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The Rose Line	By : Rhonda Category: Gravitation > General Views: 2888 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chapter 4: Could You Repeat the Question?

It was the concert hall. The large, full-bloomed Pink rose stood center stage singing a sad song of love and longing. It’s emotional vocals were punctuated by the gentle swaying of its stem and the curling and clasping of two large hand like leaves. It was lit by a single bright spotlight. And before it, a faceless audience sat watching the performance.

Behind the rose, the stage scenery had changed. No longer the mountain city scene, the backdrop had become one of a cliff overlooking the sea. The sky was a cloudy gray as if a storm was coming and below, the sea whitecapped in waves toward the shore, illustrating the unseen wind that was driving them.

Suddenly a stage prop dropped from the rafters on a cable. It was a small gold Sun. It shone brightly as it halted its decent about six feet from the floor and rotated there in place on its suspension line.

From stage left, three more roses entered in a single file line. A Red rose. A Black rose. A Brown rose. They marched in line, slowly approaching the Sun. One by one, they fell into orbit around it and circled the star, moving forward on foot like leaves, swaying gently in time with the music.

The Pink rose continued to sing, seemingly oblivious to what was happening behind it. It continued like that until suddenly the Sun began flashing. It caught the Pink rose in its light. The flashing strobed faster and brighter until it seemed as if a solid beam of light from the Sun had captured the Pink rose from where it spun. The house spotlight died and the rose was lit now only from the Sun’s beam.

Slowly the rose turned toward the Sun. It began sliding backwards as if the Sun were pulling it with that beam of light. Within seconds the Pink rose joined the rose dance orbit, sliding into place behind the Brown rose.

It continued to sing and orbit with the others, keeping time with the music. There was another bright flash and the Pink rose was pulled inside the orbit so that it stood just beside the Sun. The Pink rose began to revolve around the Sun in an inner orbit that ran counterclock to the rest of the roses. Its blossom head bloomed more fully and deeply than ever. And the Sun shone even more brightly.

In the shadows of stage right stood a Blindfolded Sword. Beside it on a stool, sat a Plain Gold Engagement Ring, nestled on a white linen handkerchief. The two watched the scene from afar as a strange, soft clicking sound came rhythmically from backstage. The sound continued under the rest of the music and began punctuating the inner orbit as the Sun and the Pink rose started to revolve around themselves, as if each were caught in the other’s hold--like gravity…

Tohma woke with a start. His brow was covered with sweat which he wiped as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. He looked over at the figure sleeping on his side next to him and cuddled him from behind, kissing the back of Eiri’s neck.

He laid there in the dark like that for a long time, thinking about this dream, his arm around Eiri possessively.

*** ***

“They’re at the Sea Rose Inn, My Lord, on the western outskirts of town.”

“What are they doing?”

“It seems they are waiting. I have no indication that an attempt at contact has been made.” The sound of a gold pocket watch flipping closed clicked softly.

“Your orders?”

“Let them be for now. I don’t know exactly what it is they have planned and I would like to know a bit more before we act.”

“Do you think that wise, My Lord?”

“They pose no threat for now. Fortunately for him, I don’t believe they told him everything. Not that they could. There’s no way they *could* know everything, is there?”

“What would you have me do, My Lord?”

“He doesn’t know any more than the others did when they came.”

Silence.

“No, I don’t believe he poses a threat at this time either. You can relax for the moment.”

Nod. Silence. The man stood to leave.

“Keep yourself handy, though. I have a feeling that things are about to get interesting.”

“As you wish.”

*** ***

Shuichi’s head was killing him. He didn’t know whether it was from the large amount of wine he’d consumed before the concert or what he’d seen after. Over and over again he saw flashes of naked flesh, heard thick sighs and felt Tohma’s laughter chasing him down the hall.

How was he going to face everyone—especially Tohma? He’d not likely to be able to look anyone in the eye for the rest of his stay! What the hell was going on around here? Shuichi lay there and thought about it. It’s not like he should be surprised. He’d not seen nor heard mention of any women since he’d been there, and if the town servants were as suspicious as Tohma suggested, he highly doubted any of them, male or female, would be willing to dally with anyone claiming residence at the estate.

