A Private Matter
It was on one of his many trips to America that Tohma got the news. He lifted a cell phone to his ear, handed to him by Yama... Shima... Koto...---a subordinate, and heard Mika's erratic driving before her voice. "Tohma?" She asked rather breathlessly, and perhaps a bit panicked. His brain immediately jumped to the usual conclusion, despite the reaction it would cause if he were mistaken.
"What's wrong? Is Eiri hurt?" Mika hesitated, or maybe she'd dropped the phone, "Mika?"
"There's something wrong with Eiri." He didn't breathe, but closed his eyes against the string of possibilities.
"What time is it?"
"Eight... nine?"
"I'll be there by morning."
He was not greeted at the airport, but went alone directly to Eiri's apartment, calling ahead before the plane landed for a car. Early morning traffic clogged the roads and it took an hour and a half to make it through the city. A minute out of the car and he was hitting the door with his fist while jabbing at the doorbell sporadically. A few obscenities slipped out as his knuckles bruised, and he almost didn't hear someone shouting for him to stop and try the knob. He did.
"Eiri?" Shindo-kun eyed him nervously from down the hall, and Tohma knew it couldn't be that bad if Shuichi wasn't in a state. He tried smiling reassuringly, but found himself to be quite nervous as well. "Shindo-kun, what...?"
"He's... not sick, he's just... It's a good thing, we think. Like a miracle even..." The boy was borderline... something, but he let Tohma in past him. He ignored the worried tearful smile directed at nothing in particular.
"Where is he?"
"Um, he's–"
"Will you quit your yammering, I've got a headache..." Eiri groaned from around the corner, slinking into Tohma's view. Shuichi murmured that dratted author name, but Eiri only scratched the back of his head.
"Eiri!" He looked up, seeming a little startled, a little rawer than usual. He was in one piece, and wasn't visibly wounded... "not sick" looking as Shindo had mentioned; but where was the miracle? "Eiri, what's going on? Mika couldn't tell me much..." He was holding his stomach, but stopped when Tohma followed it with his eyes. "Your..." Eiri and Shindo exchanged a look and found fortitude in each others presences.
"I'm pregnant... or whatever." There was a pause for celebration. Shindo took his hand, and they were smiling, smiling. Then Shindo was laughing something like 'preggo-preggers-Yuki', but Tohma heard nonsense, and saw nonsense, desperately searching for a strand of reality.
"Y...you," He searched fruitlessly, "You're pregnant." If Eiri possessed a sense of humor he might entertain the thought of being the butt of a very painful and nerve-racking joke.
"Yes."
"Yeah, isn't it great, I mean we won't have to adopt or something if we ever want one, it'll already be here!" Shindo was babbling... Eiri was nodding kind of... Tohma wasn't breathing again.
"Why?"
"Why what? If we've got a brat we won't be wanting one so--"
"You mean how?" Eiri didn't pause for a concurrence of any sort, "We just found out yesterday so there aren't really any particulars to explain... It's between Shuichi and I really." Oh that was sweet and utter death in words... Between them, them? Where was the subtle need for comfort that Shindo couldn't give? Where was the quiet pain, and understanding between them? Why wasn't Shindo consumed with petty jealousy, and stupidity?
"I see."
"Would you like to eat?"
"Not very much, thank you." He shook his head in disbelief more than anything, flashed a smile, and began down the hallway towards the door. Shindo said something inane sounding, but his ears weren't listening anymore; he was going home to Mika.