Realities of Life

Disclaimer: Gravitation is not mine and I make no money from using the characters. But Kyosuke is mine, all mine.

EiriXShu, ShuxMysteryman

NC17 but not until chapter 3 (I think)

If you have time, please review.




Realties of Life


Chapter 2
Bizarre Love Triangle


Every time I think of you
I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue
It\'s no problem of mine but it\'s a problem I find
Living a life that I can\'t leave behind
There\'s no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won\'t set you free
But that\'s the way that it goes
And it\'s what nobody knows
While every day my confusion grows
Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I\'m waiting for that final moment
You\'ll say the words that I can\'t say

I knocked back the rest of my scotch as I watched my lover disappear into the crowd with Nakano. Part of me was happy that he had made peace with his guitarist friend, and part of me seethed with jealousy. I ordered another scotch and moved towards the stairs of the mezzanine, shifting from one bar to another. Something told me I would not want to be too far from a stiff drink tonight.

The mezzanine bar was “List Only,” so at least I would be spared from the multitude of blithering Bad Luck fans. I honestly did not know how Shuichi dealt with all of them.

Inside the bar, I moved to the railing so I could watch over the crowd, relieved to be out of the swarming chaos below me. I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, trying to quell the rising fear. Shuichi and I were headed for trouble. Trouble in the form of one Inoue Kyosuke.

Now that I thought about it, I was sure I had met him at one of Mika and Tohma’s parties years ago and that he was somehow related to Tohma. I was beginning to remember a little bit about him. But, for the life of me, I couldn’t put a face to him.

Shuichi had been reluctant to talk about him. He would only repeat that nothing had happened between the two of them.

By “nothing,” I extrapolated that they’d not slept together. But clearly, Shuichi harbored some feelings for the guy; otherwise he wouldn’t have been so freaked out about the whole situation. Also, he would not have tried like hell to discourage me from attending this event.

Had Shuichi been in love with this guy?

“Not contemplating jumping are you, bro?”

Tatsuha.

I sighed and turned to stare at him, “So, whose dick did you suck to get in here?”

He grinned at me, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” I grumbled at him and turned back to watch the crowd.

He patted me on the back, “How you holding up, Aniki?”

I gave him the glare.

“That good, huh?” He leaned against the railing and looked out over the crowd with me, “Seen him yet?”

I took a drag, “Shuichi? Yeah, we arrived together.”

He rolled his eyes at me, “Nice try, bro. You know who I’m talking about. Inoue Kyosuke.”

Now, how the fuck did Tatsuha know about this?

“He’s Tohma’s cousin, you know.” He smiled at me, “His favorite cousin, if I’m not mistaken.”

I didn’t say anything. Tohma’s cousin. Just how many cousins did Tohma have in the music business? And did that complicate this situation even more?

Wait. What was I worried about? There was nothing to worry about.

Right. Nothing.

Tatsuha gave me a smirk, “Want me to tell you which one he is?”

I glared at him again.

He tipped his head, “See the group near the back? See the guy with the lime green hair, right next to that very hot chick in the mini skirt?”

I looked, hoping Inoue was the guy with the lime green hair. Or even the very hot chick in the mini skirt, for that matter.

Tatsuha continued, “See the guy next to the hot chick? The tall, willowy, pretty one with black hair, the tight black shirt and faded black je…”

“Faded black jeans?” Sakuma Ryuichi finished for my brother.

Well, wasn’t this all I needed?

“The one that can speak eight languages and can play lots and lots of musical instruments?” Ryuichi’s eyes were fever bright as he whirled around us. “The one that has lived in Australia, England, Amsterdam, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok?” He stopped whirling and looked at me, “The one that wants poor Shu-chan’s heart?”

His eyes were still sparkling as he quoted:

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird and shun
The fumious Bandersnatch!”

“Was that English?” My brother asked, unable to tear his eyes away from the nutcase singer.

“Sort of,” I explained. My anger and panic were rising.