What he’d seen was a perfectly natural occurrence between consenting adults…who just happened to all be male…living in a house with a curse…a curse that may or may not be responsible for holding them here against their will.

That’s what was bothering him the most he decided—consenting adults. First of all, he wasn’t even sure one of them *was* an adult, much less consenting. Of course, Shu couldn’t judge harshly as he was just over the line of adulthood himself and he certainly hadn’t waited for that line to be drawn before succumbing to the rewards of celebrity. As for consenting, if he could be certain that they all truly were consenting then it would be their business and theirs alone. But still…

Shuichi thought back to dinner and went over the interactions he’d observed during the course of the meal. Everyone seemed to get on well enough. Everyone seemed friendly enough. They all seemed very congenial towards Tohma. Enthusiastic even…

“…Tohma is a gracious host…”

Something dark was nagging at the back of Shu’s head and it wasn’t just pain. In the light of day and away from the wine, all the interaction to him had seemed forced. Much like Hiro’s prompt endorsement of Tohma and the estate when he’d caught Shuichi looking at him on the way to the dining hall. It was almost as if everything had been rehearsed.

He thought back to what he’d seen after the concert. He thought of the blonde who’d been with Tohma. Seeing him…in the act…tugged at Shuichi’s heart. For a reason he couldn’t fathom, it made him terribly sad. He thought of how he’d felt when he’d seen Tohma kiss him. Even though he still hadn’t seen the man’s face, he’d felt anger doing a slow burn beneath the sadness that weighed his heart.

“Who do you love?” Tohma had asked.

“I love you.” The reply had come softly, in a deep, resonant voice.

“How much do you love me?”

“With my whole heart.” No passion. No heat. Just a statement. An answer to a question asked.

Shuichi knew then and there, whether he wanted to admit it or not, whether he liked it or not, that K and Mika were telling the truth. He had known it as soon as he’d entered the oppressive atmosphere of the house. He’d known it as soon as he’d seen Hiro’s sad look on the stairs. He’d known it when he heard his mystery visitor struggling to come to him in the hall. He’d seen it on the faces of everyone at the concert during the last song.

And now, everything and everyone was waiting for him to pull a miracle out thin air.

Shu’s head thumped. He lay in bed staring up at the velvet canopy hoping a solution would float down to him. Or at the very least some pain medicine. He didn’t know what to do about anything and even if he did, he was sure he wouldn’t know how to do it. And even if he did know how to do it, he was sure he couldn’t carry it off with a hangover.

He leaned over the side of the bed and felt around on the floor for his music case which he pulled back up with him, ignoring the protests of his head. He pulled out the dagger and the envelope.

The dagger, with its black leather wrapped handle and flat tapered blade, was a great, heavy thing and could only loosely be called a dagger. More like a very short sword, it was at least the length of Shu’s forearm.

Shu held the dagger aloft and tried stabbing the air with it. He missed! It hurt his wrist just holding it.

“I’d certainly like to know what he thinks I can do with this! I can’t even hold the bloody thing upright!” He let it drop to the bed and opened the envelope. Two sheets of paper slid out.

The top sheet was a map of the property. It was marked on four sides by clearly labeled lines that Shuichi guessed represented the roses that were supposed to grow on each side of the estate. The north line was marked “Foresight.” The east line was marked “Love.” The south line was marked “Immortality.” The final line to the west was marked with a cryptic “Everything.” He looked at the rest of the map and noted the lake to the east and the carriage house, gardens and orchard behind the house. He also noted that there was only one way onto and off of the property, the road along the western side of estate that he’d traveled up just yesterday.

Yesterday. He’d only been there a day and it had already seemed like an eternity. No wonder Hiro wasn’t sure how long he’d been there.

Shu remembered the pink roses near the gate. That must be the western line of roses. He looked at the map label. “Everything.” He thought about the tree beside the gate. Even now thinking about it made him feel faint…that rope swinging in the breeze…

Shu forced the image from his mind and looked at the second sheet. Neatly written in the center of the page was a poem.

Do not cross the line of roses

To the north, by the sea

Lest you lose your prescient sight

And never again the future see...

Do not cross the line of roses

That due south, guards family

Lest you gain your mortal core

And reign immortal nevermore...

