+++++
Track Five
Shuuichi hopped from the bathroom to the living-room to get back to his lyrics-writing. Yuki was away, discussing the cover of his next book with some people from his publishing company and the whole house was his. He had already put on some music and scattered all his things around the living-room - the only place left unconquered was the place Tatsuha had called his own.
Shuuichi sat down on the floor, next to the pile of paper, pens and snacks. *Lessee, where was I? Shallow no kokoro wa itsumo-- *
The doorbell interrupted him.
*Tatsuha-kun! It has to be him! I was starting to wonder, he's been out all day...*
Shuuichi got up on his feet and hurried to the door.
Behind it was not Tatsuha, but Mika, who had her arms folded over her chest and a stern look on her face. "Shuuichi. Is my brother here?"
Shuuichi blinked a few times, then replied, "Yuki's gone to talk with some people about the cover of his new book. I don't know when he'll be back, he didn't tell me though I tried to ask him!"
Mika went inside past him and put her handbag on the floor, sighing. "Actually I didn't mean him. Is Tatsuha still here?"
Shuuichi closed the door and followed Mika. "Oh, him? He's not in either, he went out a good while ago. Said something about... uh... was it a record shop or something? Anyway, he's been gone the whole day. I thought it was him ringing the doorbell."
Mika nodded sharply and sat down on the sofa, rubbing her temple as if she was trying to decide what to do next.
Shuuichi put his hands behind his back and came carefully closer, looking at her curiously. "Um, Mika-san? Is something wrong?"
"Not really," Mika said a bit snappily, "Except that I seem to be the only one in our family who is interested in keeping the family together. It's our mother's birthday tomorrow and it seems only father and me and Touma will be attending. Tatsuha decides to run off without even telling anyone his mobile number and I'm not even going to *try* coaxing Eiri to come. God knows I've tried before." She sighed again, wearily, and gave Shuuichi a tired smile. "Look, I'm sorry for pouring this all on you. It doesn't concern you, after all. I've just been behind the wheel all day, I'm a little tired. Could I leave a message for Tatsuha in case he comes back?"
"But I *have* his mobile number!" Shuuichi announced, bouncing up and grabbing his own mobile phone. He looked up the number and handed the phone to Mika. "Call him and ask him when he's coming back! I'm going to make dinner for Yuki and I'm sure he's hungry too!"
Mika smiled gratefully and took the mobile from him, then clicked the dial button.
She got to listen to the dialing tone for a long time, then Tatsuha hastily answered. "Yeah?"
"Tatsuha, it's your sister," Mika told him. "I just wanted to remind you that it's your mother's birthday tomorrow and you have a whole lot of school summer work to do back home. Father was quite worried about you since you haven't called!"
"Oh, don't you start," Tatsuha whisked her off. "As if he even noticed I was gone. Look, um, I'm a little bit busy right now, so I'll call you later, okay? Bye."
He hung up.
"What did I do to get burdened with two impossible little brothers?" Mika held her head, offering Shuuichi the mobile back.
"Did he tell you when he's gonna be back?" Shuuichi inquired.
Mika shook her head, then picked up her handbag and headed to the door. "I give up. He's obviously made up his mind. Well, I should've known. Good evening and sorry for disturbing you, Shuuichi."
"Oh, no bother!" Shuuichi's hand flew to the back of his head and he smiled widely.
"And if you're going to cook for Eiri, then keep in mind that he doesn't like heavily seasoned food." Mika gave him a smile and shut the door after herself.
+
"Who was that?" Ryuuichi asked, absent-mindedly brushing Tatsuha's hair off his eyes.
"Mika," Tatsuha said and made a face. "Sisters just don't leave you alone."
He reached out for his clothes, only now realising that the room was very well lit and not even the curtains had been drawn over the huge window. He could actually see afternoon traffic hurry by the hotel building. He felt a whole lot more naked than a moment before. Ryuuichi didn't seem to mind. He lay on his back, cover thrown absent-mindedly over him.
"Mika?" Ryuuichi asked, eyeing Tatsuha. "Seguchi Mika?"
