A/N: betcha people watching me as a author didn't see a Gravitation oneshot fic coming from me, didja? haha, me either. it started off as something for a different pairing for a different anime/manga, but i dunno, it evolved into this. whatever the hell THIS is. it's late at night, i'm in a writing slump just a tiny bit, and i'm sugar high from lollipops myself. so... yeah.
now you get this lame, weak shit to read.
sorry 'bout that. XD

HiroShu equals my OTP. hellz yeah.

"Can I lick your lollipop?"

Hiroshi froze at the seemingly innocent question. It probably would have been more innocent if the other boy had said, 'can I have a taste of your sucker', because then it would imply what they were holding in their hands and not something else Hiro thought of that lay between his legs. His face turned a bright red, a similar shade of magenta as the hair of the boy sitting beside him.

"Wh-what did you s-say?" he swallows and asks to clarify.

Shuichi grins over at him and points to the strawberry-grape swirled sucker in Hiro's hands. "Can I have a lick? I wanna know what it tastes like. You can have a taste of mine, too." He offers his lemon-orange swirled sucker in his best friend's direction.

Oh, if only Shuichi knew what a tempting proposition that could be otherwise. See, Hiroshi knew how infatuated Shu was with Eiri, but he couldn't help the random thoughts that passed through his head every so often. Like this very second. Such dirty, forbidden thoughts… But he stayed strong and shook them away. He can't think things like that! Not after everything they've been through as friends and a band; not to mention all the trials Shuichi has undergone with the famous author.

"Um… sure, Shu," Hiroshi agreed, leaning over to take a tentative lick of the sunny colored candy. Citrus and sugar dance on the tip of his tongue. Hiroshi hummed his approval. "That's really good," he comments as his blush recedes and he can act normal again.

Shuichi smiles brightly. "I thought you'd like it! Now can I –"

Before the oblivious vocalist could say anything more to trigger perverted ideas, Hiroshi stuck his sucker in Shuichi's mouth. He bit his own lip as his watched his friend lap at the purplish-pink candy, trying so hard not to picture Shuichi's saliva coating something… else. "There, you had your taste!" he says quickly, pulling the sucker away. He laughs meekly. "Now, uh, we better start heading back…"

"Yeah; Yuki doesn't like it when I'm late; he's possessive that way." Shuichi sticks his own sucker back in his mouth and appears to be thinking as he stands up from the music record building's cement front steps. He withdraws the sucker and mutters, "I love Yuki and all, but it's starting to get annoying. I wish he'd give me a little more freedom. Even since that one night…"

Hiro remembered that night. Shuichi could've sang lyrics Eiri wrote, but instead hummed the entire song. And, secretly, Hiroshi had watched with a slight twinge of jealousy the scene unfold afterwards, outside the concert. He thought he loved a certain woman the met along the way, but… And he thought he was straight, but… maybe being with Shuichi for so many years gravitated him towards his best friend, because now, at the mere mention of Eiri, Hiroshi felt his eye twitch. The bloody bastard didn't know how good he had it to sleep with Shuichi in the same house – or same bed – every night. He took Shu for granted, Hiro knew. And abused him (on different levels, mind you). It made Hiro's heart tug and want to spend as much time as possible with Bad Luck's lead man.

"Shu, can I ask you something?" he says slowly, cautiously.

The pink-haired boy smirks. "You just did."

A roll of the eyes. "You know what I mean." He tosses his sucker in the trash.

Shuichi makes a protesting face but it's already too late for the flavored corn syrup on a stick. He shrugs. "Sure, ask me whatever you like. We've been friends forever, Hiro; you can ask me anything anytime, you know that." Cue another lick of the yellow/orange lollipop.

"Are you happy with Yuki?"

The question stops Shuichi Shindo right in his tracks. "Of 'course I –" is his automatic response, but Hiroshi frowns and crosses his arms. Shuichi sighs. "Maybe not entirely… I thought I was lucky to just be with him, and it should make me happy, but… I dunno, maybe I'm being selfish."

"He doesn't treat you right, does he?" the guitarist asks gently.

His friend makes a sad half-smile. "He's Yuki; does he ever treat anyone right?" He clears his throat. "But I can't help who I fall in love with, Hiro."

Finally, Hiroshi explodes. He clenches his fists and stops to face Shu. "Actually, you can. And sometimes it takes a wrong choice to see who the correct choice is."

"Huh…?!"

He doesn't hesitate. He grabs the shorter boy and yanks him into a warm hug. Te sound of a breaking lollipop echoes in Hiro's ears, but he doesn't care. His friend needs to know how he feels. "If Yuki ever hurts you too much for you to tolerate, I'll always be here for you, Shuichi. Because I care a lot about you, and… I'd treat you right."

"Hiroshi…"

Burning droplets splash onto Hiro's shoulder, and he knows his overly emotional friend is crying. Again. He does that a lot. But it's cute. My friend, the doomed-to-be-uke type.

"Hey, don't cry."

"No, I ha-have to… b-because… I don't think Yuki loves me anymore." Shuichi chokes through his sudden sobs. "H-he hasn't been v-very nice to m-me lately… and he ha-hasn't had s-sex with me in two months… a-and I don't want to, b-but I think he's g-going to kick me out again soon."

"Are you serious?!" the taller boy exclaims as he pulls Shu away to look into his eyes.

The other closes his eyes and nods gravely. "That's wh-why I was dawdling today. A-and why I s-suggested to get l-lollipops from the candy st-store."

"You were avoiding going home?"

Another nod, Shuichi still refusing to look Hiroshi in the eyes.

"Shu… that's not good…"

He waves it away. Staring up through wet lashes, he poses shyly: "Can I sleep over at your house tonight instead?"

"Of 'course!" the guitarist agrees. "That's what I said I was here for."

"Just don't tell Yuki…" Shuichi whispers. "He'd be really mad and might beat me."

"Beat you…?" Hiro gasps. He shakes his head and drapes his arm around Shuichi's shoulders. "Never mind. We can discuss it later."

They walk a few paces in silence, the air of the settling night growing cool and the fireflies began peaking from the shadows, flashing yellow dots across the corners of their vision.

Suddenly, Shuichi sighs.

"What is it, Shu?"

"I dropped my lollipop…"

Hiroshi chuckles. "Then when we get to my place, you can have a lick of mine."

"But you threw yours awa–" Then he gets Hiro's meaning. He flushes a dark red. "Oh!" He smacks the taller boy in the stomach. "Hiroshi, how could you–!"

But his friend is laughing even more. "I was only kidding, Shu." He ruffles the mop of pink hair. "Can't ya take a joke?"

Shuichi pouts and crosses his arms, tempted to shrug Hiro's arm from his shoulders. But he doesn't. "You're a bad boy."

"And you're much too fun to tease."

"I wish I hadn't told you anything. Now you're going to think you can have your way with me just because Yuki and I aren't getting along."

"I would never take advantage of you, Shuichi… no matter how tempting it is."

The vocalist hits him again, harder this time. "Buy me another sucker. You owe it to me, you big jerk."

Hiroshi grins softly and dares to peck Shuichi on the cheek. "You're right, I do owe you. Sorry."

That teeny kiss lingered and tingled into memory on his cheek, and felt like it was never coming off. Why must Hiro confuse him so with his actions? Now things will never be the same with Yuki…

And because of those thoughts, Shuichi was silent the rest of the night.

All this over one seemingly-innocent question about a lollipop.…