Do not cross the line of roses

To the east, beyond the lake

Lest your captured heart break free

And never again their love to take...

Do not cross the west rose line

Nor any leaf upon its tree

Lest all our deals come undone

And payment come due for eternity...

A Demon’s gifts are never free…

Shuichi studied the poem. Each stanza seemed to point to consequences that would happen should Tohma leave the boundaries set by each line of roses. Each direction was tied to a different ability. Shuichi counted them. Three abilities seemed to be represented:

The ability to see the future. This worried Shuichi. If Tohma really could see the future, then didn’t that mean that he already knew that Shuichi was there plotting against him?

My God! he thought. That means he’s waiting for me to make a move, doesn’t it? Shu tried to calm himself down. If he truly knows the future, then why did he invite me in the first place? Surely he’d know that I’d have spoken with Mika and K and that they’d give me this dagger. Unless…he already knows that I will fail and isn’t worried. Or something happens that makes me change my mind.

Shu’s head started pounding again. This one is killing me. Go to the next one.

Captured heart. On the map it was marked “Love.” That one was easy enough. The captured heart meant that Eiri’s affections were false. They were a condition of his enchantment. Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief. That one might be the easiest to make Tohma break, as it didn’t seem to involve any kind of supernatural power on Tohma’s part. Of course, where did that leave the others? The poem mentioned captured heart, not hearts—plural. Either he was controlling the others another way or the poem was wrong. Either way, even if he managed to set Eiri free, that didn’t seem to guarantee automatic release of the others. And he certainly couldn’t leave them here.

Shuichi took back his sigh of relief and went on.

Immortality. So much for the dagger, he thought. He looked at it on the bed beside him. If K knew about the immortality, why’d he give him the dagger? Surely that wouldn’t do much against a man with a health plan like Seguchi’s. Perhaps he only meant for me to get it to Hiro so he’d recognize that we’d spoken and that K still hadn’t given up hope.

That seemed most logical to Shu, but it still did nothing to help him figure out how to stop an immortal man. He held his head in his hands and went on to the last one.

“Everything.” It seemed that if Tohma crossed that final line, the entire deal would fall apart, and all of his powers, including the big three would be revoked.

“Well, there it is,” Shuichi laughed. “All I have to do is get an invincible man who’s in league with the devil to walk through the western gate that he knows will surely kill him if he does and then I can go home happy.”

Shuichi’s manic laughter turned to tears. “I’m doomed.”

His aching head prevented him from crying for long, so when he could take the pain no more, he stopped the waterworks, stowed the items beneath the bed and refreshed himself in the water closet. When he was done, he dressed just as the mantle clock chimed 10 am.

I’ve probably missed breakfast on top of everything else, he thought bitterly. I’m going to have to save the day with a headache AND an empty stomach.

Sighing heavily with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Shu backed out of the room, taking a last quick look around to make sure he hadn’t left anything incriminating out, then closed the door.

He turned around and found himself staring up into the most piercing eyes he’d ever seen. Two light amber colored eyes forced him backwards off balance. Like Hiro the night before, a hand shot out and steadied him. Unlike Hiro the night before, the hand didn’t immediately let go. It held him instead, an arm’s length away, making no move to pull him close or release him.

Shuichi stayed there in that grip, losing himself in those amber depths. His breath left him. The sides of his vision closed in on him and it seemed in that second that the world stopped rotating on its axis.

Instantly the shock sent Shuichi spiraling through a starry night sky, filled with a full moon and showers of brightly colored rose petals floating lazily down from above. A hand reached out for him.

“…Junishi…Junishi…I love you Junishi…” a dark haired man with intense hazel eyes was bending over him, closer and closer, his lips just a breath away…

Junishi?

Shuichi blinked rapidly and found that the lips just a breath away didn’t belong to a dark haired man at all, but to an extremely handsome blonde who was currently bending over him in the hallway of a cursed house, staring deeply into his eyes.

Who was Junishi? Before he could even speculate, the man backed Shuichi up against his bedroom door and still not letting go, pinned him there with his body.

Shuichi felt himself go up in flames. He felt hot, he felt dizzy, he felt his free hand slide up the man’s arm. The man made no attempt to stop him.

