Disclaimer: It's Gravitation and so obviously shonen-ai. PG-13 for language and sexual situations. Gravitation doesn't belong to me—its characters are the property of Maki Murakami. I am simply a devotee. Please read, enjoy, and review. To those who have: Thank you!! Authors Have Parties Too? Part 11: Lunch

Thursday

K vetoed ordering food from any of their usual favorite places. His reasoning was absolutely paranoid, conspiracy-theory stuff, but Eiri didn't argue about it. There was a large salmon fillet that needed to be eaten up before they left. He decided to cook that along with some rice and veggies—those would need to be used up, too. The last time he'd made a last-minute decision to travel with Bad Luck, they'd come home to a vile, rotted mess in the 'fridge.

While Eiri busied himself in the kitchen, K urged Shuichi into working on his latest song lyrics. Evidently, the spark of inspiration in Kyoto had produced something worth working on. Shuichi sat at his computer with his head phones on and Eiri could see him fiddling with the sound construction on his music editing program. K watched TV. The music video channel, Eiri noted sourly. At least K watched it at a tolerably human volume.

Mika showed up right on time. She almost never bothered to knock or use the doorbell, but this time, the door was locked. She was a bit surprised when K opened the door with a gun trained on her head, but once over the initial shock, she took it in stride.

"Hello, everyone," she said. She wore a tight, knee-length khaki skirt today with an elegantly patterned floral-print silk blouse. It had ruffly cuffs that partially hid her hands and a similarly-ruffly V neckline that obscured her cleavage. It was a very feminine combination. She'd left her footwear at the door, this time. Eiri was glad because her sharp heels had left scratches on the hardwood floors.

Shuichi slipped his headphones off, saved his work and shut down his computer. "Hello, Mika-san. How are you?"

She didn't answer him, tossing a plastic shopping bag onto the living room table. "Here are your cigarettes, brother dear. You'd better pay me back."

"Yeah, thanks," Eiri said. "Shuichi?" Knowing what he was asking, Shu jumped up to pay Mika back for the cigarettes. Eiri wondered briefly whose wallet Shu would get the cash from, but it didn't really matter.

"So, have you spoken with Seguchi Tohma-san?" K wanted to know.

Mika frowned a little. "I have. He jumped to take care of all the important details." Eiri heard the bitterness in her voice and the special emphasis on 'important'. He guessed that Tohma didn't think his wife fell into that category.

K nodded. Either the man didn't know about the tense nuances between the two Seguchis or he purposefully chose to blind himself to them.

Shuichi returned quickly and handed Mika some bills which she pocketed, without looking at them. The money wasn't important to her. It was more like keeping score between siblings: Eiri had done her a favor by listening and being there for her when she needed someone, now she was doing him a favor by bringing him the cigarettes. It made them even but an expenditure of money would upset the balance.

Eiri dished up the food and brought it to the three in the living room. K sat at ease, perhaps because he knew that Tohma would be personally over-seeing the details when he could not. Shu watched Mika and K, moving his eyes back and forth between them, uncertainly. His thoughts were so obvious; he wondered how much he could or should say about family matters in front of K. Mika . . . looked like she was cracking around the edges.

"Lunch is ready," Eiri announced, setting two plates on the living room table. "Shu, help me with the rest." Shu ferried two more plates of food to the table while Eiri asked their guests, "What would you like to drink?"

"More coffee, please," K requested.

"Bourbon?" Mika queried, seriously. Shuichi's eyes widened at her. Eiri just nodded.

"You can get your own," Eiri told Shu, as the kid set their lunch on the table.

The younger man bounced off to the kitchen, declaring, "I'll get K's coffee, too, then." The two of them fixed drinks, moving around each other in the kitchen with practiced ease. Shu had juice and Eiri popped open a beer. K and Mika accepted their drinks. Eiri and Shuichi sat. They all began eating in silence. Shuichi's eyes kept flicking from one to another, waiting for the tension to break. When he couldn't take it anymore, he drew breath to speak, but Mika beat him to it.

