Sorry
Written by: chochowilliams
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: AU. He ran from Shuichi once. Will he take this second chance or let his past keep him from true happiness?
Chapter summary: Eiri and Shuichi confront Ryuichi. Who will come out on top?
Warning: AU, Angst, drama, romance, language, m/m sexual content, Ryuichi/Shuichi, Shuichi/Eiri
Inserts: --
A/N: It has taken awhile to get here, but here it is! What you've all been waiting for! The confrontation! Yeah! I would like to thank yakunantenshi, yogonem, sonata hirano, Golden Sun Dragoon, 0928atdocomo.ne.jp, lilgurlanima, Yakunantenshi, Acherona, lelalemon for your reviews and all those who favored me and put me on alter. I love you guys!
+--+--+--+
Chapter 13
Midnight - Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shuichi's Suite - Toronto
The night was warm but a cool breeze stirred across the region. It violated the dimly lit suite, fingering the sheer curtains. The vertical blinds that had been opened some time in the course of the night slapped together playfully. A stray cloud sailed passed the pale moon, momentarily obscuring her sight. When the loiterer finally moved on, the moonlight illuminated a fair-skinned man standing on the balcony who was leaning back against the sliding glass doors with a smoldering cigarette in his hand. Grey tendrils of smoke curled into the night air and vanished.
Eiri stared out over the city, watching the twinkling sea of lights that stretched out into the distant horizon and listened to the sound of traffic. Somewhere out there was Ryuichi Sakuma. Eiri snarled in disgust as the realization hit him. He took a deep drag from his cigarette. Flicking off the ashes gathering on the end, he tipped his head back and with a sigh, exhaled a cloud of smoke into the warm night air. With smoke trailing after him, Eiri pushed off the door and stepped through the curtains into the suite. Rounding the armchair, he leaned over and ground the cigarette butt in the ashtray sitting besides Shuichi's laptop computer. Straightening, Eiri ran his fingers through his damp hair and laced them together behind his head. He stared blankly at the closed bedroom door.
If it was anyone else who had asked, he would not have agreed to such a cowardly plan, but it was not anyone else. It was Shuichi. Besides, he added with an evil smirk, it would be so much fun to mess with Sakuma's empty head. He chuckled lightly. This was going to be so much fun.
Taking a deep breath, Eiri exhaled a heavy sigh. Dropping his arms, he frowned. He wondered, though, if Shuichi was truly all right with this.
+--+--+
Curled on his side on the far end of the queen-sized bed, Shuichi stared out the window into the still night, but he ignored Heaven's lights shinning brightly high above in the Great Beyond. He did not see the lights of the city or the horizon hidden in shadow.
He gave a start, his body jerking in reaction as he heard the bedroom door open with what sounded to him like an explosion. Unfolding his body, groaning as his stiffened limbs protested, he glanced over his shoulder and watched as Eiri stepped into the bedroom. He shut the door firmly behind him.
"Hey," Eiri greeted him.
Shuichi blushed hotly as he drank in the sight of Eiri's scantily clad body. In his embarrassment, he wanted to look away, but found he could not tear his gaze away. Eiri's hair, damp from his shower, was slicked back from his face. A white towel hung draped around his wide, square, naked shoulders. Shuichi's breath quickened as his gaze slowly roamed down a well toned, slightly muscular chest. He licked his lips as he followed a line of dark hair starting at Eiri's navel that trailed down his abdomen and vanished under red boxers that Shuichi could clearly see through the undone fly of Eiri's jeans.
"Like what you see?" Eiri teased as he rounded the bed.
Shuichi's blush flared hotter in response.
Eiri chuckled. He grabbed the towel from around his neck and sliding it off, tossed it nonchalant onto the foot of the bed next to his discarded button up shirt.
Embarrassed to the nth degree, Shuichi turned onto his side and curled into a snug ball, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around the pillow. He returned his attention back out the window, trying to ignore the heated gaze on him.
Loving the reactions he could get out of the young vocalist, Eiri lowered himself onto the mattress.