"That's her," Tatsuha said and nodded, returning onto the bed to dress up when he finally found his briefs and jeans. "The world's biggest meddler in her brothers' affairs!"
Ryuuichi watched him with a smile on his face. "Isn't it kinda weird that we haven't met before? Your sister being married to Touma and all."
"Well, yeah, but you see, me and Mika, we're not really all that close." Tatsuha turned to look at him. "If we were, I would perhaps know Seguchi Touma better. But Mika keeps him to herself as if he's some kinda expensive toy."
Ryuuichi laughed, then gave him a coy look. "How mean of you to say that! Now come over here. Afternoon sex always makes me so tired. I wanna cuddle." He patted the mattress beckoningly.
Tatsuha paused in the middle of pulling on his jeans, uncertain of what to answer.
Ryuuichi tilted his head. "Or do you want to go shower first?"
"Give me a minute, okay?" Tatsuha found himself laughing nervously. "This kinda thing doesn't happen to me every day!"
"Oh, just get your ass in here!" Ryuuichi wound his arms around Tatsuha's waist and pulled him down on his back playfully. "It's nothing you should wreck your brain over! What's so strange and special about having sex with someone you like, huh?"
Tatsuha rolled on his side so that he could face Ryuuichi. "*You're* special."
Ryuuichi smiled faintly, shaking his head. "No, I'm not."
"You are!" Tatsuha protested, feeling his cheeks flush. He knitted his brows and bit his lower lip, feeling that this might be the right time to be honest. "You're - you've always been special to me."
"Please, don't say that. You don't even know me." The smile and playfulness had disappeared from Ryuuichi's face. He snuggled close to Tatsuha, burrowing his face in the crook of his neck.
"M-maybe so," Tatsuha managed. His throat felt suddenly strangely tight. Why did he get the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong? "But then, there are things you don't know about me, either..."
"Tell me," Ryuuichi muttered against his skin. "I want to know."
"If you promise to tell me about yourself," Tatsuha said quietly.
"Okay," Ryuuichi agreed, looking up, and Tatsuha was relieved to see that his eyes were bright and laughing. "Let's play a game. A question for a question, and an answer for an answer. How's that?"
Tatsuha nodded. What else was he to do?
Ryuuichi separated himself from Tatsuha in order to get to a better position, where he could see Tatsuha's face. He settled for lying lazily half over Tatsuha. "I go first. Tatsuha-kun, what are you worrying about right now?"
"I'm not worrying!" Tatsuha blinked. "Why would I-- "
"Because you just had a fanboy's dream come true, but you're still vaguely unsatisfied?" Ryuuichi tilted his head.
Tatsuha could only stare. Ryuuichi saw straight through him! He'd felt that way all day when they'd been together. There was no way to hide anything from him.
*It's a damn big cliche, but I get the feeling he sees right into my soul...*
A telltale blush appeared on his cheeks. *Was that cheesy or what...?*
Ryuuichi poked his nose. "That blush says I was right! Hey, what was the prize for the right answer?"
"We didn't talk anything about a prize!" Tatsuha said and laughed, "You just made that up!"
"Aww, you figured it out! Guilty as charged," Ryuuichi admitted with a theatrical sigh.
"Uh, Ryuuichi?" Tatsuha tried to return back to the subject. "How did you actually guess that? I mean, am I really that obvious?"
"You're not obvious", Ryuuichi replied evenly, "it's just that I've been in this situation before." He sighed, but no longer for dramatic effect. His eyes had turned into those indifferent, cool eyes that Tatsuha had so often ogled at on the screen. "You're not the first fan I've dragged into my room, you know."
After this quiet comment it felt like a wall of ice had suddenly appeared between them. Ryuuichi rolled off Tatsuha and lied on his back, facing away from him. Tatsuha looked at him and the grip of jealousy kept him from saying anything.
*He says that like - like it's all the same to him, that I'm just one person in the long row of people who pass through him... That I'm - I'm nothing at all... nothing special...*
"Just an..." he started voicing the thought.
Ryuuichi slowly turned to look at him.
"...arm candy?" Tatsuha finished, his voice just barely audible.
"What?" Ryuuichi asked incredulously, sitting up and staring at Tatsuha.
