Kumagoro\'s New Shiny

**Typical fanfic warnings—we don’t own Gravi or it’s characters. Please be respectful to our originals and not use them without asking. This fic takes place near the end of Ryuichi’s time in America, shortly before the beginning of the anime.

Major angst warnings—if you’re hoping for a constantly bouncing Ryu-chan, this isn’t the fic to read. -_- This is angst angst angst, so read atr owr own risk!

//= Thoughts
*= emphasis
::= speaking in Japanese
**


Kumagoro’s New Shiny
Chapter Twelve

Ryuichi stood outside the bathroom door a long time, head lowered and eyes closed. He wasn\'t sure he wanted to face Jace alone like this; things had seemed so strained between them lately. And every time he tried to reach out, to help, he was rejected. What would be different this time, if Jace really were pulling away from him…?

But he couldn\'t sit there forever, waiting for Jace to come out and find him. Ryuichi took a deep breath, steeling himself, and finally pushed the door open.

//Fucking Japan. Can\'t even have a proper bathroom.//

Jace had hidden himself away in the furthest stall, crouching next to the wall as he scratched swear words into the door with his key. He wasn\'t sure how long he\'d been there--was the party over by now? Had Ryuichi...gone home? Shuichi had probably told him where he\'d gone, and he\'d been dreading having to face one of the two, but so far it had been relatively quiet. A few people came in out,out, but no one noticed the scrawny American kid hiding in the corner. That, at least, was a lot like home.

A few times, he sniffled; his shoulders crept up and his stomach threatened to lurch--which would have made his choice of bathroom a rather convenient hiding place. But every time he swallowed it back, determined that when Ryuichi did show up, he\'d at least not be crying.

Ryuichi entered quietly, glancing around, but didn\'t right away find Jace. He finally heard a soft sound coming from the last stall, and he licked is lips nervously. For a moment--just a moment--he considered slipping back out, but then he was coming closer. He paused outside the closed stall door, fingers curled. \"...Jace...?\"

Jace stopped, and hesitantly drew his hand back. //So…there he is.// He swallowed hard. ah?\ah?\"

//I hate this.// He leaned against the wall, staring down at the floor. //I hate this feeling.// \"Do you want to go?\" he asked softly.

Jace considered for a long moment. There were a lot of ways he could have answered, but in the end he only tucked his keys into his pocket, and shrugged, even if Ryuichi couldn\'t see it. \"Okay.\" He stood and opened the stall door, steeling himself so he wouldn\'t cringe when he finally laid eyes on Ryuichi\'s face.

Ryuichi kept his head lowered, his expression not ready to be seen just yet. When Jace finally came out, he pushed away from the wall, standing awkwardly a moment before moving towards the door. \"Will you...come back with me?\" He just had to be sure.

Jace shivered a little. //It\'s not like I have anywhere else....// He gulped again, feeling suddenly ashamed. //He\'s done all this for me, and I…I do care about him, it\'s just....//

Jace came forward, drawing up against Ryuichi\'s chest so he could wrap his arms around his torso. //I\'m sorry. I\'m sorry, Ryu.//

Ryuichi didn\'t move for a long moment, letting the feeling of Jace\'s warmth slowly seep into him. His stomach twisted suddenly, and he finally returned the embrace. When Jace didn\'t pull away immediately, Ryuichi\'s hold tightened, face pressed against the boy\'s shoulder. //What can I do? What can I do, Jace?// His fingers curled as he suppressed a shiver.

\"I\'m sorry,\" Jace managed to say. He started to speak again but his throat closed suddenly, and he had to blink back the tears he\'d been fighting all night. \"Ryu....\" He cringed. \"Did, um, you talk to that sushi kid?\"

He nodded. \"Only for a moment. He told me you were here.\" Ryuichi ran his hand slowly over the other\'s back, not wanting to let him go just yet. \"Are...are you...?\"

\"So he didn\'t tell you....\" Jace wilted a little, not sure if he was relieved or even more nervous; it meant he might have to tell Ryuichi himself. He pressed his face against Ryuichi\'s neck. \"Can we go home now?\"

\"Sure....\" Ryuichi held him a moment longer, just to be sure his feet would move when he told them to. He finally urged the other gently back, keeping a hand on Jace\'s back in support as they started out of the bathroom.