A serious expression slipped onto his face. He cast a quick look out of the corner of his eye towards Shuichi. Those natural large black eyes of his that were staring out the window had a vacant, faraway expression to them. Eiri wondered, not for the first time, what the burgundy haired wonder was thinking. Facing forward, Eiri doubled over and stared down at his hands clasped between his knees. His face was carefully void of any expression.
Silence lapsed between them as the two men each lost themselves to their thoughts.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was in actuality only a handful of seconds, Eiri spoke up. "Hey."
Shuichi made no indication he heard him.
Eiri rubbed his hands together, feeling nervous for some inexplicable reason. "Are you sure about this?" he asked in a whispered tone. He held his hands still between his knees. There was no immediate response from Shuichi or a reaction of any kind indicating he was even listening. "Shuichi?"
"No."
Eiri blinked. He closed his open mouth. Part of him had expected that answer, but it did not soften the astonishment. After all, this was Shuichi's plan.
"Other than Mr. Seguchi, you are the only one who has any chance of getting the truth out of him," is what Shuichi told him after he laid out his plan earlier.
Damn that brat and his flamboyant wiles. Shuichi had somehow been able to wrap Eiri around his little finger and he knew it. All Shuichi had to do was pout those full, luscious lips, bat those tear filled puppy dog eyes and tilt his head to the side and he had Eiri, and probably every other guy in the world, at his every beck and call.
"Why?" Eiri had questioned in return.
Shuichi had then answered bluntly, "Because he hates you."
If that was not reason enough, Eiri was not sure what was.
"But it's the only way." Shuichi's voice was so soft that Eiri had a difficult time hearing him.
When Eiri had asked him why such an elaborate plan, Shuichi had answered with, "I'll never get the whole truth about him and your brother out of him. He lied to my face seven months ago. What's to stop him from doing the same this time?"
Eiri glanced over his shoulder at Shuichi. A swell of sadness rose up in him as he took in the troubled look on Shuichi's face. Eiri disliked seeing Shuichi so distraught. The boy deserved so much more.
Sitting up, Eiri reached out a hand toward the boy huddled in a white anime convention tour t-shirt and dark blue boxer shorts. He was not sure what, if anything, he could do for the distressed boy, but he had to do something to take away such an unbecoming expression. But something caught his attention before he could do anything. He paused his forward motion, his hand frozen idiotically in midair and listened intently. He was not completely sure if he had actually heard something or if he had imagined it. He felt movement besides him.
"Yuki?" Shuichi asked in a hushed, fear-lined voice. He had heard it too.
Eiri patted the air between them. "Stay here," he ordered.
"But-!"
Eiri glanced over his shoulder at Shuichi and when he saw the panic and fright shimmering in those black as night eyes, he reached out for the hand that belonged to them and held it gently clasped within his own. His gaze unconsciously took in Shuichi's other hand resting on the bed besides him. He smirked. Slowly raising his head, he locked eyes with Shuichi and lifting their joined hands, pressed a lingering, but chaste kiss on the back of Shuichi's hand. When he heard Shuichi's quick indrawn breath and saw the rosy tint color his cheeks, Eiri chuckled lightly.
Reluctantly, he let go of Shuichi's hand and stood up.
"Be careful," Shuichi called after him. He wanted desperately to call Eiri back. He was so scared that something would happen to him.
Eiri glanced back and smiled. "I will," he promised.
Shuichi kept his eyes glued to Eiri's back as the older man stalked like a thief around the bed to the bedroom door. His heart pounded heavily in his chest as he watched as Eiri quietly opened the door.
The room seemed unnaturally silent as Eiri stuck his head out of the bedroom. A cocky grin spread across his face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he propped himself against the doorframe and watched with a smirk on his face as an all too familiar man stepped cautiously into the suite. Speak of the devil, he thought.
+--+--+
A shaft of light spilled into the suite from the hallway behind the man, illuminating the beige carpet and two pairs of black boots. The smaller pair had socks stuffed into them. A lamp in the far corner cast a soft glow and elongated the shadows in the room, giving it an ambiance and a slightly creepy feeling all at the same time.
