InuYasha Fan Fiction / Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Mending Broken Wings ❯ Chapter 1

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Title:  Mending Broken Wings
Author: inuyashagirl5
Rating: T (Ratings may change)
Genre: Drama/Romance
Pairing: Kagome/Hiro and Ryuichi/Shuichi.
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Gravitation. InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Gravitation is owned by Maki Murakami. I only borrow their characters to amuse myself and my readers.
A/N: I would like to apologize in advance. I will not be portraying the characters of Eiri Yuki and InuYasha in a nice way. If you dislike when a character is written in a negative way, then you may not want to read this fic. I ask that you at least give it a chance though.
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Chapter One:


It was strange. She was sure she had seen it in his eyes the second she said the boy's name. His cobalt eyes had darkened, but it was so brief and she supposed it could have just been a trick in the light. He grinned seconds after and rubbed Kumagoro against her cheek. She'd never understand her cousin's need to act so childish and carry around a stuffed pink rabbit at his age. But, he'd always been silly, even when with her. However, it was different with her, because she wasn't just his cousin, but a very good friend he often turned to for cheering up.

There had been a strange connection early in life between them, stemming from the death of her father. He had been more heartbroken seeing her cry over the loss, than he had been for the death itself. He stayed with her and comforted her and from then on, it had always been that way. Despite the age difference, not that ten years was much to them, they were best friends.

Which is why she could have sworn that his eyes had darkened at the mere mention of Shuichi's name. She knew they were friends and rivals and that recently they had been spending a bit more time together than normal. But, Ryuichi's excuse had always been the same. He was just trying to cheer up Shuichi, because Eiri Yuki was a jerk who didn't know how much he was crushing his friend's heart. Yes, it was true that Eiri Yuki was a cold, uncaring bastard. She had met him a few times in her life and he always referred to her as a spoiled brat, which was hardly true. If anyone in her immediate family was spoiled, that prize went to Souta.

It wasn't unlikely that Ryuichi was telling her the truth, but it was possible he was only telling a partial truth. She'd have to observe her cousin more when their pink-haired friend was with them. Which would be soon because she had just talked to him on the phone and he had said he was coming to see her. He hadn't sounded happy, which meant he probably had a run in with Eiri. That jerk.

"Give me Kumagoro, Ryu and go take a shower. You have paint all over you." She snatched the bunny from his grasp and sighed. The poor thing was covered in paint too. "I'll give Kumagoro a bath too. Go on now. I'd hate for Shuichi to see you in such a state of disarray."

It happened again, though this time the darkening of his eyes was accompanied by a serious, straight face. Curious indeed.

"Alright, but don't put Kuma in the washer! He hates that!" Ryuichi pouted, then hurried down to the bathroom. Kagome blinked down at the bunny in her hands. Looked like she was going to have to distract him later so she could toss Kumagoro into the washer. The paint wouldn't come off fully if she didn't.


She was mid-hand washing Kumagoro when there was a knock on her apartment door. She set the bunny aside to dry and went to answer it, only mildly surprised to see Hiro standing there instead of Shuichi. It was evident by his expression that he was aware that Shuichi was due to arrive there and that he knew what had happened. She opened her door wider and gestured for him to enter.

"He's not here yet?" Hiro was scanning the room, then turned to face her.

"I'm sure he will be here soon, Hiro. He didn't call me too long ago." Shutting the door behind her, she moved back into the kitchen to set a pot of water on the stove for tea. Hiro followed behind her, plucking the damp, paint-smudged rabbit off the counter.

"Ryuichi's here?" He looked up at her and wiggled Kumagoro in front of her face, causing water to drip onto the floor below.

"Yes, he's in the shower at the moment. He and Kumagoro were busy painting flowers and stars and got a little carried away."

There was a soft knock, followed by Kagome's door opening. Shuichi closed it quietly behind him, and even from where she stood, she could see her friend was shaken up. She moved towards him quickly and hugged him when she was within reach.

His sobs were loud enough to alert Ryuichi that something horrible had happened. He dried off and dressed as quickly as he could and hurried to where his friend was. He wasn't surprised to see Hiro, or to see Shuichi crying in Kagome's arms. However, he was startled and horrified at the disheveled state, and bloody mess his friend was in. He knew he had to wait until Shuichi calmed down enough so they could get some answers, though he knew already just whose handy work this was.

When Kagome was was able to get him calmed down, she pulled back to take in his appearance. His face was sporting a few bruises and his bottom lip was split and still bleeding a little. Looked like Eiri was drunk and used him as a stress reliever again. That was it. She was having a very stern talk with the boy.

"Let's get you into the bathroom." She helped him to stand, her face setting into a scowl. "Ryuichi turn off the kettle on the stove and please make tea. Hiro please keep him company for a few."

She didn't wait for their answers, not that they would protest when she was this angry. They knew better. It was time she and Shuichi had a heart to heart conversation concerning his relationship with Eiri. Loving relationships were not like this.