Jace kept his arm around Ryuichi as they slipped out of the bathroom and started down the hall. //God, what do I say? I\'ve been so....// Jace closed his eyes briefly. \"That kid. He, um...is really bad at English.\"

Ryuichi nodded, smiling faintly. \"All Japanese learn some of it, but only enough for very basic conversation.\" //I wonder...what they talked about.// His fingers curled against the back of Jace\'s neck. \"It\'s a lot easier for us to listen and understand than actually speak it.\"

\"Yeah, I figured.\" //If only he was better. Or I was. Maybe…we could actually talk.// \"He seems nice,\" Jace said quietly. \"And you\'re right, he is a lot like you.\"

//I hope that\'s a good thing.// \"He is. I\'ve never seen someone so dedicated to what they love.\" He leaned a little closer at that, unintentionally. \"He\'s only a year older than you,\" he added. \"Maybe...I should really introduce you? He\'ll know a lot more people here than me, especially...younger ones.\"

Jace had expected that, but somehow it only made his spirits lower. \"It\'s...okay,\" he murmured. \"He\'s nice, but....\" //I was really mean to him.// \"...it\'s not like we can actually talk, you know?\"

\"Well....\" //I don\'t know what else to do, except....// \"He has a lover,\" he said quietly. \"Just a bit older than him, who spent a lot of time in America--his English is about as good as mine. I don\'t know if that makes a difference, but....\" //I don\'t know what else to do, Jace. Is…all this worthless?//

\"Yeah...?\" For a moment, Jace felt a little hopeful. //Someone who ss Ens English, my own age…a rockstar\'s lover....// But then he cringed again. \"Um, I don\'t know if he\'d want to meet me,\" he said diffidently.

Ryuichi chuckled a bit. \"If we convince Shuichi, then Yuki-kun won\'t have a choice; Shuichi is very persuasive.\" He had picked up on that hopefulness, and Ryuichi latched onto it as his own pale hope. \"I can ask Shuichi later. I\'m sure he\'ll agree.\"

\"Um...\" Jace hugged a little closer. \"If you do, will you...apologize to him for me?\" he asked, though he knew he was just inviting Ryuichi to ask why. \"Okay?\"

\"Sure....\" He started to ask why--he made a faint sound before he was able to squish the words. //If he wants to tell me, he will. I...I can\'t take the chance I\'ll say something stupid.// They finally made it out of the building, and he was relieved to see his driver waiting. He urged Jace into the backseat before settling in next to him. \"I\'ll call him tomorrow, okay?\"

\"Okay.\" Once they were both in the car Jace curled next to him again, reminded suddenly of the night in New York he\'d told Ryuichi he would go home with him.... He shivered a little and drew Ryuichi\'s arm around his shoulders. \"Ryu. You should know.\" He pressed his eyes closed. \"That kid. I...kind of hit on him.\"

Ryuichi felt his stomach drop and come to rest somewhere in his feet. At the same time his chest tightened enough to be painful--he felt suddenly ill. //I should have expected this. Of course he\'d find someone else. But Shuichi....// His arm was tense around Jace\'s shoulders. \"Oh.\" He looked away, out the window as they began to drive. \"What, um...did he do?\"

Jace shrugged tensely. \"Told me he had someone.\" //Ryu, I\'m sorry. I\'m no good at secrets.// He licked his lips. \"It\'s not like...I really liked him all that much. Or anything like that. Just so you know.\"

That...helped. Just a little. \"Um...why?\" he asked before he could stop himself, tone low. \"Why did you...?\"

\"I dunno.\" Jace shrank a little against Ryuichi\'s side. \"Second nature, maybe...?\" His breath hitched a little, and he wondered vaguely if he was going to be sick. \"I don\'t think I was really serious.\"

Ryuichi\'s arm tightened, and he turned to hide his face against Jace\'s soft hair. \"Jace....\" He started to speak, but...nothing else came out, and he could only hold his lover closer.

Jace wanted to pull away--listening to Ryuichi\'s breath was only making him feel more guilty--but he couldn\'t even begin to. \"I\'m sorry,\" he whispered instead. \"It\'s not like I\'m going anywhere. I don\'t know what I\'m doing.\"

\"I guess....\" Ryuichi trailed off, and after a moment he sat back again, sinking into the car seat. //What...can I do?// \"I guess we\'re both pretty confused,\" he murmured, eyes narrowing until they were almost closed.

\"Ryu....\" Jace winced, but he sat up abruptly, touching Ryuichi\'s cheek. \"It\'s nothing, okay?\" He kissed his cheek softly. \"I\'m just crazy. I love you, you know.\"

Ryuichi finally looked at him, his inner organs slowly making their way back to their usual positions at those words. \"I love you,\" he echoed softly, and after a moment of thought leaned close for hesitant kiss.

