Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Apogee ❯ Chapter I ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Gravitation is not owned by me, it is owned by Maki Murakami. I own nothing.


"OUT!"

Shuichi froze, mouth half-open to speak and just stared at Yuki. No, not again. He couldn't take this happening yet again.

"Yuki, please," he spoke softly, his throat feeling closed off by tears he didn't want to give in to. "Please, don't throw me out. It'll be the last time, I can't take it again."

Yuki looked up and Shuichi turned and ran, knowing from the look on Yuki's face just what was about to be said. He grabbed his backpack on the way out the door, shoving his feet into his shoes and not caring about lacing them as he slammed the door behind him and took off. For more than two years he had put up with being thrown out of Yuki's home every now and then. He knew Yuki always took him back, and the make-up sex was always incredible, but he'd had enough. He couldn't take any more of the ups and downs of living with Yuki. He loved Yuki, but he could only take so much.

Shuichi finally gave in to the tears that had been threatening, but he did his best to hide the sobs that wanted to be let loose as he continued walking. He had started the fight, he knew. Yuki hadn't left his office when Shuichi was home in weeks, except to sleep, and had kicked him to the couch every time he came to bed. He hadn't spent any time with Shuichi in more than a month, and their sex-life had become non-existent. Shuichi had decided to try and distract Yuki, maybe even convince him to come to bed early and let Shuichi show him exactly how much he missed him. Yuki had bristled at the interruption, then started yelling and scowling when Shuichi mentioned just how long it had been since he had been given so much as a small kiss or a fond glance, much less anything more. To Shuichi, this last fight was just the final proof that he and Yuki really weren't meant to be.

He looked up, a little surprised to find himself at the train station, but then he just shrugged and went inside, looking for a payphone with a phone book. Hiro was out of town, having traveled to Kyoto for the weekend to visit Ayaka, and his mother had turned his bedroom into a tea room a year ago, telling him firmly that he was old enough to have his own place. He had no place to go, and he had to make a quick decision. Looking in the phone book he found and praying the right pages were still there, he quickly located an agency that offered short-term housing and called the number. In a few minutes, he had a place to stay for the night that was reasonably priced, and an appointment the next morning to see an agent to help him find an apartment. He turned away to the train and bought a ticket to get him where he needed to go, keeping his head down and the hood of his jacket up to hide his distinctive hair.

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Shuichi opened his eyes slowly as he let the final words of the song die away and looked up at the rest of the band gathered on the other side of the glass. Hiro smiled at him, Suguru nodded, and Sakano and K just looked relieved. It had taken him three hours to get this one right for the track, and they were all exhausted. But, he had it down now, and he was feeling more confident about it than he had been that morning. He had come in not sure if he liked the lyric line he had written, but the more he worked it and became comfortable with it, the more he was able to admit it was some of his best work. He walked into the mixing room and Hiro patted him on the back as he walked over to his backpack and started getting ready to go.

"Hey, Shuichi, how about a bite to eat, huh?"

He shook his head. "No, thanks, Hiro, I need to get home early tonight."

"Big night planned with Yuki?"

Shuichi kept his face turned away so he wouldn't have to answer any more awkward questions if anyone saw his expression. "Yeah, something like that." He wasn't sure why he hadn't mentioned his break-up with Yuki to Hiro or anyone else. He knew they would find out eventually, but he just wasn't ready to answer the inevitable questions: the why, the how, the why again. He just wanted to keep it private right now, keep it to himself and let himself wallow in his misery. He kept up a public face, but by the end of the day he could feel it cracking, knew he was moments away from losing it in front of everyone, and then he would have to explain.

"Ok, Shuichi. Have fun," Suguru smiled at him, turning back to the mixing board as he and Hiro started discussing minor changes in the arrangement to accommodate Shuichi's lyrics. They would work on it more tomorrow, practicing with Shuichi once they had it down enough. Shuichi smiled at everyone and headed out, waiting until he was out on the street before leaving the fake smile behind. Hiro had been partially right, but not in the way he had meant. Shuichi did have something of a big night planned with Yuki, but Yuki wouldn't be there and that was the whole point. Whether by accident or design, he had overheard Seguchi-san on the phone with Yuki that morning, and he knew Yuki would be out that night, having dinner with his sister and his brother-in-law. This was the perfect chance for him to get his things that he had left at Yuki's and leave his key without having to run into the man.

