Beautiful Stranger

Disclaimer:

I do not own Gravitation or any of its characters. I just love them to no end and have a very
twisted imagination. Please be aware that I am extremely poor so suing me will do you no good.
Thanks.

Warning: Lemon Yaoi / Explicit Language / Angst / Rape / Violence / AU

Pairings: Yuki x Shuichi / Possible Ryuichi x Tatsuha / Hiro x Ayaka / K x Sakano / Tohma x
Mika

FYI: [ Flashback ]

Author’s Notes:

Hey everyone! Chapter two has finally arrived! We get to see Yuki’s POV in this one. He is
soooo stubborn and I just love him to death for it. Yuki means EMOTIONAL ANGST!
Something I just relish in (*grins wickedly*) and of course, will exploit to its maximum.

Okay, that’s it for now. Scroll down and enjoy!

Thanks,

Forsaken




CHAPTER 2
~ NOW FACE TO FACE ~



\"Who’s that?\"

\"Get the hell out of my way Tatsuha,\" commanded Yuki as he pushed past his brother and
walked into his apartment carrying an unconscious man within his arms.

What the hell am I doing? Yuki asked himself as he made his way into the large living room.
Why did I bring this kid here? Heading toward the one-piece sofa, he once again berated himself
for making such an idiotic decision. I’m fucking nuts. ‘Fucking’ nuts.

As gently as possible, more so than he’d figure himself capable of, Yuki placed the sleeping
youth onto the sofa. He took a step back and stared. His yellow-green eyes roamed over the
slender body lying limply over the black leather and he couldn’t help but notice how light the
youth’s skin was in contrast to the dark material. Maybe I should’ve taken him to the hospital.

\"Eiriiiii, who is that?\" asked Tatsuha from behind him. The brunette, an almost identical younger
version of Yuki, came up beside him and peered over at the young man his stoic brother had
brought home. \"Another one of your strays?\"

Yuki slapped Tatsuha in the back of his head, eliciting an exaggerated cry of pain from his
brother.

\"What the hell did you do that for? It was just a question. Jesus, I’m still being abused even at the
age of nineteen!\" Tatsuha complained as he rubbed the tender spot.

Yuki rolled his eyes. \"Stop being an idiot, will you? It’s none of your business who this is so stop
asking.\" He pushed Tatsuha aside and walked over to the bathroom to get the first-aid kit.

Tatsuha, who was absolutely dying of curiosity, looked at the sleeping man once more before he
turned and practically flew into the bathroom behind his older brother.

\"Come on, bro. Tell me who he is,\" Tatsuha pleaded. \"You can’t just bring home a stranger and
expect me not to have any questions. It would be against my very nature not to bug the hell out of
you. So come on, Eiri. Who is that? Are you even listening to me?\"

No. With his back to his brother, Yuki grabbed the small metal case out of the medicine cabinet
and opened it, taking out what he needed. This is what I get for being noble. He chided himself.
Goddammit, I should have let the kid fend for himself back in that alley. Yuki frowned at the
gauze he was now holding, distantly aware that his brother was still babbling away at him.

Why hadn’t he left the little thief to fend for himself? Why had he looked back after he’d turned
to leave? Why had his stomach twisted into knots when he had seen the boy fall to the ground in
pain? Why did my heart skip a beat when I looked into those eyes?

Yuki’s hand tightened over the gauze as his mind recalled the utter confusion that had washed
over him when he’d finally come face to face with the would-be thief who’d had the audacity to
take his wallet. Violet? Purple? Violet-blue? The color of those eyes was so unique and rare that
Yuki really couldn’t describe them; the color so startling that those large orbs had enthralled
them at first sight. Dammit, stop thinking this way! I don’t care what color his fucking eyes are. I
don’t care! It was guilt. He’d inadvertently caused the boy to get hurt and he’d felt guilty. That
was the sole reason behind the madness that had overtaken him. Nothing more. Plain and simple.

Determined to fulfill his warped sense of duty, Yuki threw the gauze back into the case and
grabbed the container, deciding to bring everything with him. He pushed past his brother and
headed toward the living room.

\"Shit, Eiri. You’re a real bastard,\" Tatsuha stated as he barely managed to stop himself from
falling into the toilet.