Jace returned it with as much feeling as he could. Though he was still shivering a little, unsure, he didn\'t want Ryuichi to be upset anymore. He hadn\'t come all the way here for that.

He was a bit reassured by the affection in the gesture, and managed to relax a bit as they pulled apart. //At least he still loves me.// Ryuichi shifted to better rest against his lover\'s shoulder, touching their cheeks. \"Things will get better,\" he said quietly, trying to reassure them both.

\"Yeah.\" Jace sighed, managing to relax a little as well. \"Yeah, I know.\"

---

Ryuichi led them through the building, keeping a hold on Jace\'s hand in hopes of reassuring him. Or both of them. But he trusted Shuichi\'s assurances that Yuki would \"be polite,\" and he kept that ind ind as they came to the right door. \"Yuki-kun\'s an author,\" he explained. \"And he can be...kinda \'cool,\' but he and Shuichi get along really well.\" He smiled and kissed Jace\'s cheek before knocking.

Shuichi opened the door, and though he\'d been a little nervous himself he was somewhat--guiltily--relieved to see Jace looked the same. At least he wouldn\'t be hitting on him again. Grinning broadly, he led the pair inside. \"::Come in! Yuki\'s just inside.::\" For Jace\'s benefit he added one of the phrases he\'d made Yuki teach him earlier. \"How\'s it hanging?\"

Jace laughed. \"::I\'m good,::\" he replied. \"Um... ::Sorry.::\"

Ryuichi smiled in relief at the only faint awkwardness in the air, and he happily tugged Jace inside. \"::Yuki-kun is here, right? You\'ll have to introduce us.::\"

Yuki\'s ears perked at the sound of his name, but he didn\'t pause in his typing. //Probably here for him. Maybe that means he\'ll be going out.//

\"::Yup! He\'s right in here.::\" Shuichi paused for a thoughtful moment--he wasn\'t sure if Yuki would like people barging into his study unannounced. \"::Make yourself at home--I\'ll bring him out.::\" He skipped off to the back rooms.

Jace smiled as he watched him go. //He…really does look like he\' lov love.// He ducked his head as he took a glance around the apartment. \"Man, it\'s huge.\"

Ryuichi nodded, leading them into the main living room. \"Yuki-kun is a very, very popular author,\" he explained. \"Romance novels, which is funny since he\'s the most unromantic person in Japan,\" he added with a laugh. \"He\'s loaded, maybe even more than me.\"

\"Hmmm. Romance novels.\" Jace smirked wryly. //Maybe he won\'t be much for conversation after all.//

Yuki\'s eyes darted briefly away from the screen when his door opened. He was just in enough of a good mood to ask, \"::what?::\"

\"::Sorry to bother you,::\" Shuichi said with an apologetic smile. \"::But we\'ve got company. Sakuma-san\'s here with his...uh, friend. Can you come say hi?::\"

Yuki glanced up again. //Sakuma Ryuichi. God....// He turned back to his computer. \"::I haven\'t had enough coffee today to deal with both of you.::\"

\"::Please?::\" Shuichi tiptoed further into the room and leaned on his desk. \"::His friend Jace is from New York--he can barely speak Japanese, so I thought...::\" He shrugged sheepishly. \"::…maybe you could speak English together. Or something.::\"

His fingers paused at the mention of New York--he had barely been back a week, after all. Yuki narrowed his eyes as he looked back to his lover. \"::Are they together?::\" he asked bluntly.

\"::I think so,::\" Shuichi answered, wondering if he was pushing too much::He::He said some...really weird stuff at the party the other night.::\" His voice lowered a little. \"::I think he\'s having a hard time.::\"

Yuki snorted. \"::And you think I can fix him?::\" He turned back to his computer, hitting a few keys and feeling Shuichi\'s plaintive stare. Once he was sure the document was saved, he closed the laptop and pushed to his feet. \"::You owe me,::\" he threatened, pinching Shuichi\'s ear on his way out.

Shuichi beamed, and bounced happily after him. \"::His name is Jace,::\" he reminded him as he took Yuki\'s arm on the way to the living room. \"::And, uh...be nice, okay? Please?::\"

Jace glanced up when he heard the pair approaching, and he was sure his jaw dropped pretty far when he saw the man Shuicas las leading. //He\'s damn gorgeous. The sushi kid got HIM?// He straightened a little and regained his composure. \"Sorry about barging in,\" he said in English, maybe...testing to see if he really did speak it.

