Shuichi's Personal Assistant
folder
Gravitation › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
11
Views:
2,060
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Gravitation › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
11
Views:
2,060
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
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 Five
*Yay! I got my first review! Thank you very much, and I'll do my best to be a more regular updater*
It took an hour to get Shuichi to calm down. Half of that hour, Umiko spent trying to convince K to postpone or cancel the days appointments. Shuichi wasn’t crying anymore, but the occasional sniffle still escaped him. He was sitting on a cushion by the coffee table, staring at the steam coming from the cup of tea Umiko had given him. She was on the phone attempting to now calm down Sakano-san. I swear, she thought, why does it seem like everyone involved with NG has a trip-wire nervous system? She hung up and then turned to look at Shuichi. He glanced up at her then looked quickly away. How could he tell her what had happened? There was no way. Not only was it embarrassing, but it still didn’t make sense to him. Besides, it would be even more difficult with K in the room. There was no way he’d discuss something like this with him here. He needed a distraction. Normally, he was the distraction, but this time someone else was going to have to be. He looked up from his lap and gave a start. Umiko was kneeling right in front of him and peering very closely into his face.
“Shu-chan?”
“Um...uh...yes?”
She sighed softly. “Are you going to tell me what happened? Can I help?”
Shuichi avoided the subject. “I don’t have anything to do today?”
“No.”
“Can I brush your hair?”
“That bad, huh?”
Shuichi began rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah.”
She didn’t know why they had started doing this. But, whenever Shuichi had a particularly bad day or a really big fight with Eiri, the next day (or even the day of), Shuichi liked to brush her hair. It calmed him down and usually kept his hand occupied enough to be able to be coherent enough to let her know what happened. Only two others knew about this strange ritual that had sprung up between them. K knew, he was there most mornings to get Shuichi. Hiro knew, only because he’d remarked on the fact that he’d seen Umiko leave one morning hair up, and she came home that evening hair down.
Umiko didn’t mind it at all. It made her feel less like an employee and more like a friend. Shuichi felt almost like a brother. Well, ok, sometimes he felt more like a sister especially when things like this happened. So, there they all were. Shuichi running a brush in Umiko’s silver hair, Umiko paying careful attention to his sniffles becoming less and less frequent, and K on a chair reading some sort of gun magazine. They never even heard the door open.
**********
Eiri hated meetings. He hated them in the morning. He hated them with his publishing house. But, the meeting was over and he could go home and be alone for a while. Maybe even get started on the next book. Shuichi was supposed to be gone today, working on an album and doing interviews. He’d timed the day right. He’d even left early so he could avoid that problem, that thorn in his side, Umiko. He’d even avoided having the bejesus scared out of him this morning. That’s right. No firearm pointed in his general direction today. He just needed some time alone, to relax, to think. So, the last thing he expected to see was the hippie-type lovefest occurring on the floor in the living room. There was Shuichi, sitting behind her. What was he doing? Was he brushing her hair? For one moment the thought invaded his brain that he might as well be living with a girl. Then he turned his attention to the actual girl. He’d never seen her like this. Hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back, brushing the floor gently. Then he felt it. That thing, that irrational thing. He hated feeling that. So, he let all his anger and insecurity take over.
**********
Shuichi saw the hand first. Umiko felt it first. K looked up when he heard the sound of three voices shouting. Shuichi screaming at Eiri to stop, just stop, Umiko screaming in pain, and Eiri in rage. Eiri had grabbed her by her hair and was dragging her out the door.
“What the HELL are you doing!?” K jumped and leaped across the room, grabbing Eiri by the shirt collar. Shuichi was by Umiko, trying to pull her away from Eiri. She didn’t know which was worse, Eiri keeping her immobile, or Shuichi pulling her. Both ways hurt. She didn’t know what K was saying, or rather, shouting to Eiri. She didn’t really care. She heard thumping and more shouting and suddenly she was pulled sharply to the left. She winced and cried out once more, then suddenly, his hand was gone. She didn’t move. She stayed on her hands and knees just staring at the floor below her, tears blurring her vision. Then something happened that had never happened before. Shuichi was holding her. She couldn’t believe it. He was holding her, brushing the top of her head gently, whispering over and over.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened.”
That was it, and she held on to him and just sobbed. She didn’t even know what was going on. She finally looked up when she heard glass break and saw Eiri walking toward her. He bent down and pulled her by the arm toward the door.
“Get..Out..Now.”
She stood in the hall and just stared at him. Then, K walked through the door and stood next to her and they watched as the door slowly closed. Shock couldn’t even begin to describe what she was feeling. She’d never been attacked. And certainly never attacked without provocation. She looked about her feet and saw her shoes, bags and notebook had already been tossed into the hall.
“Are you alright?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m fine. It didn’t hurt that much.”
K raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you. I saw you.” He watched her bend down to get her shoes and gather her things. He bent down to help her. “That was inexcusable. And it was from out of no where. What’s his beef with you anyway?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“I can take you home. Unless...you’d rather go to Nakano’s?”
She froze. What did she just hear? No. No. No. She slowly turned her head to look at K. She parted her lips to speak, but her throat felt suddenly dry. K seemed to realize maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. After what felt like a century she was able to whisper, “Who else...”
“No one. Just me.”
“How...?”
“I’m paid to know things.”