I looked over at Inoue Kyosuke and watched as he held court to the six or seven people surrounding him. I watched as he moved politely away from the group and hurried through the crowd, eyes unerringly aimed at a fixed destination. Finally, he shed his reservations and shouted across the room, “Hey, Shu-chan!”

My eyes scanned the crowd and spotted my lover standing near the mezzanine stairs. He was smiling.

I watched as Inoue Kyosuke ran the remaining distance through the crowd, lifted Shuichi in a tight hug, and spun him around.

They were both laughing as Shuichi knocked Inoue in the head.

My rival – for that is how I thought of him now – set down my lover but, before releasing him, leaned very close and whispered in his ear.

Shuichi giggled. He fucking giggled!

Then he looked up at me hesitantly, smiled and waved. Inoue Kyosuke looked up and met my stare. We regarded each other closely for a moment.

“Uh, Aniki?” My brother began, “You have some blood…”

I looked down at my hand. Apparently, I had gripped my fist so tightly my nails had drawn blood. I hadn’t even felt it.

Ryuichi gave me a melancholy smile, “Yuki-san, needs a vorpal blade.”

Tatsuha, the fool said, “What’s a vorpal blade?”

On cue, the spinning began again:

“One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.”

“What the fuck?” Tatsuha exclaimed, totally confused.

“Ryuichi,” Nakano said softly as he joined us, “ease up.”

Ryuichi grinned at his lover and nodded wildly.

Nakano gave me a sympathetic look, “Sorry, Yuki-san. You seem to trigger the Lewis Carroll for some reason.”

“At least he didn’t kiss me this time,” I grumbled.

“WHAT?!” My brother sputtered at us.

I stared at the crazy singer. I was beginning to wonder if all that came out of him was nonsense or if he was attempting to speak to me cryptically. I eyed him closely and asked, “Do you know where I can get a vorpal blade?”

Nakano looked at me as if I had grown a second head.

Tatsuha was still demanding to know details about the kiss.

Ryuichi held up his bunny, “I don’t know, but Kumagoro does.”

I looked at the stupid, pink bunny and scoffed. I may want to know the weaknesses of my opponent, but I’d be damned if I was talking to a stuffed rabbit to find them out.

“Eiri!” Shuichi called to me as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the group. He took note of my surrounding company of idiots with a look of surprise and suspicion. “How are you doing?”

I kissed him, noticing the inevitable camera flash, but fuck it; I wanted everyone to know that this boy was mine.

Looking behind him I asked, “Where’s your friend?”

“He’s checking on his band.” Shuichi grinned at me and squeezed my hand, “What the hell did you do?” He lifted my hand so he could examine it; four bloody crescents dotted my left palm. He looked at me knowingly with his amethyst eyes, “Oh, Eiri. What am I gonna do with you?”

I leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Take me home so I can fuck you senseless?”

He giggled. I froze. He had fucking giggled again.

What was it that Inoue had said to him that caused him to giggle earlier?

Oh, this would be a long night.

A few minutes later, that psycho K and Fujisaki joined us. “Ah!” boomed the big American, “just the two we were looking for!”

Fujisaki was impatient as usual, “Come on, we have a press conference in ten.”

Shuichi looked startled, “A press conference? Here?”

“Yes,” Fujisaki grumbled. “Another opportunity for you to put your foot in you mouth.”

“Hey!” Shuichi snapped and the two of them were off with their usual, inane arguments. I tuned it out.

K finally waved his gun in the air and herded them towards the stairs. Ryuichi tagged along which meant, of course, that Tatsuha followed as well. After giving me a parting glare, that is.

I ordered another scotch and sat down. I thought about Shuichi and what he was probably going through. What was he going through? He had become fairly successful at hiding his emotions when he really wanted to.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

Needing a smoke, I pulled one from the pack and searched for my lighter. I heard a lighter snap and a flame appeared in front of me. I looked up to see who was offering the light and met a pair of penetrating green eyes.

Inoue Kyosuke.

He smiled, “Mind if I join you?”

This meeting was destined to happen sooner or later. I waved my hand at the empty chair thinking that we might as well get this over with. Besides, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Sort of.

