Disclaimer: It's Gravitation and so obviously shonen-ai. PG-13 for language and implied sexual situations. Of course Gravitation doesn't belong to me— its characters are the property of Maki Murakami. I am still simply a devotee. Please read, enjoy, and review. To those who have: Thank you!! Authors Have Parties Too? Part 10: Thursday

Eiri woke up in a really bad mood. K's untimely interruption had soured the previous evening— not to mention the bad news he'd come with! Then, Shuichi had had nightmares about people shooting at him. Eiri figured he'd had maybe two hours' sleep. K's deep snoring was an atrocious sound. A nightmare of his own had woken him last. His bedside ashtray was full. He needed more cigarettes, damn it. He was sick with worry. He hoped the stress didn't affect his health so badly that he wound up in the hospital again. He hated that place. He had planned to spend today doing something with Shuichi. Now that was spoiled, too. It all added up to a very bad day.

Shu whimpered beside him, reaching out for him in his sleep. Eiri put his hand on Shu's hair and he settled. How did he remain such an innocent? He wasn't, really; he just looked and acted like it. So much had happened to him that could have, should have altered Shuichi's world view. He just seemed to be able to maintain the same childish naivety, despite what had been done to him; a belief that most people were good or kind. Eiri's eyes narrowed in sudden determination, watching over his sleeping lover. I am the one who is wise to the world and I will make certain that nothing bad happens to Shindou Shuichi.

Who would want to kill the kid? Eiri considered the problem. Rabid fans? Some traditionalist against pop music? Maybe someone with a prejudice against gays? Miyamoto? Would he go that far? That idea led to another can of worms, so to speak. Since Eiri and Shuichi's relationship was public knowledge, it may be one of Eiri's rabid fans. He shook his head. He had witnessed some of the lengths fans went to just to see either of them, or to get an autograph. If one of them had become obsessed and jealous . . . What a tangle.

Then there was the tour to consider. K said that professional body guards were being hired for the tour. Security had better be a big concern, Eiri thought sourly. In his mind, there was no longer any doubt that he would travel with the band.

At 7:22, he finally decided there was no longer any point in staying in bed. He rubbed tired eyes and got up for the day.

---

Eiri was puttering around the kitchen, eating some leftover take-out for breakfast, when K came in, wearing wrinkled clothes and looking sleep-mussed. "Coffee?" He asked, sniffing the air.

"Mugs are there." Eiri pointed to the cupboard over the coffee maker and leaned back on the counter, eating.

K poured and drank some coffee. Then he turned around grinning and cheerily said, "Good morning!"

Eiri snorted disdainfully and said, "'Morning." He finished off his breakfast and told K, "There are more leftovers in the 'fridge. Help yourself." He glanced at the clock on the microwave. It read 8:19. "Shuichi should be up soon. I'll be in my office." He put his plate and chopsticks in the sink and took his coffee with him.

"Wait," K said in English. "Will you be touring with the band?"

"Yes."

"Oh no! I lost the bet," he said. He sounded overly cheerful.

Eiri spun on him angrily. "Shuichi gets a death threat and you're worried about a stupid bet at work!?!"

"I'm taking that very seriously," K said, in an authoritative tone. Looking into his eyes, Eiri could tell it was true. "This morning, we have a team repairing some recent sabotage to Bad Luck's tour bus. It is not a joke." He drew his ever-present hand gun from its holster and caressed it disturbingly. His blue eyes acquired a malevolent shine that spoke ill for those who crossed him.

Sabotaging the tour bus was certainly not a joking matter. Security teams were only one step, though. "Have the police been called?" Eiri asked sharply.

"Yes. They have the original note, too. NG is co-operating with them."

Eiri nodded. "I have some more information for them. Who do I call?" K walked forward to hand him a police detective's business card from his shirt pocket. Eiri took it. "Has Tohma returned?"

K shook his head 'no'. Eiri realized K's hair was down. He must have taken out the ponytail to sleep. "He is supposed to come to his office at 10:00 today. I have left messages so he will know what is happening."

Eiri nodded again and retreated to his office. In the hallway, he could hear Shu singing in the shower. It sounded like bits of SuperDrive, ". . . don't forget to smile again . . . I just want to keep on dancing forever." Eiri smiled. Amidst a death threat and nightmares of assassins, the kid could sing about smiling and dancing. Eiri shook his head. I really don't deserve him, he thought for the thousandth time. 1

About half an hour later, Eiri had sent the police detective, Yoshiro Mamaru-san, an e-mail with an attached file of information including names of enemies or potential suspects complete with any contact information and a short note about each. He had also given the detective Mizuki's contact information so that they could talk to her and access his fan mail at the publishing office. Since the media had staked out the apartment and broadcast its location on national news, a lot of their fan mail had been coming here. He would have to contact the post office about holding onto it. It probably wasn't safe to open right now. Besides, they'd both be gone for at least a week—maybe even the whole month. Eiri sent one last e-mail to Mizuki, with Yoshiro-san's contact information and warned her that he would be in touch and why. She'll love that, he thought sarcastically.

He hit 'send mail' about the time that Shuichi came in, yawning. The singer was dressed in a black Nittle Grasper t-shirt with the band members outlined in silver and loose shorts with suspenders. He had a towel draped around his neck and Eiri could see that his hair was still damp. It had that slightly-limp, not-so-fluffy quality to it that it only attainted when wet, and it was a darker shade of pink when wet. Shuichi was humming SuperDrive. He took his place on the stool beside Eiri's desk. Eiri looked at him.