Glancing quickly over his shoulder, Ryuichi searched the hallway behind him and seeing it deserted, stepped into the suite and closed the door behind him, automatically locking it, more out of habit than anything. The room was thrown into dim twilight with the absence of the bright hallway light. He was not sure why, but he felt like an intruder, as if he should not be here which was ridiculous, because he had every right to be here. Shuichi was his husband after all. As his eyes grew accustomed to the gloomy lighting, Ryuichi gazed about the suite, taking in the modern contemporary furniture. For what it was, it was all right. Just all right. He would not have chosen it voluntarily. It was more of a style his grandmother would like.
His eyes continued.
Blackout curtains and the vertical blinds were drawn back and a cool breeze whispered through the open balcony doors, rustling the sheer curtains. He could see the clear night sky and the pale moon. It was a beautiful night.
As he continued to gaze about the room, his eyes were drawn to the coffee table where Shuichi's laptop sat. The little green light was on, indicating that it was on, but the screen was dark. Shuichi must have been using it earlier and forgot to turn it off. For a split second, he felt the icy grip of panic, but brushed it aside with a laugh. But the uneasy feeling did not vanish completely, especially when his eyes traveled to the half-filled ashtray and the empty cigarette wrapper besides the laptop.
"Yuki," he growled, deliberately leaving off any honorific.
"Sakuma," Eiri retorted in amusement.
In the bedroom, Shuichi gasped. His eyes went wide. Ryuichi was here. Shuichi wrapped his arms around his churning stomach and dropped forward, burying his face in his lap. He suddenly felt sick.
Startled, Ryuichi spun around and saw the bane of his existence. Just the sight of this man nearly sent Ryuichi into a rage. "You!" he spit.
Shuichi jumped as he heard Ryuichi's furious curse. Lifting his head, he watched as Eiri dropped his arms and pushed away from the doorframe.
Eiri stepped into the dim light of the living room, shutting the door softly behind him. He was fully aware of how his appearance would be taken by his rival and that was half the fun.
Swinging his legs out from under him, Shuichi hugged his knees to his chest.
Ryuichi was able to catch a quick glance over Eiri's broad, naked shoulder of movement behind him in the shadow-hidden room. Shuichi. He turned back to the blond haired man and met his smiling, light hazel eyes and that damn cocky grin. If that bastard so much as touched a hair on Shuichi's head…!
Eiri smirked as he watched the flicker of emotions flash across the older singer's face.
"Bastard!" Ryuichi hissed.
Eiri's expression changed in an instant. "You have some nerve showing your face here," he told the singer in an even voice.
Sneering in disgust, Ryuichi squeezed his clenched hands and gritted his teeth so tightly; his jaw was beginning to ache. "Look who's talking!" he barked.
"I think you ought to leave." It would keep him from beating the crap out of him for hurting Shuichi. He had just wanted Sakuma here so he could toss the fact that he had won in the man's face.
Ryuichi could not believe what he just heard. This man had a lot of nerve. "I think it's you who should leave," he shot back.
"I can't do that," Eiri replied with a sly smirk.
"He's myhusband!" Ryuichi cried angrily.
"Was you mean," Eiri corrected calmly.
And it begins, Shuichi thought sadly, as the two men continued bickering. He collapsed onto his side, staring blankly at the door. A stray tear rolled down his cheek, vanishing into the comforter. Squeezing his eyes shut against the sudden onslaught of stinging tears that blurred his eyes, Shuichi sobbed quietly. What did it mean when it hurt more to think about what could have been then what was?
Ryuichi's heart gave a painful lurch. "What are talking about?" he demanded, a little breathless.
"I told you," Eiri shrugged nonchalant. "You had your chance and you blew it. Now, it's my turn."
Ryuichi growled. "Drop dead! Shuichi's mine!"
"Not anymore he's not."
"What did you say?" Ryuichi hissed.
Eiri tipped his head towards the coffee table and the laptop. "They say a picture is worth a thousand words."
