Author's notes: Well… I know I said this would be a one-parter… And technically it still is. See, I decided to make Sweet Nothings an anthology of unrelated short stories by third person limited point of view, using Yuki Eiri. So this chapter doesn't go with the first. Got it?
Wanna know why I decided to do this? Because one lovely woman by the name of Crystalmiya asked me so adoringly to make another chapter.
Here you go, doll!
(Note: This chapter is rated PG-13 for STRONG sexual content, and some mild cussing, ^_^)
Sweet Nothings
Chapter 2:
Sweet Love
Part 1
Yuki Eiri glanced at the small digital clock in the bottom right corner of his computer's task bar. He groaned.
10: 32 AM.
Three minutes after the last time he checked.
Where the bloody hell is he?!
Eiri leaned back in his chair heavily and sighed. He mentally kicked himself for acting this way. Since when had he become so worried about the boy he now shared his apartment with? Since when was Shindou Shuichi invading his every thought? Since when did he check the clock every two minutes to try to make the time pass faster?!
Eiri glared harshly at nothing in particular. Since he never came home last night… he realized sourly. He threw his head back and screeched deep in his throat in frustration. It dawned on Eiri that nearly pulling his hair out of his head was not good.
He was getting too involved. Ever since Shindou Shuichi had moved in, Eiri was finding himself more and more comfortable around the boy. Waking up to him on the couch every morning, drinking coffee with him, eating dinner together, and spending a good portion of the night together… it was more then Eiri could handle. He was becoming almost… dependent on the singer being there.
The novelist was snapped out of his brooding reverie when he heard a noise something akin to a key jiggling in the front door. He froze. His ears twitched and he held his breath lest he miss a noise. When Eiri heard the door swing open and the sound of shoes being taking off he knew he wasn't just imaging it. His breath rushed out of him so fast his lungs stung for a moment.
Shu-chan's home. The very thought had Eiri nearly melting with respite. Being in such a languid, relieving state left him immobile for a moment. He felt his body being pulled down into the floor as his head spun. Eiri had never felt such an overwhelming feeling of liberation in his life. It felt like, for the first time in over 12 hours, he could breathe normally again.
As Eiri's mind stopped spinning he began to notice a slightly unnerving situation. Where was the cry of "Yuki, I'm home!!"? Where was the running into my office and straddling my lap? Where was the showering me with kisses? He frowned at the incredible longing burning in the pit of his stomach.
Oh yes, he was definitely caring way too much.
However, that didn't stop the golden-haired man to arrive in the living room in an instant. His suspicions about it maybe being Mika or Seguchi breaking into his home were answered.
It really was Shindou Shuichi.
Eiri couldn't tell whether he wanted to laugh at his stupidity, scream at the boy, or just break down and cry.
The singer had his backed turned to the older man, not even realizing his presence. Shindou was moving slowly, Eiri noticed. It took the writer a minute to realize the boy's destination to the couch.
"Hey there," was all Eiri could manage.
Shindou jumped, spinning around too fast, nearly loosing his footing. A flash of pain crossed his worn features. He blinked slowly at Eiri, as if trying to remember who he was. The novelist watched in confusion. What's wrong with him?
"Yuki," the singer breathed. His tensed body visibly began to loosen. Eiri's heart thudded as a small smile crossed Shindou's lips. "Good morning."
Eiri blinked. Good morning?! That's it?! That's all I get for staying up all night worrying about him?! His brow creased dramatically, eyes hard. Shindou fidgeted uneasily and rerouted himself for the kitchen.
"You didn't come home last night," Eiri bit out pointedly. He frowned as the pink-haired boy's muscles tensed again. "Where were you?" The novelist had to swallow down the string of confessions and curses that threatened to pour out from his body.
This time Shindou turned more slowly, the same pained smile on his features. "Oh, sorry about that," he responded. Eiri was highly unconvinced. "I was over at Hiro's," the boy explained. "I guess I forgot to call."
Forgot?! No shit you forgot!!
Eiri's face remained stern. He could feel the shimmers of concern in his eyes. Shindou raised an eyebrow and, Eiri noted with discontent, that even that small action was wearing him out.
"Were you worried about me?" the younger man cooed playfully. His smile spread. The writer's shoulders slumped in slight relief that he was acting at least semi-normal.
"No," Eiri spat. He turned his head to the side, away from his lover, and crossed his arms defiantly. He paused unsurely. "You told me to wait for you for dinner," he added, more gently then he intended. He heard the sharp intake of breath that Shindou sucked in.
