Since there were a couple more positive reviews I've added another piece. Wasn't sure if I should post their 'back story' or carry on with the current timeline… So this time I went with the current timeline, thinking people might want to know what happened on the other side of the world.

If you'd like to read this "universe's" version of how they met in the next posting, let me know along with leaving some feedback by way of reviews. Even if it's just a one-liner to let me know you've read it and don't hate it!

Encouragement is still a lovely thing.

At home he called Hiro to come get him at the airport and rode back into town on the back of his motorcycle.

"Are you going to talk now? Did you find him?" Hiro asked, following an unusually silent Shuichi along as he fit the key into the door of the apartment he shared with Yuki.

"Yeah, I found him. He's okay."

"I'm surprised Seguchi didn't find you first and keep you away."

"He told Seguchi to stay out of it." He dropped his backpack onto the floor and took off his shoes, placing them neatly beside Yuki's house shoes before putting on his own.

"So… What's he going to do?"

"Stay there for a while more and then come home again." He trudged over to the sofa and sat down with Hiro, slumping.

"Did he tell you why he left like that?"

"Yes. I understand now."

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes… Because he loves me." He smiled slightly, "I am so tired…"

"No wonder… That was a hell of a round-trip you just took. Get some sleep. I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Okay… Thanks, Hiro."

"No problem. I'm glad it worked out so well." He patted Shuichi's head.

"Me too."

Hiro departed and Shuichi trudged off to the bedroom, crawling under the covers with a big yawn, still in his clothes… Then he remembered--from the feeling of his cell phone digging into his leg--to call Yuki… It seemed like it rang a million times before he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Yuki… I'm home safe." He yawned again.

"I'm glad… You sound like you owe me a plane ticket."

"I slept, just not quite soundly enough. It was comfortable actually. Thank you."

"Welcome…Get some sleep."

"Okay… I love you."

"Yeah, same… Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks… Night."

"Night."

The phone rolled out of his hand and onto the pillow, his eyes closing, sleep coming soundly with the familiar scent of Yuki all around him. In the morning Hiro woke him by calling.

"Get out of bed. We have to get going."

"Where are you?"

"Outside your front door."

"I'll be there a second." He shut the phone, rubbed his eyes and got out of bed, trudging now to the door to let him in.

"Hi! Big morning!" His cheer ended at the sight of Shuichi, "Oh… You're still dressed in what you had on yesterday… You've been in that for like three days now." He made a face.

"I just fell asleep, couldn't wait to change." He yawned, "You want some breakfast?"

"Sure. Just stay upwind of me."

So they sat down in the kitchen and he tried to wake up.

"What's with the scarf?" Hiro pointed.

"Huh? Oh…" He noticed now that he was still wearing the scarf Yuki had loaned him, "Oh no… I took Yuki's scarf… Now he'll have a cold neck." He frowned.

"I was gonna say, it isn't exactly your style." He reached over and looked at the tag, "Brooks Brothers… Definitely not you." He let go.

Shuichi examined the soft cloth and then sniffed it, shivering a little at the scent of Yuki still lingering on it, "Mmmmhhh…"

Hiro winced at seeing him inhale the scarf, "Yeee… That's more than a little disturbing."

"I hope he's not pissed…"

"The guy has buckets of cash. He'll buy a new one if he wants… So what was it like?"

"Huh?"

"New York. The Big Apple. What was it like?"

"Oh… I dunno." He shrugged, "Big…"

"That's all you have to say about it?"

"I wasn't exactly there to take souvenir snapshots. I think I saw a lot of stuff but I don't know what it was… The food was good. Yuki took me to dinner before making me go home. It was weird not to be able to really understand what was going on cuz they were all speaking English except for us."

"Surprise. There's a reason they forced so much English on us in school." He laughed.

"The only reason I passed that class was because Yuki beat enough of it into me to make it through. Even then, I barely passed… As much as he stuffed into my head, about ten times more leaked out since exams."

"Maybe you should stick corks in your ears."

"Somehow I don't think that would help." He leaned forward, forehead hitting the slate top of the kitchen island they were sitting at.

"You're doomed. It's a good thing you can sing."

"Yeah…" Sigh.

"So… Are you going to be staying here? You really think he's coming back?"

"I think he is. He promised." He raised his head up again and looked across at his best friend's worried expression.

"Yeah, well… He promised you a lot of things… and didn't follow through."

"This time is different."

"I hope so. You need to be able to get through this tour."

His cell phone beeped, an image of Yuki appearing, indicating a message from him. They both looked at it, Shuichi's heart pounding, afraid that this was something new to worry about for a new day. He picked up the phone and read the message in English characters.

"English test for Shuichi. Very good luck on the tour! Love Eiri."

He smiled, "It is different this time!" He messaged back and then Hiro pushed him toward the shower.

"Hurry up. You smell… And take off that scarf!"

"Nyaaa." He sniffed it again dramatically before slamming the door to the bathroom, "I'm going to take it on tour with me!"

"Over my dead body!"

With his morale boosted, the tour began very well. He didn't hear from Yuki for a few days so he waited until he couldn't stand it any more then snuck off and called, got an incredibly fast answer… They talked… He was reassured…

Then Touma returned from New York. He was cool and cordial when he showed up for one of their performances, congratulatory that things were going so well with the tour. Shuichi was wary of him but it appeared that Yuki's warning had finally gotten through. He didn't mention their relationship at all.