“A little early for a show down, don’t you think?” I said pulling out my own lighter and lighting my cigarette.

He was tall, maybe an inch or two taller than me. His black hair was shoulder length, with a single blond streak down either side of his head. The light caught on the ring of metal that adorned his left eyebrow; a single silver hoop. His ears were also pierced with similar but thicker, silver hoops. His facial features were almost delicate, high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned nose, and big, almond-shaped green eyes. He moved with intrinsic self-assured confidence and grace. He was just as Tatsuha had described him; a tall, willowy, pretty boy.

I hated him already.

He sat down across from me with his bottle of imported English beer and smiled at me. “I’m afraid my curiosity got the better of me. I’ve heard a lot about you, Yuki Eiri.”

“Really?” I said evenly. “I’ve heard very little about you.”

He took a drink and quirked another smile at me, “I’m not surprised.”

“Why is that?” I knew he was baiting me, but what the hell? I wanted to see what the guy had.

Shrugging he said, “The last time I was here, I was compelled to leave in something of a rush and, consequently, I left some things… unfinished. You see, I left someone behind that was very important to me. I’m afraid that, in my haste, I made a mess of the situation and caused some very serious doubts about my character.”

So, he had abandoned Shuichi, also. No wonder…

I had to ask, “Why would you leave someone so important behind?”

“Sudden family problems. My mother was dying and I was called home right away.” He met my icy stare. “I didn’t have time to convince him that it was best to come with me.”

Oh yeah. They had been pretty close if this guy had asked Shuichi to go with him. I wondered, briefly, why Shuichi hadn’t gone.

“But now you are back,” I stated.

“Yes,” he nodded, “I’ve come back to get him. Just as I told him I would.”

I took a drag and smiled my phony smile, “You’re too late.”

Leaning back in his chair he gave me a real smile back, “I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you. I helped him forget about you once. I can do it again.”

“So why didn’t he go with you then?” I parried.

He frowned at my question, “Because he was afraid. He was unsure of my feelings for him, doubtful of a good relationship and of my ability to stay with him when times were rough. In short, he just didn’t trust me.”

Ouch. He was pretty good. “Does he trust you now?”

He shook his head, “No, I very much doubt it. He doesn’t trust anyone anymore.” He took a drink of his beer and met my glare. “Least of all you and I.”

I nodded my agreement, “But you feel he will trust you more than me. Why?”

“Because I told him to his face I was leaving and why. And I asked him to come with me. Did you do that?” He met my hard stare and without any malice in his voice said, “As I understand it, you left him while he was unconscious in a hospital bed. He woke up and you were gone. Isn’t that the story?”

The anger was building in me again and I gripped the edge of the table, “I…”

“Ah, two of my favorite people,” Tohma said silkily as he joined us.

I glared at the newcomer but my competitor stood up and gave Tohma a big hug. Huh. Not very Japanese of him.

Tohma smiled at his cousin, “It is good to see you again, Kyosuke. How is your father?”

“Very good. Thank you for asking. He’s still in Taiwan and sends his regards.”

Well, he was certainly polite. I’d give him that. The smarmy bastard.

Tohma glanced at me briefly before continuing, “Kyosuke, I am certain Suspended Animation is nearly ready for their press conference.”

“Yes,” he smiled brightly, also glancing at me. “I understand. I hope we’ll speak later, Tohma.” He took a step away but before departing turned back and smiled at me, “Oh, I’m sure you and I will speak again as well, Yuki-san.”

I stared at him but did not answer.

He was chuckling as he moved away. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Eiri?” Tohma asked as he took Inoue’s chair, “Are you okay?”

I thought about his question.

“Just how…” I thought some more. Did I want to know this? “Just how close were they?”

“By “they,” I assume you are referring to Kyosuke and Shuichi?” He waved at the bartender.

I glared at him.

He waited while the bartender delivered a scotch to each of us.

Tohma took a sip and said, “I’m not sure you will want to hear this, Eiri.”

I was still glaring.