Confused, Ryuichi glanced down at the black notebook, then back at Eiri. He tried to ignore the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Go ahead," Eiri said with a wave.
Gulping, Ryuichi reached out and pressed the spacebar on the keyboard with a heavy feeling of dread. He waited as the computer woke up. His stomach twisted as he watched the expression on Eiri's face. His heart pounding and sweating profusely, Ryuichi reluctantly clicked on Shuichi's username. What he saw stopped his heart cold. The color drained from his face. Lightheaded, the room swam dizzily around him. "How?" he breathed as he stared glassy eyed at the photo on the screen. With a shaking hand, Ryuichi clicked on photo after photo. There were at least two dozen before he began to feel sick to his stomach. Each photograph was the same. They showed him in the arms of a man that was definitely not the man he had pledged to have and to hold to death do he part mere weeks ago. This did not make any sense! Ryuichi's legs gave out underneath him and he collapsed onto the armchair behind him. He brought a trembling hand to his face. This was not happening!
"I heard he threw quiet a temper tantrum when he saw these," Eiri said smugly. "Trashed his hotel room."
Ryuichi snapped out of his daze and turned his head sharply to glare at Eiri in hatred. "You!"
"Wasn't me," Eiri denied, shaking his head.
"Liar!"
Eiri shrugged. "Believe what you will, Sakuma, but unfortunately I had nothing to do with that e-mail." Though he would love to take credit. "Though," he continued, "I can think of several people who could have." He did not bother to mention that one of those "several people" could be none other then Shuichi himself.
Ryuichi said nothing, just seethed in quiet fury.
"Tohma maybe," Eiri continued. Though he highly doubted his brother-in-law was behind this, but he would not put it past him. "Or, maybe, hmmm…my brother perhaps?" he suggested cruelly.
Ryuichi instantly jumped to his feet. "Wha-?! He wouldn't!" Who did this guy think he was?
Oo! If looks could kill…! Eiri smirked. He could not remember having such fun in his entire life. "Really."
"Leave Tatsuha out of this!"
"I can't do that," Eiri said cockily. Where would the fun be in that?
Ryuichi hissed. His face was an angry red.
Eiri's grin widened. "He's partof this."
"Tatsuha has nothing to do with this!"
Now he was getting annoyed. "Tatsuha has everything to do with this!" Eiri snapped. How stupid could one person be? This is probably what got Sakuma into this mess in the first place.
Tears stun Ryuichi's eyes. As much as he tried to deny it, a part of him was starting to believe Eiri's accusation. Just thinking that Tatsuha would do this to him, would betray him like this was almost too much to bear. It sent a shooting pain through his heart. Maybe he had known. That could be the reason why he had not picked up the phone when Tatsuha called before he left.
No! Ryuichi shook away those devilish thoughts. What was he thinking? Tatsuha would not do this. He would not! "He loves me! He'd never…!" Ryuichi's protest dwindled into tears. "He'd never…!"
Eiri watched his rival sadly. He almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "How can you be so sure?" he asked softly. "If Shuichi saw pictures of you and my brother together, concrete proof that you're cheating on him he'd dump you so fast you wouldn't know your ass from a hole in the ground and my stupid brother would have you all to himself." It was the only logical solution. It was not rocket science. If it were true, anyway. He was not so sure this was what happened, though. He was also not sure, if he believed it or if he was just saying it to be mean.
Lies! Lies! Ryuichi shook his head. He was not listening! It was all lies! They could make it work. It was easy. First, he would apologize. Then Shuichi would forgive him and finally, the two of them would spend the rest of their lives living happily ever after. It was simple. Besides, Tatsuha and he had talked about this and Tatsuha understood. He knew that their relationship had nothing to do with his marriage to Shuichi. As much as he loved his husband, he also cared a great deal for Tatsuha. To him, Tatsuha was much more than a fling or a lover. He would never be second to Shuichi. Never. Tatsuha knew this and he would never do something so low and underhanded. "Tatsuha loves me!" Ryuichi shouted more to himself than anything.