“Mr. Uesugi?” The name barely came out in a hoarse whisper.

The man stiffened for a second. Then he continued forward, leaning into Shuichi. Shu tilted his head upward for the kiss he knew was coming.

“Eiri…”

Footsteps sounded down the hall from the direction of the stairs. Shuichi could barely hear the laughing voices over the rush of blood that was going straight to his head…the blood that wasn’t heading south that is.

Eiri stood and broke the hold he had on Shu. He released Shu’s hand and quickly walked in the opposite direction down the hall.

“Wait!” Shu panted after him, still barely able to maintain. His soft plea fell on deaf ears. Eiri was nowhere to be seen as Hiro and Ryu rounded the corner.

“There you are!” Ryu ran ahead. “We were worried. Tohma said to let you sleep in because you had a long day yesterday.” Ryu looked at Shuichi carefully.

“Are you alright?” His friend looked flushed and feverish. His eyes were wide and he was breathing heavily. And he was shaking.

“Yeah, you don’t look so good.” Hiro bent over Ryu’s shoulder. “Do you have a hangover from last night? You didn’t drink that much, did you?”

Shu got himself together. “A man. There was a man here.”

Hiro looked down the hall. “What man?”

Shu closed his eyes. “Tall…blonde…here…”

Hiro’s eyes widened. “Oh, you must mean Eiri. Did he scare you? Is that why you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Shuichi’s eyes snapped open. Ghost…

“He’s not that bad looking. Admittedly he’s a bit strange and certainly aloof, but I wouldn’t say he’s ugly enough to scare. Quite the opposite in fact.”

Hiro continued musing out loud, watching Shuichi’s breathing finally slow.

“Interesting that he put in an appearance this morning…here…”

“Let’s go, Shu!” Ryu was tired of standing still. “If you’re ok, we saved some breakfast for you.”

“I’m fine, thanks.” Shu pushed himself off the door ready to go to the dining hall when he felt something in his hand. He opened it and looked.

It was a packet of headache powder.

Hiro looked at it over his shoulder.

“God, you really can’t hold your liquor, can you?”

*** ***

“So, what do you want to do today?” Ryu was tapping the table impatiently waiting for his friend to finish picking at his breakfast.

Shuichi left most of the food set for him on the table alone, going instead for his goblet of water with which he mixed his headache powder and downed in one gulp.

“What do you normally do around here during the day?” His thoughts strayed back to the hallway. How had Eiri known that he had a headache? Had he been watching him the previous evening? Shu tried to concentrate on the conversation going on around him.

“Well, there’s the games parlor and the horses and we can go swimming and fishing in the lake, or read books in the library. There are lots of fun things to do here. Every day is an adventure!” Ryu sparked with excitement.

Shu leaned into his bowl of breakfast stew. That sounds familiar he thought darkly. He wondered if Mika and K were still waiting for him at the Sea Rose Inn and thought about how could he get a message to them.

“Why don’t we go into town?” Shuichi said brightening with an idea. “You could show me around and we could do some shopping.”

“Town? Why would we need to go to town when we have everything we need right here?” asked Tatsuha. He was sitting next to Ryu playing with long cuff of his day shirt.

“Yes, Shu,” said Ryu, “We can have fun right here. We can go swimming or fishing. We can play games in the games parlor or go horseback riding.”

“Every day is an adventure!” said Hiro, smiling.

Shuichi wondered how far he should push it. “It looked like so quaint when I passed through it yesterday. I thought I saw some lovely cafes and shops we could— ”

“Town? Why would we need to go town when we have everything we need right here?” asked Tatsuha.

“Yes, Shu,” said Ryu, “We can have fun right here. We can go swimming or fishing. We can play games in the games parlor or go horseback riding.”

“Every day is an adventure!” said Hiro, smiling.

Shuichi blinked. “Didn’t you just say that?” he asked them.

“Say what?” asked Ryu.

“About what we’re going to do today,” Shuichi said slowly. They were all smiling at him. He felt himself growing cold.

“Well,” said Ryu, “We can go swimming or fishing.” He thought some more.

“Then there’s the game parlor,” added Tatsuha.

