Author's Notes:  This was to be the ORIGINAL (exceedingly short) ending of CET, but then I read too many shonen ai/yaoi fics

 

 

 

 

 

"...Me revoici

Cherchant ton visage

Et je realize

Que je devrais en chercher une autre

C'Etait toi..."

 - Billy Joel, "C'Etait Toi"

 

 

 

 

He was silent for some time.  But then, when he next spoke, heartbreak was articulated through every syllable.  "Why didn't you tell me...?"

 

"I...I didn't want to hurt you...I didn't want to push you away...and..."

 

"...And..."

 

"I loved you..."

 

"'Loved?'  As in no longer..."

 

"That's not what I meant..."

 

"I know...I loved you too...I still do."

 

"Even after all of this...?"

 

"...Yes."

 

"Why?"

 

"I don't know...Such a hurful thing love is, ne?  I'll leave now.  I apologize for any problems I've caused between you and your fiance..."  The man turned and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

 

"Gakuto..." Laurette's voice was hollow in the unfeeling emptiness of the pristine room.  "...Je t’adore aussi..."  She buried her face in her hands and wept.

 

*****

 

It was pouring, much as it had been the day they arrived.  With a groan and a face at the weather, Ren opened the umbrella and strode outside.  Turning, he squinted up at the gray building that was their hotel.  Somewhere up there was the rest of them, possibly even staring down at him to see what would happen.

 

Ren sighed and, in a random act of infantilism, jumped into a rather large puddle, spraying the pedestrians with water.  He grinned.  God, he missed being nine...

 

Locating Gackt sitting alone on a bench, Ren walked up to his "target," umbrella in hand before shifting it to hold it over them both as a shield from the onslaught of rain.  "Daijoubu desu ka?"

 

"...iie..." came the muffled reply.

 

"Why not?"

 

"Why do you think?" Gackt answered, spiteful.  He blinked up at the redhead through dripping bangs

 

Ren sighed and sat down next to him.  "So, she turned you down, I take it."  The other didn’t respond.  "Ano..."

 

"Ren, what have I done?" Gackt cut him off as he buried his face in his hands.  The rest of the lament was muffled by flesh and tears and rain.

 

The redhead tried to focus his thoughts.  "...There’s always a chance..."

 

"Not now," the seated man replied, looking up at his friend.  "Not after this.  She’s engaged, Ren.  She has been for six months...this entire time we were here, she belonged to someone else.  I was a fool to think...to even hope..."

 

"What are you talking about?  If that’s the case than why is she--?" Ren’s reply was choked in his throat as Gackt stood up suddenly, grabbing the shorter man’s collar and shaking him repeatedly.

 

"What do you mean what do I mean?  Why is she what?  Ren, speak!"

 

Going slightly cross-eyed, the bassist grimaced and grabbed at Gackt’s hands, tearing them from his lapels.  "She’s up there.  In your room, waiting to talk to you."

 

"...I...but she..."

 

"-- tailed you soon after you left her apartment and has waited for you in the hotel lobby from eight this morning till now, beating himself up the entire time for saying what she did, I might add.  She must have left right after you did and tried to chase you down.  Though, I must admit, that’d be a feat considering your driving skills..." 

 

There was a moment of silence before Gackt looked back at his companion, stunned, and inquired, "She’s...here...?"

 

"Why would I jest about something like this?" Ren sounded somewhat indignant.  "She loves you.  You honestly think she’d give up the chase because some loser CEO?  And with fear of sounding romantic, love conquers all."

 

"But...I..."

 

"Stop second-guessing yourself, Gaku.  It's not attractive."

 

"What should I do...?" he questioned.

 

Ren answered, "Personally, I'd run up there as fast as I could - the elevators take too long - then I'd go into the room and grovel and thank her and God for giving me a second chance.  After a substantial amount of that, I'd talk to her and tell her how much I love her and give everything I could give her, everything she wanted, everything she'd take."  Ren stood, then, Gackt's dark eyes following him.  "But that's just me..."  The petit man turned and walked away, splashing in the rain water.

 

Gackt sat stunned.  As he watched Ren make his way back to the hotel doors, he called out, with rising concern, "What about Masa?"

 

Skidding to a halt at the glass doors, Ren turned back to look at his friend, his countenance dark.  "The matter has already been resolved," he stated vaguely and went inside.

 

Tipping his head back and up to the sky, Gackt let the rain patter upon his face, cleansing his soul and mind.  Standing up, he walked into the hotel.

 

*****

 

Cha plopped down beside Masa, whose melancholy mood had not lifted since two days before.  "Daijoubu?"

 

"...I will be," the other replied, not looking at the elder man. 

 

Cha’s voiced dropped as he looked passed You and Ren, who sat opposite them, at the back of Gackt and Laurette’s heads.  "When are you leaving?"

 

"I don’t know.  I wanted to finish the work on 'Moon' but after that..."  Cha nodded, looking away.  "I just...need some time," Masa concluded, smiling sadly at the couple a ways away.

 

Laurette's head rested on Gackt's shoulder, their arms wrapped around each other.  Pressing their lips together in a sweet kiss, Laurette’s hand came up, brandishing a gold band.  Forever bound in love.