"Eiri, I don't want you to go on this tour."

He shook his head. "Tough. I'm going."

Mika's lips tightened. "Your publicist turned up a death threat in your fan mail and another one was sent to Shindou-kun at NG today. The police believe these letters are all related." K frowned at her while he ate. Had K known about that?

"So, I'll be extra safe among the extra security surrounding Bad Luck," Eiri argued.

Mika raised her voice, "With both of you in the same place, twice as likely to be in danger!"

Shu started crying. "I don't want either of us to be in danger! Why does someone want to hurt us? Eeeeiirrrrriiii!"

Eiri looked at his sister and felt his voice drop by a few degrees. "I'm staying with Shuichi." Shuichi sniffled and sobbed.

Mika harrumphed, but dropped her eyes and started eating again. She knew how to pick her battles. "Will you please stay back stage?" She looked down at her plate when she said it. Eiri decided that the request wasn't unreasonable, so he agreed. She seemed surprised by her quick win.

Eiri raised his eyebrow at her. "Mika, I'm not suicidal," anymore, he added silently. "I have a lot to live for and no intention of dying anytime soon." His eyes strayed sideways to his lover, whose emotions had taken a sharp turn. Shu looked at him with tear-filled adoring blue-violet eyes, chewing on his own shirt. Eiri averted his gaze, continuing to speak to Mika, "staying back stage and out of danger sounds good to me." The determination crept into his voice again, when he said, "I want to be there for Shuichi," the one I love. If I can prevent any harm from coming to him, I will. If anything happens, I must be there, with him, Eiri told himself.

Mika watched him with a sad, knowing little smile. That look said, 'I know what you're thinking. I see your love for him.' It was also bitterly jealous. She only nodded, acknowledging the unspoken feelings.

Shuichi was not capable of containing himself. He heard the unvoiced sentiments in Eiri's words as clearly as Mika had. He just always expressed himself more volubly than normal people. "Eiri," he cried. With happy tears, he threw his arms around his lover's neck. "I love you!!"

Eiri squeezed him once, briefly. "I know," he said warmly. With a note of command, he ordered, "Now sit down and eat." The conversation was a little awkward with K's blue eyes watching them intently, but everything that had been said or done here had already been known to Bad Luck's crazy gun-toting manager.

Mika tossed back her alcohol and changed the subject. "Tohma said he'd send a car at 5:00 tomorrow to pick the three of you up. Shuichi-kun, you'll be taken for stage prep immediately. Eiri, you'll probably want a book, or something. The concert won't start until 7:00."

He snorted. He might bring a book, but he doubted he'd actually get any reading done. Reading required a modicum of thinking and Eiri wasn't sure if he could spare any thought for someone else's inconsequential written words today.

Mika finished eating and sat back. Reaching into the purse at her feet, she located cigarettes and lighter. "By the way," she said, lighting up, "I saw something that may interest you, Eiri." She reached into her purse again, extracting a newspaper clipping with a small picture at the bottom. She passed it across the table to her brother. "Today's society column mentioned that the grand-daughter of Eiko's founder, Kunikida-san, is getting married to a Mikuno Akira."

Kunikida-san, that's the name of the old guy who thanked me for coming to Eiko Publishing's 25th anniversary party, Eiri thought. He accepted the paper, telling Mika, "Yes, that is interesting." Here's the last piece of the puzzle, he thought. The picture showed a demure young woman and a young business man sitting together. The column noted that Kunikida-san's grand-daughter, Akiko, was his only heir. Coincidentally, Mikuno Akira was the eldest Mikuno and was 'also involved in the publishing business.' Conspiracy unveiled, Eiri thought, satisfactorily. He made a mental note to share the information with Mizuki, later. A wedding and a merger all in one. He wondered if the publishing company deal was written into the official dowry documentation.

Author's Note: Well, K. was very quiet, but I guess he was busy stuffing his face and watching the scene. ;-) The questions are being answered and this fic will be wrapping up pretty soon. Are you looking forward to the concert??