“Do you ride, Shu?” asked Hiro. “There’s horseback riding as well.”

Shuichi’s mouth dropped open. “Every day is an adventure,” he said quietly.

“See!” Ryu said to Tatsuha. “He’s going to love it here!”

*** ***

They ended up having a picnic in the rose gardens behind the house. After an enthusiastic tour of the immediate grounds given by Ryu, the boys settled down beside a small koi pond, in the shade of a large tree.

Shuichi watched the fish absently as he ate his lunch. So far he hadn’t learned a damned thing that could help him break the spell holding his new friends captive.

During the tour, Shu had kept both eyes open trying to find things the map had missed or something he could use to his advantage and he had come up with absolutely nothing.

When he’d come up empty after the tour, he’d tried questioning his friends for information. That didn’t work either. With every question, he’d run up against the same wall he had at breakfast. General conversation was fine, but get too close to a forbidden topic and they’d just repeat the same thing they’d said before. Shuichi had learned that the hard way.

“You must get a lot of important guests and celebrities here.” Shu had said to Ryu. “It must be very exciting.”

“Oh no!” Ryu had smiled. “You’re the first celebrity we’ve had. We’re really happy you’re here!”

“Really happy,” Tatsuha had repeated.

Hiro smiled and nodded his agreement.

“But the House of Seguchi must entertain lots of people. Diplomats and decision makers and all kinds of important visitors?”

“Oh no!” Ryu had smiled. “You’re the first important visitor we’ve had. We’re really happy you’re here!”

“Really happy,” Tatsuha had repeated.

Hiro smiled and nodded his agreement.

Shuichi had tried rewording his question.

“It’s very quiet here. I would have thought the House of Seguchi would be very busy with lots of visitors and guests every day.”

“Oh no!” Ryu had smiled. “You’re the first guest we’ve had. We’re really happy you’re here!”

“Really happy,” Tatsuha had repeated.

Hiro smiled and nodded his agreement.

Shuichi tried a different question.

“So, where are you from, Hiro?”

“I’m from a small mountain town in the west,” Hiro had replied.

“Which town?”

“The one by the mountain.”

“Which mountain?”

Hiro laughed. “The one to the west.”

Shuichi pressed. “There’s more than one mountain town to the west. Which one specifically, are you from?”

“The SMALL one!” Hiro laughed out loud. “You’re really funny, Shuichi. I think you missed your calling as a joke master!”

Shuichi blinked. Did he not realize that he hadn’t answered the question? He tried again.

“How about you, Ryu, how did you come to live with Tohma?”

“Tohma took me in after my parents died in a fire,” Ryu replied, smiling. “He’s very good to me.”

“And me,” smiled Tatsuha.

Hiro nodded his agreement.

“I’m sorry to hear that your parents died,” Shuichi said sincerely. “Where did you live before that happened?”

“With my parents.”

“With your parents where?”

“Where we lived, Silly!” Ryu laughed.

Shuichi gritted his teeth. “Which was where, Ryu? What TOWN did you live in?”

“Town?”

“Yes, town, what town did you live in?”

“The one where my parents lived!” Ryu laughed again. “You’re right, Hiro, Shu is funny!”

Getting nowhere with Ryu and Hiro, Shuichi had tried Tatsuha next. “What about you, Tatsuha. Do you have any other family besides Eiri?”

“Yes!” Tatsuha said excitedly.

Shuichi’s eyes widened with hope. “Really? Who?”

“Tohma. He’s like a brother to me!”

Shuichi immediately thought back to the night before. An incestuous brother, he said to himself.

“So it’s just Eiri, then?” Shuichi tried one more time.

“Uhh…no.”

“So you do have more family than just Eiri?”

“Yes!” Tatsuha said excitedly.

Shuichi slumped a little. He had a sinking feeling he knew where this was going. “Really? Who?”

“Tohma. He’s like a brother to me!”

“You already said that, Tatsuha.”

“Said what?”

“Tohma is like a brother to you.”

“Yes, he is! I’m so glad you feel that way too!”

Shuichi had wanted to kill himself.