"Oh, Yuki!" the boy cried. He reached out and pulled on the sleeve of Eiri's shirt. The older man's eyes drifted to the clutching hand and then up to Shindou's worried face. "I'm so sorry!" That time Eiri believed him.
The novelist scoffed, pretending as though he didn't care. "Whatever, just don't do it again." He brushed away from the boy and padded into the kitchen. "I'm starving."
"You did eat dinner last night," Shindou called apprehensively, "right?"
Eiri stared into the nearly empty refrigerator. "Would I be so hungry if I had?" Golden-irises slid impassively over to Shindou.
The boy stood stock-still, eyes wide in mild horror. Eiri straightened from his position at the fridge. He watched the appalled boy incredulously. Shindou's pink lips parted, as if to speak, but only managed to move wordlessly. Eiri noticed the singer's hands were trembling.
"I-I'm sorry…" the pink-haired boy croaked. He brought a trembling hand up to his lips, eyes brimming with tears. "Yuki, I'm so sorry…!"
Eiri closed the fridge and strode over to his lover. The skin between his eyebrows creased in concern. His eyes scrutinized Shindou searchingly.
"It was just dinner," the novelist offered, not sure of what else to say. "You don't have to cry over it."
Shindou sobbed harshly despite his lover's words. He hung his head and buried his face in his hands. The boy hunched his shoulders in, as if trying to make a small sanctuary for himself.
Eiri's lungs tightened painfully. He reached out for the trembling singer, but just as he felt his fingers graze the boy's shoulders Eiri pulled away. He hesitantly took a step backward. He could barely breathe.
"I have work to do," the writer somehow managed to squeeze out past the lump in his throat. He mentally sighed as his crying lover peeked out from behind his hands. Eiri swallowed. Hard. "Get it out of your system. I don't have time for this."
With that Eiri sauntered to his office, trying to ignore the pain in his chest and the sound of his lover's cries.
Eiri eyed his bookshelf thoughtfully - more then a shelf, really, it was more like a wall with juxtaposing flats of wood that held all his books for research. His golden eyes were focused on one book in particular that just happened to be in his line of vision. Eiri had all the intentions of research when he ambled over to his collection, but his mind got lost somewhere along the way. Eyes fixated and thoughts wandering, the novelist was swimming with questions.
Why was he crying like that? Eiri contemplated bitterly. I know he usually cries easily… but that was something more then him feeling bad about last night… He drifted back to the deep purple rings under Shindou's eyes. He could tell that something more then a little sleepover happened last night. He was moving too slow… too pained.
"Yuki…?"
The voice was so small Eiri had barely even noticed it. He blinked, snapping himself out of his trance. He turned to the doorway of his office in mild confusion.
Shindou's pink-haired head was peeking in through a crack in the door. His violet eyes locked onto Eiri's hesitantly. The writer frowned.
He's still acting weird.
"What?" Eiri trotted back to his desk and collapsed in the plush leather chair. He watched his monitor, as if there was actually anything more worth-while then his lover there. "I have work to do," he added brusquely.
A few seconds of silence passed. Eiri slowly dragged his eyes away from his computer and back over to the doorway. Shindou still stood there, but this time his head hung lowly. The older man's heart hammered painfully.
"Well?" Eiri drawled. He could tell his callous acts were getting through, but he didn't like the results. Usually the singer would bounce back energetically. Sometimes he would shed a few tears, and whine a little… but this was something more.
Shindou quickly shook his lowered head. "Nothing," he replied in that same small voice. "Sorry to disturb you."
Eiri's eyes widened slightly. He watched the smaller man slip away from the doorway with dumbstruck eyes. After a moment of his mind reeling with even more unanswered questions Eiri noted that his jaw was slack. He shut it abruptly, as if someone had been watching.
The novelist pushed himself up from his chair and moved desperately towards the door. His chest was tightening again as he swung open the door.
What's come over Shu-chan? He turned his head from side to side, trying to find a sign of the singer. His stomach burned. Better yet, what's come over me?
Eiri's ears perked as he heard a small ruffling about sound in the living room. He was in the archway separating the hall and living room so fast he couldn't remember if he walked or ran. The sight of Shindou just sitting on the couch, leaning forward on his elbows, eyes focused on the floor, was more then just unsettling.
Eiri leaned against the doorframe as casually as possible.
"Hey."
Shindou jumped, more so then he had earlier when Eiri came upon him unexpectedly. The boy's head snapped up but continued to stare straight forward, leaving his lover with only a profile view. After a moment, wide violet eyes swung slowly to where Eiri stood, followed by the turning head.
