Plot: When he's alone at home, or when he can't sleep while his little lover is snoring noisily, Yuki Eiri is bored. So he talks to Shuichi... in his own way...! Eiri x shu
Disclaimer: Eiri's still not mine!
Note: And I'm still not dead! Yeah, well, it's really been a long time and I do apologize for that, but a promotion at work and some events in my personal life kept me really (and I mean it!) busy lately… Anyway, about this chapter… Well, this isn't a really interesting chapter, but that's all I've been able to come up with! :-s
Thanks once again for your reviews, I really appreciate each one of them and they always encourage me to write more, at least, until everyone gets bored!!! lol
Please bear in mind that I'm French, hence the English mistakes! ;-)
*************************************************************
December 30rd
The day started very well.
"Yuki, I'm taking Riku with me today. He wants to see where I work"
"Oh no, please, don't do that!! It'll break my heart not to have him around!!"
You rolled your eyes at me.
"Yeah, sure… Very convincing!"
I grinned.
"Be a good boy" You said, before kissing me and leaving.
Still can't believe you're the one saying that! Who called the police by mistake? Who burnt the wall-to-wall carpet? Who inundated the bathroom? Tell me, huh?!
Anyway, I was savouring the silence when I got this message in the early afternoon.
Need to talk to you, please meet me at the Dubliner's in Shinjuku at 5.30pm. Hiroshi.
My blood froze in my veins. Your long-haired friend and I hardly ever speak to each other and the rare encounters I had had with him a long time ago weren't good memories at all.
I re-read the text message. It didn't sound good at all. Why did he want to talk to me?
I couldn't help but think about that Aizawa's episode and how you had managed to hide your pain from me, you little fool. Even though you're much stronger than people think you are, I swear I could kill anyone who would dare to hurt you again.
I spent the whole afternoon smoking one cigarette after another and worrying about what could have happened to you. I needed to hear your voice but I fought the urge to call you. You often make a mountain out of a mole hill, but when something really serious happens to you, you just hide it from me as if you wanted to protect me. But who will protect you if you never tell anything!?
At 5.00pm, I left home and headed for Shinjuku. I got out of the car and started walking up at a brisk pace. I never knew it was so cold outside today. I buttoned up my duffle-coat and blew on my hands to warm them up.
"Excuse me sir"
I stopped in my tracks and turned around to see two high school girls in their uniforms. They were giggling and their cheeks were red.
"You're Yuki Eiri, aren't you?" The one with glasses spoke. "Would you mind signing this for us?"
I glanced at the Hello Kitty notebook she was holding out to me.
"Drop dead" I replied coldly, turning tail.
Fuck my reputation! Well, at least, for once, I had shown my true colours to fangirls. And they could tell any tabloid that Yuki Eiri is a mean person and not the polite and well-mannered writer the world knows, I just didn't give a fuck.
When I finally entered the Dubliner's, I sat at a table by the window bay and began typing my fingers nervously on the table, checking my watch every ten seconds. I hate it when people are late. I tried to focus on a gorgeous brunette sitting with her friends at a nearby table but to no avail. She had long curly hair, beautiful green eyes and an impressive chest, but like I already said, I have lost interest in women a long time ago. I have actually lost interest in any person. Except one particular hyper, annoying, clumsy singer... My whole world gravitates towards you, damn brat. And there's absolutely nothing I can do about that.
I finally caught sight of Nakano getting off his bike and the way he ran his fingers through his hair when he took off his helmet reminded me of a L'Oréal TV ad. He's certainly not worth it. I sneered. The next minute, he was sitting in front of me.
"You're late" I grunted, glancing at my watch.
It was 5.41pm.
"Nice to see you too, Eiri"
I wasn't in the mood to tolerate impudence. I glared at him intensely. Though he's usually self-confident, he suddenly looked quite ill at ease, and I didn't know whether to be satisfied that I had intimidated him or to feel even more worried...
"It's really cold today, isn't it?" He asked, absently looking through the bay window.
I was losing what little patience I had left and just couldn't wait any longer to ask the question that'd been eating at my heart like a worm the whole afternoon.
"Let's get straight to the point, lamebrain. Why did you make me come here? Is there... something wrong with Shuichi?" I asked, trying my best to hide my anxiety but the little quaver in my voice betrayed my feelings.
It annoyed me a great deal to give myself away like that, but I tried to ignore it.
Nakano looked surprised and a smile crossed his face as he shook his head.
"Oh, no, don't worry, it's got nothing to do with him!"
"Who said I was worried?" I snarled while the knot in my throat loosened.
Bad faith, so what?
The redhead's malicious smile widened and if I could have killed the insolent brat with just a gaze, I would have done it. Anger boiled inside me.
"Whatever! If this isn't about Shuichi, what did you make me come for then?!!"
I had apparently spoken a little too loudly and several customers were looking in our direction. Well, at least, that made the waiter move his lazy ass and take our order.
"Tráthnóna maith! (1) What can I get you, folks?"
"An Irish coffee" I mumbled.
Not that the few drops of whisky in it would have helped me get my pride back, but fuck it.
"And a coca cola for me, please" Nakano said.
"No probs. I'll be right back!"
"And don't forget the lemon slice and the straw!" Your dumbass friend added.
I clapped my hand on my forehead.
"What?" He asked, incredulously.
"Well, we're in an Irish pub and you end up ordering a Coke? How sacrilegious! And a straw! Jesus, how old are you, Nakano?"
He grinned.
"About the same age as the guy with whom you happen to share your bed and do unspeakable things"
The cheeky little twat!