Yuki rolled his eyes and continued his trek toward the slumbering boy. \"If I’m such a bastard,
then why do you hang around me so damn much?\"

Tatsuha grinned as he followed close behind the blonde. \"Because,\" Tatsuha replied, counting off
his fingers as he did so. \"One, the food here’s free. Two, you’ve got a ‘huge’ entertainment
system. And three,\" His grin broke into a wicked smile, \"I love to annoy you.\"

Yuki shook his head, his rebellious lips twitching slightly. \"Idiot,\" he said as he sat down next to
the battered brunette. Opening the kit, he began to attend to the various scrapes on the youth’s
pale skin. \"You really did a number on yourself, didn’t you kid?\" he murmured as he carefully
began pplypply antibiotic cream to the worst of the abraded areas.

The boy moaned and Yuki held his breath as those thickly lashed eyes began to flutter, trying to
open.

\"Hey, he’s waking up.\"

Yuki jumped at the sound of Tatsuha’s voice coming from over his shoulder. He’d almost
forgotten his brother’s presence. Well shit, miracles do happen. \"Shut wil will you?\" he hissed at
Tatsuha. \"He’s going to be scared enough as is. He doesn’t need to see your ugly face when he
wakes up on top of everything else.\"

\"Ha. Ha. You’re soooo funny.\"

The boy moaned again as the slender hand Yuki had still been holding unconsciously lifted out of
his grasp. The youth touched his forehead and winced, his eyes finally managing to open.

Yuki’s breath caught as those large eyes locked onto his own. Violet. They’re violet. Yuki
blinked at the sudden thought and nearly kicked himself for allowing his mind to stray. His face
stoic, Yuki leaned back to give the youth some space.

\"Where … where am I?\" the boy croaked, his voice hoarse from sleep as he blinked rapidly.

\"Hi!\" Tatsuha practically yelled in greeting as he dropped down to his knees next to Yuki.
\"You’re in my brother’s house. I’m Tatsuha Uesugi and,\" he pointed to Yuki, \"the guy glaring
daggers at me is my brother. His name is Eiri but he likes to be called Yuki.\"

Yuki frowned, wanting to strangle his big mouthed brother.

\"Yuki?\"

Yuki swallowed at the sound of his name flowing from those perfect lips. What the — No I didn’t
just think that. Get a grip, asshole!

The boy’s brow furrowed as he tried to focus his bleary eyes on Yuki. When the violet orbs
widened, Yuki knew that the boy’s senses had cleared. He frowned as the lanky form before him
suddenly tried to bolt off of the sofa.

A cry of pain sounded throughout the room.

\"You,\" the thief said in shock. Holding his obviously injured wrist against his chest, the boy fell
back onto the leather material looking at Yuki, his eyes holding a mixture of pain and fear within
their violet depths. \"Where am I? Why am I here?\"

\"Jesus,\" replied Tatsuha, who’d fallen back on his behind when the boy had tried to flee. \"Don’t
scare me like that.\" Tatsuha’s dark eyes softened. \"It’s okay. Nothing’s goin hap happen to you
here.\" He pointed once again to Yuki. \"He used to be a cop. You’re perfectly safe.\"

That was so not the thing to say, Yuki thought as the youth’s eyes widened even more.

\"A cop?\" the boy asked, his voice trembling in fear.

Yuki cuffed Tatsuha behind the head again. \"Shut up. You’re not helping, you moron.\" He
looked at the young man who was affecting him in a way he didn’t like, who was stirring up
emotions inside of him that had long been buried and tried to stamp back the wave of
protectiveness threatening to overrule his normally sane thoughts. What was wrong with him? He
felt protective? What the fuck?

\"What’s your name?\" Yuki asked, his face expressionless and aloof.

The boy winced slightly in reaction to Yuki’s cold glare and whispered his name hesitantly.
\"Shuichi … Shuichi Shindou.\"

Shuichi … It fits him. It — Dammit! It was just a name, a silly name for an idiot who had wasted
enough of his time already. Just patch him up and get him the hell out of here. \"For a pick
pocket, you aren’t any good. I’m surprised you haven’t been thrown in jail or gotten yourself
killed by now.\" Why the … Why did I say that?