Eiri's eyes hardened. He felt so useless! Even when he acted heartless all it was doing was toughening up Shindou. But now Eiri didn't even know what was wrong! And this didn't seem like the type of situation where making fun of the boy would be helpful.
Shindou's eyes finally made contact with Eiri's aggravated ones. He stared for a moment, face still shocked. Suddenly his shoulders slumped and he exhaled sharply. The pink-haired boy forced a small laugh.
"Yuki." He grinned, but Eiri would tell it was a façade.
"Who the hell else would it be?" the novelist demanded. He dug his fingernails into the archway.
Shindou blinked as if he didn't understand the question, and then again when he did. "Oh," he sighed through a small giggle. "Sorry." He paused. "I was drinking all night with Hiro." Eiri noted how sad and forced his smiles were. "You know how I get with alcohol."
True, Eiri did know. He tried to keep his mind from wondering back to the time where Shindou chugged down a few of the writer's Budweisers. The night ended up in a horrible strip tease gone wrong that left both of them battered from Shindou's reckless behavior. Needless-to-say, Eiri never got laid that night.
Eiri, however, knew this was more then just minor alcohol abuse. He stepped towards the couch, stuffing his hands into his pockets to keep from clawing out his hair. The nails bit into his own flesh instead. There was a fleeting thought of blood staining his new pants, but he shrugged it off.
"What were you going to say a minute ago?" Eiri was in front of the boy now. Shindou was craning his head up to meet his lover's gaze. When the question registered the singer dropped his head. "Tell me". It wasn't a plea, it was a demand.
Eiri was taken a bit aback when Shindou trembled. He noted that the boy was clenching his fists into his pant legs as hard as Eiri was in his pockets.
"It's noth—"
"Tell me!" the older man growled menacingly, cutting the smaller man off.
Shindou jerked slightly at the roar. He tilted his head back up again. Eiri glared hard, but the writer knew his eyes were swimming with worry. Shindou's expression relaxing only proved his point. He fought down the urge to reach out for the younger man.
"Tell me…" Eiri repeated once more, but much softer this time. "Please," he added as an after-thought.
Eiri looked down in mild-surprise as Shindou leaned his forehead against the golden-haired man's lower stomach. His heart flipped at the intimate action. He shuddered slightly as he felt Shindou's eyelashes brush closed against his abdomen. The boy sighed softly, almost… Dreamily? Eiri wondered.
The writer felt his eyes drift shut. He didn't even realize that his fingernails had pulled themselves free from the crevices in his palms until his hands were gently holding his lover's head against him. Never in all the time had he spent with the singer had Eiri and he been so endearing. Even during sex the older man was anything but compassionate. But now, with Shindou's arms about his waist, leaning his head against Eiri's stomach, the novelist felt all his hidden romantic notions bubbling up. He had an unwelcomed urge to put on low romance music and have a candlelight dinner.
If he hadn't been so relaxed, he might have laughed at his own stupidity.
"Yuki?" Shindou whispered, nuzzling in closer.
"Mmmm?" Eiri slowly opened his eyes, but only partially. He glanced down at the pink head that was pressed against him.
"Yuki…" the singer repeated. His lover felt the boy's fingers clutching the fabric of his shirt. "I adore you…"
Eiri's ribcage ached with how hard his heart pounded. He felt his throat becoming tight.
You wouldn't adore me nearly as much if you knew everything about me.
Shindou pressed his lips against Eiri's shirt-covered skin. "You mean the world to me…" he added, voice wavering at the end.
Eiri was going to respond, but he was sure that his voice would be cracking, too. All these pent up emotions towards this boy, and holding him like this, was driving the novelist mad.
Shindou audibly bit back a sob, much to the other man's chagrin. Eiri felt himself slowly settling himself down on his knees, relishing in the feel of Shindou's lips and arms brushing up along his body. He was positioned with the singer's legs on either side of him, finally just about eye level with each other. Eiri's hands slipped forward from where they lay at the back of Shindou's head and brushed against the boy's cheeks. The novelist's heart throbbed as Shindou's hands placed themselves on his chest.
The younger man's violet eyes were brimming with tears. He had his jaw set firmly and his brow creased. Eiri felt his cold hands burn at the feel of his lover's flushed cheeks. He frowned.
"Since when are you one to hold back your tears?" the blonde mumbled as good-naturedly as possible. A ghost of a smile crossed the boy's lips.
"Yuki…" The smile began to fade. Shindou lowered his head slightly. "I mean what I said… I care about you a lot…"
Eiri didn't think that at this point it was possible for his chest to get any tighter, but he was mistaken. "You barely even know me," he responded. He wanted the response to be sharp, but his voice came out low and whispery.