Half of Shuichi was pissed at him, half was dying to know if he had seen Yuki lately, if he knew any more about what was going on with him or when he might be coming home again. He bit his tongue, seeing that sharky glint behind Touma's innocent smile.

The news media inquired about Yuki's whereabouts, having apparently thought that he would be following the band on tour.

"Yuki is taking a much needed break from work at the moment. Having some relaxation… But even though he is not here following the tour, I have his support. That is all I will say. " He smiled happily and thankfully they moved on to other subjects.

Shuichi was on the edge of a nervous breakdown… Yuki far away and suffering through something all by himself… His mother was telling him that he should break ties with Yuki and come home. His father was trying to calm her down and reassure Shuichi. Yuki's parents were furious and blamed his disappearance on Shuichi… Since they wouldn't talk to him directly, this news was delivered via Yuki's younger brother at the concert in Kyoto.

"Little dude… Calm down." He exhaled cigarette smoke, "Bro's got major issues that my parents… not even I know about."

"He's taking such a long time… I'm so worried…" Shuichi slumped, back at the hotel after the show, "I just want to help him."

"That's not the way he is. You know that. He's a stubborn and shielded bastard and he thinks that it's pride. You're the first person to get this close to him but you're not going to change him that much. Let him do what he has to do. You're going to make yourself crazy otherwise."

"Make? I already am!" He whined, "How can you be so calm?"

"Because I know that there's nothing I can do. He has to fight his own battles or he'll never feel right about himself." He shrugged, "By the way, mom and dad send their regards." He winked.

"You mean their curses…"

"Yep. Pretty much, you ruiner of their perfect son's life." He laughed.

"It's not funny."

"Yeah it is. I love seeing my mom turn that color when she sees you two in the news. Takes her mind off whatever it is that I'm doing. Yanno?"

"I'm glad I could be of some use to you." He said sarcastically.

"You could be of use to me in other ways." He winked, taking another long draw on his cigarette.

"Not on your life." Shuichi growled at the innuendo.

"Doesn't hurt to try." He shrugged, "You're still hot."

"You're still underage and a monk and… I only want to do that with, Yuki!" He slumped more, "I miss him… Do you think he'll really come home?"

"I'd say so."

"Why do you think that??"

"Yeesh… Turn down the spaz. He told you he's coming back, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but… he hasn't exactly been reliable." He pouted.

"He's still with you after all this time. You still live in his place. He still treats you better than he treats his own family. He defends you from Touma Seguchi. He sent you back first class instead of in a cardboard box. Now that's true love for him! He does more for you than he does for anyone else. Just calm down. You're not doing yourself any good."

All of that was true. So much of his life since meeting Yuki had been exhausting. Yuki was like a kite caught up in a blustery sky and Shuichi was always on the ground, running after his string, trying to desperately to catch him and hang on him, bring him back down to Earth. He wanted that feeling to go away. Not that he wanted to control Yuki… He just wanted to be able to be at peace around him, know that Yuki was at peace too and really wanted to be with him at last. The words were one thing… actions were another. He ached for those actions.

He lay in the dark in his hotel bed thinking all of this when his cell phone rang. His father had called to check up on him.

"Hi dad…" He sighed.

"Shu… You sound exhausted."

"I really am. I went to bed early."

"Did you have a good time at your show?"

"Yeah."

"Good, good…"

"What are you doing?"

"Checking up on my strange son." He chuckled, "And I snuck away from your mother to have a cigarette. Shhh…"

"Dad… Don't do that. Do you think she can't smell it on you when you go back inside?"

"I know, but I think it's better that she doesn't observe my hobby-smoking."

"You should have a hobby that's good for your health, dad."

"Yes, dear." He chuckled again, "How are you doing other than being tired from too much jumping around and yelling?"

"Singing and performing." He corrected, "Mostly, I'm just worried about Yuki… and I know mom would rather have me leave him but… I can't. I know it's weird to you, but I love him. I can't give up on him like that."

"I understand… and it's my job to support you. It's also my job to be worried about you first. I honestly could care less about him so long as you're happy with him… but he hasn't made things easy on you. You're young, Shuichi… You're on the verge of some rather extreme fame too. It's a lot for you to be taking on, isn't it?"

"Yeah… But I love music and I love Yuki. I can't be happy with either one missing from my life."

"At least you have a lot of the one while you're lacking the other, hm?"

"Right." He nodded.

"When you're done with your performances, come home so we can have a family meal. Hopefully you'll be able to bring Yuki-san along with you by then."

"I think mom might murder him on sight…"

"I promise to hide all of the sharp objects in the house." He chuckled, "Get some sleep."

"Thanks… Night dad."

"Goodnight to you too."

He closed the cell phone, holding it against his chest while he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. It was nice that his father was trying to offer support. He was always surprised by how calm he was compared to the rest of the family. His mother and his sister were both as high-strung as Shuichi. His father could just manage to smile and be peaceful all the while they carried on.

"Opposites attract for sure." He sighed and fell asleep.