NEVER LETTING GO
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LIE….
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Gravitation. I do however own Lucas and Max as well as Aiko.
JAPAN
The night had been a very uncomfortable one. The minute they had arrived, Yuki had immediately headed up to his room, leaving Max to sleep on the couch. It was a clear sign that the writer wanted nothing to do with the Shuichi impersonator.
Sleeping on the couch hadn't been that bad though. It was actually a pretty comfortable. What had made everything so uncomfortable was the atmosphere. There was just this high amount of tension.
One thing was obvious: Staying with Yuki was a bad idea.
Max woke up bright and early and gathered his things. Apparently, he was supposed to impersonate Shuichi to the best of his ability. That meant going to practices. He groaned. He had never been good at singing. He wasn't bad mind you…he just…wasn't good enough to be a pro.
Yuki passed him and headed into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. "See you later, brat"
Apparently, Yuki was still half asleep and hadn't realized that he wasn't really Shuichi. Either that or Yuki was beginning to like him. Max snickered, doubting the later option. Yuki had to be half asleep. Still, he went along with it. "Bye Yuuukiii!" and with that, he was out the door.
He ran down the streets towards the studio, but slowed down once he reached the doors. He had just remembered that the people inside hated him…all except for K anyway. He took a deep breath and entered.
When he reached the studio, he found Hiro, Suguru and K already there waiting for him. K informed him that Sakano would not be joining them since the sight of Max was enough to give him a heart attack. Max shrugged, and the practice began.
Within a few minutes, Max had gotten the hang of it, and surprisingly, had even managed to deceive Noriko and Ryuichi. Tohma was pleased to see this. If Max was capable of fooling professionals such as Noriko and Ryuichi, Tohma was sure he could fool anyone.
From behind the glass outside the room, Tohma nodded his approval. Suguru and Hiro frowned while Max smiled.
After about three songs, the band decided to take a small break. Hiro sat down on one of the tables with a can of coffee he had purchased from a vending machine, Suguru sat down with the latest issue of 'Jazziz' a popular music magazine, and Max slouched down against the wall merely observing the two.
"You aren't that bad" Suguru told him without looking up from his magazine.
"But he's no Shuichi" Hiro replied after a sip of his coffee. "I don't like this idea. This is Shuichi's band"
"Correction, Mr. Nakano. This is my band" Tohma replied, closing the door behind him. "It became my band the minute you signed with NG. I know you aren't enjoying this, but it's for the best. Bad Luck is quickly rising in the charts. It's important for things to continue as they were"
"Mr. K will bring Shuichi back soon, Hiro" Suguru assured his partner. "Mr. Seguchi is right. We just have to keep moving. Shuichi would want us to"
"You make it sound like he's dead" Max spoke up, licking his lips and patting his hands against his knees.
"I'm just being realistic. There's an 80 chance we might not see him again. Besides, K left two days ago, and he still isn't back." Suguru replied.
"But you just said he would be back" Max answered with a raised brow.
"I know but…" Suguru stopped mid-sentence as Hiro stood up from the table, leaving his can on the table and walking towards the door.
"I'm not playing until Shuichi comes back. Let's see who you find to replace me" That said, he stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned Max and Suguru and a slightly amused Tohma Seguchi.
Max suddenly blinked, "Is Bad Luck breaking up?"
Tohma prepared to answer, but was interrupted by his secretary, "Mr. Seguchi, you have a call. It's very important".
He nodded to her and excused himself. Once he was out of the room, he began to head to the office, "Who is it Ms. Aiko?"
"Oh, ahm" She stuttered nervously, following after him, "It's the police department, sir"
Yuki sat behind his laptop with a cup of warm coffee and prepared to get to work. However he found that he was unable to. "Where are you, Shuichi?" he thought before taking a sip. Then, as he opened a word document to begin writing, it occurred to him: Shuichi had an email address…
He took another sip. If Shuichi was dead…he wouldn't respond. No, Yuki couldn't think like that. Shuichi had to be alive. Now came the hard part—trying to find the brat's e-mail address.
He began searching the bedroom to see if Shuichi had left it written anywhere, but was interrupted by a call from his editor.
"Your deadline is tomorrow, I haven't gotten anything from you" she said. "It's important that we get that book out on time"
"Mmhmm" Yuki replied, distracted as he opened a drawer. "That's going to be a problem. I'm taking a vacation. I'll be gone a week"
"Yuki, you can't" But of course, she knew he could. Fans would wait. They loved him that much. "Where are you going?"
"I'll call you back" Yuki replied and hung up the phone. Once the phone was down, he rummaged through the drawer. After a few minutes of searching, he sighed in defeat and went back to his laptop to 'work' and think. He set his hand down on the table, leaving there a picture of Shuichi for him to stare at.