Oh, that explained everything then. She stood up and before she could take two steps realized that she wasn’t going to make it anywhere. K had to drop everything to catch her as she fainted..
It took an hour to get Shuichi to calm down. Half of that hour, Umiko spent trying to convince K to postpone or cancel the days appointments. Shuichi wasn’t crying anymore, but the occasional sniffle still escaped him. He was sitting on a cushion by the coffee table, staring at the steam coming from the cup of tea Umiko had given him. She was on the phone attempting to now calm down Sakano-san. I swear, she thought, why does it seem like everyone involved with NG has a trip-wire nervous system? She hung up and then turned to look at Shuichi. He glanced up at her then looked quickly away. How could he tell her what had happened? There was no way. Not only was it embarrassing, but it still didn’t make sense to him. Besides, it would be even more difficult with K in the room. There was no way he’d discuss something like this with him here. He needed a distraction. Normally, he was the distraction, but this time someone else was going to have to be. He looked up from his lap and gave a start. Umiko was kneeling right in front of him and peering very closely into his face.
“Shu-chan?”
“Um...uh...yes?”
She sighed softly. “Are you going to tell me what happened? Can I help?”
Shuichi avoided the subject. “I don’t have anything to do today?”
“No.”
“Can I brush your hair?”
“That bad, huh?”
Shuichi began rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah.”
She didn’t know why they had started doing this. But, whenever Shuichi had a particularly bad day or a really big fight with Eiri, the next day (or even the day of), Shuichi liked to brush her hair. It calmed him down and usually kept his hand occupied enough to be able to be coherent enough to let her know what happened. Only two others knew about this strange ritual that had sprung up between them. K knew, he was there most mornings to get Shuichi. Hiro knew, only because he’d remarked on the fact that he’d seen Umiko leave one morning hair up, and she came home that evening hair down.
Umiko didn’t mind it at all. It made her feel less like an employee and more like a friend. Shuichi felt almost like a brother. Well, ok, sometimes he felt more like a sister especially when things like this happened. So, there they all were. Shuichi running a brush in Umiko’s silver hair, Umiko paying careful attention to his sniffles becoming less and less frequent, and K on a chair reading some sort of gun magazine. They never even heard the door open.
**********
Eiri hated meetings. He hated them in the morning. He hated them with his publishing house. But, the meeting was over and he could go home and be alone for a while. Maybe even get started on the next book. Shuichi was supposed to be gone today, working on an album and doing interviews. He’d timed the day right. He’d even left early so he could avoid that problem, that thorn in his side, Umiko. He’d even avoided having the bejesus scared out of him this morning. That’s right. No firearm pointed in his general direction today. He just needed some time alone, to relax, to think. So, the last thing he expected to see was the hippie-type lovefest occurring on the floor in the living room. There was Shuichi, sitting behind her. What was he doing? Was he brushing her hair? For one moment the thought invaded his brain that he might as well be living with a girl. Then he turned his attention to the actual girl. He’d never seen her like this. Hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back, brushing the floor gently. Then he felt it. That thing, that irrational thing. He hated feeling that. So, he let all his anger and insecurity take over.
**********
Shuichi saw the hand first. Umiko felt it first. K looked up when he heard the sound of three voices shouting. Shuichi screaming at Eiri to stop, just stop, Umiko screaming in pain, and Eiri in rage. Eiri had grabbed her by her hair and was dragging her out the door.
“What the HELL are you doing!?” K jumped and leaped across the room, grabbing Eiri by the shirt collar. Shuichi was by Umiko, trying to pull her away from Eiri. She didn’t know which was worse, Eiri keeping her immobile, or Shuichi pulling her. Both ways hurt. She didn’t know what K was saying, or rather, shouting to Eiri. She didn’t really care. She heard thumping and more shouting and suddenly she was pulled sharply to the left. She winced and cried out once more, then suddenly, his hand was gone. She didn’t move. She stayed on her hands and knees just staring at the floor below her, tears blurring her vision. Then something happened that had never happened before. Shuichi was holding her. She couldn’t believe it. He was holding her, brushing the top of her head gently, whispering over and over.
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened.”
That was it, and she held on to him and just sobbed. She didn’t even know what was going on. She finally looked up when she heard glass break and saw Eiri walking toward her. He bent down and pulled her by the arm toward the door.
“Get..Out..Now.”
She stood in the hall and just stared at him. Then, K walked through the door and stood next to her and they watched as the door slowly closed. Shock couldn’t even begin to describe what she was feeling. She’d never been attacked. And certainly never attacked without provocation. She looked about her feet and saw her shoes, bags and notebook had already been tossed into the hall.
“Are you alright?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m fine. It didn’t hurt that much.”
K raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe you. I saw you.” He watched her bend down to get her shoes and gather her things. He bent down to help her. “That was inexcusable. And it was from out of no where. What’s his beef with you anyway?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“I can take you home. Unless...you’d rather go to Nakano’s?”
She froze. What did she just hear? No. No. No. She slowly turned her head to look at K. She parted her lips to speak, but her throat felt suddenly dry. K seemed to realize maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. After what felt like a century she was able to whisper, “Who else...”
“No one. Just me.”
“How...?”
“I’m paid to know things.”
Oh, that explained everything then. She stood up and before she could take two steps realized that she wasn’t going to make it anywhere. K had to drop everything to catch her as she fainted..