The Key to My Heart

Title: The Key to My Heart: Chapter 2
Author: JadeHeart
Archived: Found on gurabiteshiyon.net. If anyone else would like it, please ask me first!
Fandom: Gravitation
Rating: R
Warnings: Bad language mainly
Timeline: After the anime/manga finishes.
Characters: Yuki, Tohma
Feedback: Feedback is always welcome!.
Summary: Just how far would Yuki go in search of Shuichi?
Author’s Notes: thanks to Reyn for the kind review!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they belong to the creators of ‘Gravitation’, nor am I making any profits from this.


Chapter 2

Yuki sat on the lounge, hands dangling between his knees, head lowered. The shadows had stretched across the room, slowly to dissolve as the sun set and night fell. A cigarette burnt slowly down as it rested in the ash tray.

He made no move to get up and turn on the lights as the darkness descended. The darkness matched the feelings in his soul. Thick, impenetrable, encompassing. It swallowed everything, took everything, changed everything. Made what you thought you knew, completely different, turned it into something that you could no longer recognize. It took away those things that you most wanted to hold on to.

He stared at the phone on the coffee table before him. It was silent. Had been silent for a long time.

What was taking Tohma so long? Damn him! He always said that he would do anything for Yuki. So what the hell was he doing now?!

Where was he? His mind switched back immediately to his previous train of thought. Thoughts centered solely on Shuichi. Was he waiting for him? Was he somewhere strange, alone and afraid? He didn’t speak very good English, so he could be having trouble communicating. That’s probably why they couldn’t tell Yuki where he was. Yes, that was probably it.

The cigarette had burnt to the end, untouched, and the last lingering flicker of flame gave a final flare, before blinking out to darkness.

Where was he? He wouldn’t know what to do. Shuichi wasn’t the most practical of people. Probably due to his artistic temperament. And he always over-reacted to things. The people over there probably wouldn’t know what the hell to do with him when he started bouncing off the walls, as he was wont to do at times. But that’s just the way he is. Take him as he comes.

Dim lights broke the blanketing darkness as the street lights flicked on. Lights from the neighbouring apartments filtered across the balcony, through the glass into the room, making the shadows leap and dance across the floor.

Where was he? He would be frightened, and upset. He would probably be crying too. Damn brat cried at the drop of a hat! He seemed to have bottomless tear ducts! But he was pretty cute when he did cry. Sometimes. The times when he would snuggle into Yuki’s embrace for comfort and sob quietly. Not those horrendous wails he would sometimes let out! Those, Yuki could do without! But when Shuichi sincerely felt hurt, when he cried at those times, he was quite adorable. It made Yuki want to try and help him.

The sounds of the night traffic drifted upwards, a low hum, occasionally broken by a squeal of tires or backfire, the blare of a horn.

Where was he?

The phone rang.

Yuki looked at it, startled out of his trance, dragged away from his spiraling thoughts. The phone rang again, the lights flashing. He stared at it. It was ringing. He reached out a hand and picked it up.

“Eiri?” Tohma’s voice came across the line, a little distorted to indicate that he was obviously calling from his cell phone.

“Yes.”

“I’ve done what I could at present. I’ve booked us a flight out tonight. There’s been a number of cancellations due to ….what has happened.”

“Us?”

“Yes, ‘us’. I’m coming with you. So don’t bother arguing. I can’t do anything more at the moment from here, but once I’m over there I’ve got a few leads I can follow up. I’ve contacted some people I know in the US, who are looking into it further for me. They’ll fill us in when we get there. We’ll be getting off in LA.”

“Okay.”

“How soon can you be ready?”

“Now.”

“Alright. I’ll be there in about half an hour.”

“Make it twenty minutes.” and Yuki hung up.

He looked at the now silent phone in his hand. Tohma had got things moving. Yuki would be arriving in the US soon. He could find Shuichi. Soon.

He stood and walked over to place the phone back in its cradle, when he paused. There was one person he should call before leaving. One person that deserved him to call them.

He dialed the number.

“Hello?”

“Hiro.”

“Yuki.” Hiro didn’t shout, didn’t abuse Yuki for not calling back sooner. The boy had been frantic, and now simply sounded…defeated.

“I’m going there.”

Silence.

“To the States?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Then Yuki heard Hiro sigh softly, before speaking, his voice breaking. “Find him. Bring him back. Please.”

“I will.”

“Okay…..and thanks for telling me.”

“It’s what he would have wanted me to do.”

A soft uneven laugh. “Yeah. Probably. Go get him.”

