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Come What May	By : Despina Category: Gravitation > General Views: 7059 -:- 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation nor do I make any money from using the characters. I am a part owner of Kyosuke, though.

NC-17

If you have time, please review. Thank you!!

Note: Kri and AshCat made this chapter readable. I don�t know what happens to me when I write Tohma chapters � I really get into it. So as usual, the two of them had to reel me back in. Also as usual, I touched it last, so any mistakes are mine.

Come What May

Chapter 8
I�m Your Villain

I know what I am
I'm your villain
I don't give a damn if
I'm your villain
Because serious
You're so serious
Like a waiter
Hating the rich
But taking their tips

If I could laugh I'd love you
If I could smile at anything you said
We could be laughing lovers
I think you'd prefer to be miserable instead
If I could love I'd love you
If I could love like anybody else

***********************************

�Tohma? Are you still there?� Kyosuke�s amused voice came through the receiver.

"Yes." I answered as I tried to process what he had just told me. "And Suguru is sure this is the course of action he wishes to take?"

"Yes,� my cousin answered, without hesitation.

�This could be problematic for Bad Luck," I answered.

"We have discussed that possibility."

"What about K-san?" I asked.

"He knows."

"Shuichi-san?"

"We finished speaking with him just before I called you. He was a little surprised, but I'm sure he'll be okay with it once he has some time to digest it.� He paused before he added with concern in his voice, �He seemed a little preoccupied."

"I have a meeting with him in a few minutes. I'll talk to him about it."

"Tohma..."

"I'll be gentle, Kyosuke," I assured him.

"I've seen your version of gentle, Tohma. Try for ultra-gentle if you insist on talking to him,� he scolded. �By the way, I just sent you some photos we had done as part of the story Takahashi Sakura will submit for your approval."

I smiled, "At the very least, please tell me you are all clothed?"

"Well..." he started to laugh. "Oh, come on, Tohma, you know this will only generate more publicity for all of us."

"Yes. But I am not certain I will like dealing with all the angry outrage, either."

"We will have to deal with it. All of us. I spoke with my band about it yesterday and they are fine with it. Sakuma-san seemed fine. Of course, I never really know what's going on in his mind. K is fine. More importantly, Suguru and Hiroshi are fine with it."

"Suguru-san's mother might be an issue." I pointed out.

"Yes. We are preparing for that.� He paused and then added happily, �Oh, by the way, Dad's here."

"Really? So he knows as well?"

"Of course."

"Would he..." I began, but did not know how to word the request.

"I've already spoken to him about it. He's sending someone over to �speak� with Aunt Fujisaki," He answered my unfinished request with something akin to a seething smugness.

"Really? I'm surprised Kyosuke.� I said slowly. �I thought you were trying to take care of the situation yourself."

"Are you kidding?� He said as he added a dismissive sound for emphasis. �This is Aunt Fujisaki we are speaking of. That woman scares me to death."

"Me, as well," I admitted quietly.

"Who was I to turn down my father's offer?" He asked with a sunny lightness.

"Who indeed?� I conceded to him. �Very clever of you, Kyosuke. Quite the maneuver."

"Why, Tohma, are you inferring I am using my position as Inoue Rynouske's son to my advantage in order to avoid an ugly confrontation with my very formidable Aunt?" He asked without taking a breath.

"Yes. And I applaud you for it."

�Hmm, a compliment. You are beginning to frighten me, Tohma.�

I smiled, �Yes, perhaps I am overdoing it a bit. However, I must admit, I never thought you would be able to hold off my aunt. Your father�s �influence� might be the only thing to stop her from flying to London and packing up her son to �save� him from your evil clutches. She will be very unhappy, Kyosuke. The last time I spoke to her, she was busy picking out potential wives for Suguru-san.�

�Eesh,� he said with a sigh.

�Yes,� I agreed.

�Does Suguru know about that?� He asked quietly. �He won�t talk about his mother much. I don�t think he� well, I don�t get the feeling he respects her much.�

�And how would you feel, Kyosuke, if your whole life had been mapped out for you? He�s already disappointed her by lowering himself to be in a pop band as opposed to being a classical pianist. Sadly, it seems the money he�s brought in has pacified her to some extent.� I sighed as I continued, �She cares little enough about his happiness.�

The phone was oddly silent. �Kyosuke?�

�I�m not sure I can deal with her, Tohma. Not without doing something that might ultimately end with the destruction of the Fujisaki family. That�s why I�m letting Dad handle it. He has excellent problem-solving skills with difficult business arrangements.�

Hmm. I could see where he was headed, �Kyosuke, are you thinking of buying Suguru-san out of his mother�s clutches?�

�I would hate to use the word �buy� � but money does seem to be very important to Aunt Fujisaki. Perhaps more so than the embarrassment of having a gay son. Not to mention, if the money aspect isn�t enough, well� back up is sometimes a wonderful thing.� He exhaled. �I believe, you of all people, know that lesson very well, Tohma.�

So, Kyosuke was offering Suguru�s mother money and threats. �Kyosuke?�

�Yes?�

�Well done!� I smiled. It seemed Kyosuke and his father had taken care of a very heavy burden for me. �And thank Inoue-san for me. Where is he staying? I�d like to send him a small token of my appreciation.�

�Not necessary, Tohma. But he is staying with us at the moment. I�m not sure how long he�ll be here.�

�I hope I can see him soon,� I said with another smile. I had always admired my uncle; he was a very capable individual.

�Look, Tohma, I�ve got to go. We have time scheduled at the studio.�

�For your side project?�

�Yes, Tohma,� he answered flippantly. �Try and feign anger all you want, but it comes down to being NG�s side project as well. Don�t worry, you�ll get your chunk of it.�

I laughed, �Thank you for alleviating my fears on many issues today, Kyosuke.�

�You�re welcome,� I could hear his grin. �And take it easy on Shu, okay?�

I replaced the phone and stared at it. My cousins could be quite challenging when they set their minds to it. I had no doubt Uncle Inoue�s influence would help. However, I suspected Aunt Fujisaki would be reluctant to relinquish her hold on Suguru so easily. He was, after all, her project.

I placed my elbows on my desk and accessed my email. The promised message from Kyosuke was waiting for me. I opened it and read the short note from him explaining the pictures. Additional information indicated one of the magazines bidding on the story wished to use a particular picture for their cover. Within the attachments, I perused the images and found the photo in question.

Oh my.

Kyosuke�s head rested on Nakano�s naked chest, his long, blond hair spilled over the guitarist�s sides and onto the floor. His startling, almond-shaped green eyes stared enticingly into the camera and his left eyebrow piercing reflected the flash from the camera. His high, delicate, cheekbones, his perfect nose and his slightly angular chin made me think of one of some of the pretty boys my secretary ogled in her illustrated novels. His smile, wide and bright, was as charismatic on film as it was in real life. I was surprised to find Kyosuke was so photogenic.

Suguru�s head, in turn, lay on Kyosuke�s unclad chest. His collar-length hair was currently dyed coal black and it was impossibly shiny. I could discern fingers from Kyosuke�s hand threaded loosely through the dark locks. Suguru still had on those silly, useless glasses, a dark frame with a slight cat-eye shape that caused his deep, brown eyes to stand out almost as much as Kyosuke�s unusual green ones. He was smiling impishly, laughing actually, and sticking his pierced tongue out at the camera. That would ruin his carefully cultivated studious and serious image now, wouldn�t it?

Thankfully, Suguru wore a vest; at least, I think that was what he was wearing. It was hard to decipher exactly what type of garment lay between Suguru�s torso and Nakano�s head. Nakano stared at the camera with his eyes of gray and the smoldering, brooding look he had mastered long ago. And yet, he was not completely brooding this time, as an expressive hint of a smile graced his lips. His signature auburn hair was easily the longest of the three and currently it sported black streaks. The mass of hair flowed across Suguru�s body and onto the floor. One of Nakano�s arms bent back over his head so he could clutch Suguru�s hand, the other lay lazily across Kyosuke�s collarbone. High up, nearly at the top of his ear, I noticed a new silver ring.

The cover of a magazine. Hmm. Three nearly naked men, clearly more than friends. Well, there was no denying the picture would make a few people sit up and take notice.

My internal line buzzed and my secretary informed me Shuichi had arrived. I instructed her to allow him entrance.

This morning, the sun streaming through the window above my desk was particularly bright. I leaned back in my chair and waited for Shuichi and the sunlight to meet with my usual anticipation.

Kyosuke found infinite joy in teasing me about the �sick little game I played�. He felt the pleasure I attained at watching my guests in their moment of weakness was somehow akin to holding out a magnifying glass to make ants sizzle on the sidewalk.

I loathed admitting it, but I could see the connection.

Shuichi came around the bend in the L and I was disappointed to see he was wearing sunglasses. He had anticipated the morning sunlight streaming through my window. I supposed his years of working with me exposed to my idiosyncrasies and made me somewhat transparent to him.

Hmm. Perhaps I had become complacent. I would endeavor to work on the element of surprise once again.

I took a long, appraising look at him as he shortened the distance between us. I wasn�t sure how he had managed to get into the jeans he was wearing, they were so tight. And low. The dark jacket he wore did little to hide his very snug blue t-shirt, which raised high enough, either on purpose or not, to expose his glittering naval piercing. As always and against my very nature, I found him alluring.

