SHURYU: More than Rivals?

A/N: It's been a long time, hasn't it? It's been too long, in fact. For that I must apologize and attempt to appease the masses with this update. I also must try and update more regularly from now on. All I can say is, "I'll do my best."

Also, I would like to say a thank you to all the reviewers and those who are following this story via the story favorites and story alert options. The support given to me, by you through the years, is very much appreciated. Thank you so very much.

Chapter 24: The Fan-boy's Dilemma

His hands felt heavy and boneless, almost like they were made from thick rubber instead of human flesh. His mouth felt dry and hot. His chest ached as the emotions flooding his body constricted tightly around his heart. It left Shuichi with a distant sense of breathlessness.

"W-who said... who said I'd ever leave Yuki?" Looking up only slightly, the pink haired vocalist struggled to push words past the icy blockade which had formed in between his heart and throat. It was more than difficult. It was downright painful.

"I did," a familiar voice replied simply. Looking away from Tatsuha's frowning face, Shuichi looked over his shoulder and up into the eyes of the man who had been his idol for many years. After holding the connection a couple more minutes, Ryuichi continued forward towards the two younger men with a hint of a slightly predatory stalk to his motions. Although he stopped only a couple of steps away from the pair, to Shuichi, it still felt intimately close. Idly he wondered when it was he began to notice more of the other man's nuances. Feeling uncomfortable by the thought, he quickly looked away.

"I told him because you are," the brunette continued, the strength and conviction contained within his words overwhelming Shuichi easily, even without eye contact. Had eye contact been maintained at that moment, during the brunette's declaration, the pink haired singer was sure he would have fainted. Instead, though, he continued to stare at a point just a little left of the older singer as he waited for his lungs to remember how to work.

It was only with the corner of his eye, did he see the now squatting Ryuichi pull the lapels of the too big leather jacket shut with his free hand. The exposure of pale white hands against dark leather, the tight skin just a little bit pink from the cold, attracted the younger male's attention enough for Shuichi's mind to remain in the moment.

Sensing this, Ryuichi slowed his movements a little, as to make sure both sets of eyes were on continually on him. When he was sure Shuichi's attention would not stray, he readjusted the thick manila file that had been under his arm with his other hand. Now that the brunette was assured that the contents of the folder were not about to spill out onto the grass, he leaned forward slightly, closing the rest of the distance between himself and the lighter haired man.

When Ryuichi felt that he had gotten close enough, he made sure to lock eyes with his protégé, before he continued. Contrary to his softly spoken words and easygoing tone of voice he had been using since Shuichi awoke to find himself outside, Ryuichi's eyes held a hard edge to them, one which cut through Shuichi is an odd sort of way.

They clearly read; 'playtime is over,' and the thought made Shuichi swallow convulsively. Waiting for the brunette to speak, the younger vocalist was at a loss as to how he should approach this new entity, who was settled only a few centimeters in front of him. When more than a minute passes without anyone saying anything, it was with a soft, sharp, intake of breath that Shuichi's mind raced to process the other man's words.

"You're leaving him for me," he whispered conspiratorially, the corners of his lips tugging up into a slight smile, and eyes sparking like a child's. Shuichi wasn't sure if that sparkle signaled danger or excitement, or both. Had he not know the usual outcomes of the other man's former plays at child-like tendencies, he might have thought Ryuichi sincere. However, Shuichi was slowly realizing those moments for what they really were: a form of manipulation. The realization was daunting.

Was Ryuichi really the immensely self-assured adult he portrayed on stage, confident of the truth and power held within each syllable he uttered? Or was he something else entirely? Being so close to the one called Ryuichi Sakuma, Shuichi saw the lines between personas blur and a new even mysterious entity start to take form. Who was the real Ryuichi?

But more importantly, did he even want to know? Shuichi wasn't entirely sure.

Taking Shuichi's prolonged silence as agreement Ryuichi turned his attention towards Tatsuha. When their eyes met, Shuichi noticed the change in the older singer's eyes almost immediately, now that he knew what to look for. That glint that had been present as he talked to Shuichi had not left completely, but there was also another set of emotions swirling in those blue depts.

With Shuichi, there had been a certain degree of tenderness, affection, mixed in and softening that dangerous gleam, but with Tatsuha there was boredom and no small amount of coldness. It was something Shuichi used to see in Yuki's eyes often enough when their relationship was still forming and before the bond between them deepened to something beyond a common feeling of lust. However, unlike in Yuki's eyes, Ryuichi's held another emotion. If Shuichi was to put a name to it, it would be satisfaction. Like the cat who got his cream, Ryuichi had loyal fans who would do anything to make the vocalist happy, and he knew it. He used it, exploited it, even. Especially when it came to Tatsuha…

The thought made Shuichi sick.

