The Few and the Far Between — Part 2
Tears burned in the edges of his eyes. He didn't understand how the man he loved could do this to him.
Again.
A third time.
Yet he cursed himself as he ran up the steps to the NG studio. He knew it hadn't been Eiri's fault, the writer had been through so much, and it wasn't his intention to hurt Shuichi… at least that is what the vocalist believed.
The middle of the night. There was no reason for Eiri to leave in the middle of the night. He could have waited a few more hours until the sun began to rise, to at least kiss the vocalist goodbye and explain his absence. Yet it still didn't make sense. Why the ring? He didn't understand why the ring would be given if Eiri was going to run away.
Yet if Eiri had run….
Shuichi knew the one person who would know where he'd gone to.
"Excuse me! No, you can't go pa---" But the secretary's words were merely in vain as the magenta haired vocalist bound past her desk and ran down the long hallway to Seguchi Tohma's office. Fingers groped the door handle, yanking it open. Sea blue eyes gazed up at the vocalist, startled. He'd never see such an angry have carried in those normally soft violet hues.
"Seguchi-san!" Shuichi hissed, his voice brimming with anger and sadness. "Where is he?" The vocalist walked up and grabbed the older man by his jacket. Fists held tightly to the cloth as violet eyes burned into the matching blue of the NG manager. "Where is Eiri?"
Tohma looked down at the younger man, his eyes full of pure shock as hands grabbed his clothes and tugged on him roughly. He stared into the amethyst tear filled eyes, and sighed softly. He hadn't been called by Eiri, and had no idea of his plans this time. Yet a gold band on Shuichi's fingers caught the eye of the Nittle Grasper member, and he paused, gently reaching up to run his finger over it. "Shindou-san… I… I really don't know…" he said softly.
Fingers tightened around the green cloth and then fell away, the vocalist slipping to his knees as he grasped the hem of Tohma's shirt, and began to cry. "He.. he gave me this ring, and…." He sniffled, looking up at the manager sorrowfully. "This isn't like him! He wouldn't leave me again! Not after all we've been through!" He cried, and fresh tears pooled in the corner of his eyes, and slipped down his cheeks.
Tohma looked down at the small piece of paper that the lyricist was clutching. Gently tugging it from his grasp, he scanned over it, his eyes darting to the teenager and back at the paper. Shuichi was right. After all they'd been through, Eiri had promised Mika and Tohma he'd be faithful and protect the young vocalist who'd stolen his heart.
So where had Eiri gone?
The number was false. Tohma knew that just by looking at it. Amusing that the singer had been living with the writer for well over a year and didn't have his cell phone number. Well, perhaps he did, but hadn't memorized it. Shuichi did seem to be a scatter brain like that.
He watched the young boy sob quietly, burying his face into the keyboardist's waist, and held tight. Tears continued to flow down his pale cheeks as his face reddened from the emotion and the warmth in the room.
"Shindou-san…." He sighed and gently knelt down, threading his fingers through the cotton-candy locks, and titled the lyricist's head enough so their eyes met. "Shuichi… I don't know where Eiri-san went. But I will find him for you… "
Because you are what makes Eiri happy.
Shuichi looked up and hugged the older man tighter, whispering "thank you's" that got caught in the damp shirt and slowly lost meaning as soon as they lost sound. His balled his fist tightly, glancing over at the ring that he wore proudly on his hand, and smiled a little as a beam of light caught the stones and they gleamed gently in the sunlight.
Tohma bent down, scooping Shuichi into a hug before pulling the boy to his feet. Once again handing him the small paper, he ruffled his hair through the lyricist's pink locks and nodded, turning back towards his desk. "Head home.. take the day off. Stay by the phone to see if he calls you? I'm sure he'll turn up, Shindou-san.. but these things take time…"
He turned back around and smiled apologetically, folding his arms. Green- grey eyes cast a small wash of sadness as he once again met eyes with the vocalist.
"Especially with Eiri-san… these things take time."
* * *
It had been nearly forty eight hours.
It had been nine beers later.
It had been the death of twelve cigarettes.