"I know…" Shindou slowly raised his head. He met eyes with Eiri cautiously. "And I know I might not ever know…" he continued. "But I want to. And I can't help feeling this way…" Shindou leaned in, brushing noses with an unsuspecting Eiri. He pulled on the shirt over Eiri's chest. "You mean so much to me!"
Eiri swallowed with difficulty. His hands slipped up into pink locks. The act seemed to sooth his lover. The singer closed his eyes and sighed. Eiri attempted at fighting the urge to kiss the younger man's forehead, but was unsuccessful. He leaned up and grazed his lips over the blushing skin. "Why are you telling me all of this now?" he breathed, head spinning.
A small hiccup was Eiri's only response.
Eiri's lips brushed down the bridge of Shindou's nose and then hesitated over the boy's lips. "You can cry, you know," he murmured.
The blonde felt what was happening, instead of actually seeing it. Shindou's arms were strewn around the novelist's neck, head buried on his shoulder.
"I'm so weak…" he moaned into Eiri's shoulder. "I'm such a pest to you. I'm always crying, and I'm always annoying you." Shindou quickly pulled away. "I do nothing but bother you…" Eiri was sure the tears were going to spill, but they never did. "I want you to like me, but I'm just a screw up…!" he cried.
Eiri could feel the utter expression of confusion on his face. A screw-up?! Doesn't he know how incredibly talented he is?! Eiri's mind reeled. Doesn't he know that there are so many people that wake up every morning just to see him smile?! (Not that Eiri would ever be the one to tell him. Not even when they were as close as they were right now.)
Eiri, usually one to calculate things out before acting, was surprised at his sudden impulse. He had the singer crushed against him in an instant in a desperate action to help take away his pain. Pain that I put there.
However, Eiri's plans were foiled when Shindou let out a cry. The older man quickly jerked away, eyes wide.
"What?!" he cried, eyes searching for something he did to hurt his lover. Right now, despite previous efforts, that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"I… I pulled a muscle yesterday…" Shindou leaned back, shrinking down into the couch. His eyes darted around. Eiri watched suspiciously. "I was… doing cartwheels around Hiro's place," he added quickly.
Too quickly.
"Sorry…" Eiri watched the boy under a careful gaze for a moment. He sighed heavily. What happened last night would be scrutinized in a minute, but for now… "You're not a screw up."
How weird it was for Eiri to be so open about his feelings towards this boy…
Shindou's eyes widened. He pushed himself forward quickly, bumping noses with Eiri. "But-!"
Eiri's movements were slow and gentle, but had a very effective outcome. Just as Shindou had opened his mouth to protest, his lover's fingers found themselves brushing against the boy's pink lips to silence him. The deep blush that kissed Shindou's cheeks was just an extra bonus.
"Do you really care about me?" The writer didn't remove his fingers from the younger man's lips. Shindou's eyes and Eiri's mind swam with a million emotions at once.
"Of course!" Shindou cried softly around Eiri's fingers. The singer wrapped his arms around Eiri, pulling them closer, but not touching anywhere but their noses. He pressed his legs against either side of the older man. "I always will!"
Eiri reach up and brushed a stray piece of pink hair from Shindou's eyes. His gaze hardened. "Then tell me the truth about what happened last night."
Shindou's breath caught. "Wha—I am telling the truth, Yuki!"
"Then why is it I don't believe you?"
Shindou didn't move or respond for moment. Eiri watched his eyes carefully.
The singer opened his mouth, and then closed it again. Eiri frowned. The boy sunk deeper into the couch under the harsh glare. Yet, a loving gaze swept across his eyes. The writer didn't believe it for a second.
"I swear, Yuki, I—Ah!" Shindou yelped agonizingly as Eiri grabbed the boy by the shoulders roughly. The look of pure excruciation made the writer's stomach lurch, but he didn't let go.
No one would feel that much pain from me just grabbing them like that… There's something more here…
If being gentle and caring wasn't going to work, then Eiri would just have to resort back to being callous.
"Tell me!" Eiri howled. He squeezed the pink-haired man tighter, eliciting a choked cry.
"There's nothing to tell!!" the singer whimpered. He squirmed in a futile attempt to wretch himself free. The tears finally began to cascade down his cheeks. He sobbed heavily. "Yuki, let go!!"
Eiri opened his mouth to holler at his pained lover again, but all that came out was the high pitched beeping of "Kung Fu Fighting."
Both men froze, eyes wide.
That can't be right…
Eiri shut his mouth, but the music continued. After another few notes realization dawned on the two men.
Shu-chan's cell phone!