"He was drunk, Kagome... He..." Shuichi was already trying to defend his lover's actions, but Kagome wasn't going to hear it this time. She clicked the lock on the door, shutting them inside and not allowing the others to come in. She was likely to upset Shuichi with her words and she did not want Ryuichi interfering.

"Take off your clothing. Let me see the rest of them." Her tone was stern, yet soft. He whimpered, and moved slowly to do as she said, leaving on only his boxers. He flinched at her growl and the way she punched her fist against the wall. He hung his head in shame.

"This is not love, Shu. Even when drunk, a real lover wouldn't leave marks like this." When he opened his mouth to speak, she cut him off; her voice louder. "It's not love! When will you see that? Look at this, Shuichi! Look!"

She lifted his arm up and he winced. His left arm was covered in deep bruises and bite marks, some of which were still seeping blood. His right arm looked similar to the left. He turned his head away, tears spilling forth once again. He was ashamed, but he loved Yuki. He couldn't just shut it off.

"I love him..."

"You are blind." She released his arm and rummaged through the medicine cabinet for the items she needed to clean and bandage him up. "It's only a matter of time before he hurts you so badly that you end up dead."

"He wouldn't!" Shuichi gasped, surprised that Kagome would speak such scary words to him.

"He could. It's a very real possibility, Shu. All the signs are present." She gave a quick, pointed look at him. "His past can't always be his excuse for his actions in the present and the future. You would think, that he would not do to you what was done to him... but he does, Shu and it's not right."

"But... it was terrible what was done to him!"

"No shit!" She slammed down the package with the bandages and it squished under the force. "Which is exactly why he should know better than to do that to someone else! You don't hurt the ones you love, especially not in this fashion. Fuck, Shuichi! Did you look in the mirror this time? Did you see what he has done to you?"

"I just can't leave him, Kagome." Shuichi whimpered, "I have no place else to go and he... he needs me!"

"You dummy!" She forced herself not to grab his shoulders and shake him until he understood. He was hurt enough already, she didn't need to make it worse. "There are always people willing to take you in. You can even stay here with me! As for Eiri, he doesn't need your help. He needs professional help. He needs to find a different outlet to vent his frustration."

"But, I should be supportive of him... he can't do it alone..."

"You need to leave him and show him that what he has done warrants him to get help. If he truly does love you, Shu, then he will get that help and re-seek a relationship with you. If he doesn't, you need to move past it." She smiled softly at him and brushed her fingers across his forehead. "I want you to be safe and happy, Shu. But, whenever I see you... you're always the opposite of those. It makes me really sad. So much so my chest hurts."

"Kagome..." Shuichi couldn't help but to cry seeing how close to tears his friend was over his situation. "I... I just don't know what I should do!"

He collapsed to the floor and Kagome was quick to kneel down and embrace him. She was so kindhearted, something he needed, but he was afraid of becoming too clingy and afraid she'd eventually get fed up with him.

"Your first step is realizing that you can't live like that anymore. For your own health, you need to get away." She reached up to tenderly brush the tears off of his cheeks. Giving him a gentle smile she offered, "Come live here with me. Let me help you."

"I don't want to burden you."

"I promise, you won't." She hugged him again, her right hand sliding gently through the pink strands of his hair.

He chewed on his bottom lip as he thought on the pros and cons of leaving Yuki. There were varying issues he needed to consider. For instance, how would Yuki act if he up and left without saying anything? He feared telling him and having him do more of the same. He certainly couldn't ask Hiro, or even Kagome, to stand with him when he told him. What if Yuki did the same to them?

With that thought, Shuichi whimpered and Kagome's hold on him tightened.

"What are you thinking? Tell me, please?" Kagome requested softly.

"I don't want to go alone." Came his quiet reply, "But, I can't bring anybody with me. What if he hurts you or Hiro? I'd never be able to live with myself if that happened."

"Is that all?" Kagome smiled and pulled back to look into his wide, curious eyes. "We'll bring Hiro and Ryuichi with us. Eiri would be a fool to harm Ryu and I know my cousin would want to go. Let's get you cleaned up and bandaged. We'll discuss this as a group over tea. You'll see, Shu. Things will get better for you."


Ryuichi was angry and worried. Angry, because he knew that jerk, Yuki, was the cause of all of Shu's injuries. And worried, because Kagome was angry and he knew she had punched the bathroom wall. Which meant that Shuichi's injuries were far worse than what they saw.

His cousin was a very loving and generous girl, but also had a temper that would flare when she was angry. The fact she was punching things and shouting proved that that temper of hers had been let go.

"Poor Shu." Ryuichi whispered quietly to himself, feeling pity for the young man enduring Kagome's outburst.

The words she was saying, shouting, were true though. He hoped Shuichi would come to understand that. He wondered if perhaps he should tell his friend something about Kagome. The thing she hadn't told many about because she was trying to forget it. Shuichi's own situation couldn't be helping her to forget and he made a quick mental note to ask her if she was alright when he got the chance to speak to her alone.