"Good morning, Shuichi-san," I said cheerfully as I sat up straight. "How are you on this fine day?"

"The clouds are moving in. It's getting ready to rain," he answered with something akin to boredom.

"Is it?" I asked as I placed my elbows on my desk and intertwined my fingers.

"Yes, Tohma," he moved to the chair and began to sit down, still wearing his sunglasses.

"Before you get comfortable," I smiled before I continued, "I have some photos to share with you."

He turned his head slightly and said, with suspicion, "Of what?"

"I believe you spoke to Kyosuke this morning?"

Nodding, I saw his facial features relax into a smile. "From their photoshoot?"

"Yes," I answered as I waved him around to my side of the desk.

He stepped around and lifted his sunglasses in order to view the photos. I could see his eyes were red and bloodshot, as if he had not slept in a while. Even more surprising was how close he was to me, I caught the distracting clean, spicy scent. The pictures scrolled through on the slideshow setting. I paused the slideshow, "This is the one the magazine wants to use for their cover."

"Wow..." Shuichi said with a sly smile. "That's� Wow! Very hot. And look at the crazy smile on Suguru�s face! I didn�t even know he could look so happy."

"Yes. Suguru's mother will be very displeased."

Replacing his sunglasses, he turned around and crossed his arms. Leaning against the desk he said as he looked at me, "I'm sure she will be. I mean no disrespect, Tohma, but your aunt can be very difficult."

I raised an eyebrow, "Diplomacy, Shuichi-san? How very unusual for you."

"Well, Suguru is my band-mate. I've seen what he's had to deal with. Difficult is definitely an understatement when describing your aunt,� he shuddered with memory.

I leaned back in my chair and studied him. Shuichi had come a long way from the scrawny fireball of almost six years earlier. The agony he had suffered had given him a quiet, brooding side. The easy smiles were not so frequent, if at all. Surprisingly, his melancholy edginess and his songs of loss and betrayal earned him even more fans than the carefree, bubblegum, boy-next-door image had.

The media blitz that haunted him after Eiri's departure - once he was strong enough to face them - had honed his image to razor-sharpness. He had turned inward, hidden his emotions and his scars, and buried them under layers of false faces. He could take almost any question in stride now without as much as an eye twitch. It had made him seemingly unattainable and, therefore, even more tantalizing. Now he sported the injured, misunderstood bad-boy image. And he wore it well, perhaps even better than Eiri.

However, truth be told, I felt his jaded approach to the media was an inevitable by-product of being famous; Eiri had simply been instrumental in speeding up that process.

Shuichi was a fascinating creature to me and watching him evolve had been a pet project of mine. I carried a deep curiosity for him that I believe he misinterpreted for another, more personal emotion.

Now Shuichi, Eiri and I faced a dilemma. I felt the sooner all the particulars were known to everyone; the sooner we could put the unfortunate and misguided incident behind all of us.

�So, Shuichi-san,� I began. �I believe you have something you wish to discuss.�

He exhaled, but he surprised me again by staying on my side of the desk. �Yes, Tohma. I would like to talk about the night I� I tried to seduce you.�

I tipped my head to one side. �Why now, Shuichi-san?�

�Because�� he ran a hand through his hair. �Because I have to tell Eiri about it.�

�I don�t understand. You have to tell him? Why?�

�I feel like I am lying to him. As if I am hiding something from him.�

Leaning my body and placing my elbow on the arm of my chair, I rested my chin on my upraised hand. �But there�s nothing to hide. Nothing happened. Just a few moments of weakness.�

�That�s just it,� he sighed. �If Eiri and I are going to work, I need for him to know everything about me. I can�t be worried he�ll find out something that might surprise him. He hates surprises. You know that.�

�Yes,� I nodded in agreement. �He does dislike being blind-sided.�

�So, you understand,� he nodded. �I have to tell him.�

Smiling I said, �And what exactly are you going to tell him?�

�That I� I offered myself to you,� his turned his head away from me. �I�m sorry if this will cause problems between you and Mika.�

Raising an eyebrow I asked, �And why would it cause problems between Mika-san and me?�

�Well, I�m sure Eiri will say something to her. I felt it was only fair to warn you.�

Dropping my hand and loosely crossing my arms I said, �Shuichi-san, Mika-san knows about that night.�

His head turned towards me and his mouth fell open, �Wh� What?�

�She�s my wife, Shuichi-san. Did you think I would not tell her?�

�But she never got angry with me. She�s always been so nice to me!� He stammered. �If she knew, why didn�t she yell at me? Or hit me?�

It was my turn to sigh, �Because she understood, Shuichi-san. She may not have liked it, but like many of us, she saw your torment. She knew, as I did, during that phase of your life you were not yourself.�

�Don�t be nice to me, Tohma!� he snarled as he turned away and paced across the room. �You are confusing me!�

I chuckled, �Confusing you was not my intention.� I sat up, �If you feel you must tell him, Shuichi-san, then do so and soon. While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, please do not worry for Mika-san or me.�

He collapsed into a chair. �I wish I knew how he would handle it.�

�If you are asking me my opinion, I would say he will not handle the news well. He is very jealous about you. I suspect he will have a few choice words for both of us.� I could imagine his reaction and it would not be a pleasant experience. Not for anyone.

