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

Note: Yeah, I plead guilty. It took me forever to update... but life's been quite a bitch with me lately and inspiration had kinda left me... ah well... hope you'll like this chapter... :)

Please bear in mind that I'm French, hence the English mistakes! ;-)

January 9th

Alright, I give up. You win. Happy? In less than 24 hours, I'll be burning on a beach like a sausage on a barbecue. It's not for want of trying though!

1st ATTEMPT

"Shuichi..." I said with a voice from behind the grave yesterday morning, as you were getting ready for work. "I feel so weak... I can hardly move... I think I'll spend the day in bed... I'm sure I've got temperature... It's not looking good for our little trip..."

"Oh no, that's too bad!" You exclaimed.

I thought you would be sorry for me, and then that you'd weep over missing the holidays and all, but I certainly didn't think you would gather all my fag packets included the ones in my no-longer-secret hiding place. (1)

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, trying my best to keep calm.

"Smoking is bad," you said, "but smoking when you're sick and can hardly speak is totally unconscious. That's why I'm taking them away from you."

"You know, you could simply put them into the trash," I suggested through gritted teeth.

You shook your head.

"I don't trust you enough!"

I was fuming inside but I decided that if I wanted to be convincing, then I had to keep my mouth shut. I could always buy another packet once you'd have left for work, after all.

You then grabbed the phone and composed a number.

"Are you calling a doctor?" I asked, concern growing over my face. "I don't think it's necessa-"

"Nope. Better than a doctor. I'm calling Tohma. I'm sure he'll be more than willing to take the day-off and come here look after you."

I gasped in horror when I remembered the last time Seguchi was at my bedside: he had put on a nurse suit and insisted all day on giving me a suppository.

"Give me that phone, you fucking punk!" I yelled, getting out of bed and pouncing on you.

"Wow," you smirked. "That's what I call a quick recovery! Nice try, but I'm afraid you'll have to think of something else, honey."

Epic fail.

2nd ATTEMPT

"Yeah, there's Bridget Jones on TV tonight!" You exclaimed, leafing through the TV guide yesterday evening.

"Go jump in the lake! Last time, you made me watch The bridges of Madison County and I literally died of boredom! Best part of the movie was the commercial break!" You gave me an outraged look. "Come on! This is my turn to choose the program!"

I took the TV guide and my lips curled into a smirk when I noticed that the movie Alive was aired on channel 3. Alive tells the true story of the Uruguayan Air force flight 571 which crashed in the Andes in 1972: there were only twelve survivors who managed to stay alive by eating the flesh of their dead companions. Perfect movie to watch just before travelling by plane.

Unfortunately, it didn't have quite the anticipated effect...

"Gosh, that was horrible!" you grimaced at the end of the movie. "Anyway, don't think I haven't understood your little game and the subliminal message you wanted to pass me. Hard luck! I've read an article the other day saying that the odds of being killed in a plane crash are one in eleven million. It's actually far much safer to travel by plane than to drive your BMW. You'll need more than that to prevent me from going!"

You got me.

3rd ATTEMPT

"Shu," I called you at work this afternoon, "look, I'm sorry babe. No joke this time, I promise! Mizuki's just called me and –"

"Oh, what a curious coincidence, honey..." you cut me off with something that sounded like amusement, "because Mizuki's just called me too. Said she had left you a thousands of voicemails the last two days and that you would never call her back so I was her last chance to reach you. She said she wanted to meet you to discuss your next novel, but then I told her we were going to Bora bora for a week and she sounded very pleased at the idea. She thinks it'll do you good and that it may inspire you an exotic love story for the next book. What has she just told you?"

My mouth dropped open.

"Nothing," I mumbled.

Damn brat.

4th ATTEMPT

I decided this evening that if none of these had worked, then maybe telling the truth was the best chance I had left. I waited for you to come back from work and gathered my courage.

"There's one reason I hate beach holidays that much, I..." I took a deep breath knowing that I was about to lose my position as Mister Perfect (what? Do you find fault with this?), "... can't swim..."

"Yeah, I know, Mika told me. That's why I bought you this!" You beamed, getting a yellow duck rubber ring out of a shopping bag.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"What? Don't like the colour? There's still time to exchange it. It exists in green but it's a frog instead of a duck." I was ready to explode. "Of course I'm kidding you, sweetie! There's nothing wrong about being unable to swim... There are so many other things you can do, and..." you gave me one of your most beautiful smiles, "I can teach you..."

I suppress a smile and let out a long sigh.

"Have you got the sunscreen cream?" I asked, trying to sound pissed off.

You grin and practically glomped me, our tongues then meeting in a frenzied kiss that tasted of strawberries.

And now you're packing our bags and I wonder how you'll manage to close yours once you have put your 20 packets of Pocky, your flippers, your bucket and spade set and your inflatable crocodile inside. You freak me out sometimes, you know?

(1) see chapter 33

Thanks for reading! :)

And thanks for your wonderful reviews, they always put a smile on my face! :)

Published on January 22.2012