"Tatsuha, ready the bike, we're leaving," Focusing on Tatsuha, Shuichi watched the teenager's face carefully, waiting to see if the teen realized just how tightly Ryuichi had him wrapped around his finger. To his surprise, the monk's expression seemed to lack its usual excitement, which was always present whenever the teen interacted with the singer. Instead, there was a seriousness present, which Shuichi had never before seen displayed on this particular Uesugi's face. The look made the teen look even more like his lover and it caused a pang to go through the singer's chest.

"I think Shuichi's well enough to travel, by now. And besides, there's not much help to be had around here," the brunette added, standing up and giving a quick disapproving glance around the grounds. After taking one last look at the hospital, the one which Shuichi still didn't have a name for, Ryuichi reached the hand not holding the folder down towards the younger vocalist.

"Where are we going now?" he asked allowing himself to be pulled up. As soon as Shuichi was to his feet and it was certain he would not find himself sitting in the grass again, he tried to further the distance between himself and the older man enough to help Tatsuha up. Unsurprisingly, Ryuichi refused to let go.

"That, my Shuichi, is the surprise," came the brunette's once again childlike reply, followed by a smile which didn't dim even after Shuichi failed to return it. Instead, Shuichi turned back to attempting to help Tatsuha.

However, by the time Shuichi untangled one of his hands from Ryuichi's vice-like grip, Tatsuha was already up and a few meters away and stalking towards his bike. It wasn't until Shuichi felt the weight of Tatsuha's heavy riding jacket being placed over his shoulders, did he realize he was trembling and cold.

"On second thought, maybe we should have him steal a car," Suddenly tired, Shuichi decided to ignore those words and the feeling of Ryuichi dotting over him incessantly. Instead he focused on the teen in front of them as he shoved his hands deep into the coat's pockets. It was in the search of warmth that wasn't Ryuichi's that his hand closed around something small and plastic. His hand gripped it tightly and insistently. His way home, Tatsuha's cell phone…

Tatsuha didn't know what made him more disgusted; Ryuichi's infatuation with his brother's lover or the brat's lack of response towards it. Personally, if it had been Tatsuha, he would have been ecstatic. However, as he thought about it more and more, he realized that his situation was nothing like the pink haired teen's. He didn't have a boyfriend, for one. He also didn't have much of a career to speak of, other than dividing his time between trying to halfheartedly fulfill his father's wishes and playing slave to Ryuichi's whims. That was another point which got him quickly frustrated.

Ryuichi's behavior…

While the vocalist had always been a bit eccentric and maybe a little excessive in his demands, his requests had become trying in the previous couple of weeks. And although Tatsuha would give the man the moon and stars if it were in his power, the response garnered was off-putting, if not downright insulting.

Ryuichi always had an air about him, one which said that he was aware of the power placed so nicely in his lap, but until reciently he had never wielded his power to such an effect, at least not that Tatsuha was aware of. The singer knew he could have anything and everything with only a handful of words and a look, but with each over the top request, there also came a pretense of gratitude or a charming smile which left the masses eager and willing to do his bidding. But now, Ryuichi bothered with neither of these. It was such a change that it left the teen surprised and more than a little angry.

'Three in the morning and it's 'Tatsuha do this, Tatsuha do that,'' the teen fumed, attempting to start the engine, even though his passengers were still a good distance away.

In the beginning, Tatsuha really didn't mind helping his idol out. He really didn't mind the early, or sometimes obscenely late phone calls, as it was a chance for him to hear the other man's voice directed towards him. He could put up with the summons to this place or that, even going so far as to make the late night drive from Kyoto to Osaka and then sit through the plane ride to Hokkaido. He also wasn't all that concerned even when he was told he would have to use his own funds for several of the trips. In his mind, he was almost positive the reward would be more than worth it.

But now, he was starting to see that it probably wasn't. In the end, when and if the vocalist got his so long desired prize, what would that leave Tatsuha with? What could possibly be worth the time, money, and dreams wasted chasing Ryuichi's phantom desires?

Rummaging through his pockets, Tatsuha searched for his phone.

'He doesn't even see me, I wonder if he really ever did,' the teen wondered as his hands went to his back pockets, when his front two turned up empty. Frustrated when the mobile device failed to be there as well, he let out a heavy sigh and wished he had another cigarette; or three. He could also do with some asprin, for the headache slowly taking form behind his eyes.

'I mean, he's always carrying on how it's always been so hard for him to watch the kid be with my bro, when he's right here waiting for him, but he's just as bad,' he thought, throwing a quick glance at the sky and then to the pair of vocalists slowly making their way towards him. Running a hand quickly through his hair, he decided to give up on the phone for now. It probably was lost during the accident anyway. He would call Tohma if and when he found a pay phone.

Until then, he would push everything to the back of his mind and focus on driving, if only so he wouldn't get himself killed.

To Be Continued…