Bad Luck for Bad Luck?
Part 6: Death and the Tower
All through dinner, Shu gabbled about 'their' tarot reading and how Mika's problems with Tohma could be 'The Tower'; causing calamity at NG and trouble for people around them. The kid was full of bizarre speculation about how others were going to react to the news about Seguchi. Eiri ignored most of it, as one of Shu's usual monologues.
"Shuichi, did you think about the fact that if the 'Tower' is bad luck, that it could represent Bad Luck—as in, the name of your band?"
That shut him up. "Hm. I hadn't thought of that." He sounded very thoughtful. "You mean, you don't think terrible things will happen when your sister and Seguchi-san divorce?"
Eiri blew smoke toward the rain-wet window. "Probably not. They're both reasonable adults. They'll let lawyers handle the details and their split will be. . ." as surgical as their marriage. Eiri wondered if it was it just a business deal to Tohma.
"E-Eiri?"
"Hm?"
"What are you so mad about, suddenly?" Shuichi said carefully. "I— did I— " Shuichi looked very unsure of himself.
"It's not you," Eiri assured his lover, gruffly.
Shu breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, 'cuz you looked really scary for a minute, there." Shuichi ate some more food. Then he asked, "Is it Seguchi Tohma? Are you mad at him?"
Eiri killed his cigarette, frowning at its crumpled form in the ashtray. He blew smoke, sighing, "Yes."
Shuichi watched Eiri watching rain for a moment, then the kid finished his dinner. "Eiri? Did Seguchi-san do something bad to Mika?"
Good question. Difficult to answer. Eiri stood up and left the kitchen, knowing Shuichi would clean everything up. He went to his study, shutting the door behind him.
For hours, Eiri lost himself in writing. He polished off his outline and made some minor changes. Then, he started to draft the first chapter. Eiri enjoyed the freshness of starting anew. There was blank screen before him, like a field of new snow, just waiting to be trampled. His fingers clattered across the keyboard, creating the latest story of romantic betrayal. Later in the process, characters may balk at his plans or stray from his outline, but for the first chapter, the writing would simply flow.
Shuichi's hands on his shoulders pulled him out of his trance. He moaned, now aware of sore muscles and wondering how long he'd been sitting there. Shuichi's small hands were good at digging into his shoulder blades and loosening the knots the writer's posture acquired. Eiri let his head fall forward and his eyes slip closed. Shu moved fingers to his neck, pushing away some of the built-up tension. Then, Shu rolled Eiri's chair back and Eiri let his hands drop to his lap. Shu lifted one of Eiri's arms and set it on his shoulder, then settled himself across his lover's lap. Eiri rolled his head around on his neck, stretching. "What time is it, bratt?"
Shuichi waited until Eiri looked at him, then smiled. "Just after midnight."
"Don't you have work in the morning?" Meaning, shouldn't you be in bed, like a good little boy?
Shu shrugged and reached out to smooth away Eiri's frown with one thumb. "Are you coming to bed?"
Eiri pulled back from the kid's soothing fingers. "No. I want to work some more." As long as the words keep flowing, I'll stay to get them out of my head and onto the page, Eiri thought. Times like these, when creativity worked . . . they made up for times when he couldn't set one damn word down in a way that satisfied him. It also keeps me from thinking about Mika's problems, he thought. I can loose myself in writing . . . at least for a little while. He knew that Shu understood.
Proving that, Shuichi nodded then leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "Can I bring you some tea before I go to bed?"
"No. Good night." Shu looked at him questioningly, so Eiri kissed him, knowing that's what his lover was after. "Now go to bed," he said with mock-sternness.
Shu smiled and climbed off of him. "Good night," he said, leaving. Eiri smiled and lit a cigarette.
At nearly seven o'clock in the morning, Eiri was snapped into awareness of the present and away from his writing by the ringing telephone. Eiri narrowed tired eyes at it. Who the hell would call before seven am? Shuichi probably wasn't even awake yet. The caller let the phone ring more than four or five times, and Eiri thought they must be really persistent. He clicked the save icon for his work, set his cigarette in the ashtray and answered, cutting off the eighth ring. "Eiri speaking."
"Aniki, you sound tired."
"Hn. What's up, Tatsuha? I've been up all night."
There was a pause and Eiri heard his brother's breathing. "Our father is dead." Eiri sat back in his chair, heavily, causing it to roll away from the desk a little. There was some shock, but it seemed distant. Tatsuha continued, "Mika found him, when she . . . She's . . . not good." Eiri couldn't hear her in the background. It made him wonder. "He died in his sleep, I guess," Tatsuha said. Eiri could tell his brother was smoking.
"Did Mika tell you why she's there?" Eiri asked him.
"No. Does she need a special reason?"
"She's divorcing Tohma."
"That's . . . hmff. She was blaming herself this morning, for the old man's death. That puts another twist on things. If she told him . . .? She got here last night, earlier than I did. I went straight to bed when I got back here. I don't know if she talked with him or not."
"I suppose I should come."
Tatsuha snorted. "Yeah." Eiri listened to his brother smoke for a minute or two. "Yeah," Tatsuha repeated. "Just come." He hung up. Eiri hung up his phone, too. He rolled back in his chair and stood up. He picked up his smouldering cigarette and sauntered toward the kitchen. As he passed the bedroom, he heard the alarm clock and it was rapidly cut off with a groan from Shuichi. Like a sleepwalker, Eiri went to get coffee.
Shu must have set the coffee maker on a timer. The coffee pot was just filling. Eiri jerked the pot away and stuck his mug under the drip until his cup was full. Then he put the pot back where it belonged. He leaned his butt against the counter top and inhaled the dark, welcoming scent. The heat of the mug warmed his cool hands. He realized that his bare feet were freezing. Eiri wasn't sure how long he just stood there. The sight of Shuichi, fresh from the shower, blinking in the early morning light of the kitchen sparked him to move and he stood away from the counter.
Shu's eyes moved to him in surprise. "You're up ear— hey! What's wrong?" Shu came close and looked into his face. "You've been up all night," he accused. "Eiri? What . . .?" Shu pulled his glasses away. Eiri closed his eyes, allowing it. "You . . . you're crying?? Eiri . . ." Shu gasped.
Eiri hadn't even realized he was crying. He opened his eyes and set down his still-full mug. He touched Shu's cheek. Sympathetic tears fell from his lover's large blue-violet eyes. "Tatsuha called— just . . . a little while ago. My dad . . . died?" Shuichi folded him in a hug as tight as a straight jacket.
Once again: aniki elder brother.
