving, the American noticed a blanket thrown on the floor by what he assumed to be the master bedroom door. The blanket seemed as if it had been acting as a futon for someone, and he remembered Touhma's words, Shuichi did not like to open any memories of his past lover, so he guess that's where Shindou slept when loneliness got to be too much to bare.
Monday came and Touhma went to the Shindou residence to pick up Shuichi's parents to see their son. Shuichi hadn't improved since that day. He seem more off than before, like he was now lost in his own little world. When he got to the front steps he was met by both parents, Maiko, and Nakano, they all wanted to see Shuichi.
They got into the car and Touhma drove away, hoping for the best. Once they arrived, the blond let them in, but not before a warning.
"Before we go in, you must know that the Shindou you will see is not the one we are all used to, so please be prepare." he said looking at them all.
Upon entering, it seemed as the apartment was abandoned, but there by the sliding glass door a lump stood out. Mrs. Shindou recognized that to be the sleeping figure of her son. As she got closer, her throat got tighter. She could see the mess her son had become: his roots were showing, the bones in his back were prominent, and she could see the outline of his spine perfectly. A sob left her lips and she quickly ran to his side and hugged the boy. Touhma tried to stop her, knowing fully well that Shuichi didn't like to be touch. Said boy had his eyes open, yet they were empty, as if he were really gone.
"Shuichi, honey! don't worry baby, mommy's here, mommy's gonna make it all better. I'll make the pain go away, baby. I'll take you with me, so you never have to come back." As she said this, she rocked them both as she had done when Shuichi was a baby. She caressed his cheek roughly, pushing her son's hair away from his pitifully pretty face. All the while, tears left her eyes continuously, as she saw her son's eyes grow wide with fear.
Touhma saw it coming. She had pushed Shuichi down a path he had chosen to ignore, and now, he has thrown into it mercilessly. Before Touhma could do anything, Shindou snapped.
"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE ME!" the boy screamed as he moved away from his mother, as if she were acid burning his very being. He crawled to the sanctuary he knew would protect him, and held on tightly to Touhma's leg.
"No, please! Don't let them take me! Please!" he begged the blond for mercy. Tears pooled around his eyes, his hands clutching the blonde's leg. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay, stay and remain with his lover. If possible, Shuichi would wait for eternity until his lover returned from wherever he had gone to.
Hiro watch his best friend, unable to find the boy he knew and loved so much. This person in front of him was only a broken reflection of what his best friend used to be. He couldn't believe his eyes. He also watch as his boss petted Shuichi's head, and threaded his slim fingers through bicolored hair.
"Please, I think its better if you leave. You have heard him, he doesn't want to leave. Go now, please. I will care for him." Seguchi said through pained lips.
Mrs. Shindou looked pained, as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart and twisted the knife until her heart came out. She wanted to take her son, to make all his pain go away, but after witnessing what she did, she didn't have the heart to do so. She realized that if she took away the last remnants of his dream, he would surely die of sorrow and pain. So, without another word, she got up from where she was and walked to the blond man.
"Please take care of my son." she said with a sad look on her face, and caressed the boy's face one more time, before walking to her husband and hugged him, crying all the while. Her husband comforted her, while her daughter, Maiko, hugged her. They huddled together as the family they were.
Hiro could only stare as the scene before him unfolded. It was as if the Shindou family was mourning for the loss of their first born, which, in part, was true. Shuichi seemed to be lost, gone, all in his own little world, where the pain seemed to his only ally.
They gather the courage, thanked Touhma and left. They knew there was nothing they could do but let the boy heal with time.
Touhma's hand held the boy's cheek in an attempt to calm both down. He knew that had been a close one. Shuichi's mother could have easily taken him to live with her, even Touhma would have been powerless. He looked down to see the boy, wide eyed in fear and trembling. His pallor had increased, if possible.
"There, there," he cooed. "Everything will be alright, don't worry…" Touhma looked lost, staring into the space between two portraits. He had gotten Shuichi to stay. To tell the truth, Touhma had been afraid. He fear he could not keep his promise to his deceased brother-in-law, he feared that Shindou really needed his mother, and, therefore, he would be gone with no one to stop them, but most of all, he feared Shuichi's present condition. He didn't know what to do with the boy anymore. He felt as if they were both fighting a losing battle, one that was impossible to even survive, but neither of them could give up, at least not now, not yet.
The night transpired with both men glued to their place. Shuichi remained crouched while Touhma had taken a seat on one of the steps that lead to the living room. Neither man dared move, letting everything sink in, from the blond author's funeral to Shindou's family.
A/N- hey!!! Sooooo sorry for the super extra mega late update!!! Like I said, I haven't forgotten, just had trouble with this chapter is all. I'm sort of almost done with chapter 4, but it still needs a little tweaking here and there, but I should have it up soon enough, as for Blind Love Again *sigh* I don't know… I had it all planned out in my head, but it just doesn't seem to come out of it… so yeah…
On another note! I was talking to my friend about the story (I like to consult with her on some words I use) and she mention how I'm using "boy" a lot instead of "Shuichi" so let me explain just incase no one else got it… We all know Shuichi was a bubbly, loud ball of energy, but then his lover died (in my story), soooo! After his death, Shu-chan's world collapse and he's not the same anymore, he's lost himself and, therefore, his identity. This is the reason for the "boy" not "Shuichi," he's not that bubbly person anymore, he's changed and not for the better, so he's really lost. that's all I will say about this matter, I don't want to spoil the story.
Oooh! And forgive me for any mistakes… wow this was quite lengthy… wooo… REVIEW PLEASE!!!!