He hid behind a bush when he saw Yuki's car start to back out of the driveway, waiting until he had turned the corner to continue on. He really didn't want to see Yuki and he definitely didn't want to speak to him. Just a few minutes inside, time enough to grab the things he didn't want to say goodbye to forever, and he'd be out. He left his backpack on the floor next to the door with his shoes, making a mental list of what he wanted to take. His box of Nittle Grasper videos and gifts from Ryuichi, his favorite coffee mug, and his favorite pillow from the bedroom. He almost considered leaving the pillow so he wouldn't have to go into the bedroom at all, but he had to get some of his clothes and leave his key, too, and the bowl where Yuki kept his spare key was on the dresser. He took a deep breath and went in, took the key off the ring and dropped it in the dish, then hurriedly grabbed the clothes he couldn't replace easily and his pillow and headed out.

The pile of his things at the door was a little bigger than he had thought it would be, so he called a cab and paced impatiently outside while he waited, praying Yuki would take his time and not just storm out in a few minutes like he sometimes did when dealing with family. Heaving a sigh of relief when the cab arrived he locked the door after lugging his belongings outside and into the trunk of the cab, taking a last look back before climbing into the back seat and giving the address for his new apartment.

The ride back was uneventful. The driver either didn't know who he was, or he knew not to pry into his passenger's lives too much, because he kept what little conversation there was light, just comments on the weather -- 'damn muggy this time of year, huh?' -- and the drivers around him -- 'stupid moron, pick a lane!' Shuichi kept just enough of his mind on the driver to manage to make some noise at the appropriate times, his gaze fixed firmly out the window, watching the Tokyo night life ebb and flow around him. They were stopped at a light when he saw Yuki exiting a restaurant, followed closely by Seguchi Tohma and his wife, Mika. Shuichi turned his head and didn't see Tohma's gaze fix on the shocking pink hair in the cab before the light changed.

Tohma turned to Yuki, his gaze intent and his polite smile fixed in place. Yuki knew that gaze and knew he wouldn't like the question.

"Eiri-san, how is Shindou-san? Sakano-san and K-san have been expressing some concern over him in recent days."

Yuki shrugged. He certainly didn't like this. He hadn't seen the boy in weeks, they hadn't been on the same schedule he supposed, but it worked fine. Yuki had almost finished his next novel. "Fine, I guess. I haven't run into him in a while. Why?"

Tohma's smile only increased in brightness, a sure sign that he wasn't pleased with that answer, not that Yuki really cared. Even though he seemed to think of himself as an older brother, Tohma was not a blood relation, not that it would make a difference anyway.

"How long is a while, Eiri?" Mika cut straight to the heart of things, as usual, never one to beat around the bush when she could just beat the bush itself.

Yuki sighed in frustration before lighting a cigarette. What was taking the damn valet so long? "I don't know, a few weeks, maybe a month."

Now Tohma was becoming concerned. Leaving Eiri alone for a month didn't sound like the Shindou Shuichi he had come to know, even though it was through third-party sources. "A month, Eiri? And you haven't seen him at all? Not even in passing?"

"No, Tohma, I haven't. I've been busy getting this novel done so my editors will get off my back, and I just assumed your people were pushing him just as hard on another album. Am I wrong?"

"Eiri, are you sure this is just coincidence?"

"Why does it matter, Mika?" Eiri could feel what little patience he had left shredding as the interrogation went on. "The last time I saw him, I let him know I needed space to finish this book. I'm sure he's just been actually respecting my wishes for once. If it would make you feel better, I'll be done in a week - two at most -- and then I fully intend to make up for lost time. I have missed the brat, believe it or not."

Eiri was spared whatever response Tohma and Mika were inclined to make by the arrival of the valet with his car, and he took the opportunity to leave before they could continue to pester him. It was his relationship, damn it, he'd handle it however he chose.

Tohma watched as Eiri drove away before stepping into Mika's car as it was brought around and letting her drive him home. He had shrugged off the concerns Sakano and K had brought to him that morning, sure that it was nothing more than another fight with Eiri. He had even deliberately let Shindou hear him making the dinner plans with Eiri to see what that might shake out. Apparently, though, he might need to look into the well being of Bad Luck's singer personally. It concerned him that Eiri hadn't seen his lover in almost a month, and didn't think it odd. He wondered if perhaps Shindou's problem wasn't neglect.