Eiri's hands fell down to his sides, finally releasing the boy. Shindou slumped and sighed heavily, the tears still flowing, but the sobs subsided. After a moment of being mildly petrified, Shindou fumbled for the ringing cell phone that was vibrating in his pocket. The singer's eyes checked who was calling. Eiri could tell that by the look on his lover's face that is was Nakano.
Shindou quickly flipped open the phone. "Hiro?" He glanced over at Eiri with fright flashing in his eyes. Eiri's eyes widened. Shindou held up a finger, as if to tell Eiri that the call would only take a minute. However, the boy stood from the couch and stepped over his lover.
Eiri stared at the spot on the couch where his lover was only moments ago. His eyes were wide with horror. The second he heard the boy's voice drift away as he continued his journey down the hall, Eiri gagged. He brought up a trembling hand to quickly cover his mouth.
The sight of Shindou's terrified expression towards the writer was burned into his brain.
Eiri stood in front of the bathroom door, hand poised as if he was going to knock. He listened to the drumming of the water from the shower that Shindou was occupying.
He had been standing there for five minutes.
Dammit, Eiri! Knock, or walk away, you ass!
The water was turned off and there was a creak of the sliding door of the shower stall opening, and then closing.
Eiri sucked in a breath so deep it made his lungs burn. His hand lowered and reached for the doorknob. Forget knocking, the writer growled mentally.
The sight of Shindou's eyes flashed in his mind again.
The next thing Eiri knew he was throwing open the bathroom door. His lover was facing him, eyes wide, hands frozen in finishing their quest of wrapping a towel around the boy's waist. His chest was bare and revealing a hideous purple contusion all across his stomach and other bruises scattered about the rest of him.
Both men were staring at each other, eyes appalled.
My God!!
The singer brought quivering hands to hover over his mouth in dread. He took a shaky step backwards, head turning slowly from side to side, as if in denial that Eiri was really standing before him. Tears sprung to his eyes.
Eiri's body was working on automatic pilot. He was soon a mere foot from the younger man. The writer had never seen anyone so scared in his life. Shindou seemed as if he was trying to make himself shrink, but failing miserably. His neck craned up, eyes not able to tear themselves away from Eiri's.
The blonde's eyes slid down the length of Shindou's body, scanning over all the abrasions and the large ecchymosis. The older man thought he was going to be sick. His eyes flashed back up to the boy's terrified ones.
"What the hell happened to you?!" Eiri cried, only succeeding in scaring the pink-haired man further.
"I--!" the boy croaked. He continued to slowly shake his head. "N-nothing…! I-I told you…! I was d-drunk!"
Eiri glared harder. "Bullshit. This isn't just some bar fight punch! Tell me!"
Shindou sobbed harshly. He lowered his head and shook it faster. "I s-swear, Yuki!!" He choked. "I swear!"
Eiri had the singer's hands pinned against the stall door in an instant. The younger man's head snapped up in shock. Eiri was looming over him, his large hands fastening Shindou's to the glass. The horizontal handle that spread across the width of the door kept the boy's back arched. The bruised stomach brushed against Eiri's, causing the singer to cry out and toss his head to the side.
Had this not been such a serious interrogation, Eiri would have been incredibly turned on by the site Shindou was making.
"Dammit, Shuichi!!" the novelist shouted. "Tell me!!"
Shindou shook his head one last time, but much more weakly this time. He sobbed, breaths labored. He kept his head tilted to the side, glaring at the wet tiled floor. "No…" he whispered, defiantly weak.
Eiri growled deep in his throat. "Tell me," he hissed.
Shindou never responded.
The writer shoved the boy against the door harder. Eiri's stomach knotted when the boy opened his mouth in a silent cry of pain.
"Yuki," the singer sobbed, "please…!" A wave of tremors washed over his frail form. "Let go…! Yuki, you're hurting me…!"
Eiri dropped his hands in horror. He had wanted to know who did this to his lover so badly he had only wound up hurting him more.
You'd think I'd learn my lesson..! He groaned mentally, thinking of not only what happened on the couch, but in New York all those years ago…
Eiri leaned his forehead against the cool glass to the right of the pink-haired man's head. He sighed heavily.
"I'm sorry…" Eiri swallowed hard. "That was wrong of me…" He brushed feathery fingertips up the boy's sides. "I'm sorry," he repeated once more, pressing his lips against Shindou's cheek. He pulled back just enough to stare into watery violet-eyes. "But…" Eiri began once more, reaching up and brushing away the boy's tears, "why can't you tell me?"
Shindou's eyes slid over to meet Eiri's. His expression was weak and pained, but unnervingly determined.