He wondered if Tohma was pulling the connections he had in order to find Shuichi, or if the president was simply leaving things to work themselves out. He wondered if….he paused and looked towards the door as the door knob turned. He stood from his seat and began walking to the door.
Just then, it opened. "Hey bro. Thought you could use some company"
"Tatsuha" Yuki sounded annoyed as the younger male pushed past him, inviting himself in.
Tatsuha kicked off his shoes and dumped his things onto the couch, making a mess in the living room. "So…" he said, shoving everything to the floor so that he could sit on the couch. He popped in a tape of Ryuichi Sakuma's most recent performance, and turned it up.
Yuki prepared to scold him but didn't. Instead, he headed back to the kitchen, refusing to admit that he found comfort in the mess and noise Tatsuha was making.
"Hey bro. Where's that little boyfriend of yours? Isn't he supposed to have returned from his tour today? I love having him around. He looks so much like Ryuichi!" Tatsuha hugged himself and shook his head, muttering lovely things about his idol.
Yuki frowned, "Shut up you idiot. He'll get back when he get's back. Go back to watching you're tapes"
"Fine"
And there was a moment of silence. Tatsuha stretched his arms up and lay back, "Someone needs to get laid"
A plastic plate flew over the teen, just barely missing his face, and hitting the wall. "Woah bro! Throwing Tupperware now? I didn't even know you owned the stuff!" And in came another plate...this time it knocked him across the head. "Ow!"
"Hm" Yuki grunted before going back to his typing. The comment had annoyed him so much…especially since he knew it was true. Damn it, Shuichi. Damn it!
CALIFORNIA
Shuichi let out a small moan as he turned onto his back and pulled the sheets up over his face. His entire body hurt more than he could ever recall it hurting through out his life. Every movement he made with his legs caused him to cry out in pain. His face was a bit bruised, as were his wrists and ankles.
Lucas and his friends sure had punished Shuichi well enough for his actions.
Finally, he forced himself to sit up, wincing as he did. It was only 8:35 am. He looked around, remembering where he was and what had happened the day before. Sometime during the torture he was experiencing, he remembered them stopping and leaving the room. He also remembered the yelling that went on in the next room. He remembered Lucas coming back, hands covered in blood.
As he looked around the hotel room he came to realize that Lucas had killed one of his friends, and that was why they had left the apartment.
He rubbed his eyes and reached over for the remote control and turned on the television. The channels changed and changed until he finally settled on the news, watching a replay of a fire fighter team fighting a blaze. Shuichi frowned. He had somewhat grown to like that apartment.
Shuichi pulled himself out of bed, to the closet then into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection, tilting his head. His hair had gone from brown to black. Lucas must have dyed it while Shuichi was knocked out. The green contacts remained. He looked a little thinner…but not too unhealthy. After changing into one of Lucas' dark sweaters and a pair of blue jeans, he washed his face, "Lucas" he called. It hadn't taken him long to learn that as long as he acted like he enjoyed being there, he'd be okay. "I'm gonna go get us breakfast, okay?" He received no response, so he strolled over to the bed.
Lucas was out like a light, hands clutching at the sheets as though he were afraid it would leave him. His face was tilted down towards his chest and he looked almost…innocent. It reminded him for some reason, of Yuki. Yuki always looked innocent while sleeping…
Shuichi touched his arm, "I'm gonna go get breakfast" He put a hat on then pulled it down low to cover his bruises.
"Thank ye Jess. Love ya for it" he muttered with a yawn then went back to sleep. He buried his face into the pillow.
Shuichi stared at him then headed out the room door. He walked down the steps, the stopped on the side walk to let a car pass. It was then that he realized he was free. He could make a break for it right now and by the time Lucas woke up…he'd be long gone!
Lucas rolled over, knocking his head on the small table next to his side of the bed, then quickly shot up, alert. "Wha' tha' fuck?" he muttered, turning then to check on Shuichi. He tensed when he saw the boy's side of the bed empty, then remembered how Shuichi had said that he was going to go get breakfast. Lucas had been half asleep…but he never forgot anything food related. He quickly tossed on a pair of dark sweat pants and a sleeveless t-shirt then left the room.
He rubbed his eyes as he walked down the stairs and yawned as he reached the bottom. Rotating his shoulders, he glanced both ways to check for cars, then crossed the street to get to the other end of the hotel where the cafeteria was.
Fuck, he thought as he made it to the other end, and picked up his pace. If I don't hurry, all the good food will be gone.
He reached the cafeteria doors and immediately looked towards the counter to see what kinds of food they had. Lucas picked up a plate, prepared to grab some sausage but stopped as he remembered that his Jesse was supposed to get breakfast. He had probably already gotten everything and had taken a seat. After setting his plate back down, he looked around the room.
