Disclaimer: Yep, the usual. Obviously, I don't own Gravitation and these
stories are for fun, not for profit. I'm borrowing characters from Maki
Murakami. I appreciate all criticism, so please read, enjoy, and review. To
those who do review: THANK YOU!! I love feedback.
Commitment
Part 5: Conversations
Just before lunch time, on the twenty-eighth of February, Eiri took a call from Jenna Albright in San Franscisco. At first, the femine voice speaking English threw him off. Then, she introduced herself and he remembered her. She had received his mail from the County Clerk's office.
"Would you please open it?" He asked her.
He heard tearing paper. "Mr. Yuki! You plan to get married? Here in California?"
"Was it approved, then?"
"Y-Yes, it was," Jenna said quickly.
He sighed in relief. "Good. Then, yes, I plan to get married in California." A recent update on the County Clerk's website had stated that as of February 23rd, marriage licenses could be received by scheduled appointment only, and they would no longer be accepting e-mail, fax, or phone appointments. It was probably from an overflow of people like himself, Eiri guessed. He hadn't known how long it would take for his application to be processed and he'd wondered if he would need to re-submit the paperwork in person. "I have to finalize our flight schedule before I know the exact dates," He told the American woman. "Would you please keep that letter in a safe place for me, Ms. Albright?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Yuki. Who's is your lucky Mrs.?" She asked coyly, in a teasing tone of voice.
"Mr.," he corrected. "Shuichi Shindou," he said, automatically reversing Shu's name in spoken-English-style.
"Oh. Congratulations." She sounded unsure and laughed nervously, "I guess that explains 'why here'." Getting straight to business, and changing the subject, she asked, "Have you considered my request for a photo op or book signing? Perhaps we could set up a radio interview? We are prepared to offer compensation for your time, of course. If you're willing . . .?"
"Thank you. I appreciate the call and will get back to you as soon as my plans are finalized."
"Of course, Mr. Yuki. At your convience. Good bye."
It was a little irregular to work during vacation, but he did want to reciprocate Ms. Albright's kind help. It could boost her standing with the company to score some publicity with a foreign, notably reclusive author. It couldn't hurt his career, either, to perform for some American publicity. He sighed.
He found himself smiling. He'd been doing that a lot lately; genuinely happy smiles. He thought about calling Shu, to tell him the good news, but Eiri knew he'd be recording today. Cell phones were not allowed in the sound booths, for obvious reasons. He could leave a message, but he'd rather wait to tell the singer when he returned home. He saved the chapter he was working on, and switched to the internet to book a flight for two from Tokyo to San Francisco.
***
***
On the evening of March eleventh, Eiri went to pick Shu up from work. He had decided to drive straight to Kyoto this evening, for the kiake tomorrow. When he arrived at NG, he was able to see first-hand what Shu had meant before about crazy fangirls. Females from young high school age, up to late-twenties waited outside the main doors to NG Studios like a large flock of vibrantly-plumed birds. Most held trinkets or presents and riveted their attention on the open glass lobby, peering inside, watching for their prey. They sounded like birds, too, Eiri thought. They tittered when they laughed and spoke in high-pitched voices punctuated by sharp squeals.
He pulled the Mercedes up to the front and Shuichi appeared in less than a minute, with Katsu-san and another large guard in tow. This time, the guards were in full 'protective mode', each keeping one hand out to sweep back anyone who approached. There was collective scream from the fans when they saw Shu. It hurt Eiri's eardrums even though he sat inside the car with the windows up. There were cries of 'Shindou-san!' and bids for attention from all around. Shu smiled and waved, but hurried to climb in the car. The windows were tinted, but evidently not well enough to avoid *very* close inspection. He heard one girl loudly say, 'Yuki-san!!' and the car was swarmed.
"Is this usual?" he asked Shu, coolly.
The kid smirked at him with a hint of self-satisfaction and a healthy dose of annoyance. "Lately, yeah. The last single we released, 'Candy Hearts', was . . . uhm . . ."
"Hot," Eiri supplied.