"You have secrets, too, Yuki," the boy whispered dangerously. The aforementioned man was taken aback. "Let me keep mine."
When Yuki Eiri was cornered, he was completely ignorant of it. But this time, he knew it.
Eiri glanced at the small digital clock on his bedside table. He groaned.
1: 32 PM.
Three minutes after the last time he checked.
Ugh… I can't sleep!
Eiri pressed his face into his pillow and sighed. He mentally kicked himself for acting this way. Since when had he become so worried about the boy he now shared his apartment with? Since when was Shindou Shuichi invading his every thought? Since when did he check the clock every two minutes to try to make the time pass faster?!
Eiri blinked in disbelief.
This was total déjà vu.
He screamed silently into his pillow in frustration. After a few minutes of just sitting there, attempting at suffocating himself, but failing miserably, Eiri sat up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and fumbled around in the dark for his slippers. He shuffled tiredly over to his door and slipped through the opening. He walked quietly down the hall so as to not wake the sleeping singer on his couch.
As Eiri neared the couch he saw the pained look on Shindou's face. The boy had his head tilted back, eyes clamped tight, back arching. His eyes slowly fluttered open as he tried a new position. He blinked at Eiri in surprise. Eiri blinked back.
"You're awake," the novelist pointed out, quickly regaining composure.
Shindou smiled warily and sat up slowly. He grimaced as he pushed himself up. "Yeah," he managed out. "Not too comfortable…" The boy blinked. He quickly glanced up at Eiri, plastering on a wide smile. "But I've been through worse!" he chirped. "I'll be fine!"
Eiri felt like screaming again. Today had been the first day he had ever seen his lover drop his energetic act, and when Eiri felt like he needed to be comforting the most, the boy switched it back on.
Shindou leaned forward slowly. He smiled and pecked Eiri quickly on the lips. "G'night, Yuki," he purred. Eiri could see the slight apprehension flashing in his eyes.
Just as Shindou was about to lie back down the writer caught his wrist. Eiri's mind reeled at the petrified expression that was quickly cast over his lover's face. The violet eyes darted dangerously over to the hand around his wrist. He glanced back at the blonde, tensing up.
"It's ok," Eiri whispered. He leaned over the arm of the couch slightly. He loosened the soft hold he had on the boy's wrist and slid his hand up, threading his fingers through the singer's. Shindou relaxed instantly. "Come to bed." Eiri leaned back and gently tugged on the younger man's hand. "Sleep in my bed tonight."
Shindou stared in shock. "R-really?" he stuttered. "Do you mean that, Yuki?"
"Just this once," the novelist replied sharply. He didn't need the boy to know how much he really did care…
Shindou's smile nearly took Eiri's breath away. It's been too long since I've seen him smile like that… I had taken it so for granted…
"Yuki?" the singer offered cautiously, as the blonde helped him to his feet. He titled his head up, smile spreading. "I really do adore you."
Eiri was a split-second away from pulling the younger man against him, but stopped short when he remembered the hideous bruise. He smirked instead. Not nearly as fulfilling. He ruffled the pink-haired man's hair, pulling his other hand away from the boy's. He turned back around, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart, en route to his bedroom. He heard Shindou beginning to trail quietly behind him.
Eiri stepped into the bedroom, feet sinking into the carpet. He heard the soft click of the door closing. He was about to turn around, but was stopped when he felt lips pressing between his shoulder blades on his bare back. Fire shot up from his stomach.
It seemed as though all previous terrors toward the writer were tossed to the wind. Shindou slowly stepped around Eiri to face him, fingers trailing along the older man's sensitive skin the whole time. Eiri could feel the incredible longing inside him bubbling up.
Shindou slipped his arms around Eiri's neck and leaned in just enough to get close, but to not have anything brush against his stomach. Eiri nearly groaned as the boy's lips tugged against his. The writer had been so accustomed to the singer being there that the past twenty-four hours had been hell without those pink lips to kiss. The blonde brought his hand up to Shindou's face, slipping the fingers through his pink locks. He pushed forward, careful to not brush against the boy's sore stomach. Eiri flicked his tongue over his lover's lips, begging for entrance. Shindou opened his mouth obligingly, much to the novelist's delight. He had to fight every urge in his body that was crying out for more contact. How badly he wanted to crush this younger man against him and just ravish him…
Shindou sighed heavily, causing the burning sensation in Eiri to grow. He ran his tongue across every crevice he could find in the singer's mouth, already having memorized where each particularly sensitive spot was. If there was one thing Eiri learned from kissing Shindou, it was that nibbling on the younger man's lips drove him crazy. Kind of like my reaction to my ears…
Eiri thought back to the time when Shindou found out about the writer's sensitive ears. The boy had Eiri pinned down on the floor in a minute, the older man writhing like a whore. He knew he would never be able to live it down.