In the end, he’d let the questioning go. It was getting him nowhere fast and frankly he just didn’t have the strength to go on. Shu also wasn’t sure how much he’d wanted to continue questioning them. How much he could trust his new friends? If they were under Tohma’s complete control, what would stop them from going back and reporting his line of questioning to Tohma himself?

And that wouldn’t be good for anybody, most of all me, Shu thought miserably. He couldn’t imagine what Tohma would do if he knew of his intentions (if he didn’t know already.)

Speaking of the devil, he wondered where Tohma was. He hadn’t seen him since last night, which was of course, when he’d seen far too much of Tohma. He blushed with remembrance.

“Look Shu, I made you a rose wreath.”

Shuichi looked up. He had been sitting against the tree by the koi pond deep in his thoughts. Tatsuha and Hiro were rummaging through the picnic basket a few feet away and Ryu was sitting beside him. He held out a pretty wreath he’d woven together with roses they’d picked from the gardens during the tour.

Shuichi smiled. “Thank you, Ryu, that’s…” a glint of something flashy on Ryu’s wrist caught his eye. Shu reached out for the wreath but grabbed Ryu’s arm instead.

“What’s that?” Shu pushed the long, billowing sleeve of Ryu’s day shirt aside and saw a gold bracelet hugging his friend’s wrist. More like a narrow cuff, it was thin and plain save for intricate markings that were carved around the edges.

Ryu smiled. “It was a gift from Tohma. Isn’t it pretty?”

Shuichi pulled Ryu to him and took a closer look. The markings were like nothing he’d ever seen—like symbols of some sort.

Ryu tried to pull away, but Shu held him fast. The jewelry with its unusual patterns instantly became suspect. Before Ryu could react, on impulse, Shuichi tried to pull the cuff off.

Ryu immediately screamed and snatched his arm back, squishing the rose wreath. The thorns dug into Ryu’s flesh, causing tiny trickles of blood to slide down his fingers.

Ryu blinked rapidly.

“Shu…Shuichi?” Shuichi looked up to see Ryu looking at him with wide eyes. Wide clear eyes. They darted around in confusion. “Where…”

“Oh my, what’s the commotion?”

Tohma and Eiri were approaching the group from the other side of the koi pond. They walked hand in hand, strolling leisurely toward the picnic.

Shuichi shifted into panic mode. Had Tohma seen what’d just happened? What HAD just happened? How was he going to explain Ryu screaming?

The two came to a stop in front of Shu and Ryu.

“Uhh…” Shuichi fumbled for an explanation.

“Look Shu, I made you a rose wreath.” Ryu was smiling and holding out the wreath to him with a bloody hand.

“Oh my, it looks like you’ve pricked yourself on the thorns, Ryu.” Tohma let go of Eiri and bent down to have a look.

“How many times must I tell you to be careful of them?” Tohma smiled at how pale Shuichi looked. “No need to worry, Mr. Shindou, it’s quite minor.” He turned to Tatsuha. “Could you please hand me a cloth from the basket?”

Tohma took the cloth and Ryu to the edge of the pond where he cleaned Ryu’s wounds.

Eiri stood still, quietly staring down at Shuichi. Shuichi felt panic give way to something else…something heated…

“Good afternoon, Eiri,” Hiro said politely. “Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.” Eiri continued to watch Shuichi. Shuichi looked at the ground.

“Hello, Brother.” Tatsuha came up beside Eiri. “I was wondering if you were ever going to join us. Have you met Shuichi? He’s Tohma’s guest and a very good singer. You’ll be giving us another performance tonight, right Shuichi?”

Shuichi looked up. He’d meant to answer Tatsuha’s question, but instead his eyes had locked on to Eiri.

“Yes,” Shu answered quietly, “If everyone wants me to, I’d be happy…”

Eiri stooped and picked up the rose wreath.

“…to sing…” Shu tried to finish his sentence, but was losing concentration as Eiri leaned forward and gently placed the wreath on his head.

“…tonight…” The word came out in a whisper.

“That’s wonderful!” Tohma was suddenly standing beside Eiri again. “We’d all be delighted to have another concert this evening after dinner, wouldn’t we?”

Everyone agreed. Shuichi pulled his eyes away from Eiri’s and tried desperately not to blush.