Eiri leaned against the back of the couch. "You say my brother loves you."
"He does!"
"And that's precisely why he would do something like this."
Ryuichi shook his head vigorously. "He wouldn't!" he protested. It sounded weak even to him.
Eiri knew from experience that a lover never wanted to be just a lover. They wanted more. They wanted to be more. And knowing Tatsuha like he did, he knew his younger brother would never be completely happy playing second string and no matter what Sakuma may say or think, to Tatsuha, Shuichi was a threat which gave his brother ample motive to e-mail Shuichi those incrementing photographs.
"He wouldn't." This time it was barely a whisper.
"…Why? You know as well as I do that Tatsuha-"
Ryuichi sliced his hand through the air. "No!" he cried, tears pouring down his face. "Tatsuha would never…! He'd…"
"Why not?"
Ryuichi could only shake his head in continued denial. He felt numb. His stomach was doing summersaults. His head hurt and his heart ached. All he wanted was to get as far away from Eiri as he could. He did not like any of this.
"You're not even his only lover, you know that right? He usually has about half a dozen at one time and he tells all of them that he loves them. That's how he's able to get them into bed." It was the plain truth. His brother was truly something else.
Ryuichi covered his ears, screwed his eyes shut and pursed his lips together.
"You're the Ryuichi Sakuma, legendary lead singer of Nittle Grasper after all. I don't think I need to say anything more than that."
"You're wrong."
Eiri sighed. "Look. Trust me. I have had my share of lovers with their two heads. One on their heads and the other in my wallet. And my brother has been your biggest fan for as far back as I can remember. You cannot tell me that that has not crossed your mind, Sakuma. A seventeen year old having a sexual relationship with a thirty-something year old? Come on."
Ryuichi growled in frustration "Shut up!"
In the bedroom, Shuichi jumped, startled by the sudden scream that echoed through the quiet suite.
"I bet he doesn't even give two fucks about you otherwise."
"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up! You don't know a goddamn thing!"
"Then explain it to me!" Eiri snapped angrily.
"You wouldn't understand!"
"Then make me understand!"
"Fuck you!"
Eiri growled in frustration. "Dammit, Sakuma! If my brother loves you like you claim then he must have sent Shuichi those photos!"
Shuichi cringed.
"Never!"
"And why the hell not?"
"Because he would never do this to me! To us!" Ryuichi refused to believe otherwise.
Shuichi went completely still. The Asian black eyes, swimming in a pool of tears, flew open as he inhaled sharply.
He had been played. He felt like such an idiot.
Shuichi had to admit that part of him enjoyed having Ryuichi and Eiri fighting over him. What was better than having two drop dead sexy men chasing after you and both claiming that they want you? But then he would be jolted awake by a hard slap upside the head thanks to reality when he suddenly remembered the incriminating evidence of his husband's continued infidelity he had received in his email the other day. He had to confess, he had been hoping that Ryuichi would be able to somehow explain it away. Even though Shuichi knew that if by some miracle Ryuichi was able to come up with some cover story to justify his actions, there was no guarantee that anything would change. Things would continue as they have been. He had voluntarily let himself fall for Ryuichi's excuses before because the alternative had scared him. But Shuichi was tired of playing pretend. Besides, this time he had nothing to be scared of because this time he had Eiri.
Shuichi could not remember where he found Eiri's shirt or when he had actually slipped into the button up shirt that fit him more like a dress, but he pulled it tightly around him as he tried to keep out the chill that had seeped deep into his bones. He hugged his arms around his middle and dropped his chin to his chest.
He had been hoping that this was just some sick joke. Hoping, but the hard truth was that when confronted with what he had allegedly done, Ryuichi was denying nothing.
Out in the suite, Eiri was beginning to find this whole argument very tedious. "Again. I ask," he asked in as calm and even a tone as he could manage, "why not? Tatsuha is exactly like I was at his age and if I were him, I would do anything to make sure-"
"He wouldn't! He's nothing like you!"
Shuichi could not believe this was happening, but then, is this not what he wanted?