Shuichi�s face fell, �Yeah. I�m sure he will. I�m not sure I can take it, Tohma.�

I placed my hands flat on the desk, �Shuichi-san, it is very important for you to remember Eiri-san is the one who left you. He was not a part of your life at that time. He does not have a right to judge your actions while he was absent.�

If I could have seen them, I�m sure his eyes were wide when he moved his head and looked at me. �Tohma, is it possible? Are you taking my side in this issue?�

�Well, it does involve me, so I couldn�t say I am taking a side.� While what I said to Shuichi was true, I realized part of my answer came from the anger I harbored towards Eiri for going to New York. He had hurt more than Shuichi when he left. Eiri's actions directly affected Mika, Tatsuha, and myself as well. When he walked away from Shuichi, he had, in essence, left all of us. By leaving, Eiri acted with complete selfishness and removed himself from the painful devastation that followed.

This was possibly the first time I acknowledged my anger towards him.

I sighed with my heavy thoughts and then continued, �What I am saying is you were not bound to Eiri-san at the time you made the� offer. Besides, nothing happened, so as far as I am concerned. You have nothing to explain to Eiri-san.�

�I will tell him,� he said sternly.

�As you wish,� I smiled patiently. �The sooner the better, I think.�

He exhaled. �Yes, I agree.�

After a moment I steepled my fingers together and asked, �I was curious, Shuichi-san, why suddenly the incident between you and I became so pressing. We�ve never spoken of that night until now. I assumed it was behind us.�

He tipped his head and smiled wryly, �I�ve been dreaming about you.�

I didn�t say anything but he began to chuckle, �Yeah, you hide it well, as always, but I can tell you are shocked. You can imagine the look I had on my face when I woke up the other morning.� He tipped his head back towards the ceiling and exhaled deeply again, �Tohma... if Sakano hadn�t stopped me that night, do you ever wonder what might have happened?�

Leaning back in my chair, I said, �But he did stop you.�

�Don�t you wonder?�

�No,� I shook my head and smiled. �I find wondering to be unproductive. Not to mention, unhealthy.�

He laughed, but it wasn�t from happiness, it was an empty, hollow laugh that tore loose from his throat. �Good answer.� He stood up. �I think I�ve overstayed my welcome. Thanks, Tohma.�

�For what?� I blinked at him.

�For helping me to put things into perspective again.� He turned for the door waving over his head as he said, �Later.�

It occurred to me as he left the room that he was getting to be more and more like Ryuichi.

Ryuichi. My head began to hurt. Another problem. I would need to deal with that issue soon.

Late the same afternoon my secretary called me, �Seguchi-sama, Yuki-san is on his way to see you. I tried to stop him but��

�It�s fine. I�ll take care of it,� I assured her as Eiri came around the corner.

It wasn�t morning, so the sun did not hit him directly, but the indirect light created a hazy aura around his tall frame and his golden hair. He looked like an angel.

�What the hell is going on?� he snarled at me.

Hmm. Make that an angry angel.

�Whatever do you mean, Eiri-san?� I blinked at him.

�Don�t play coy with me, Tohma. I mean with Shuichi and you know it.�

�Ah.� I placed my pen on the desk and sat back in my chair, elbows propped up on the armrests, and I folded my hands across my lap. Smiling I said, �I promise you Eiri-san, when Shuichi-san left me this morning, we were the best of friends.�

�Really?� He said with some skepticism as he closed the distance between us. �He�s been acting weird since dinner last weekend. Before actually�� he trailed off as he flopped into a chair and lit a cigarette.

Normally, I don�t allow people to smoke in my office. I make an exception for Eiri. And possibly Kyosuke. Although Kyosuke didn�t usually go out of his way to irritate me, the way Eiri did.

Usually.

Eiri stared at me before asking, �Do you remember when I first returned from New York? I asked you then if you had ever tried to �help� Shuichi in my absence.�

I smiled, �Of course I tried to help him, Eiri-san. He is my employee.�

Sighing, Eiri said, �We were discussing �help� in the meaning of �sleeping with.� Do you remember, now?�

Nodding and leaning forward, hands folded on the desk I said, �Ah yes. Just before Bad Luck�s performance. I do remember the conversation.�

�So�?� He asked as he glared at me and took a deep drag.