“Well, we should be going. Come along, Eiri, we have much to do before this evening’s festivities.” Tohma reached for his lover.

Shuichi felt a sharp slice across his heart. Eiri was leaving again. He looked away quickly before any tears could betray what he was feeling.

Eiri moved to stand, but before he did, he reached out and plucked a rose from Shuichi’s wreath, catching Shu’s eyes as he did.

Then, without another look, he stood and took Tohma’s hand. The two of them left, walking back toward the house without a backward glance.

Shuichi was sure everyone around him could hear his heart shattering.

*** ***

“Oh my God, what am I going to do?” Shuichi lay on his bed in the midst of despair. He’d spent the entire day looking for solutions to his mounting problems and had been defeated at every turn.

After the picnic the group had moved back indoors and spent the rest of the afternoon in the games parlor playing cards. As soon as he found the opportunity, Shuichi had excused himself to go back to his room to rest before dinner. Of course, rest was the furthest thing from his mind. He needed a miracle and he needed it now.

He dropped the copy of the Demon King’s poem onto the bed next to the dagger. He’d been studying it hoping to find something he’d missed earlier. Defeated again, he admitted that he was no closer to an answer now than he was when he first read the damn thing. And time was running out. Very soon now a message from Fujisaki would return asking him to leave for his booked engagement.

Shu thought about it. Though he didn’t want to leave his friends, it might be the best solution. When he left for his booked engagement, he’d meet with Mika and K and tell them what he’d observed during his stay.

He’d tell them about the bracelet and how he thought that was what was controlling everyone. Shu made a mental note to look to see if the others had bracelets as well.

He’d also tell them about the repeated questioning and the fact that no one seemed to know they were being held captive or remember the lives they’d had before coming to the House of Seguchi.

Most of all, he’d tell Mika and K that their families were alive and well and for the most part seemed to be treated very well.

At least there’s that, Shu thought gratefully. I might not be able to break the spell by myself, but the three of us together should be able to come up with something. And in the meantime, at least no one here is suffering.

For the first time since arriving, Shuichi had some semblance of a plan going and it made him feel better and a lot less helpless than he had been feeling. Yes, it would all be ok in the end.

He optimistically allowed himself to think about what life would be like when this was all over. He hoped that after everyone was free they would all continue to get to know one another. In the short time he’d known Hiro and Tatsuha and of course Ryu, he had come to think of them as good friends. In spite of the conditions under which they’d met, they’d all gotten along very well, like old friends even. It was almost as if he’d known them all for a long time. And Eiri…

Shu’s thoughts strayed to Eiri. At the mere thought of him, Shu’s heart leapt. He closed his eyes. He saw Eiri looking down at him in the hallway that morning and remembered the heat his body pressing against him had invoked. Since that morning, every other thought that invaded Shu’s mind, was about Eiri. He wondered what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. He wondered what it would have felt like to have Eiri surround him in an embrace and kiss him with the same fever his own body felt whenever he thought of him. No one he had ever met had made him feel such…desire.

Shu shook his head and tried to clear the heated thoughts that were threatening to burn him. The mantle clock told him that it was almost time for dinner. Retrieving his evening clothes from the armoire, he set them on the bed and went into the water closet to freshen.

Inside, he doused himself liberally with the cool rose water that filled the ornate basin on the washstand. Unbuttoning his vest and day shirt, he tried to rinse away the hot imaginings of Eiri’s touch from his throat and chest. It was no good. The very thought of Eiri Uesugi set him on fire.

Am I in lust with the man, or is it something else…

Shuichi sighed and added his unhealthy fascination with Tohma’s number one captive to his list of worries.

If I keep adding things to my worry list, I’ll have a worry book before I’m done, he thought dryly.

Finishing up, he stepped back into the bedroom. Half a second later Shuichi saw his list explode into a book.

Eiri Uesugi was standing in his room beside the bed, staring at him in all of his half dressed glory.

In his right hand he held the rose that he’d stolen earlier from the wreath Ryu had made him.

And in his left, he held the copy of the Demon King’s poem that Shuichi had carelessly left out on the bed.

Eiri walked toward him.

*** ***

End Chapter 4: Could You Repeat the Question?
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The Rose Line