Eiri cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?" That was news to him. "Why?"
Ryuichi snapped. "Because I love him!"
Shuichi's grip on the shirt slackened. Slowly, his head rose. He stared across the room with eyes having gone wide and blank with shock. As if in slow motion, he unfurled himself. His arms fell limply to his sides. Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, Shuichi stared down passed the carpet under his bare feet.
Eiri blinked in surprise, shocked speechless at the unexpected confession.
"I've always loved him!" Ryuichi sobbed. His voice was thick with tears. "No matter what happens with Shuichi and me, nothing'll change between Tatsuha and me!" Too late, he realized he said too much.
Shuichi's shock was beginning to wear off and instead pressure built up within him. His hands clawed into tight balls of fury. His eyes narrowed. He clenched his jaw and pursed his lips. His nostrils flared. This time the tears stinging his eyes were hot and angry. Ryuichi had forced him to play the part of a fool. He had never felt more like an idiot in his entire life.
Shuichi remembered Ryuichi's declarations from seven months ago as he had begged and cried for Shuichi's forgiveness after he was caught red-handed kissing another man. Shuichi will be the first to admit that while he may not have believed everything Ryuichi said to him that day, he had been willing to give him a second chance, which was a lot more than most people would have done. He should have listened to Hiro and Suguru. They had warned him, but instead of cashing out, he had decided to play on. While in some cases, his gamble would have paid off, this time he had been the biggest loser. He had just thrown away the last year of his life. And for what? A man who could not seem to remember what lock his key fit into.
+--+--+
In the suite, Ryuichi went still, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights as a muffled sound echoed in the silence of the suite.
Eiri glanced over his shoulder. His face dropped, going neutral instantly. He scrambled off the sofa.
Ryuichi's heart started thumping. His breathing was heavy and labored. Ever so slowly, he turned his head towards the sound. His face went white as his worst fears were confirmed. Standing nearly naked in the doorway from which Eiri had come from was Shuichi.
His husband's hair was mused and sticking on end. The left side of his face was red and creased. Those large, black eyes of his were red rimmed and blood shot. His face pale, his cheeks flushed. A lone tear rolled slowly down Shuichi's cheek, but the expression on his face was anything but sad. It was a mixture of hurt, anger and betrayal. Ryuichi felt a pain in his heart and a wrenching in his gut. It took everything he had to keep from tearing his gaze away from his husband's penetrating one.
"Shuichi," he breathed, taking a step forward. He reached out towards him, silently thinking, Please take my hand. Please, as tears flowed freely down his face.
Shuichi saw the regret that was written all over Ryuichi's face. But for what was he sorry? Being caught or was he truly remorseful for what he did? Either way it was too late. Far too late.
Shuichi backed away from the hand Ryuichi held out to him and shook his head. Never again. Because now he knew. Now he knew that going home with Ryuichi almost a year ago had been the biggest mistake of his life. And now it was time to rectify that mistake.
Eiri stepped back from the lovers, intending to say as far away from Dodge as he could.
Shuichi raised a hand to ward off the man.
A look of hurt crossed Ryuichi's face. "Shuichi, please," he pleaded.
"I don't wanna hear it," Shuichi said, his voice trembling.
"Please! Shuichi. Just let me-!"
"No!"
"I know what I did was-"
"Fuck you," Shuichi spit, his voice becoming stronger.
Ryuichi was startled. Never once had Shuichi spoken to him like this. "Just give me a chance to explain!"
Shuichi shook his head vehemently. "In case you've forgotten, I've heard it all before. Ryu," he added mockingly.
"But-!"
"No!" Shuichi stepped out of the bedroom towards the man he pledged to love through the good times and the bad last month. His voice was not the only thing that was becoming stronger.
"Please, Shuichi! I-I never…I never meant to hurt you!" Ryuichi sobbed.
Shuichi clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging half moon trenches into his palm. "Bullshit," he growled lightly through gritted teeth.
"Shuichi!"
"Ryu."
"I love you," Ryuichi whispered.
Eiri snorted.