I raised my hands, supported with my elbows and placed my chin on my intertwined fingers. With some puzzlement, I said, �So�?�

�God damn it, Tohma!� he shouted at me as he sat up straight. �Did you fuck him?�

Meeting his razor sharp stare I lifted my head and shook it, �Of course not, Eiri-san.�

He exhaled in obvious relief and slumped back into the chair.

I tipped my head, �However, Shuichi-san did attempt to seduce me.�

Eiri blinked at me several times before he said very slowly and in confusion, �Shuichi?� He stared at me intently. �You are telling me that Shuichi tried to seduce you? You? Seguchi Tohma?�

�Why Eiri-san, you wound me,� I sighed before I continued. �You sound as if you find it difficult to believe anyone could find me attractive.�

�Shut your fucking mouth, Tohma! This is Shuichi we are talking of, not some fangirl. Or boy. Shuichi knows what you are, right down to your black-hearted soul.� He took another drag and shook his head, �Why would he try and seduce you?�

�Really, Eiri-san,� I said as I dropped my left hand and leaned my right cheek on my upraised right hand. I stared at him pointedly, �Can you not think of one reason in the entire known universe that Shuichi-san would go to any lengths for? Is there not something, someone in the world he might gladly sacrifice anything for?�

Eiri stared at me in horrified shock as he absorbed my words. �That fool��

�And he almost succeeded, I am ashamed to say.� I sat back, leaning on the left arm of my chair. I smiled at my shell-shocked brother-in-law as I continued, �I am quite certain you are well aware of his formidable charms when he brings them to bear. So to speak.�

I watched Eiri�s imagination engage and shift into high gear as he continued to glare at me.

�I have a recording if you wish to watch it yourself. To be certain I did not accept his very� generous offer.�

Eiri swallowed and shook his head almost imperceptibly. �What did he want? My address? Time off to come see me? A key to my apartment? What could he possibly want so badly he would�? What was he bargaining for, Tohma?�

�Your phone number. That was the extent of his request.�

�My phone number?� He squeezed his eyes shut before he asked, �That was all? He did � that - for my lousy phone number?�

I nodded as I sat up. �Yes. He was concerned about your well being on the anniversary of Kitazawa�s death.�

�He�� he laughed with sarcasm, �He was worried about me?�

�Oh, yes. So much so he peeled his clothes off and offered himself to me right here on this very desk,� I replied as I patted the desk for emphasis. �Of course, I suppose you should also know he was high as the proverbial kite. I suspect the drugs were for courage, but even so, he put on a very convincing show. He was quite tempting.�

�Fuck you, Tohma!� he hissed at me as he stood up menacingly. �You are married to my sister, for fuck�s sake! How could you?�

I tipped my head in confusion, �How could I what, Eiri-san? You make it sound as if I�m a novice in the music business. Believe me when I tell you I have plenty of experience in dealing with attempted seduction.� I was aware I was pushing him, but it was too late to stop now. �I�ve already assured you, numerous times, I did not accept Shuichi-san�s offer. Sakano-san can attest to my innocence in the matter.�

�Innocence?� Eiri said scathingly. �That�s not a word I would used to describe you.�

�Nor I,� I admitted with a smile. �Nonetheless, besides giving me a few kisses and a little lap dance, Shuichi-san walked away from me with his virtue intact.�

Eiri looked a little on the green side. Hmm. Perhaps in unleashing my anger, I had gone too far with the amount of information I had given him.

�Are you unwell, Eiri-san?� I asked as I stood up in time to see him lean over and empty the contents of his stomach on my antique Persian carpet. Hmm. I had not thought about my carpet. Perhaps I had miscalculated.

�I suspect this will upset Shuichi-san as well,� I said with a sigh as I handed Eiri a towel from the bar.

He accepted the towel and glared at me.

I looked at him innocently, �I believe he wished to inform you of the incident himself.�

Eiri threw down the towel, turned and stalked from the room.

�Mika-san?�

�Yes, Tohma, I�m here,� she answered with forced patience. �I�m not certain telling Eiri was the smartest thing you�ve ever done, but at this point what�s done is done. It might have taken them months to get this out in the open.�

�How long ago did he call you?� I asked as I lay down on my back in my bed.

�About an hour ago.�

He had not wasted much time. I suspected he felt he could verify the story through Mika. I hope he had not been drinking. Eiri drove with little enough regard for his life. Add alcohol and�

�How did he sound?�

�Lost. Angry. Sad.� She sighed. �You know, the usual after he�s had a major fight with Shuichi.�

�But did he sound as if he had been drinking?� I asked quietly.