The devilish sex fiend that was buried deep in Eiri – which really wasn't buried at all – snickered wickedly. The blonde slipped his tongue from Shindou's mouth, leaving the boy open-mouthed with his tongue pushed out just the slightest. Eiri tilted his head and slowly dragged his teeth along the singer's bottom lip. The reaction was more excitable then Eiri had imagined.
Shindou moaned deliciously, clutching onto Eiri's shoulders as his legs nearly gave way. The writer watched with high levels of amusement as Shindou flopped his head forward to land on the golden-haired man's shoulder. He let out a shaky breath.
Eiri chuckled. "Was that too much for you?" he cooed playfully.
Shindou pushed himself away weakly. He stared up at his lover, eyes glazed and drooping, head listed to one side. Eiri cocked a meticulous eyebrow.
"Uh-oh," he tutted, "I know that look…" The man grinned and leaned forward. "It's late," he continued huskily. "You're not tired, are you?"
Shindou shook his head every so slowly. "Not at all…" He whimpered softly as Eiri led him to the bed. The boy was nearly squirming in anticipation, the writer noted deviously.
This is going to be fun.
Eiri soon found himself straddling the lithe waist of the boy that now occupied his bed. The older man's mouth found itself against the singer's neck, relishing in the vibrations his vocal cords made from all his soft moans and sighs. Eiri knew he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer at this pace… He nipped down the sensitive flesh, coming to the barrier of Shindou's tank top. He slipped his hands up along the singer's sides, his skin heated. Shindou helped his lover ease the shirt off, leaving it discarded on the ground.
Eiri froze as the site of the contusion flooded his vision. The marring of his lover's perfect skin made the man want to bleed in frustration. He frowned and glanced up at the boy. Lavender eyes darted away sheepishly.
"I'm going to have to be gentle, won't I?" Eiri grumbled. So much for this being fun, he thought sourly, still not knowing where the bloody hell the bruise had come from.
"Mmm." The singer nodded. He blushed guiltily. "It would be nice…"
Eiri's eyebrow rose again. "You make it seem like I'm always rough," he countered in mild annoyance.
"Well…" The pink-haired man turned his gaze back to golden-eyes. "You aren't exactly gentle, either, Yuki."
After a short string of threats on Eiri's behalf and much giggling on Shindou's, the two men resumed in their little escapade. Eiri's lips were back on the singer's body, tracing feathery kisses across the bruise. He silently prayed that the "kiss it and it feels better" theory was true.
A sniffle from Shindou proved the writer wrong.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly, head snapping up. There were tears in the younger man's eyes.
"No," Shindou replied, voice cracking slightly. "It's just… you're never this nice to me…"
I've never been this enthralled with you before, either.
Eiri feigned annoyance. "You said to be gentle."
"I know." The singer sniffed again and smiled softly. "It's just different."
The thought that being an actual civilized person was such a stark contrast to how Shindou was usually treated by his lover, left Eiri feeling like one, big, run over pile of horse manure. And when Eiri felt guilty – a rare occurrence indeed - he felt guilty.
"Fine," he spat, trying to mask being appalled at how crude he always treated the boy. "I'll be rougher then."
Eiri was expecting a protest, not a stifled giggle.
This brat is just full of surprises.
The novelist wondered what it would be like if the two of them ever had sex without having conversations between bouts of kissing and removing clothes. Eiri quickly dismissed the thought, figuring it'd be like having sex with a woman. And that was the last thing he wanted right now.
By the time Eiri decided that he had teased the writhing singer enough, he was loosing control himself. And fast. His hands fumbled with the button on his lover's jeans, pulling down the zipper with his teeth. Shindou sucked in a breath and gripped the sheets.
"If you let go before I even get your pants down, I'll kill you."
The pink-haired boy tossed his head to the side and laughed. However, his bubbling laughter, all though incredibly soothing, was abruptly cut off by a sharp cry. Eiri froze from what he was doing: lifting the singer's hips up to pull the pants down over the bulge that lay underneath. Shindou gritted his teeth.
"You tell me to be gentle," Eiri began, easing the boy back down on the bed, starting to become genuinely annoyed, "and then you start tearing up because I'm being too gentle." His eyes hardened in a ticked, yet understanding manner. "And then you complain when I act normally."
Eiri shuddered slightly when Shindou reached out to brush away a stray piece of golden hair. He was smiling adoringly.
