Author Notes: This is (more-or-less) a continuation of my previous fic 'Authors Have Parties, Too?' but it does stand alone. This is set after the series, so there are likely to be spoilers. Hmm. Another reflexive question title . . . go figure.
Bad Luck for Bad Luck?
Part 1: Shinnenkai Party
Although Shuichi's natural state of being was 'hyper', Eiri thought he surpassed that today. The writer sat back in the booth, stretching his legs out, sideways across the bench and resting his left arm across the top of the seats' back rest. He tapped ashes into the tray on the table, watching his pink-haired lover with a small, amused smile. Package bows and curly ribbons obscured the kid's actual hair. It had been Noriko's idea to stick all the package decorations to Shuichi's head and the idiot hadn't protested. No, he'd made fun of himself, pretending to be girly and giggly. Then Ryuichi had gotten into the act, covering his head and that of the stuffed pink rabbit, Kumagorou. It was catching, too. Hiro and Shuichi were laughing about something. When Bad Luck's long-haired guitarist turned, Eiri could see he had acquired strings of ribbons in his hair, too.
Between concerts, family visits, vacations, and scheduling conflicts, this group of friends hadn't been able to get together during Shogatsu for a Shinnenkai party. 1 Instead of January first, they were having a late New Year's festival on January 21st. and everyone had gathered at this jazz bar to celebrate. Mika had rented the place out for the night, bankrolling the private event. She and Tohma sat apart from the bow-madness, as he did. Eiri thought the three of them were like the adult chaperones for a group of chaotic children, revved up on birthday cake and sugar.
The youngest person in the room was actually Suguru Fujisaki at eighteen years old. He acted far more mature than Tatsuha's nineteen, or Shu's twenty-one years. Ryuichi, physically the eldest at thirty-three; was the youngest, mentally, at a generous estimate of six years old. Even Noriko, who was only a couple of years younger than Ryuichi, sat on the floor playing with toys like the rest of them— and she had a little girl of her own at home. Bad Luck's tall, blond manager, K-san, stood over the 'children'. He laughed encouragingly at their antics, but did not participate.
All of Shuichi's close friends (and coincidentally, Eiri's) were present with one exception. . . Bad Luck's producer, Sakano-san had not come to the party. Eiri thought it was unusual for the man to miss any occasion where all three of Bad Luck's band members had attended. Setting his cigarette on the ashtray's ledge, Eiri grabbed his beer and took a drink. There was a squeal from the 'children's area' and the bow-sticking degenerated into a wrestling match between Shuichi and Hiro. Eiri chuckled quietly. Shu didn't really have a chance. Hiro was stronger and taller. Eiri knew from experience that pinning Shu was not a challenge. Then Ryuichi joined the fray on Shuichi's side, evening things up. Where Ryu went, Tatsuha followed . . . and the tide turned. Eiri laughed out loud.
He saw his sister, Mika, and his brother-in-law, Tohma turn toward him in bald-faced surprise. Okay, so I'm not the jolliest guy in the world, he thought, but they're looking at me like I've been replaced by an alien, or something! Eiri twirled his beer bottle on the table, idly, reflecting. It had been a while since he'd laughed. He was really enjoying himself today. He had finished his book off yesterday and promptly turned it in to Mizuki, his editor. He was satisfied with the ending and felt accomplished for completing it on time. Shuichi . . . was really happy. His lover's attitude was probably the biggest factor in determining Eiri's own happiness, he admitted privately. He switched from the beer back to his smouldering cigarette.
Hiro had lost the battle. The 'children' were picking themselves up off the floor and straightening their disheveled clothes. Mika was stabbing out her cigarette and Tohma collected the couple's coats. Eiri glanced at the clock with its neon blue circle. It was almost eleven pm. No wonder they were leaving. "Good night, Eiri," Mika said, passing his table. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Talk? That was news to him. He knew they hadn't planned to speak together . . . still, he had made an offer for her to call on him if she needed anything. Eiri knew things were not going well between his sister and her husband, but he felt it wasn't any business of his. Still, Eiri nodded to her and said, "Good night."
After collecting a pair of bags, filled with gifts to take home, Tohma came up beside Mika and echoed, smilingly, "Good night, Eiri-san." The two stepped over to the table with the cake and told everyone good bye and a final, "Happy New Year" before making their exit. It was a cue for the departures to start. Suguru said good bye and collected his things, as did K, who would be driving the keyboardist home. Tatsuha and Ryuichi also gathered presents up and said good bye, waving to Eiri on their way out. He waved back to his brother and Tatsuha winked at him on his way out the door. Eiri snorted. Letcher, he thought.