�How would I know? I can never tell when he�s drunk. He sounds the same.�

She was right. Eiri had the uncanny ability to remain the same drunk or sober. The only way I could tell was by seeing the red flush on his skin. Shuichi could always tell by speaking to him, but that talent eluded both Mika and me.

�Should I come down?� I asked as I rubbed a hand over my aching head.

�Not yet. Of course, the children and I would love to see you, but I suspect Shuichi will be having his own dramatic, self-destructive meltdown.� She sighed again. �Those two are nothing if not predictable.�

I smiled wanly. �I expect I�ll hear from him shortly. If he doesn�t try and hunt me down to give me a sound thrashing.�

�If I were him,� she chuckled before she continued, �that�s what I would want to do. And perhaps you deserve it this time, Tohma. This really wasn�t your place. As if that knowledge has ever stopped you before.�

�Does your father know he�s coming?� I asked with a sigh.

�No. I�m sure Eiri would like to avoid him, but at the same time, they haven�t seen each other in almost three years. Maybe it�s time for that hatchet to get buried.�

Images of hatchets protruding from various places on Mika�s father and Eiri drifted through my head. �Maybe.�

�You sound tired, Tohma,� Mika said with motherly concern.

�I am,� I admitted.

�Maybe you should come to Kyoto,� she said.

�Once I find out what Shuichi�s reaction will be, I will consider it, Mika-san,� I assured her.

�Well, getting a good night�s sleep occasionally might do you wonders. Have you been dealing with insomnia again?�

I smiled, �When do I not?�

�You know Tohma,� she said softly. �The world will not implode if you are unavailable for a few hours.�

Chuckling I said, �Speak for yourself.�

She laughed in response before abruptly changing the subject. �Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, I heard from Tatsuha today.�

�Oh?� I asked, afraid of what she might tell me. �And how is he?�

�To be honest, a little on the odd side. He sounded� hmm, I know this will sound a little strange, but he sounded subdued.�

Yes, I�ll bet he was subdued, I thought to myself. My headache pounded a bit harder in my temples. �Did Tatsuha-san sound well, other than being �subdued�?�

�That�s what was so odd about it,� she struggled to explain to me. �He sounded reserved but at the same time, he sounded very happy.�

�Happy?� I asked with skepticism.

�Yes,� she paused. �I had my doubts about this thing with Ryuichi, but I think Tatsuha is happier now than he ever has been.�

Or he has been brainwashed into believing that, I thought as I shuddered inwardly. Who knew or even wanted to know what Ryuichi did behind closed doors?

�Tohma?�

�Do you want me to ask Kyosuke to check on him?� I asked her.

�Oh, yes! I had forgotten about Kyosuke. Do you think he would mind?�

�No. Not at all.� After a moment I added, �Also, once I see Tatsuha in England, we can verify his well-being.�

�Yes,� she said with some relief. �I have to admit, I will feel better with some other feedback. I know Ryuichi can be very convincing and Tatsuha has never been able to think clearly when Ryuichi was around.�

Ryuichi could be convincing? I felt that was something of an understatement.

�Should I call you when Eiri gets in?�

�Yes, please. Thank-you, Mika-san.�

�In the meantime, Tohma,� she lectured softly. �Try and get some sleep.�

�Yes, my love,� I smiled.

�I miss you,� she said quieter still. �Come see me soon.�

�I will. Good night.�

�Good night,� she answered and then she hung up.

Staring at the silent phone, my head pounding a steady, painful rhythm, a long night of ugliness ahead made me suddenly and keenly aware of how lonely I was. I hoped Mika would call again very soon.

Later that night, as I tried to relax with an excellent vintage wine, I received the phone call I was expecting. I answered it calmly, �Hello, Shuichi-san. How are you?�

�Did you tell him? What did you say to him?�

�Shuichi-san, please slow down. What is the problem?�

�What�s the problem?� He mimicked at me. �You are so fucking evil, Tohma! You set me up, didn�t you?�

�How exactly did I set you up?� I sighed.

�Eiri�s gone. And you told him, didn�t you? You told him about what I did, didn�t you? Why, Tohma?� His voice broke and he cleared his throat before he continued, �Why would you do that to us? We were just getting� I would have told him. But now�� He trailed off from his fragmented lines of thoughts.

