Author's Notes: Wow, 15 reviews for chapter 4... Sorry for the long wait, but you don't know how long I've been stuck on this story for. I really wish I could just quit, but I made a commitment to myself and my readers when I began this fic, and I WILL finish. I'm not sure how long it'll take me, but I promise you that one day, it will be completed. Until then, all I ask is for you all to stick by my side until this roller coaster of a ride is over.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravitation or the characters or Kanye West's song, "Stronger".

---

N-now th-th-that that don't kill me

Can only make me stronger

I need you to hurry up now

Cause I can't wait much longer

I know I got to be right now

Cause I can't get much wronger

Man I been waitin' all night now

That's how long I've been on ya

---

(Shuichi's POV)

"Shuichi? Shuichi?!"

Stop. Just stop.

"Shuichi, please be ok," whispered a distant voice woefully. "Shu-chan..."

'Stop saying my name', I tried to say, but an intruding object in my throat was repressing my voice. The constant repetition was getting on my nerves, but my protests came out in sad, forced grunts.

"Doctor!" I could Seguchi's voice now, full of worry. "Is he going to be ok?"

I could feel myself slipping in an out of consciousness as I tried to listen in on the conversation. My eyelids felt like lead weights and opening them seemed like an impossible task.

"...Finished draining... lungs were... water," was all I was able to fully comprehend.

"... Is ok now?"

"...fine... a few nights, maybe."

"...fine at home."

"...when he wakes... check out..."

I groaned. What were they talking about? My brained was at a stand-still and I could feel sleep begin to take me over despite all my struggles.

"...ok."

---

Apparently, the news of my mishap on the lake had frightened my parents enough for them to come see me in what I came to learn to be Lake Jasper's Municipal Hospital. My sister and Hiro had explained that my lungs had been full of water, and it took the doctors two and a half hours to drain them and restabalize my body to its full function. Seguchi-san convinced the doctors to let me leave later this evening, despite their suggestions that I should stay for a few more nights so they could keep an eye on me.

They told me that if it weren't for Yuki, I'd be dead.

I think I frightened the hospital staff when I began to scream and cry so suddenly, though Hiro and the others didn't seem too worried.

When I lay in death's arms, why is it that my reaper must have a change of heart? Why does he keep me alive to this day, torturing and teasing my emotions with his experience...

I heard Hiro sigh tiredly. "Shuichi, will you please stop this? He saved your life, you can at least be grateful, don't you think?"

"Grateful?!" I shouted back, salty tears running down my cheeks and into my mouth. "I didn't want to be saved, Hiro!"

"Oh come on, don't say that!" My friend yelled, his grey eyes burning with anger and sadness at my retaliation.

"But it's the truth! I'm tired of Yuki messing up my life all the time... Whenever I do find release from this pain, he always comes and brings me back to this living hell!" My voice lowered several octaves during my outburst and my throat burned.

"You can't just run from your problems!" I saw Hiro's eyes narrow dangerously. "Face them, dammit, and get used to Eiri-san because he's staying with us for a while!"

With that, he left me in the silence of the room to ponder over life, over death, and over the reason why I can never seem to grasp it all...

---

(Normal POV)

"Nice place..."

"What are you doing here?" Eiri asked dangerously, his eyes narrowed into angry slits. "Yume, I told you I came to see my family. Alone."

Yume blinked and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "They're soon to be my family, too, aren't they? I figured I deserve to see them just as much as you do."

"So you followed me," Yuki said, more so as a statement than a question. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had come back to make up with Shuichi, put things right in both their lives, perhaps start anew...

"Oh dont be like that," Yume said cautiously. "Like I said, they're going to be apart of my family soon, too, so I didn't see the harm in dropping by."

Yuki crossed him arms looking less than pleased. "I thought you had to work."

"I did," Yume started. "And I finished early so I could come see you."

Eiri felt like screaming; everything felt completely hopeless, ruined, stepped on... His plan wasn't going to work if Yume was here to torment and watch his every move.

"...It took me a while to locate you, Eiri," Yume continued when he didn't reply. "Found out you were at the hospital after calling Tohma's cell, since you weren't answering yours."

Yuki frowned, than began to faintly remember his cell phone ringing when they were bringing Shuichi to the hospital. However, he had been too preoccupied and worried about his ex-lover to want to have anything to do with anyone else. "Oh," was all he said.

"So, why are we here, anyways?" Yume asked. "Who's been injured?"

"Friend," Eiri replied taking a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lighting it. Hospital grounds or not, they were outside and he was free to smoke wherever he felt like smoking, Eiri decided.

"A friend?" Yume questioned, urging him on.