I was about to call him by all names when the waiter placed our drinks on the table.
"Here you are, buddies!"
I gritted my teeth.
"Cheers!" Nakano said, immediately sipping at his coke, making a horrible noise with his drinking straw. Kids nowadays. I rolled my eyes in disgust. He's lucky he had aroused my curiosity, otherwise I would have grabbed his straw and use it to strangle him.
"If it ain't about Shuichi, then who is it about?" I yelled, impatiently.
"Well, it's about Ayaka" He replied, a faint flush on his cheeks.
I almost spat out Irish coffee.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!!"
"No, I'm planning to ask her to marry me, but I need to know if you'd be ok with that..."
I raised an eyebrow and he looked at me apprehensively. I dipped my finger in the cream of my Irish coffee and slowly sucked it, ignoring him on purpose. Come to think of it, this simple gesture must have made me look like some gay porn actor and I'd rather not imagine how that could have been interpreted if it had been Seguchi and not Nakano sitting in front of me. Oh dear!
"So?" He asked in a slightly shaking voice.
"So what?" I snorted. "Are you telling me you made me come here and waste my precious time just to ask my permission to marry that chick?"
Not to mention it had kept me all worried for hours.
"Hmm... Well... I thought... You once were engaged after all and..."
"Dammit fuck whoever you want, Nakano! As long as it's not Shuichi, I couldn't care less!"
"I didn't know you were that possessive" He smirked.
"Shut the fuck up!"
We spent another fifteen minutes there discussing the matter, or should I say, I spent another fifteen interminable minutes listening to him jabbering on love and life. Yuck. I think I'd still rather have you arguing that sea green suits Sakuma better than dark spring green. Or maybe not.
When I came back home, the Mini-brat and you were back. I didn't even bother to yell at the kid for playing Animal Crossing again.
"Hey you!" I greeted almost pleasantly.
"Shhh... You're gonna scare the fish away!!" he whispered, frowning.
"Huh? Oh... sorry... I... Hey wait, this is bullshit! It can't hear me, it... Oh well..." I didn't have it in me to argue. "Where's Shu?"
The kid pointed at the bedroom door, his gaze still locked on the TV screen.
I made my way to the bedroom and silently opened the door. There you were, lying on the floor with your headphones on, moving your legs in the air in rhythm and chewing on your pencil, concentrated on the sheet of paper in front of you. I couldn't suppress a smile. I approached you but your music was so loud you didn't even notice. I hit you in the head and grabbed the sheet of paper. You jumped out of your skin.
"Uesugi Eiri!!" You yelled at me, throwing your headphones to the ground and getting on your feet.
I smirked. I actually love it when you're angry and use my real name.
"Can't you knock at the door, you dumbass?!"
"And why would I knock at the door of my own bedroom?!" I asked, defiantly.
Your face was red with anger. It's really too easy to pick on you. And you hate it when I make a point of calling this place MY place and not OURS. I can't help but smile at that thought. You actually made this place YOURS the day you knocked at the door, carrying your whole life in an enormous bag and saying that you would live with me. My own words still echo: "Just one week". You bet! Damn little fool.
"Yuki! Give me back those lyrics!!" You screamed, punching me in the chest.
I glanced at them, still holding the paper out of your hands.
"Wow! You've really surpassed yourself this time! I'm impressed!"
You stopped punching me and looked at me questioningly.
"For real?"
I gave you my sexiest smile.
"Definitely! This is even worse than usual!"
The look of total disbelief on your face turned into an angry grimace.
"Yuki, you bast..."
Before you could hurl insults at me, I let the paper fall on the ground and captured your lips in a deep, sweet kiss. Your eyes widened the way they had the first time I kissed you, in front of that elevator. Slowly, your anger vanished and you closed your eyes, abandoning yourself in my arms. My earlier feelings of anxiety vanished too and I held you tight, as if I would never let you go. I tightened my embrace even more, nearly preventing you from breathing. My left hand absently caressed your hair and my right hand lifted up your chin to kiss you again. Of course, my fucking pride would never allow me to give you the real reasons of that sudden excess of tenderness. I'm just unable to let you know how much I was worried about you today. How much you mean to me. And how much I'd be lost and empty without you. Sure, I already gave it a try once or twice. Without you, there's nothing... (2). But it's too difficult for me. I'm still not ready to abandon my shell... (3)
When I finally released you, you looked at me as if you had just seen a ghost.
"Yu... Yuki... What was that?" You stammered, panting.
"I think that's what people call 'a kiss'... I'll get you a dictionary someday, could be useful for your lyrics" I smirked.
"YUKIIIIIIIIII!!!!"
I grinned and turned on my heels.
What? You wouldn't want me to turn into some kind of lovey-dovey lover, would you? That'd be way too boring!! And call yourself lucky Mini-brat was in the next room, otherwise you wouldn't be able to walk anymore at the time I'm typing those few words... *smirk*
Alright, this was really fluffy, but I love it when we can see Eiri's soft side. Plus Hiro had yet to make a real appearance in this fic, I thought it was time to fix this! ;-)
(1) Tráthnóna maith means "good evening" in Irish Gaelic. Yeah, well, they were in an Irish Pub, weren't they? Lol. By the way, that Dubliner's Irish pub in Shinjuku really exists. Never been there, but Google is my friend sooo... hehe
(2) Eiri's own words near the end of Volume 12. Gee, I have a nosebleed each time I re-read those pages! :-p
(3) This refers to Chapter 24 in which Eiri compares himself with a hermit crab (or I compare him, more like! Hehe)