She didn't yell for long, which probably meant that Shuichi was crying again, whether from her words or her anger, he wouldn't know until later. The bathroom was silent after that, or at least it sounded that way to him since he wasn't close enough to hear if they were talking in hushed tones. He couldn't move closer either. If Kagome caught him eavesdropping, he'd never hear the end of it and he didn't particularly want to be on her bad side right now. All he could do was wait as patiently as possible, even if that was difficult for him. He fidgeted in his seat, earning a slightly raised eyebrow from Hiro.

"It's just..." He began, but stopped and pouted.

"Go on." Hiro urged him, curious to hear what Ryuichi had to say.

"I wish I could help him see how wrong his relationship with Eiri is... but, at the same time, I wish I could make Yuki understand that what he's doing to him is terrible." Tears gathered in his eyes as he pictured just how Shuichi looked when he first saw him today and he knew deep down, that the bruises and split lip were the minor wounds. "He's gonna make Shuichi stop being all sparkly! I will never forgive him for this!"

There was a slight glimmer of understanding. Hiro couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. Ryuichi really, honestly cared for Shuichi. Perhaps, if they were lucky, maybe Shuichi would be able to break away and Hiro believed that Ryuichi just may be the opening they needed for him to do just that.

"We won't let that happen." Hiro sat back in his chair and nodded in agreement with himself. "I have a feeling some things are going to change."

Ryuichi held back his reply because he heard the bathroom door open and the soft shuffling of footsteps heading down the hall towards them. When they came into view, Ryuichi smiled. Kagome was holding Shuichi's hand tightly, leading him forward and into the kitchen. Shuichi's head was down, but there were no tears being shed. Curious, he tilted his head to the side and peered up at his cousin. She met his gaze and smiled.

"Sit here, Shu." Kagome petted the back of the chair she wanted him to sit in. She released his hand long enough to take the seat next to his, then grasped it again once he was seated. She squeezed it gently before speaking, "So then, Shu, are you going to move in with me?"

"Yeah." The normally exuberant singer replied with a soft, somber tone. "It's for my own good, as well as Yuki's."

"Shuichi will be happier with Kagome." Ryuichi laid his head down on his arms resting on the table and smiled at his friend. "She can help you maintain your sparkles."

Kagome and Hiro chuckled at Ryuichi's words. Shuichi couldn't help but to smile and squeezed the girl's hand with his own.

"Your band mates are more than welcomed to stop by to visit." She glanced at Hiro as she spoke, then shifted her eyes to Ryuichi. "And my cousin is always stopping in when he's not busy. Now, how about we stop by Eiri's place bright and early tomorrow? I think it would be a good way to catch him off guard if he's hungover."

"The two of you aren't going alone, are you?" Hiro worried and sat up straighter in his chair. "I don't think that's a wise choice."

"No. The two of you will come with us." Kagome pet the top of Ryuichi head and grinned. "I'll bring my trump card. Tohma wouldn't stand by Eiri if he were to hurt Ryu. I'm very sure Eiri knows that too. You don't mind, do you, Ryu?"

"Not at all!" Ryuichi lifted his head up.

"With that settled, Shu, you'll be staying here tonight." Kagome squeezed his hand and smiled at him, then looked over at his friend,  "Hiro, you are more than welcomed to stay as well."

"Thank you. I believe I will." Hiro answered and moved to sit closer to his best friend. "Things will be alright, Shuichi. You know I've got your back for everything."

"I know. Thank you." Shuichi offered him a small smile.


Kagome helped the trio to settle in for the night, making sure all of them were fed and had a change of clothes for bed. It was helpful that Ryuichi tended to leave some of his clothing behind when he visited her, otherwise they'd be out of luck.

The night was filled with the quiet sounds from the television. None of them had anything to talk about and they each were lost in their own thoughts on what might happen in the morning when they did confront Yuki.

Of the four of them, there was no doubt in her mind that Shuichi's nerves were the most frazzled. He was both worried for, and scared of, Yuki. Kagome knew he would depend on them for strength and courage when they went and she would gladly be his pillar of support.

She would be honest with herself. She was nervous about the ordeal as well. While she doubted Yuki would physically harm them, she was sure he'd sling some un-nice words their way. He knew all about the things she went through and she knew he'd use them to his advantage if he felt threatened.

It was fine. She could deal with it. Ryuichi already knew and she would explain to Shuichi and Hiro should they ask. She wasn't going to let him get the upper hand.

"It's getting late. I'm going to head to be." Kagome stood and stretched her arms over her head. "Ryuichi, would you please be kind enough to show them to the extra room when they're ready for bed?"

"Of course!" Her cousin gave a big grin.

"Thank you. Goodnight."

She met Shuichi's eyes one last time and returned the smile he gave her before heading to bed. Things in the morning were going to be eventful to say the least and she wanted to be well rested and prepared for what ever Eiri Yuki shot back at them.