The fear in Shuichi’s eyes quickly vanished, instantly being replaced by anger. Slowly, mindful
of his injured wrist, Shuichi sat up. \"I am good at what I do,\" Shuichi said adamantly, his eyes
hardening. \"I have to be. You have no right to judge me.\" His violet eyes suddenly dimmed and
he looked away. \"I was just … I was just preoccupied this time and I screwed up.\" Shuichi
shifted his worried gaze back to Yuki. \"Are you going to turn me in? Or can I leave?\"

Yuki’s golden eyebrows raised at Shuichi’s words, a twinge of admiration making itself known
within him. Yuki stared at Shuichi as he struggled with himself, his mind battling against the
rebellious emotions whirling inside of him. Say something, dammit. Tell him to leave. To get the
hell out of here. \"You can leave,\" he replied softly.

Relief poured into Shuichi’s expressive eyes and something seemed to move within Yuki’s chest.
What exactly, he wasn’t sure. But whatever it was prompted him to speak again. \"But you need
to recover from your injuries first,\" he found himself saying. What the hell are you doing? Shut
up! \"You can stay here until you heal.\" Holy Christ!

What had he done?

 

++++++

 

\"Great!\" Tatsuha exclaimed, smiling at Shuichi with an enthusiastic smile. \"See, I told you were
going to be okay.\"

Shuichi looked at the handsome brunette and marveled at how much the man resembled the
blonde stranger. Yuki. His name is Yuki.

Yuki stood up suddenly and turned away from him. \"You can sleep on the couch. If you need
something, Tatsuha will get it for you.\" The blonde paused to light up a cigarette, blowing smoke
into the air. \"Tatsuha, make yourself useful and get him cleaned up. Get him something to eat,
too. I’ve got work to do in my office. ‘Don’t’ disturb me.\"

And with that final warning, the stranger named Yuki walked away, disappearing behind his
office door.

Shuichired,red, not really understanding what had just happened. I can stay ‘here’? Shuichi
looked around the vast living room, his eyes staring in wonder at the sophisticated surroundings.
Never before had he been in such a huge place. Was he really being allowed to stay? Am I
dreaming? I have to be. This is just too weird. Why would a guy like that let me stay here after I
tried to take his wallet? It just doesn’t make any sense.

A hand touched his wrist and Shuichi jumped in surprise.

“Hey, take it easy,” said Tatsuha. “I’m just gonna wrap your wrist. It’s swollen.”

Shuichi looked down at his wrist and frowned as his gaze took in the bruised and puffed skin. “I
think I landed on it when I fell.” Shuichi replied as he moved his wrist in a circular motion very
carefully and slowly. He winced as needles of pain ran along his skin from the small action.

“I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s definitely sprained,” Tatsuha said confidently. “Nothing major
though.”

Surprised by the other man’s knowledgeable answer, Shuichi looked at him in question.

Tatsuha grinned ruefully. “I’m training to be a cop and Eiri figured that I should know stuff like
that. He made me take a medical course on top of what I’m already learning at the Academy.”
Tatsuha shook his head in feigned dismay. “Worst still, my brain’s like a sponge. It sucks
everything up. And thanks to my big brother, I’m a walking textbook now. It’s embarrassing, you
know?”

Shuichi smiled, unable to resist Tatsuha’s humorous charm.

“Sooo,” continued Tatsuha as he grabbed an elastic bandage from the small first-aid kit on his
lap. “I’m gonna wrap your wrist up so that the swelling can go down. With this on,” he continued
as he began to wrap the ban aro around Shuichi’s slender wrist, “it won’t hurt so much when
you move it. Just try not to put any pressure on it.”

“Okay ... Thank you,” replied Shuichi in gratitude.

“No problem.”

“Tatsuha?” asked Shuichi, the question that had been plaguing him since he’d awaken to a pair
of golden eyes demanding to be answered.

Tatsuha looked up at him. “What?”

“Why am I here?” he asked, needing to know desperately the reason behind Yuki’s unusual offer.
Or should he say command?

Tatsuha shook his head, his face a comic portrait of utter confusion. “To be honest, I have no
idea. Usually the strays he brings in are of some use to him. You ... I have no clue about.”

Shuichi frowned. “Strays?”

Tatsuha grinned. “You see, Yuki’s a private investigator and he runs his business from here.
Well ... from the offices downstairs. He has people that work for him. People that have many
‘unique’ talents.”

Shuichi tilted his head in question. Unique?

Tatsuha moved closer to Shuichi as if he were about to share a very juicy secret with him and
didn’t want to be overheard. Shuichi unconsciously moved forward in wait.

“They’re ex-cons.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened.

Tatsuha nodded. “That’s right. Ex-cons. Everyone of them. Well, everyone except Ryuichi.”
Tatsuha sighed, a dreamy look crossing his suddenly boyish features. “He’s Yuki’s partner. And
he’s goooorgeous!”