"Good morning!" He said exuberantly. Eiri winced. His ears were always more sensitive to sound when he was sleep-deprived. "Ooo. Sorry," Shu said in an exaggerated whisper. "Eiri? Didn't you get any sleep?" Shu jumped up and stood behind him to rub his shoulders.

"Not much," he replied, leaning into Shu's fingers. Obligingly, his lover dug his fingers into sore muscles, coaxing out the tension.

"K said I'm not allowed to go anywhere," Shuichi pouted. Eiri stayed quiet, relaxing under his touch. "I wanted to go out and now . . ." His voice caught in a sob and he sniffled.

Eiri pulled away. "Shut up. Don't you dare cry about not going out!" He was incensed. How could the younger man not understand the gravity of his situation? Someone wanted to kill him! Eiri was concerned about his safety at a concert with security teams and body guards. He let his worry loose and lit into the singer, "There is no way you are leaving here, unless I'm sure you'll be safe!"

The younger man's eyes swelled with impending tears, but he was smiling. "You care about me so much!" Shuichi latched onto him, hugging his arms to his chest, while his small body spilled over Eiri's lap.

"Ug! Get off! Of course I care, Idiot!"

K was suddenly standing in the doorway. "I'm glad we agree that no one's going anywhere today," he announced with a smile.

Have I no privacy? Eiri wondered angrily. He looked up at K from his desk chair/Shuichi prison. "What do you mean, 'no one's going anywhere'? I'm almost out of cigarettes."

K whistled, polishing his gun. "No one," he repeated, happily.

"And you," he said, directing his comment to Shuichi, "Let. Go." He pushed his lover off, forcibly. He was in no mood for cosseting. This was bad. He didn't think he could tolerate K's barging-into-rooms, Shuichi's whining and pouting over being grounded, worry over the death threat, a headache from lack of sleep, and NO CIGARETTES! It was unthinkable! His stomach tightened in warning of his stress level. He glared at both of the other men in the room and left to find his pills.

Shuichi hit the floor on his butt, but quickly popped up again, wiping his shirt sleeve across his eyes and nose. "You could call Mika to bring you some cigarettes," he offered.

Eiri rolled his eyes. He brushed past K. There was another headache. He hadn't talked to Mika since Sunday and he felt just the slightest bit guilty about that. He consoled himself with the fact that he had told her, 'if you need me,' which certainly implied that she could contact him. Since she hadn't, she must be okay. On the other hand, he couldn't think of anyone else who would run the errand for him. He frowned.

"You could invite her for lunch?" Shuichi said, following him, testing Eiri's acceptance of his suggestion. Eiri sighed. The alternative was worse. "Maybe she talked to Tohma this morning. Wouldn't you like to know?" Shuichi prodded.

Eiri rummaged around in the bathroom drawer. He couldn't find his pills, so he considered the question. Actually, he would like to know. "Fine," he said grumpily. "I'll call her." He brushed past Shuichi and headed into the bedroom.

"Hey!" Shuichi started. He stepped back when Eiri turned his golden gaze on the singer, but Shu stood his ground this time, angrily setting his hands on his hips.

"What?" Eiri knew his voice was cold and tight with pent-up frustration and anger.

Shu frowned back at him, leaning forward to stick his face in Eiri's way. "You better ask her nicely or she won't help you out, you know!" Eiri knew he was right but didn't want to admit it, so he glared, and continued his search, looking around the bedside table. A rattle from behind made him turn. Shuichi was holding his prescription bottle, watching him to see if he'd stuck a nerve.

He had. Eiri stepped forward with his hand out, "Give it to me," he ordered.

Shu's face crumpled as he place the bottle in his hand. "You're not taking care of yourself, again, are you?" The singer sank down, folding his knees up and sitting on his butt in the doorway and his tears started again. Eiri ate two pills, swallowing them dry. "It's my fault, isn't it?" Shuichi moaned. "All this is going on and you . . . you're getting sick again, aren't you? Eeeeiiriii!" Shuichi buried his face in his hands.

Why did Shuichi pick the worst times to have emotional break downs? Never mind; he has them all the time, Eiri thought. Some of the time, it was just more inconvenient. Like now. He felt so tired, physically and emotionally. He snapped the medicine lid shut and dropped the container into his pant's pocket. He ruffled Shuichi's pink hair, in a cursory apology and stepped over him.

He pushed past K, who was standing in the hallway eavesdropping, and he went to the phone. He dialed, trying to keep his bad mood under control. Gritting his teeth, he listened to the sharp, digitalized ringing. Mika's voice mail kicked in. Eiri found it easier to talk to the unemotional, non-judgmental recording. He left a brief message that wasn't polite, exactly, but neither was it insulting. He hoped his sister followed through or he'd . . . damn. He'd only have two cigarettes until someone from NG came to pick them up for the concert, or he sneaked out the window, that's what!

Only a couple of minutes had passed when the phone rang. K moved toward the phone immediately and read the number off the phone's small LCD screen. "It's Seguchi-san," he said, picking up the receiver.

"Hey!" Eiri was annoyed all over again. K didn't have the right to answer his phone! He moved forward, to take the phone away, but the conversation was too short.

"K, here. . . Yes. . . Okay. See you later!" K set the phone down again. "Seguchi Mika-san said she will be coming for lunch at 11:00 and she will bring your cigarettes." K grinned at him. "What will we be having?"

1 At the beginning of track 15 in the manga, Eiri says, "I don't deserve anyone now. I gave up on deserving anyone a long time ago." TokyoPop translated it differently in their official version, but I like the fan-trans version cited here.