Shuichi barked a sharp laugh.
Tears flowed after down Ryuichi's face. A wash of emotions flowed through him, almost as if a dam had cracked inside of him. "I'm so sorry!"
That stopped Shuichi cold. "Sorry?"
All Eiri could think was, "Uh, oh."
"I never meant for this to happen! I swear to God! Please, just…Just give me another chance and, and-!"
Shuichi was living a sense of déjà vu. They had had almost this exact conversation seven months ago. He could not believe what a fool he had been.
Eiri watched as in slow motion Shuichi stalked across the hotel suite towards Ryuichi. Stopping before the man as he continued to plead his case, Shuichi raised his hand. Eiri cringed as time returned to its normal pace just as Shuichi's hand met Ryuichi's cheek in a little love tap.
Ryuichi stared blankly at nothing in stunned disbelief. He brought a hand up to his face. Tentatively, he touched it. He winced with a hiss.
Infuriated, Shuichi ignored his stinging, throbbing, reddened hand. He could not believe this man! Who did he think he was? "Another chance"? Whom was he kidding? Did Ryuichi think he was an idiot? He had been willing to give Ryuichi the benefit of the doubt once before. He had gone against his own better judgment, ignored the advice from his friends and family and took him back, decided to give him a second chance all because he wanted to believe in him. "-out!"
Ryuichi blinked, turning towards Shuichi. "Shuichi?"
"Get. Out," Shuichi repeated.
Ryuichi stared at his husband in incredulity. "Shuichi."
"Get out!" Shuichi shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry!"
Shuichi had had enough. The sight of this man was making his stomach queasy. He stalked towards Ryuichi with an air of loathing surrounding him.
Ryuichi's eyes flashed and he jumped backwards. In his blind haste, he tripped over his own two feet and with a cry, flew backwards and tumbled over the armchair and landed in a painful heap on the floor with a sharp hiss.
Eiri chuckled.
Awkwardly, Ryuichi scrambled to his feet and started to back away unconsciously as Shuichi advanced towards him. "Shuichi," he tried again. He had to get him to listen!
Shuichi did not want to hear anything this man had to say.
Ryuichi's throat knotted. "Shuichi," he croaked. This was not at all going how he imagined. "Please!"
"I can't take it anymore, Ryu," he said in a tight voice. He cleared his throat. He could not appear weak in front of this man. He had to be strong. He could not give in.
"Shu-"
Shuichi chopped his hand through the air. "Save your words because this time you've gone too far!"
"I know, just-!"
"I listened to your lies and all your stories."
"But if you'd just-!"
"You are not half the man you'd like to be!"
Eiri grabbed the doorknob. He twisted it and flung open the door, watching in gleeful excitement as his Shuichi pushed a devastated looking Ryuichi Sakuma out of the room.
Shuichi was blinded briefly by the sudden burst of light, but took it in stride and continued to push the enemy line back.
Ryuichi tried once more as he stepped out in the hall. "If you'd just let me-!"
"Don't even try to explain yourself because talk is cheap!"
Shuichi chased Ryuichi out into the hall where the older man tripped and collapsed into a heap in the middle of the carpeted hallway.
+--+--+
Across the hall in his room, Daisuke glanced up from his laptop with a frown.
"You stupid jerk!"
Daisuke turned towards the door. That sounded like Shuichi.
"Shu, please!"
And that sounded like…Ryuichi?
"If you'd only let me explain!"
"'Explain'? There's nothing to explain!"
He had never heard Shuichi so angry before. He was always so happy and carefree and hearing him shouting like this…? He suddenly had a very bad feeling. Sliding off his glasses, he pushed away from the table and crossed the room to the door. He turned the lock, hearing the tumblers shift and slid back the chain. Cracking the door open, he stuck his head out. The scene before him had him taken aback. An enraged Shuichi who appeared as if he were dressed in nothing more than a button down shirt that looked as if it would fit five Shuichi's was glaring down at a cowering, distraught Ryuichi.
"You stayed because I made it so convenient!" he heard Shuichi bellow, his voice thick and his eyes glistening with tears.