Shuichi smiled. Awww, he’s in love. He has that stupid ga ga look on his face.

“He’s really something,” Tatsuha sighed once more before he snapped out of his worshiping
thoughts. “Oh, back to the ex-cons. Okay ... Well, Yuki had met a couple of interesting people
during his cop days so he decided to put some of them to work. He gave them each a job in his
agency and provided them with a place to stay here in his building.”

Shuichi’s eyes widened. “Really?” he asked, totally shocked. The blonde hadn’t really seemed to
hold so much compassion.

Tatsuha nodded happily, a sly smile curving his lips. “Yup, he did. He kind of brought them all
home with him. One by one. You know, like a stray cat. That’s what I meant by strays.”

“It’s just so ...” Shuichi frowned, trying to find the right word.

“Nice?” Tatsuha suggested with a grin.

“Yeah, nice.”

“I can see why you had to think about it for a second there,” Tatsuha said as he shook his head.
“The word nice and my brother usually don’t share the same train of thought. He’s a human
icebox most of the time. It’s just not normal to think of him as being nice. It would upset the
balance of things. But he does have his moments of kindness. To his utter horror I’m sure. Then
again,” Tatsuha added as his face took on a pondering look. “He is getting something out of the
deal. So maybe he’s not really being nice. He’s a ridiculously intelligent bastard after all.”

Smiling as he watched the dark haired man sitting comfortably in front of him, Shuichi couldn’t
stop himself from giggling. Tatsuha was totally oblivious as to how funny he was acting. It was
just too much.

“What?”

Shuichi shook his head. “N ... nothing. I was ... it’s just that ... You really crack me up.”

Tatsuha’s dark eyebrows lifted. “I do?” He scratched his head. “Okaaaay. Well, let’s finish
getting you bandaged up so that I can rummage around the fridge to see what I can put together
for you to eat.”

Tatsuha made to pick up the first-aid kit and Shuichi grabbed his hand.

“What is it?” Tatsuha asked with concern.

Shuichi swallowed, not really certain whether he should open up or not to Tatsuha about his
current situation. But I have to tell them about Nao. When he finds out that I’m missing, he’s
going to send someone to find me. He couldn’t risk placing Yuki and his brother in danger. But ...
What if Yuki sends me away? Dammit, I’ll never get a chance like this again.

“Shuichi? Hey, what’s wrong?”

Shuichi shook his head at Tatsuha. “Sorry, it’s nothing. I just wanted to know if I could get a
glass of water.” Just another lie to add to the list.

Tatsuha smiled in relief. “Oh, sure. Sorry about that.” The brunette stood, placing the medical
case onto the sofa next to Shuichi. “I’ll be right back.”

With somber eyes, Shuichi watched Tatsuha walk away until the other man had disappeared into
the kitchen. He looked down at the first-aid kit, trying to keep them focused on it as his mind
waged a war with his heart. He knew he should’ve said something to the brothers, should’ve
warned them about the people in his life, but Shuichi just couldn’t do it.

He sat back, resting his head against the sofa and sighed from the comfort his body was deriving
from the soft material beneath him. Leather yet surprisingly cushy, the sofa was a far cry from
what he was used to. His own bed back at the house he shared with others under Nao’s employ
was in itself a wooden board. Against his will, Shuichi’s eyes began to drift shut; the comfort
surrounding his body too much for him to resist.

I’ll only be here for a little while. Just until I feel better. I’ll be gone before Nao can trace me
back here. Tatsuha and Yuki don’t to to know anything about Nao or about ... me.

++++++

“Where is he?”

Toru swallowed as he faced his employer, his owner. “He was on a job, sir.”

Naoko Murao stood in front of his office window staring out into the busy streets ahead. “On a
job, you say?”

“Yes, sir.”

Nao turned around and looked into Toru’s nervous brown eyes. “Where?”

“Near the park, sir.”

“How long ago?” Nao inquired, his tone even colder than before.

Toru shifted on his feet, trying to contain his trembling limbs. “Three hours ago, sir.”

Nao’s black eyes narrowed and Toru tried not to quiver in fear. “Three hours ago?” Nao walked
over to Toru and grabbed the younger man by his collar, lifting him off of his feet with one hand.
“When were you planning to tell me this?”