He sighed in resignation and began, “About two months after you went to New York, I asked Kyosuke to come work for NG. He’s an excellent musician and has an uncanny sense for what will be popular with the masses. He agreed and relocated from Taiwan.”

“He’s Taiwanese?” Foreign. I knew it.

“Half. His mother is Taiwanese. Was Taiwanese.” Tohma took another sip, “The family has always ostracized him because he is half Taiwanese.”

“Except for you,” I snarled.

He smiled patiently and looked at me pointedly, “Yes. I seem to have a habit of liking the problem children of the world.”

Huh. Touché. It was my turn to drink.

“As it happens, Kyosuke is fluent in English. I asked him to tutor Shuichi, as sooner or later Bad Luck would be touring Australia or Europe or the U.S.”

“English lessons? That’s how they got to know one another?” Unbelievable. I wanted to smack Tohma.

Tohma shook his head, “No. Shuichi wouldn’t have anything to do with Kyosuke. Nearly went crazy any time Kyosuke’s name was brought up. For about two months, Shuichi wouldn’t even stay in the same room with my cousin. It was very disruptive.”

I’ll bet it was. Tohma hated defiance from his staff. But still… something about this story bothered me. “Odd behavior for the brat. Even now, after everything he’s been through, he’s still very friendly,” I grumbled.

Nodding Tohma said, “I agree. I thought it was odd as well.”

He sighed. Here it comes, I thought.

“In hindsight, I am certain that Shuichi was attracted to Kyosuke from the start. He didn’t know how to deal with being attracted to someone other than you, so he chose rejection.”

After taking another healthy drink, Tohma continued, “As for how they got past Shuichi’s rejection, I honestly don’t know the details, Eiri. But apparently when the breakthrough with their friendship finally happened, it somehow came about in the form of music.”

Music. Shuichi’s number one love.

Shuichi had once told me that music and I were both number one in his heart. But I had left him. And then this guy…

I felt nauseous. “Why…” I had to clear my throat. “Why didn’t Shuichi go with him?”

Tohma looked at his now empty glass forlornly and said, “I’m not sure, Eiri.”

I stared at him. I didn’t believe him.

He sighed again, “Because I think Shuichi was still waiting for you. He had convinced himself that you were coming back. Only…”

“Only…” I prodded.

“Only it backfired on him. Even though Shuichi had been the one to turn Kyosuke down, when Kyosuke left Shuichi just… unraveled. Not one of us realized, least of all Shuichi, how much he had come to rely on Kyosuke. I don’t think there was anything physical between them, but they had built a very strong bond. When Kyosuke wasn’t around to keep Shuichi tethered to the ground… well…”

I took a deep drink and asked, “Is that when he called me? That last time?”

Tohma nodded, “Yes. It was one final act of desperation on his part to get you back.”

That catalytic phone call. His last plea for my love. I swallowed hard, “I told him he was stupid and blind. An idiot.”

“Yes.” Tohma whispered. “And there was no one here to soften the blow.”

“But,” I struggled, “he had Nakano. What about Nakano?”

Tohma smiled, “Yes, what about Nakano? Or Ryuichi for that matter? Shuichi was adrift, alone, and scared. In his desperation, it was Shuichi that reached out for them, manipulated them, and tried to make them… be someone else. They thought they were helping him. They thought he wanted to be with them, because he never told them otherwise.”

“And Inoue was okay with all that?”

Tohma shifted uncomfortably. “He… he didn’t know. By the time Shuichi gave in and asked me to get in touch with him, we realized there was a problem. Kyosuke had been staying in a small, isolated village in Taiwan, cut off from communication. I worked to reach him through his family, but by the time we finally got a hold of him, you were already in Tokyo and…”

Oh, gods. Shuichi and I were in serious trouble.

It appeared that I had only been lucky. If I had showed up a month later…

I wasn’t sure I would have been his first choice.

I stood.

“Eiri?” Tohma looked up, his brow furrowing in concern.

“I need to see Shuichi,” I grabbed his arm, pulled him up, and propelled him towards the stairs. “Take me to Shuichi. Right now.”

TBC

Bizarre Love Triangle Lyrics by New Order