Daisuke glanced at Shuichi. He was shocked to hear him shout such accusations.
"…What? Shu! …How could…? Why would you…?" Ryuichi's tongue felt like it had swelled up and his brain had gone dumb. He just could not make anything work. He was at a loss. Did Shuichi really believe that? "How can you say something like that? I love you! I would never-!"
"Don't try to explain yourself! You'll never see-!" Shuichi snapped, sobbing.
Ryuichi was stunned beyond words. He could not believe that this was his Shuichi. Did he truly believe all this? No! It could not be. His Shuichi would never doubt him. Anger flashed through his eyes. "You!"
Daisuke followed Ryuichi's extended finger. His eyebrows vanished into his hairline. Leaning against the door to Shuichi's room was Eiri Uesugi, dressed in only a pair of jeans that were hanging suspiciously low on his hips and a sly smirk on his face. Now he was doubly confused. What was he doing here? What did he have to do with anything?
With an innocent expression on his face, Eiri raised an eyebrow.
Shuichi's foot lashed out and connected with Ryuichi. The man cried out, his face screwed up in pain. Daisuke winced.
"Leave Yuki out of this! This has nothing to do with him!"
Daisuke looked from Shuichi to Eiri and back and had his doubts.
Ryuichi staggered to his feet with an angry scowl on his face. "Nothing to do with him? This has just as much to do with him as it does Tatsuha!"
Daisuke groaned, feeling suddenly sick. Just as he thought. This was his entire fault.
Eiri cocked an eyebrow. Was it not just this same man who said that Tatsuha had nothing at all to do with his relationship with Shuichi? Now look who was calling the kettle black.
"Excuse me? Don't you dare compare me to you! I'm not the one has been having an affair!"
"Oh, Shuichi," Daisuke whispered with a heavy heart.
"I'm not the one who looked right into my eyes," Shuichi sobbed, "and lied to me! No, I'm the one who just wasted the last year of his life! I'm the one who's been mocked and laughed at and made the butt of a very fucked up joke!"
Ryuichi gasped. He stared at his husband in horror. "Shu, no!"
"I gave you everything I was! I trusted you! I loved you and you lied to me! You used me!"
"I'd never-!"
"It's the same shit, Ryu! Each and every fucking time and I have had it! It's over! I'm through playing games with you! And I threw my ring away so that makes us even!"
Ryuichi's heart went cold. "What?" he breathed.
Shuichi held up his ringless hand and wiggled his fingers with a mock expression on his face.
He did! He really did get rid of it! Up to that point, he had harbored some hope, a tiny flicker that by some miracle, Shuichi would welcome him warmly. But that ember was gone, blown out by the cold, gusty words of a man who had been pushed too far.
"Shuichi," he whispered. This was not happening!
"Goodbye, Sakuma."
Ryuichi watched as Shuichi turned his back to him and his heart gave a painful lurch. If he called out to him now…! Ryuichi raised his hand and opened his mouth.
Eiri stepped back as Shuichi brushed past him and vanished into the suite.
Ryuichi closed his mouth and dropped his hand. His heart hurt. It felt as if it was in a tightening vise. Tears stung his eyes. As much as he wanted to, he just could not make the words come out.
Eiri turned back and met Ryuichi's watery gaze. He smirked, bringing a devilish expression to his face, and snorted.
Ryuichi gasped and his eyes widened, but before he could say anything, the door closed. The sound of the lock sliding into place echoed down the hall. Suddenly feeling drained, he banged his head against the wall. "Idiot," he cursed. A lone tear rolled forlornly down his cheek as the pain in his chest grew.
--TBC--
A/N: Did I not tell you that this chapter would make up for the last one? Huh? What did you think? Did Shuichi make the right choice? Do you feel a little sorry for Ryuichi? Or did he get just what he deserved? There are two more chapters plus the epilogue after this and then a one-shot sequel.
Preview: Who was really behind the photographs that Shuichi received in his email? And what really caused Eiri to flee one year ago?