The phone clicked as Hiro hung up.

Yuki dropped the phone into the cradle and made his way to his bedroom. He absently threw clothes and toiletries into a travel bag, ensuring that money, credit cards and passport joined it. He couldn’t just walk out with nothing. He was the practical one of this partnership, and he made certain he had everything he needed.

As he opened the drawers, he could see Shuichi’s clothes folded next to his, albeit a little less neatly. Even that reflected the haphazard nature of the boy. Yuki ran a hand lightly over the sweatshirt on top.

Clothes. Shuichi would have lost everything in the…accident. He probably only had the clothes he had been wearing on the plane and that was it. No telling what state they were in.

Yuki reached in, and began to collect a couple of changes of clothing for Shuichi. Shorts, jeans, shirts, both long and short sleeved, sweatshirts, boxers, even shoes. He stuffed them in the bag, alongside his own items. He walked into the bathroom and grabbed some of Shuichi’s favourite shampoo and an extra toothbrush, as well as the deodorant that was Shuichi’s unique smell.

The bag was now almost bulging, leaving not much room for anything else. He lugged it out to the hall, dropping it to the floor. He looked at his watch. Tohma would be here shortly. His coat, shoes, wallet, cellphone and keys were all waiting at the door, ready to go.

He looked around the apartment. There was nothing else he needed at the moment. He ignored the mess still in the middle of the floor where he had dropped the groceries. That was a minor consideration.

He looked down at the hall table. He noticed that Shuichi had left one of his ipods there. The boy had a couple, and was never without one of them. He picked it up and read what Shuichi had marked on it. This one was solely Bad Luck’s music, not his usual collection of favourites from other artists. That one probably went with him on the trip.

Yuki raised it to his ear and turned it on. The strains of Rage Beat came to him, wrapping around his tortured mind. His hands began to shake, tears pricking at the back of his eyes, but not falling. He turned the music off, looking at the small item nestled in the palm of his hand. Such a small thing, and yet it held every part of Shuichi’s musical talent. Every part of Shuichi’s soul, because that is what he poured into his music. Yuki slipped it into the bag.

The door bell rang, shattering the stillness that seemed thick in his apartment. He walked over and opened it. Tohma stood there, looking dapper as usual. But to Yuki’s knowledgeable eye, he could see signs of strain and worry. It was in the slightly paler complexion, the brighter eyes, the coat that had one corner of the collar not smoothed out, and the bottom button of the waistcoat undone. No, Tohma wasn’t at all calm.

Tohma looked into Yuki’s face, searching. “Ready to go?”

Without saying anything, Yuki turned and shrugged into his coat and shoes, shoving his accessories into the deep pockets, and picked up the bag.

Tohma didn’t press him for further conversation. “Let’s go.” and Yuki followed him downstairs in silence.

Tohma started the car and began to head for the airport, cutting through town. The traffic was still heavy. It was only early evening and most shops were still open and doing the last of the day’s trading.

“Stop here.” Yuki suddenly said.

“What?” Tohma was startled, glancing over at his passenger.

“Stop. At this place.”

Tohma was puzzled, but did as Yuki wanted, pulling into a loading bay outside the shopping complex he had indicated.

“Leave the car running. I wont be long.”

Yuki slipped out of the car and walked away at a rapid pace. He brusquely pushed past other shoppers, ignoring the angry mutters and looks thrown at him for his rudeness. Ignoring everything around him, as he was solely focused on getting to his destination.

Tohma sat in the car and watched Yuki disappear into the moving masses. He had no idea where Yuki was going. If he had wanted to do any last minute shopping for the trip, he could have done it at the airport, or even when they had arrived in the US. He glanced in the mirrors, keeping an eye out for any parking inspectors. He didn’t need to get a ticket for being where he was at this time.

Suddenly he spotted Yuki heading back to the car. Well, Yuki had been correct in saying he wouldn’t be long. However Tohma wondered what he had needed to do. He was carrying nothing with him when he returned and slid back into the car.

“Hurry up.” Yuki ordered.

Tohma couldn’t help but smile. Now that was typical Eiri. He eased back into the traffic stream and headed off.

They arrived at the airport with just enough time to check in and make the plane. Tohma had managed to do well. They were seated in first class, and almost had the area to themselves. Accidents tended to make people nervous.

Yuki looked out the window, seeing his reflection looking back at him. The plane taxied out and was soon airborne, and the lights of Tokyo dwindled into the distance far beneath them.

Where was he?