Shu grinned at him. "You think so? Have you seen the video?"
"Keh!" Shu giggled at his reaction.
Of course he'd seen the damn thing. Every time Shu left the channel on music television before he shut it off and Eiri turned it on, it seemed that Bad Luck was being featured. The first time he'd seen it, he'd been a little shocked. Shu had told him about the video shoot, in detail, of course, but Eiri hadn't really pictured it so . . . graphically. He had mostly complained about being cold during the shoot. Shu's concert clothes were normally skimpy, but for the video he had worn a pair of red leather short-shorts and an open, completely sheer white shirt. That was all. It was a very sexy look and the choreography had worked to enhance that image. Bad Luck's guitarist, Hiro, had been dressed similarly in a sheer pink shirt and white shorts to go with his red hair. Suguru was the only one who got to keep long pants, though they had been bright red and his white shirt was also sheer. Eiri'd been told the video had premiered on Valentine's day— the reason behind the prominent combonation of red and white, plus the pink of Shu's hair— and had been an instant hit. Four weeks later, the single was still drawing a lot of attention.
Of more concern to Eiri right now, however, was the possiblity of crazed fangirls scratching the paint on his car! One guard was trying to clear them from in front of the car, so they could leave. It wasn't doing much good. The other guard was using a cell phone or something. Eiri guessed he was calling for backup. Girls clung to the car, peering inside and shrieking with delight. My windows are going to be all smudged, he thought with ennui. The fans screamed and begged for attention from the two men, declaring love for their respective public images.
"Now I understand what you meant about crazed fangirls," he remarked. Shu chuckled weakly. Car horns sounded from behind them. The noise cleared a few girls off, but they had to wait another five minutes or so before backup arrived and the rest of the girls were peeled away from the car. Eiri drove away as soon as he could.
It took him about four hours to drive to Kyoto. Shuichi curled up in his seat and napped for most of the ride. He'd been up late last night, working on some new lyrics. He needed the sleep and Eiri enjoyed driving. With Shu asleep, he listened to the stereo quietly, tuned to talk radio. When he pulled up to the house, around 10:30 p.m., there were five other cars in the driveway, along with Tatsuha's motorcycle. One was Mika's, but the other cars probably belonged to other reletives from farther prefectures. When the Mercedes stopped, Shu woke up, rubbing his eyes and stretching like a little kid.
Eiri climbed out of the car and popped the trunk. He retrieved his suitcase and the duffel bag that Shu had packed for their brief stay. Eiri didn't understand why he used the bright yellow bag when he had perfectly good luggage. He heard Shu getting out of the car, yawning. Eiri threw the duffel at him. "Hey!" he protested, bending to scoop the bag off the ground, "You could have just handed it to me."
Eiri dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. He ignored Shu's grumbles. Lights were on in the back of the house. He shut the trunk, wondering if his siblings were entertaining their guests. Shu was already heading for the door. Eiri caught up and passed him, walking in. If there were sleeping guests, he didn't want to wake them. They stashed their bags just inside Eiri's room without seeing anyone.
They were walking the hall, heading for the back when Shu said, "I wonder if Ryuichi-kun is here, yet?" As if the words had conjured the man, Ryu was suddenly in front of them.
"Shuichi!" He called loudly and engulfed Shu in a big hug. The childish singer's ever-present rabbit rode on his head today. "I'm so glad you're here, na no da! The people with Ta-chan are sooooo boring! Hello, Eiri- san!" Ryu waved brightly to him and turned Shuichi around, searching him. "Did you bring any colors? Where's your sketchbook?"
"H-hi, Ryu-kun. I'm sorry, I didn't bring my sketchbook. Uh, I should say hello to Tatsuha and Mika. Then we can go outside and play, okay?"
"Okay!" Ryuichi agreed easily. "Kumagurou likes to be outside!" He put a hand to the rabbit on his head, treating it like a touchstone. "Oooo, Shuichi, pretty ring!" Ryuichi grabbed his hand to hold it close to his eyes and look at it.