Yuki frowned again. "Yes, a friend," he spat through pursed lips. He inhaled the nicotine selfishly, yet felt no sort of relaxation like he usually did. His fiancée's presence had put him in a most terrible mood.

"And who is this 'friend' of yours?"

"I guess you'll get to see him when he wakes up..." Eiri said, trailing off at the end of his sentence. He never thought about Shuichi and Yume having to meet; the reunion that he and Shuichi had was dramatic enough, how was the singer going to react to this one?

Just moments after he said this, however, Tohma came walking briskly towards them. Yuki's attention was immediately on him and what news of Shuichi he might bring.

"How is he?" Eiri said, placing his hands on his hips casually, trying not to sound too worried. He put out his cigarette, realizing that its effect wasn't giving him what he needed.

"Oh, he should be fine..." Tohma said. He smiled. "How are you, Yume?" He asked politely.

"Fine, thank you. Yourself?" Yume replied, making conversation.

"Oh, fairly well I should say, though this has been one heck of a morning for me... Why don't you and Eiri drive back to the camp site, and we'll meet you back there in a few hours? The doctors say Shuichi should get some more rest before he goes elsewhere unattended by a medical team."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind that," Yume said almost immediately. She seemed rather keen on getting out of this place and finding somewhere alone to be with her soon-to-be husband.

Eiri only sighed, an irritable one, and followed her away from the building complex.

---

It was 10:47 p.m and Shuichi and Tohma still hadn't returned. Although everyone else had come back around 4 o'clock, it was Shuichi whom Yuki wanted to see the most. Yume slept soundly next to him, her nearly-naked body emitting a comfortable heat from under the blankets.

Still, somehow, it felt betraying to do such a thing while Eiri was in Japan, near the one he wanted to be closest to out of all...

He couldn't sleep, Yuki wanted to be awake for when Shuichi came home, he wanted to make sure his ex-lover was alright and well.

But as the minutes passed into hours, Eiri felt the stronghold of sleep take over his body unwillingly.

---

(Shuichi's POV)

I didn't look up as Yuki and his girlfriend entered the kitchen for breakfast the next morning. Seguchi-san had told me, almost grudgingly, that Yume had for some reason, came down to Japan. It was hard enough to hear the news, I didn't need to make sure with my own eyes that it was true.

I thought Seguchi-san would be more pleased. I remember when I was with Yuki how he had always tried to get me away from him, and he'd succeeded in his plan. Tohma thought I was 'bad for Eiri-san', that he needed to be with someone else who 'didn't give him so much trouble'. Why the sudden change of heart?

I hadn't asked, because I didn't want to bring up anything having to do with Yuki and me. I longed for him, needed him, but I just couldn't get close to him. Even if I wanted to, I know I couldn't. Not after all he did to me, not since he's getting married...

It wasn't meant to be. We weren't meant to be.

Everyone was engaging in conversation around me as they dished out their food, but I wasn't interested in participating. I felt suddenly more depressed and self-conscious than I usually did, which was a strange combination considering I never gave a care about what others thought of me in the first place, and whatever appetite I had disappeared with its sudden appearance.

"So how are you feeling, Shuichi?" Hiro asked politely. "Better than yesterday?"

I looked up with eyes, never once moving my head. "Yes, thank you."

"You didn't get home until late last night," I heard Yuki chime in. "Why did they keep you longer?"

"Just to run some tests... Make sure I was stable enough to leave..." I said, lowering my head and picking at my sausage with my fork. I couldn't bear to look at him, I know I would break down. No one needed to see that, especially Yuki's fiancée.

"Excuse me," I said, getting up from the table and walking outside. I couldn't stand to be in here, a sudden feeling a sadness sweeping me over. But I mustn't cry...

I don't know how long I was outside for, a few minutes, possibly hours... I lost track of time as I threw rocks across the river in my boredom.

"So, you're the one that was in the hospital yesterday?" came a feminine voice from behind me. I turned around slightly to face Yume, but quickly retreated back to the ocean-like view.

"Y-yes," I replied, my voice cracking slightly. I could feel her eyes studying me closely.

"What's your name?" she asked curiously.

"Shuichi, miss," I replied politely. "Shindou Shuichi," I added in quietly.

There was a few moments silence before Yume spoke loudly: "I knew I recognized you from somewhere!" she said, snapping her fingers.

"Hm?" It was my turn to be curious now. She knew who I was? She may be of Japanese origin, but as far as I was aware, Yume was American, her accent proved that theory.

"You're the lead singer of Bad Luck, aren't you?" she started rather excitedly, her eyes bright.

"Y-yes," I replied, blinking rapidly, looking rather stupid where I stood.