Yuki looked him over, noting the slightly nervous expression on Ryuichi\'s face. \"This one is always bringing in surprises,\" he assured, making sure he gave Shuichi a good glare before pulling his arm free. //Well, if it will make them happy.// He stepped forward, not bothering to bow as he offered his hand. \"I\'m Eiri Yuki.\"

Ryuichi shared a very relieved glance with Shuichi. //He\'s being polite. I guess that\'s a start.//

//Holy shit, he really speaks English.// Jace shook his hand gladly. //Though he does look a little scary. The kind I never would have gotten to back home.// \"Jace Jackson,\" he introduced in kind. \"Always happy to meet a blonde.\" He shook his head in emphasis.

\"Indeed.\" The two singers looked like they were about to bounce out of their skin in excitement, and he rolled his eyes. \"I need coffee,\" he muttered, turning towards the kitchen. He gave Jace a hint filled look. \"You\'ll need it too, if these two are going to be hanging around together.\"

Ryuichi stuck out his tongue, but with an encouraging smile at his lover moved closer to Shuichi. //Let them talk for a bit....//

Shuichi grinned excitedly and gave Ryuichi a wink. //I hope it helps, even just a little.//

Jace glanced at the pair briefly, a little intimidated by how eagerly they were watching. But he caught his wits quickly. \"Sure,\" he replied to Yuki, trailing after him. \"I mean, thanks. If you\'re offering.\"

\"Why not.\" Yuki led the way into the kitchen, flicking on the coffee maker--there was already some made, but it needed some heating and a little freshening. He glanced over his shoulder at the boy, and after a moment pulled out a box of strawberry Pocky; if Shuichi was going to toss people at him, then he\'d used up the singer\'s food. \"Hungry?\"

\"Thanks.\" Jace helped himself--at least there was some Japanese food his stomach wouldn\'t reject. He leaned ast tst the counter as he munched happily. He was about to ask Yuki about being in New York when he remembered...that was the one thing Ryuichi had warned him about not mentioning. \"So you write smut, huh?\" he asked boldly. \"I\'d check it out, if it wasn\'t all Japanese.\"

Yuki snorted. \"Is that what they\'re telling you?\" He checked the coffee maker. \"Seems they\'ve been scheming this for a while. Typical.\" He found himself a few pretzels to eat. //Well, they are together.// \"So you\'re banging Sakuma, right? Must be exhausting.\"

Jace smirked, though he flinched a little. \"Damn right on that,\" he chuckled. \"Though you\'ve got your hands full with Shuichi, I\'m sure.\" His eyes narrowed, and just because he must have been feeling self-destructive at the moment, he added, \"I stole a little taste.\"

His eyes narrowed faintly, but he smirked a moment later. \"And I\'ll bet he rejected you.\" //I know my own lover, after all.// He pulled out a pair of mugs to pour the coffee.

\"Yeah, of course he did.\" Jace shrugged, not sure if he was pleased or not. //He\'s kind of cool. I like him.// \"You been together long?\"

\"Yeah. Too long.\" Yuki offered him a cup, barely able to catch the sound of the singers in the next room. He took a long drink from his own mug.

Jace sipped from his own, smiling at the familiar taste. For a moment he was content to enjoy the coffee and keep an eye on Yuki. \"Well, ths gos good, right?\" He twisted his mug in his hands. \"Me, I\'m not quite used to this relationship thing yet, I guess.\"

He snorted, moving to the table to sit down. \"It does take a while.\" Yuki glanced at the boy, wondering how much he\'d been told before coming here.

Shuichi popped his head in suddenly. \"::Hey. We\'re gonna go get some dinner, kay? We\'ll be back soon.::\"

The author rolled his eyes. \"::Don\'t worry about us,::\" he muttered, but by then he could already hear the pair at the door. He turned back to Jace. \"They\'re going for dinner,\" he explained with a shrug. \"Manipulative little pricks.\"

Jace chuckled, though not without his own apprehension. \"Well, I hope they\'re happy.\" He joined Yuki at the table, suddenly wishing his coffee were booze. \"Pawning me off on the nearest English speaker to \'fix me\'.\"

Yuki shook his head. \"I don\'t \'fix.\' I write, and I fuck.\" He smirked. //And somehow, that\'s strangely enough.// Catching the other\'s look, he pushed to his feet and found a pair of beers. \"You look too young for this, but you also look like you need it.\"