Track Five
Shuuichi hopped from the bathroom to the living-room to get back to his lyrics-writing. Yuki was away, discussing the cover of his next book with some people from his publishing company and the whole house was his. He had already put on some music and scattered all his things around the living-room - the only place left unconquered was the place Tatsuha had called his own.
Shuuichi sat down on the floor, next to the pile of paper, pens and snacks. *Lessee, where was I? Shallow no kokoro wa itsumo-- *
The doorbell interrupted him.
*Tatsuha-kun! It has to be him! I was starting to wonder, he's been out all day...*
Shuuichi got up on his feet and hurried to the door.
Behind it was not Tatsuha, but Mika, who had her arms folded over her chest and a stern look on her face. "Shuuichi. Is my brother here?"
Shuuichi blinked a few times, then replied, "Yuki's gone to talk with some people about the cover of his new book. I don't know when he'll be back, he didn't tell me though I tried to ask him!"
Mika went inside past him and put her handbag on the floor, sighing. "Actually I didn't mean him. Is Tatsuha still here?"
Shuuichi closed the door and followed Mika. "Oh, him? He's not in either, he went out a good while ago. Said something about... uh... was it a record shop or something? Anyway, he's been gone the whole day. I thought it was him ringing the doorbell."
Mika nodded sharply and sat down on the sofa, rubbing her temple as if she was trying to decide what to do next.
Shuuichi put his hands behind his back and came carefully closer, looking at her curiously. "Um, Mika-san? Is something wrong?"
"Not really," Mika said a bit snappily, "Except that I seem to be the only one in our family who is interested in keeping the family together. It's our mother's birthday tomorrow and it seems only father and me and Touma will be attending. Tatsuha decides to run off without even telling anyone his mobile number and I'm not even going to *try* coaxing Eiri to come. God knows I've tried before." She sighed again, wearily, and gave Shuuichi a tired smile. "Look, I'm sorry for pouring this all on you. It doesn't concern you, after all. I've just been behind the wheel all day, I'm a little tired. Could I leave a message for Tatsuha in case he comes back?"
"But I *have* his mobile number!" Shuuichi announced, bouncing up and grabbing his own mobile phone. He looked up the number and handed the phone to Mika. "Call him and ask him when he's coming back! I'm going to make dinner for Yuki and I'm sure he's hungry too!"
Mika smiled gratefully and took the mobile from him, then clicked the dial button.
She got to listen to the dialing tone for a long time, then Tatsuha hastily answered. "Yeah?"
"Tatsuha, it's your sister," Mika told him. "I just wanted to remind you that it's your mother's birthday tomorrow and you have a whole lot of school summer work to do back home. Father was quite worried about you since you haven't called!"
"Oh, don't you start," Tatsuha whisked her off. "As if he even noticed I was gone. Look, um, I'm a little bit busy right now, so I'll call you later, okay? Bye."
He hung up.
"What did I do to get burdened with two impossible little brothers?" Mika held her head, offering Shuuichi the mobile back.
"Did he tell you when he's gonna be back?" Shuuichi inquired.
Mika shook her head, then picked up her handbag and headed to the door. "I give up. He's obviously made up his mind. Well, I should've known. Good evening and sorry for disturbing you, Shuuichi."
"Oh, no bother!" Shuuichi's hand flew to the back of his head and he smiled widely.
"And if you're going to cook for Eiri, then keep in mind that he doesn't like heavily seasoned food." Mika gave him a smile and shut the door after herself.
+
"Who was that?" Ryuuichi asked, absent-mindedly brushing Tatsuha's hair off his eyes.
"Mika," Tatsuha said and made a face. "Sisters just don't leave you alone."
He reached out for his clothes, only now realising that the room was very well lit and not even the curtains had been drawn over the huge window. He could actually see afternoon traffic hurry by the hotel building. He felt a whole lot more naked than a moment before. Ryuuichi didn't seem to mind. He lay on his back, cover thrown absent-mindedly over him.
"Mika?" Ryuuichi asked, eyeing Tatsuha. "Seguchi Mika?"
"That's her," Tatsuha said and nodded, returning onto the bed to dress up when he finally found his briefs and jeans. "The world's biggest meddler in her brothers' affairs!"