And Yuki Eiri had taken about all he could handle. Why was he affected so badly by this boy? He didn't understand it. It grated his nerves and he wanted to yell and hit something. But then he'd be acting like a spoiled Shuichi.
And he couldn't do that. It would look bad.
But not too much longer, right? He looked at his phone helplessly, and then his eyes ran over his hand which carried the matching ring to Shuichi's own. Of course the boy hadn't called yet. He was still at work for sure, yet…
He glanced at his watch. It was well into supper time, and he hadn't called yesterday either. Did the writer mean that little to him?
And then he remembered. He hadn't written down the right number. Switching two digits so they boy couldn't reach him. Because it would have interrupted everything.
It would have ruined everything.
Blonde hair shook quietly and he took a long drag from his cigarette, leaning back in his chair as he stared around the empty room. He exhaled, watching the blue smoke coil up to the ceiling.
Not too much longer….
The phone rang and he dropped his cigarette, grasping the small piece of plastic in his hand and quickly pushing the button to speak. "Moshi moshi?" The words came out casually, as if worry was the last thing on his mind, yet the deeply furrowed eyebrows told otherwise.
"Eiri-san?" A worried voice echoed over the phone, and small scowl crossed the writer's face as he picked up his cigarette from the wooden floor and inhaled deeply. "Eiri-san, where did you go? Shindou-san was here, and he was such a mess, and—"
"Tohma.." The cool voice spoke quietly into the receiver, and he exhaled. "You need to go by my house. There are some movers picking everything up… I need you to sign the papers, because if Shuichi does, he'll find me…"
Tohma's eyes widened, and silence radiated from both lines for a minute. Smoke rose into the air as it was released again, and Eiri's eyes focused on the wall as he waited for the keyboardist to speak again.
"I sent Shuichi home… Eiri-san.." Tohma whispered.
A snarl rose from deep into Eiri's throat. Figures that the manager would ruin everything. He had so many times, why would this be an exception? The cigarette was snubbed out and he squeezed the phone tightly. "Beat him there.. and get that paper, Seguchi." He hissed. He didn't feel like talking anymore, and thin digits swung the phone around, and he pushed the off button.
Just what he needed.
Complications.
Tears burned in the edges of his eyes. He didn't understand how the man he loved could do this to him.
Again.
A third time.
Yet he cursed himself as he ran up the steps to the NG studio. He knew it hadn't been Eiri's fault, the writer had been through so much, and it wasn't his intention to hurt Shuichi… at least that is what the vocalist believed.
The middle of the night. There was no reason for Eiri to leave in the middle of the night. He could have waited a few more hours until the sun began to rise, to at least kiss the vocalist goodbye and explain his absence. Yet it still didn't make sense. Why the ring? He didn't understand why the ring would be given if Eiri was going to run away.
Yet if Eiri had run….
Shuichi knew the one person who would know where he'd gone to.
"Excuse me! No, you can't go pa---" But the secretary's words were merely in vain as the magenta haired vocalist bound past her desk and ran down the long hallway to Seguchi Tohma's office. Fingers groped the door handle, yanking it open. Sea blue eyes gazed up at the vocalist, startled. He'd never see such an angry have carried in those normally soft violet hues.
"Seguchi-san!" Shuichi hissed, his voice brimming with anger and sadness. "Where is he?" The vocalist walked up and grabbed the older man by his jacket. Fists held tightly to the cloth as violet eyes burned into the matching blue of the NG manager. "Where is Eiri?"
Tohma looked down at the younger man, his eyes full of pure shock as hands grabbed his clothes and tugged on him roughly. He stared into the amethyst tear filled eyes, and sighed softly. He hadn't been called by Eiri, and had no idea of his plans this time. Yet a gold band on Shuichi's fingers caught the eye of the Nittle Grasper member, and he paused, gently reaching up to run his finger over it. "Shindou-san… I… I really don't know…" he said softly.
Fingers tightened around the green cloth and then fell away, the vocalist slipping to his knees as he grasped the hem of Tohma's shirt, and began to cry. "He.. he gave me this ring, and…." He sniffled, looking up at the manager sorrowfully. "This isn't like him! He wouldn't leave me again! Not after all we've been through!" He cried, and fresh tears pooled in the corner of his eyes, and slipped down his cheeks.