�Perhaps you would consider reigning in your hysterics,� I began quietly. �I believe Eiri-san has gone to visit Mika-san in Kyoto. Did he leave you a note?�

�Voicemail,� he responded with cold detachment. �He said he needed a little time to think about things. That was it.�

�Shuichi-san, you are correct, I did tell him. But it is my personal belief any lasting damage between the two of you will not remain once he absorbs the information.�

�Absorbs? After he absorbs the fact I offered myself up to the dark lord himself? That I �whored myself out� to you as Sakano put it?�

�Shuichi-san,� I said patiently, �in your current state of mind you are not considering all the complexities of the situation. Eiri-san is coming to terms with the truth he had as much to do with your actions that night as you did. It is important for him to understand his own culpability in the matter.�

I paused, I could hear his ragged, shallow breathing, but I was not ready to accept his seeming frailty. �I told Eiri for both of your sakes. For you; so you can put an end to looking over your shoulder like a frightened rabbit and for him to know the cause of your cagey behavior. Believe me when I tell you, Eiri-san�s imagination was creating scenarios far worse than the actual truth, Shuichi-san.�

I sighed before I continued, �I know once Eiri-san considers your actions in the light of day, he will be fine. And to be completely honest, Shuichi-san, at the moment Eiri-san is indeed distressed, but not for the reasons you imagine. Eiri-san is more upset contemplating your desperation during that phase of your life. And, really, the fact you felt the need to seduce me rather than the actual seduction. Eiri-san is beginning to understand he was the root cause of your actions that night.�

Reaching for my nearby glass of wine, I took a sip to dampen my parched throat. The phone was quiet as Shuichi waited for me to continue.

�I feel the knowledge I have given you should prove to alleviate your fears, somewhat. Give him some time; he�ll be back before you know it.�

The phone was silent.

�Shuichi-san?�

Hmm. I wondered at what point in the conversation he had hung up. Chances are, long before I got to the reassuring part of the phone call.

Well. I suspected Shuichi would disappear and go to ground now. Eiri would be furious with me when he found out.

That had not gone well at all.

The next morning found Sakano and me standing in front of Shuichi�s door as I knocked for a third time. Normally, I would have let K handle this. However, he remained in London, solving upcoming tour difficulties with Kyosuke. The unpleasant task of hunting one of my employees now fell to Sakano and me.

After I felt we had waited a sufficient amount of time, I produced a key from my pocket and unlocked the door.

�Shacho?� Sakano began his eyes wide. �How�?�

I smiled patiently at him, �How do you think?�

�If I had to guess, I would say K-san.�

�Very good.� I continued to smile at him as I opened the door. �A simple precaution in this case, given Shuichi-san�s penchant for the wilder side of life, wouldn�t you say?�

He nodded.

I did not feel it necessary to tell him I had a key to most of my employee�s homes, as that knowledge, taken out of context, might lead him to misunderstand my motives. As far as I was concerned, I was performing my job as a responsible employer by looking out for my employee�s safety and best interests. I need not explain my actions to anyone in this regard.

We stepped inside. I was not sure what I expected but I heard soft music coming from the stereo. The music was a satellite radio station that played soft rock and jazz. From my years spent with him, I knew the music would not be Shuichi�s first choice. Was someone else here?

As we walked deeper into the room, I felt the hackles rise on the back of my neck and I turned. The cat lay on the couch, his golden eyes fixated on me as a low growl began from deep in his throat.

Ah, yes, the cat. The music was for the cat.

I made eye contact with Sakano and we split up. I assumed Shuichi had already fled, however, I wanted to be sure that he had not attempted a more drastic form of departure. I knew he was probably past the �I�ll die for Yuki� stage, but it never hurts to be absolutely certain.

I tried to drive the grim thoughts away as I pushed the bathroom door open. Empty. I exhaled, not even aware that I had been holding my breath.

�The kitchen is sparkling clean. There is cat food left out. A lot of it,� Sakano said as he joined me and we moved towards the bedrooms. �I find this eerie.�

I did not reply but I felt the same way.

We came to the guest bedroom first and it was neat and empty.

Moving to the master bedroom, Sakano gave me a nervous look before he pushed half-opened door and we stepped into the room. Everything seemed to be in order. I moved to the closet. There was nothing out of order.

�It appears Shuichi-san has not left us any clues,� I said as I closed the door.

�What about�� he began.

I tipped my head to the side, �About?�

�You have a key to Yuki-san�s apartment, as well, don�t you, Shacho?� He added hurriedly, �Perhaps we should check his apartment as well. Maybe there is a clue to Shuichi-san�s whereabouts in there.�

Hmm. It was possible I had awakened something akin to a voyeuristic beast within Sakano.

We checked Eiri�s apartment and we were both relieved to find much the same thing. Empty and neat. Except for the bedroom, that is. The bed was a rumpled mess, the sheets covered in �. Well. Apparently, Eiri and Shuichi had been on good terms fairly recently. I glanced over at Sakano; he blushed profusely and hurried from the room.

Have I mentioned how amusing I find Sakano�s reactions?

It was clear Shuichi was not in Eiri�s apartment and as we left the building Sakano asked, �What is our course of action now?�

My head still hurt and I was so tired, thinking clearly was becoming difficult for me.