Ryuuichi watched him with a smile on his face. "Isn't it kinda weird that we haven't met before? Your sister being married to Touma and all."
"Well, yeah, but you see, me and Mika, we're not really all that close." Tatsuha turned to look at him. "If we were, I would perhaps know Seguchi Touma better. But Mika keeps him to herself as if he's some kinda expensive toy."
Ryuuichi laughed, then gave him a coy look. "How mean of you to say that! Now come over here. Afternoon sex always makes me so tired. I wanna cuddle." He patted the mattress beckoningly.
Tatsuha paused in the middle of pulling on his jeans, uncertain of what to answer.
Ryuuichi tilted his head. "Or do you want to go shower first?"
"Give me a minute, okay?" Tatsuha found himself laughing nervously. "This kinda thing doesn't happen to me every day!"
"Oh, just get your ass in here!" Ryuuichi wound his arms around Tatsuha's waist and pulled him down on his back playfully. "It's nothing you should wreck your brain over! What's so strange and special about having sex with someone you like, huh?"
Tatsuha rolled on his side so that he could face Ryuuichi. "*You're* special."
Ryuuichi smiled faintly, shaking his head. "No, I'm not."
"You are!" Tatsuha protested, feeling his cheeks flush. He knitted his brows and bit his lower lip, feeling that this might be the right time to be honest. "You're - you've always been special to me."
"Please, don't say that. You don't even know me." The smile and playfulness had disappeared from Ryuuichi's face. He snuggled close to Tatsuha, burrowing his face in the crook of his neck.
"M-maybe so," Tatsuha managed. His throat felt suddenly strangely tight. Why did he get the feeling that something was horribly, horribly wrong? "But then, there are things you don't know about me, either..."
"Tell me," Ryuuichi muttered against his skin. "I want to know."
"If you promise to tell me about yourself," Tatsuha said quietly.
"Okay," Ryuuichi agreed, looking up, and Tatsuha was relieved to see that his eyes were bright and laughing. "Let's play a game. A question for a question, and an answer for an answer. How's that?"
Tatsuha nodded. What else was he to do?
Ryuuichi separated himself from Tatsuha in order to get to a better position, where he could see Tatsuha's face. He settled for lying lazily half over Tatsuha. "I go first. Tatsuha-kun, what are you worrying about right now?"
"I'm not worrying!" Tatsuha blinked. "Why would I-- "
"Because you just had a fanboy's dream come true, but you're still vaguely unsatisfied?" Ryuuichi tilted his head.
Tatsuha could only stare. Ryuuichi saw straight through him! He'd felt that way all day when they'd been together. There was no way to hide anything from him.
*It's a damn big cliche, but I get the feeling he sees right into my soul...*
A telltale blush appeared on his cheeks. *Was that cheesy or what...?*
Ryuuichi poked his nose. "That blush says I was right! Hey, what was the prize for the right answer?"
"We didn't talk anything about a prize!" Tatsuha said and laughed, "You just made that up!"
"Aww, you figured it out! Guilty as charged," Ryuuichi admitted with a theatrical sigh.
"Uh, Ryuuichi?" Tatsuha tried to return back to the subject. "How did you actually guess that? I mean, am I really that obvious?"
"You're not obvious", Ryuuichi replied evenly, "it's just that I've been in this situation before." He sighed, but no longer for dramatic effect. His eyes had turned into those indifferent, cool eyes that Tatsuha had so often ogled at on the screen. "You're not the first fan I've dragged into my room, you know."
After this quiet comment it felt like a wall of ice had suddenly appeared between them. Ryuuichi rolled off Tatsuha and lied on his back, facing away from him. Tatsuha looked at him and the grip of jealousy kept him from saying anything.
*He says that like - like it's all the same to him, that I'm just one person in the long row of people who pass through him... That I'm - I'm nothing at all... nothing special...*
"Just an..." he started voicing the thought.
Ryuuichi slowly turned to look at him.
"...arm candy?" Tatsuha finished, his voice just barely audible.
"What?" Ryuuichi asked incredulously, sitting up and staring at Tatsuha.