Tohma looked down at the small piece of paper that the lyricist was clutching. Gently tugging it from his grasp, he scanned over it, his eyes darting to the teenager and back at the paper. Shuichi was right. After all they'd been through, Eiri had promised Mika and Tohma he'd be faithful and protect the young vocalist who'd stolen his heart.
So where had Eiri gone?
The number was false. Tohma knew that just by looking at it. Amusing that the singer had been living with the writer for well over a year and didn't have his cell phone number. Well, perhaps he did, but hadn't memorized it. Shuichi did seem to be a scatter brain like that.
He watched the young boy sob quietly, burying his face into the keyboardist's waist, and held tight. Tears continued to flow down his pale cheeks as his face reddened from the emotion and the warmth in the room.
"Shindou-san…." He sighed and gently knelt down, threading his fingers through the cotton-candy locks, and titled the lyricist's head enough so their eyes met. "Shuichi… I don't know where Eiri-san went. But I will find him for you… "
Because you are what makes Eiri happy.
Shuichi looked up and hugged the older man tighter, whispering "thank you's" that got caught in the damp shirt and slowly lost meaning as soon as they lost sound. His balled his fist tightly, glancing over at the ring that he wore proudly on his hand, and smiled a little as a beam of light caught the stones and they gleamed gently in the sunlight.
Tohma bent down, scooping Shuichi into a hug before pulling the boy to his feet. Once again handing him the small paper, he ruffled his hair through the lyricist's pink locks and nodded, turning back towards his desk. "Head home.. take the day off. Stay by the phone to see if he calls you? I'm sure he'll turn up, Shindou-san.. but these things take time…"
He turned back around and smiled apologetically, folding his arms. Green- grey eyes cast a small wash of sadness as he once again met eyes with the vocalist.
"Especially with Eiri-san… these things take time."
* * *
It had been nearly forty eight hours.
It had been nine beers later.
It had been the death of twelve cigarettes.
And Yuki Eiri had taken about all he could handle. Why was he affected so badly by this boy? He didn't understand it. It grated his nerves and he wanted to yell and hit something. But then he'd be acting like a spoiled Shuichi.
And he couldn't do that. It would look bad.
But not too much longer, right? He looked at his phone helplessly, and then his eyes ran over his hand which carried the matching ring to Shuichi's own. Of course the boy hadn't called yet. He was still at work for sure, yet…
He glanced at his watch. It was well into supper time, and he hadn't called yesterday either. Did the writer mean that little to him?
And then he remembered. He hadn't written down the right number. Switching two digits so they boy couldn't reach him. Because it would have interrupted everything.
It would have ruined everything.
Blonde hair shook quietly and he took a long drag from his cigarette, leaning back in his chair as he stared around the empty room. He exhaled, watching the blue smoke coil up to the ceiling.
Not too much longer….
The phone rang and he dropped his cigarette, grasping the small piece of plastic in his hand and quickly pushing the button to speak. "Moshi moshi?" The words came out casually, as if worry was the last thing on his mind, yet the deeply furrowed eyebrows told otherwise.
"Eiri-san?" A worried voice echoed over the phone, and small scowl crossed the writer's face as he picked up his cigarette from the wooden floor and inhaled deeply. "Eiri-san, where did you go? Shindou-san was here, and he was such a mess, and—"
"Tohma.." The cool voice spoke quietly into the receiver, and he exhaled. "You need to go by my house. There are some movers picking everything up… I need you to sign the papers, because if Shuichi does, he'll find me…"
Tohma's eyes widened, and silence radiated from both lines for a minute. Smoke rose into the air as it was released again, and Eiri's eyes focused on the wall as he waited for the keyboardist to speak again.
"I sent Shuichi home… Eiri-san.." Tohma whispered.
A snarl rose from deep into Eiri's throat. Figures that the manager would ruin everything. He had so many times, why would this be an exception? The cigarette was snubbed out and he squeezed the phone tightly. "Beat him there.. and get that paper, Seguchi." He hissed. He didn't feel like talking anymore, and thin digits swung the phone around, and he pushed the off button.
Just what he needed.
Complications.