Toru gasped. “It’s only been three hours, s ... sir. He’s usually back by ten. I would have said
something then if he hadn’t shown up.”

Nao rammed Toru against the wall behind them and the brunette gasped from the impact. “You
are here to serve me Toru not to make decisions.” He tightened his hold over Toru’s collar,
relishing in the fear clearly evident in Toru’s eyes.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Nao released Toru and took a step back, watching stoically as the other man slid almost limply
down the wall.

“If he’s not back here within the hour, report back to me immediately. Am I understood?”

Hand to his neck, Toru nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now go.”

Toru managed to get onto his feet and bowed before he left the large office, knowing full well the
reprieve he had just been given.

The latch on the door sounded in the room as it closed behind the brunette and Nao once again
turned to the wall size window. His black eyes locked onto the bright moon and his fists clenched
at his sides as pure rage coursed through him.

Where are you my Shuichi? The moon continued to glow within the darkened sky and the anger
within Nao threatened to overrule his masterful control. You are not allowed to stray from me too
far. Of this you’ve been made aware of before.

Nao’s angry eyes stared out into the night sky. Of this you’ll be reminded of once more.

++++++


Typing away at on his laptop, Yuki tried to concentrate on what he was doing but it was to no
avail. He stopped typing abruptly and pushed away from his desk. Resting his head against his
chair, Yuki stared at the nearly blank screen. He was too angry to work. Angry at Tatsuha for
being so goddamn nosey, angry at himself for being so weak, and most of all, angry at one
Shuichi Shindou for disturbing his normally peaceful life.

Shuichi.

The name sounded so innocent to him. Yet he could tell by looking into those violet eyes tinged
with blue that Shuichi was anything but innocent. There was knowledge within their beautiful
depths, knowledge that had been obtained by no easy means. And there was pain. Yuki had
recognized it immediately; the same emotion could be found within his own if someone looked
closed enough. Not that he would ever allow anyone to get that close to him again. He had
learned long ago that such trust came with a price. And it was a price he was not willing to pay
ever again.

A knock sounded against the door, startling Yuki from his morbid thoughts.

“What is it?”

“Can I come in?” the muffled voice of his brother asked.

Yuki sighed, wanting ignore his younger brother. But he knew that he couldn’t. His brother was
persistent as hell and would just continue bothering him if he didn’t grant him entrance. Dammit,
he’s almost as bad as Mika. Why couldn’t I have been born an only child?

“Yeah, come in,” Yuki said, his voice resigned as he once again began to type away on his laptop
hoping to look busy.

The door opened but Yuki didn’t turned to look. He kept his gaze locked on the laptop’s screen.

“It’s almost eleven o’clock, Eiri. I’ve got to get going.”

“Fine.”

“Alright then. I’ll come back tomorrow after school to check on Shuichi.” Tatsuha turned and
began to walk out of the room.

Shuichi — What? Wait? Tomorrow? Holy shit! Panic coursed through Yuki at the realization that
he would be alone with the violet-eyed thief once Tatsuha left his apartment. “Tatsuha, wait,” he
said, hoping the desperation he was currently feeling hadn’t been evident in his voice.

Tatsuha turned to face Yuki, a black eyebrow raised in question. “What?”

“It’s late. Why don’t you stay over?” Lame, lame, lame!

Shock was clearly written over Tatsuha’s face before the look disappeared to be replaced by a sly
grin. “Well thanks, bro. That’s awfully nice of you. But although the offer is tempting, I really
can’t stay. You know there are curfew’s at the Academy dorms.”

Shit! That’s right. I forgot. Dammit!

Tatsuha stepped away from the doorway and looked at his brother with a knowing smile. “So I
guess, you’re going to have to deal with our Shuichi ‘all’ by yourself until I come back.”

Yuki’s eyes narrowed, noticing for the first time Tatsuha’s delighted expression. That little shit.

“See ya, bro,” Tatsuha said, waving his hand as he walked away into the hall heading toward the
front door. “And don’t worry. Shuichi won’t ravage you tonight. I told him to wait at least a day
so that he could get to know you better.”

“You little fuck,” Yuki yelled in a whisper, not wanting Shuichi to overhear his tirade of curses
toward his brother as he followed his sibling from hell into the hallway. “Say that to my face, you
asshole.”

But laughter was all the response Tatsuha gave him. The door clicked shut and Yuki was left
standing in the hallway ... alone.

Alone with Shuichi.

Dammit all to fucking hell!