"I've heard some of your music," Yume said. "Pretty good, I think," she finished with a smile.

I smiled back sheepishly. "Thanks." She only nodded at me, then came to stand beside me.

"Eiri says you're a friend of his..." Yume started, looking out at the morning sun's reflection on the lake. "I've heard other stories, though."

I look at her, confused, though deep inside I knew what she meant; I dreaded it.

"Other stories?"

"Yes, other stories," she said calmly. "I mean, it could just be the magazines, you know how they are... Or the paparazzi just trying to make money, but I'm still curious..."

I knew it was coming.

"About what, exactly?" I said, trying to sound completely clueless.

"About your... history with Eiri. You know, the relationship you two had together." She was frowning now.

"I-I'm not sure what you mean," I replied, looking away. I couldn't keep this up much longer. I wanted to scream to the world, and to Yume, what Eiri had done to me, what I had to go through, how we were once in love.

No, but that wouldn't be truthful.

We were never in love.

"Of course you do," Yume spat at me, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't lie to me. I know you two used to be together, and when I heard Eiri was coming back to Japan..." she paused to take a breath. "...It was you he wanted to see, weren't you? You're the reason he left home? To come see his slut? Is that it?" she stood up and looked me in the eye. She was significantly shorter than I was; however, it didn't make her any less intimidating.

"W-what are you talking about? I want nothing to do with Eiri at-" But before I could finish, I felt a strong skin-on-skin contact against my cheek.

I looked back at her, nearly horrified, intense anger building up inside me. Just as I was about to strike back, I was interrupted by the voice I hated with a deliberate passion.

"Hey! What's going on out here?" Yuki said, trotting down the steps of the cottage. "What do you two think you're doing?!" Tohma, Mika, Hiro, and K followed him out.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Yume beat me to it.

"He tried to hit me, Eiri!" Yume cried, throwing her arms around her fiancée's waist and burrying her head into his chest.

Yuki looked at me suddenly, as if asking if it was true. I shook my head frantically.

"I-I only defended myself!" she said suddenly, noticing that Eiri had picked up on the bruise that was forming on the side of my face.

"...Did you really hit her, Shuichi?" I heard Hiro say with a hint of disgust lacing his voice.

"No! I would never hit a woman!" I said in desperation, looking around at all those present. "Believe me!"

Everyone began to look at each other in turns, trying to silently figure out whom to put their faith in. Yume was crying now, I could hear her sobs, and could see Yuki stroking her hair gently in a soothing gesture. He was whispering in her ear...

In a fit of abandonment, strange loneliness, and fury, I stormed off the property and into the forest.

---

(Yuki's POV)

Yume had stopped crying now that we were alone in the bedroom. She cried just as much as Shuichi did, it seemed.

"Yume, what was that about?" I asked, trying to sound calm. I couldn't believe that Shuichi would strike a girl. I didn't yell, however, because I always tried to act polite around her. A man should always be kind to a lady, no matter the situation.

"I..." Yume, started, wiping the tears from her stained face. "H-he... You love him," she said in between hiccups.

I blinked and was still. "Love him? Yume, what are you talking about?"

"You came back to see him, Eiri," she snivelled.

"I did not," I said, lying through my teeth. "Why would I come to see him? And where do you get this crazy idea that I love him?"

Yume sniffed and began her story: "I-I heard... I was watching the news the other night, because there was something about you and me on, and our w-wedding... But then the reporter said something about an ex-lover named Shuichi Shindou, and how he lived in Japan... I just thought... You were going to Japan to see him b-because you maybe still had feelings for him... Maybe you were having second thoughts a-about getting married to me..."

I was still, petrified by her words. She had just repeated the exact reason why I was here in the first place...

"Yume..." I started.

"You never told me about him, see? You told me about all your other lovers, but not him... Why not?" she added, gazing up at me with sad eyes.

"I... Didn't know how you would react to my being bisexual," I lied, one good enough to cover things up for now. "I didn't want to ruin things," I finished.

Yume was silent for a minute. "R-really...?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "Of course, hun. Can't you see? Shuichi's my past; you're my future." I felt like throwing up, realizing the garbage that came out of my mouth. So I was a romance novelist after all.

She smiled a small smile and threw her arms around my neck, kissing me passionately. Despite my situation, I couldn't help but feel a sudden urge for her, and I kissed her back and leaned her down on the comforters, forgetting all about Shuichi, who was still out in the forest.

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Author's Notes: Ok, there's some short boring stuff for ya. :D The next chapter will be some Yuki-Shuichi conflict/confrontation with a hint of fluff. (: Don't worry, things are slowly coming together, and this story is becoming easier to write. I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, so be good, review, and it should be up by the end of next week!