Fuck. His playmate was no where to be seen. Lucas checked again. Nothing. "Jesse?" A few curious people looked, but none belonged to him. His heart seemed to stop for a second as he stood there stunned. "Jesse?" finally, he turned on his heels and dashed out. Maybe, while Lucas had been on his way to the cafeteria, Shuichi had taken a different route back to the room.
When he reached the room, he slid the key card in and swung the door open. No Jesse. Several un-clean words escaped his mouth and he kicked the wall. "I can't believe it! How dare Jesse…." He kicked the door shut then sat down on the bed, fists pressed against his legs. Why is Jesse always trying t'leave meh? I don't get it…don' I treat 'im good? I love 'im!
Anger flowed through his body, his muscles tensed. He kicked the table, sending the lamp, a notepad, a pen and some change to the floor. With a sharp breath, he stood up and stormed towards the door. Fuck, fuck….fuck!
"Gotta hurry" Shuichi panted as he ran across the street. Yuki, I miss you so much…it's been how long since I've seen you? A month? A year?
In reality, it hadn't been more than seventy-six hours…but to Shuichi, that was enough.
I want to see you again…hold you and kiss you…and make love and…oh Yuukiii! You'd never understand how much I suffered….
He turned the corner and kept running, knowing exactly where it was he needed to go.
Unfortunately, his anger had gotten the best of him and he found himself snapping at almost everyone he passed. He was told twice by two different security guards that he needed to calm down. Not wanting to cause trouble with the authorities, he went back to his room.
He swung open the door and stormed into the room, sitting down on the bed once more. He sniffed and rubbed his nose before turning his head.
"I was wondering where you went" Shuichi spoke from the bathroom, rubbing his face off with a hand towel. "The food was starting to get cold"
Lucas stood and walked over to Shuichi, grabbing him by the hair. He glared a moment, then released him and pulled him into a hug.
"H-hey! I just went to get some real food. I saw a Denny's and thought that would have been better…I didn't mean to—"
"Jesus Christ. I thought ye lef' me again Jesse" Lucas buried his face into the nape of Shuichi's neck.
"Mm?" Shuichi slowly moved his arms around the man, hugging him back. It felt odd. "No Lucas…I'd never leave you" he promised. Lucas really loves Jesse…whoever he is…I wonder…if Yuki would ever love me this much…
"Jesse. Let's get hitched. That way, no one can ever take you from me again" Lucas spoke.
"Huh?" Shuichi's now green eyes widened.
"I mean it Jess, let's get married"
WASHINGTON
"I appreciate the help Ark, Bill," K set his hands to his hips and smirked, "I didn't think Judy and Reiji the Rage would allow you to come"
"Judy's always willing to help her husband, Claude" Ark replied, glancing to his left and then to his right.
"But never without a price. Oh how I love that wife of mine. How's Michael?"
"He's fine"
"That's my boy, staying out of trouble. Bill, your pretty quiet there, everything alright?" K turned his head.
"I didn't want to interrupt. Besides, Reiji allowed me to come to help you find Shuichi, not to chit chat. We could have done that on the phone" The short haired blonde replied.
"Right. All work and no play. Reiji's got you trained fairly well" K commented. "I'll assume we're all set and ready to go?" By this he meant: I assume everyone has more than one weapon ready and loaded?
The two men nodded, "Of course"
"Good. Because we're probably gonna need them to start getting some answers around here" K replied.
"We should be careful with those weapons K. They can be pretty dangerous" Bill pointed out.
"You're one to talk about danger, Bill. Your boss owns a giant armored Panda with enough weaponry to blow up all of Russia " Ark chuckled.
Bill smirked.
K's phone rang, "Hold on boys….hello? Ah! Sacho! How's it going? No. Nothing yet but I'm working on it. I've got some help now. Oh. You don't say? Thanks. Bye" He hung up his phone and smirked. "Looks like we're going to California"
"Okay. Come on, the giant panda is parked right outside" Bill said, then paused. "I'm kidding. I used a jet. Let's go" That said, the three gun wielding men headed out to the private jet. But one question remained…was California ready for them?
Authors Notes: Goodness, it's been so long since I updated anything. Why didn't anyone tell me that along with all the work that came with senior year, there was an extreme amount of drama to boost the stress? Those who go to school with me and know what I am talking about. For those who don't…pray for me. I'm dealing with a psycho.
I've also been busy with college essays. Funny how I can sit here and write a billion page story but I can't sit and write a 500 word essay….
Anyway, enough! I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I look forward to posting the next chapter…Thanks to everyone who reviewed the past chapter, I appreciate the feedback! Oh, and I just love this new "reply to reviews" features. Leave me a good review, and I'll get back to ya!