Jace brightened immediately. \"Ryu said I\'d like you,\" he laughed, ing ing his coffee aside. He accepted the can heartily and took a long drink. \"Mm, at least Japan\'s got good beer.\"

\"I wouldn\'t be here if it didn\'t,\" he replied, dropping into his seat again. For a moment he considered questioning the boy, but decided against it; if he wanted to talk, he would. \"It\'s the damn food that takes the getting used to.\"

\"No fucking kidding.\" //He really does understand, doesn\'t he? If he was in Japan, and New York….// Jace glanced at him hopefully. //I don\'t want to just…dump on him. That\'s not fair. But….// \"So your friend. He didn\'t tell you I was a hooker, did he?\" //Or…maybe subtlety doesn\'t suit me after all.//

Yuki shook his head. //They all end up talking.// But he was used to such things, having traveled as much as he had. He raised an eyebrow. \"Were you any good?\"

\"I got by.\" //Maybe more than that, but I don\'t brag.// Jace shook his head with a laugh. \"Sorry. I\'m sure you don\'t really care. But I figured you might as well know why they\'ve stuck us together like this.\"

\"Well, I\'m not fucking you,\" Yuki replied lightly. He drank from his own can. //Though I guess we do make an interesting pair--a hooker and a murderer.// He smirked around his beer. \"That how you met the rabbit guy?\"

\"Yeah, cheap bastard. Though I guess he\'s made up for it by now.\" Jace kicked his feet lightly under the table. \"How are normal people like us supposed to handle guys like them?\" he asked suddenly. \"They\'re crazy! I mean, really crazy. You know?\" He set his chin heavily on his hand. \"Tell me something. Do we really stand a chance?\"

\"A chance of what?\" he asked, setting his can down in favor of another pretzel. \"Staying with them?\" He snorted. \"He\'s the one that stalked me, moved his crap in here, and chased me across the fucking globe.\" Yuki leaned back suddenly, looking up at the ceiling. //Fit. it. I guess he and I have this much in common. And if it keeps the kids happy….// \"Want to know the trick?\" he asked, tone more serious.

Jace straightened, his chin coming off his hand. Though he should have known better than to think there was su thi thing, he couldn\'t help but be interested. \"There...is one?\"

Yuki smirked at overoverhead light. \"There always is.\" He took a drink of beer before continuing. \"Take time off,\" he said bluntly. \"Get away from him when you can--get out of the house or apartment or whatever--even if it\'s to pick up some booze.\" Pausing, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. \"And don\'t fuck him every night--keeps things interesting.\" He took a drag before finally meeting Jace\'s eyes.

\"Don\'t come between him and his music,\" he said seriously. \"Don\'t make him choose, don\'t let anyone else make him choose. If it comes up, you decide for him.\" Another long drag. \"Music came first, and if he\'s as similar to Shuichi as he seems to be...it could kill him if he had to.\"

\"Oh.\" Jace\'s fingers curled around his beer. \"Thanks; I\'ll remember that.\" He hesitated, staring down at the table as he wondered if Yuki would mind his still talking. \"It\'s just...kind of hard, that first part.\" He smiled dryly. \"I don\'t speak Japanese and I don\'t know anyone. There\'s not much for me to do, when I\'m not with Ryu.\"

Yuki finished off his coffee before it got too cold. \"You\'re working now, aren\'t you? Or do you just follow him around?\"

Jace scratched the back of his head. \"Actually, I\'m kind of working for him,\" he admitted. \"As an \'assistant.\'\"

That made Yuki frown. \"Quit,\" he said bluntly. \"No wonder you\'re going crazy.\" He pulled off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose, making the unfortunate mistake of wondering what it would be like working for Shuichi; he shuddered.