�Shacho?� Sakano stopped in front of me, concern etched on his face. �Are you ill?�

I smiled, �I�m fine, Sakano-san. Perhaps we should wait on Shuichi-san�s next move.�

�He had exercised a bit more sense as of late but who knows what difficulties with Yuki-san might drive him to,� he said with a sigh. �And he seemed to be improving so much, becoming emotionally stronger again. I hate to see him back-slide.�

�We do not know a back-slide is what�s happening with him. Perhaps it is time we give Shuichi-san a bit of trust,� I said calmly, surprising even myself with my sincerity. �He�s had something of a shock. Let us give him the time he might need to come to terms with it.�

The elevator opened and we stepped in. After pressing the lobby button Sakano turned to me and asked, �Do you think Yuki-san will return for him?�

�Yes.�

�Soon?�

I sighed with impatience, "Yes."

My vision blurred and I leaned against the elevator wall for support. After a moment I said, "Sakano-san, please call the doctor."

"I knew it,� he said in his predictably excitable tone. �You are ill, aren't you?"

The next morning found me at my desk, bottles of pills in the desk drawer. Pneumonia. How plebian. My head was throbbing and my breathing labored, but sleep continued to elude me.

I was lamenting the loss of my carpet when I heard a cheerful voice greet me.

�Good morning, Tohma! I brought pastries and special coffee for you!�

�Noriko-san?� I said in confusion. �What are you doing here?�

She set the box of pastries on my desk and handed me my �special� coffee. A mocha with four shots of espresso, a particular weakness of mine of which only a handful of people knew about.

�I got a call at the ungodly hour of 3 o�clock this morning,� she grinned at me. �He was quite concerned about you. He informed me you were �in need of human companionship� and insisted I go see you at that moment.�

I laughed, open and honest as I always could with Noriko. �How is Ryuichi-san?�

�Sickeningly happy.� She stared at me intently before she continued, �Although it appears he nailed your state of mind right on. You look like absolute hell.�

�Hmm,� I sipped at my mocha. �Why, thank-you Noriko-san. It�s nice to know I am so loved.�

�You are, you know,� she said quietly.

I did know, but it was nice to hear it.

�Did Ryuichi-san have anything else to say?�

�He said:� she modulated her voice so she could imitate Ryuichi�s low, but manic tone, �Tohma-kun needs TLC! And tell him not to worry, Shu-chan will come to London on time! Everything will work out fine!�

�How�?� I closed my mouth. How did Ryuichi know what he knows? I had spent a large portion of my life contemplating that particular mystery. Part clairvoyance, part insanity, part pure instinct, however Ryuichi managed to glean his knowledge he was nearly infallible. After considering for a moment, I changed my question, �Did he say when?�

�Nope,� she shook he head and smiled. �But he did say you probably already missed your window for catching him. He seemed to think, through the power of �Ryuichi-sense,� that Shuichi has problems of his own.�

I sighed. Now what problem plagued us?

�Tohma,� her voice became serious again. �He�ll be okay. As well as Yuki-san. They are both more resilient than you give them credit for.�

�Did you speak to Mika-san?� I asked.

�Yes. That�s the other reason I�m here, she wants me to bring you home.�

Chuckling I said, �I do not feel that is a good idea. Eiri-san is visiting her and at the moment, I am the last person he wants to see.�

�Mika was relatively certain Yuki-san would be gone by the time you got there.�

�Already?� I asked. I was so tired. �Where?�

Noriko raised an eyebrow and laughed, �Where else?�

�Of course,� I nodded. Eiri was over his shock, perhaps due to his conversation with Mika. Now he was off in search of his wounded, lost lamb. Where else, indeed?

�Well, then,� I said as I stood up. �Take me home, Noriko-san.�

�You can sleep in the car on the way to Kyoto,� she smiled.

�I planned on it.� I followed her towards the door, grabbing the pastries on the way.

Eiri. Shuichi. They were so exhausting.

It was time I stayed out of it. Completely out of it.

Well. At least for the remainder of the day, anyway.

TBC

Lyrics for I�m Your Villain by Franz Ferdinand

Blythe: Thank you for sticking with me! I hope you have been enjoying this arc of the story.

maazka: You already know you kept me here, but thanks again!

Anon: Thank you! I have plenty more to come...

Blue-eyes-green: Thank you for your review and thank you for liking Kyo. I have a soft spot for him myself - :)

Kibou32: Haha! I wish I could write that fast - I would deliever you 3 more chapters tomorrow if I could! I hope this chapter answers some of your Tohma questions. I like your idea of the alternate universe story! If you haven't guessed, I have a sick interest in Shuichi and Tohma pairings - they are so wrong. Hmm... considers one shot...

bluesnake40: I love OtRFK, and I'm glad I didn't make you groan when they showed up. Thanks for your review!

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