It was amazing how the volume level of the room dropped with Ryuichi gone. Noriko collected some cake before she left, claiming it was 'for her family' who couldn't come tonight. Soon, only Hiro, Shuichi, and he, were left.
"Looks like I should go, too, Shuichi," Hiro said. Eiri could hear across the room now.
"Okay. Happy New Year, Hiro!" Shuichi hugged him unabashedly.
Hiro patted his friend's back. "You, too, Shuichi. I'll see you Monday." The guitarist scooped up his motorcycle helmet and a box of smaller gifts. He waved to Eiri and called, "'Bye." Eiri held up the hand with the cigarette in acknowledgement.
Shuichi picked gift wrap out of his hair, dropping it on the table with the cake. Then he came over to his lover. Eiri pulled back his long legs, dropping one to the floor and crossing the other in front of him so that Shu could join him. The singer did, invading Eiri's personal space by wiggling close and resting his head on Eiri's chest.
"If you're going to do that, then let me stretch my leg out again." Obediently, Shu slid back off the seat, accommodating Eiri and then snuggling into him again. Eiri took his arm off the back of the seat and wrapped it around the younger man's shoulders. "Good party?" He questioned rhetorically. Shuichi was still grinning.
"Um-hm! I like spending time with everyone. It was so much fun! I got some nice gifts, and everyone else seemed to like what we gave them, too. I like the way Americans get to open presents in front of others. It's fun to see people's reactions, isn't it?" 2 Eiri had to admit to being amused when Tohma unwrapped the pink, faux-leopard-skin car seat covers Shuichi had given him for New Years. His polite smile had been strained and Mika had snickered openly. Shu's brows drew together in a momentary frown. "Eiri, did it seem to you that Seguchi-san were . . . weird, tonight?" 3
"Yeah. Mika said she wants to talk tomorrow."
"Really?" Shuichi asked. "I wonder what's going on." Eiri shrugged.
The bartender started to approach them. He looked tired. Eiri stuck his cigarette in his mouth and waved to him. "Shuichi," Eiri tapped his back and let go of him. "It's time for us to go, too. They want to close the place."
"Oh! Right." Shu popped up onto his knees, facing Eiri, and kissed him. "Thanks for being here," he said sincerely.
"Idiot. This wasn't so bad." To his surprise, Eiri meant it. He had considered avoiding the public party, and keeping Shuichi at home for a private party of their own . . . but Tohma and Mika would never forgive him for skipping out on this. Shu's friends had been expecting him, too. Everyone had been holding on to New Year's gifts for nearly a month, waiting for the official party.
Shu gave Eiri a big smile and stood up next to the table. "There have been a lot of parties you couldn't come to. I'm when we can be at these things together." The kid beamed at him, saying brightly, "I love you!" Shuichi didn't wait a response from Eiri that wasn't likely to come. Instead, the kid turned, and went to gather up their gifts. Eiri was glad they were together, too. He picked up their coats from the other side of the booth and slipped his on.
He walked over to the center of the room. "Need any help?"
"Um. Can you get the rest of the cake? Tohma wanted you to have it."
"Figures," Eiri muttered. Aloud, he said, "Yeah. Put this on first, then pick up your stuff." Eiri held out Shuichi's coat. The singer nodded, and obeyed. Eiri grabbed the cake. Shuichi thanked the bartender personally. Tohma had taken care of the bill, so they left.
The two of them had certainly been given a lot of gifts. Once outside, Eiri hit the key fob to pop the trunk open and unlock the doors. With a click and a pop, the trunk sprang open, shining its light into the darkness of the street. Eiri's breath fogged in the January air as he waited for Shuichi to load their things into the car. Eiri decided to put the cake on the backseat. It would only be smashed by presents rolling around the trunk if he put it in there. Shuichi shut the trunk, climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. Eiri noted that even the singer's sighs sounded happy tonight. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. Shuichi was staring at him with a big mischievous grin, a slight blush, and shining eyes. Eiri knew that look and his body responded. Evidently, his lover had planned on private party at home, too . . .
Shinnenkai New Year party.
1 Shogatsu is the New Year's holiday which generally consists of the first three days of the new year. It is Japan's most important holiday.
2 For some of the cultural aspects of Japanese gift-giving:
3 Japanese does not have a plural form, and adding an 's' to san makes it look like sans without. In this sentence, Seguchi-san refers to both Mika and Tohma.
Author's Note: And now, the stage is set. The actual plot starts to come out next chapter.
For those of you wondering about the change in edits: Shuichi's birthday is April 16th and this story was originally written before I knew that. ;