Shu blushed and grinned. "Thanks. It was a gift from Eiri."
"Ta-chan said you're getting married!" Ryuichi grabbed Shu's other hand and twirled him around like a game of ring-around-the-rosies. "Mar-ried, mar- ried," he sang. There wasn't enough room in the hall for it, so he swung Shu in an awkward elipse to avoid the walls. Shu laughed at the other singer's antics and Eiri sighed. The two of them effectively blocked the hall, preventing him from traveling onward through the house. He was considering walking around the outside of the house and coming in the back, when the two vocalists twirled out of the hallway, spilling into the next room in a laughing heap. Whatever guests were staying here would be awake now.
Eiri walked into the room about the same time his brother came in from the opposite side. "Aniki, Shuichi-kun," Tatsuha said, "welcome." Eiri crossed the room to stand next to him, ignoring the singers who burst into the chorus of 'Candy Hearts'. Eiri rubbed one hand over his eyebrow and across his temple. Tatsuha leered at the two men on the floor. "I like that song," he said. Straightening his monk's robes, Tatsuha said to Eiri, "Come on, we have guests."
"You mean *you* have guests," Eiri corrected, following him. Tatsuha shrugged. It was unseasonably warm for early March; it had been almost sixty-five degrees today. [1] The temperature had only dropped a little since sunset so the back of the house was open to the garden and lit with lamps. In the room, were four people dressed in black, plus Mika, kneeling on cushions in a rough square grouping, leaving one side of the square open to the garden. Three cushions were empty. Eiri guessed that the two on his left were vacated by Tatsuha and Ryuichi. Mika sat between those and the next empty space.
"Uesugi Eiri," Tatsuha announced formally. Eiri moved to the farthest empty cushion and Tatsuha stood on the other side of Mika, leaving Shu a place to sit beside Eiri. The other people murmed hellos and good evenings. Eiri nodded to them. He had only vague memories of his mother's younger sister and her husband. "Aunt and Uncle Ouchi," Tatsuha introduced formally. The pair were middle-aged and paunchy. Both had hair turning to grey. They looked like they fit together, the way peoples' dogs in the park resembled their owners. While it might not be a flattering observation, Eiri thought, it was still true.
"Cousin Kunda Hatsue," Tatsuha said, indicating the cousin who sat across from him. Eiri had recognized her, but hadn't recalled her name. She looked about Shu's age. She was pretty in a very traditional way. Eiri suspected she worked hard to appear so. "Naito Aritomo is also staying with us, but he's . . . he retired for the evening." With Ryu and Shu's racket, the man couldn't be sleeping. Eiri bowed a little in greeting. He wondered why his brother was being so formal.
"Cousin Eiri," Hatsue said, "Did I hear Sakuma-san correctly? Are you getting married? Did you bring your fiance?" She sounded very perky. Tatsuha shot him a sideways glance. Was it a warning? Jealousy?
He pulled a cigarette from his shirt pocket and said simply, "yes."
"Tatsuha," Hatsue said chidingly, "why didn't you tell us something about your brother's fiance before? I'm sure we would love to hear all about her!"
Eiri located his lighter and lit up, calling out, "Shuichi!"
His pink haired head popped into the room. "Oh! Hello, everyone!"
"Shu-han, [2] come and meet everyone." Hatsue's eyes bulged in surprise, then she looked angry. Aunt and Uncle Ouchi looked a little stunned, but covered their reactions better than Hatsue. Mika let loose a long-suffering sigh and touched her fingers to her forehead. Shu blushed and grinned at him. There was a speaking look between them and Eiri schooled himself to not adopt an equally idiotic expression.
"Shindou Shuichi," he said, bowing politely in greeting. Eiri made introductions, gesturing to the visitors. "Pleased to meet you," Shu said, taking the cushion beside Eiri. "How was your trip, Ouchi-san? Did you come from a long way away?" Shu was better at small talk than he was and had a far better tolerance for it.