//He\'s probably right.// Jace\'s smile faded a little. \"Yeah. You\'re right--it\'s not like it\'s really a job, anyway.\" //Though, that doesn\'t solve my problem of not being able to function over here.// He chuckled humorlessly. \"I guess I could always go back to cock.\"

\"Do you cook at all?\" he asked, ignoring his words. \"Do you clean? Just around the house, even.\"

\"Yeah, mostly. Not much else to do, so I\'m pretty good at keeping the place neat.\" Jace shrugged, lowering his chin back onto his palm. \"I\'m used to dealing with rockstars, after all.\"

//Good. He can do that much.// He leaned back in his chair. \"I know a few people who have lived in America for long enough to be fair in English--mostly PR, publishers, some other executivees. es. People are always looking for someone to help around the house, run errands and what not.\" Yuki smirked faintly. \"I\'ll talk to them.\"

\"You\'ll...what?\" Jace\'s eyes widened. \"You mean, like, do housekeeping?\" //Like…a real job? A place to go everyday?// \"You\'ll really help me find work?\"

Yuki shrugged. \"It wouldn\'t be very exciting, but better that then working for that nut all day.\" He took a long drink of beer, allowing himself some brief satisfaction. \"It\'ll be up to you to impress them enough to hire you, but I\'ll introduce you.\"

\"Oh, don\'t worry about me--I can be impressive.\" Jace straightened again excitedly. \"I\'d really appreciate it. Just getting out of the house for a while....\"

He snorted, getting up to return the pretzels. \"You mean get away from the rabbit kid,\" he replied, though there might have been a bit of humor in his tone. \"I\'ll have Shuichi call you.\"

\"Wow....\" Jace downed the rest of his beer, feeling suddenly a lot better. \"Thanks a lot, Yu.\" He smiled thinly. //Now I just have to deal with Ryuichi himself.// \"You know, I never would have imagined that sushi kid to nab a guy like you, but you guys seem all right.\"

Yuki rolled his eyes. \"Believe me, it wasn\'t my original intention.\" //I wonder what they\'re going to bring back? Probably pizza.// Frowning, he moved to the fridge to see if there was anything that would go with a pizza.

Jace stood as well, taking his coffee mug to the sink to be washed out. \"Me either. But it\'s working out, right?\" He chuckled. \"I know you\'re just putting up with me because he asked you to.\"

//Well, to a degree, I suppose.// Yuki pulled out some vegetables, though he was pretty sure he\'d be the only one eating them. \"You\'re not the worst thing that kid\'s brought through the door.\"

Jace laughed some more. \"Well, thanks. Though now you\'re making me wonder.\" Noticingi\'si\'s preparations he began to pull out plates and glasses for them all. //If I\'m gonna be a maid, might as well start now.// \"He must really be worth it.\"

Yuki didn\'t reply to that, preferring to continue pulling out items. \"Sakuma must be something,\" he said instead. \"To have brought someone to a different country.\"

Jace paused in setting down the glass he\'d pulled. \"He is,\" he chuckled quietly. \"But then, you didn\'t see my alternative.\" His eyes thinned. \"He really should have been able to do better than me.\"

Yuki\'s eyes nwed wed faintly. \"You\'ll find...\" he said quietly, \"that people like them don\'t exactly follow reason.\" He straightened and finished off his beer, throwing the can into a plastic bin in the corner. A faint smirk curled his lips when he turned. \"After all, Shuichi chose me.\"

Jace met his eyes, and he had a feeling...there was a lot going on here that he didn\'t know about. That however Yuki had ended up with a kid like Shuichi, it couldn\'t have been any easier than what he and Ryuichi were facing now. It made him smile. \"I guess that makes us both pretty lucky.\"

\"Hmph. Maybe.\" He heard the door open then, the sounds of Ryuichi and Shuichi\'s laughter echoing down the hall. Before they could appear, Yuki pulled out a small business card and handed it over. \"I work here, so it\'s at least quiet during the day. Unless the idiot is here, of course.\" He turned away once Jace had accepted the paper, as if all the goodwill he was showing had suddenly reached a limit. He raised an eyebrow when the pair entered. \"Pizza. What a surprise.\"

\"Pizza is good!\" Ryuichi protested, carrying an armful of soda while Shuichi balanced three boxes of pizza in his arms. He grinned as he approached his lover, head tilted curiously.

Jace met his gaze hesitantly, and offered a smile. //I am glad I got to talk to him. But…there\'s still a lot I\'m going to have to figure out. On my own.// He took some of the soda away from Ryuichi so he could prepare glasses for them. \"Who wants what?\"

\"Cola--cola,\" Shuichi sang as he set the pizza boxes out on the table. When Yuki came close he sed hed his arm, leaning up on his toes to grant his cheek a quick kiss. \"::I love ya, y\'know,::\" he whispered.

Yuki snorted in reply, but since Ryuichi and Jace seemed distracted, he caught Shuichi\'s chin to return a light, more satisfying kiss. \"::You owe me later,::\" he muttered before turning to get the plates Jace had prepared.


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