"Maybe you should be something in between, then?" the boy offered jokingly. "Like Goldilocks!" he exclaimed, tugging on one of Eiri's bangs. He glowered in response. Shindou only giggled harder.
Eiri sighed and sat up from his bent over position at the boy's hips. "I suppose you shouldn't be on bottom, then, tonight."
Shindou blinked as his lover helped him up. "But you hate not being on top," the boy pointed out matter-of-factly. Eiri smirked, knowing the singer had learned his lesson from the time he tried to get away with that. Yuki Eiri was not one to let someone else take control.
"I'll manage for tonight." He eased off Shindou's lap. He winked. "But only for you."
Eiri was sitting up on the bed, legs stretched out in front of him, breaths labored. He was utterly spent, but not spent enough to not realize how incredibly endearing the whole situation was.
The sheets that lay haphazardly wrapped around the two men rustled like dry leaves in the wind. Shindou was straddling Eiri's lap, a good half a head higher then the writer. The latter's head was tilted, for Shindou's own was buried in the crook of his neck. Eiri placed a short kiss on the boy's collarbone. He leaned up and kissed his ear as well.
"Why are you crying?" Eiri whispered softly. He ran feather light fingers up and down Shindou's trembling spine. His shoulder was wet with the boy's tears. "Is it your stomach?" He noted that their naked bodies were pressed up against each other softly. It couldn't be too comfortable for the wounded singer.
Shindou shook his head against Eiri's neck. He held onto the man tighter, despite the flash of pain that racked his body.
"We did it in this position for a reason," the writer huffed. "Not so you can be a masochist."
The pink-haired boy pushed himself away just enough so he could see his lover's face. The way the moonlight drifting through the window lit the singer's face literally took Eiri's breath away. He found it all so incredibly cliché, being a romance author and all. He never thought actions and feelings like this really existed.
"Thank you, Yuki," Shindou sighed, a small smile dancing on his tear streaked face. His chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. "It was wonderful."
Eiri felt his face flush and silently thanked the dimly lit room. He could feel his ego swelling inside him. He had been told many times how good he was during sex, but hearing it from Shindou seemed more like a wholesome truth, not some two-bit whore just trying to get a more frequent customer.
"You just like being on top when we're having sex," Eiri joked, "that's all."
The novelist never expected the boy to hang his head, eyes clouded. He gripped the sheets that lay pooled around their waists.
"Is that it…?" the singer asked lowly. "Is it just sex to you…?"
Eiri froze. Was it just sex? What did Shindou want him to say to that?! Did he honestly expect for Eiri to say that "no, it's more then that?"?!
His heart panged. But, Shindou was right… The last half hour had been more then just sex. It was slow and deliberate, heavy breaths lingering in the air, arms wrapped around one another, heads tossed back, moans coming from their throats. In all his years, Eiri had never felt like that before in his whole life.
Eiri never responded, and Shindou didn't press the subject. Instead he sat up straight, a grin on his face saying "ha, I'm taller then you now". He leaned down and brushed lips with his lover.
Although not willing to complain, the older man wondered just why the singer had dropped the subject. Realization dawned on him that Shindou was respecting Eiri's feelings – a subtle hint that he should do the same for the boy.
Shindou slinked he arms around his lover's neck. Eiri relished in the feeling of the younger man's fingers running through his hair. He shivered when he felt the boy's hot breath against his ear, and a wish that the two could stay this way forever.
"Don't push your luck," Eiri managed around the lump in his throat. Shindou giggled and pulled away. "This is a one time occurrence," the man reminded.
"I know." The disappointed look in Shindou's eyes made the blonde mentally slap himself. "I'm just hopeful."
Eiri's heart ached.
"Let's go to sleep," the writer offered, fatigue beginning to overwhelm his body.
The singer nodded and began to ease off his lover. Eiri kissed his cheek quickly, causing a blush to rise. The boy's taste lingered in a salt-sweat mixture on Eiri's tongue. If he hadn't been so blasted spent, he would have kissed every inch of the pink-haired man.
The blonde soon found his place on the bed next to his lover. The singer cocooned them in the thin sheets. Eiri lay on his stomach, an arm drooping over the boy that was on his side, facing the writer.
"Goodnight, Yuki," Shindou whispered gently. He quickly pecked the older man on the lips.
"Mmr," Eiri grumbled, nuzzling into the bed. "G'night."
Little did Yuki Eiri know that morning would bring the answers to all his questions, and simultaneously change his life forever.
Author's Notes: The next chapter is a continuation of this one, because I'm a loser and I say so. Stay tuned! ^_^
(and review)