Eiri's aunt recovered first. "Oh, we had a nice trip, thank you. It's a nice time to see the countryside and the weather has been so warm! We drove from Aomori City and made a small vacation of it." Aomori prefecture was on the Northern tip of the main island of Honshu. Eiri estimated it had probably taken them two days of leisurely driving to get to Kyoto from there. If it was him, Eiri would have made the journey in one day of marathon driving.
Hatsue looked ill. "I-I'm suddenly very tired. Cousin Mika, could you show me where I'll be sleeping, please?"
"Of course." She and Mika rose. Just as they were leaving, Ryuichi came in and hung himself over Shu's shoulders.
"Shuichi," he whined, "Let's go outside and play, na no da!"
"Eiri?" Shu looked to him, like he was asking permission.
"Go on, brat. Let the adults talk."
"Yay!" Ryuichi said. He and his rabbit bounced out to the yard, twirling and hopping. That idiot had no compunction against being refferred to as a child. Shu, on the other hand . . .
"Eiri! That's not fair! You can't — !"One small fist pounded the tatami mat for emphasis.
"Shu-han." Shuichi closed his mouth with a snap and a blush. That worked better than 'shut up', Eiri noted. It had a strange effect on the guests, too. He suspected Tatsuha was working hard to keep a straight face. "Do as you like," he said fondly. Shu looked worried, like he didn't trust himself to not make the wrong decision.
Aunt Ouchi came to his defense. "I'm sure we can talk more tomorrow, Shindou-san."
"Ah, okay." Shu recovered his temper as quickly as he lost it. "Pleased to meet you both," he said again with a little bow. Then he walked out to where Ryuichi was squatting over the carp pond.
"Actually, we're a little tired, too. It's quite late for us," Aunt Ouchi smiled and spoke for both herself and her husband. "If you'll excuse us? Good night." Uncle Ouchi, Eiri and Tatsuha echoed her 'good night' and the couple went into the house.
Tatsuha doused the lamps inside. "Mika will probably go to bed, too," he said. Eiri silently agreed. Moving in unspoken accord, they went out to sit by the pond. Tatsuha sat on his favorite rock, with its clusters of hidden cigarette butts stabbed into the wet sand behind it. Tatsuha lit up, pulling cigarettes and lighter from the sleeve of his kimono. Eiri stood by his brother, watching Shu and Ryu. Ryu must have thrown his rabbit, Kumagurou, into a tree. He was climbing on a lower branch, reaching up. Shu was trying to hand him a stick to knock the stuffed animal down. Eiri shook his head. He and his brother smoked in companionable silence for a while.
"Ready for tomorrow?" Eiri asked. "It's your show."
Tatsuha grinned at him. "It won't compare to the video for 'Candy Hearts'," he teased slyly. Eiri laughed. He couldn't help it; a heretical mental picture of his brother in one of those pink and red and white video outfits, performing the kiake ceremony set him off. Tatsuha smirked at him. "It sure is good to see you happy," he remarked. "You're a lucky guy, aniki."
Eiri stifled his mirth. "Aren't things going well for you?"
Tatsuha shrugged. "Yes. Everything's good at the temple. Mika's. . . well, she's still not over it, but she's taking care of the house, cooking and stuff, which is nice for me. Ryu's . . . great." He sighed. "I just wish we could be as free as you guys, I guess."
"What's stopping you?" Eiri asked.
Tatsuha frowned. "Me, maybe." He smoked and Eiri didn't press him. Shu's startled laughter drew his attention toward the darkness. He couldn't see the two singers, but they were so loud, it wasn't necessary. The laughter died away and quieter singing started; a traditional ballad from Ryuichi. That man's voice is really something, Eiri thought. When Shu joined in, Eiri listened raptly to the combination. They sang together beautifully. The Uesugi brothers listened to the whole song, enjoying the music.
"Aniki, when I brought you that news, about San Francisco, I thought . . ." Eiri had guessed right away that Tatsuha was considering going to the US with Ryuichi.
"What made you change your mind?"
"Ack. People like them," he gestured toward the house. "You haven't met Naito Aritomo, yet. He's a monk, too— one of father's old friends." Translation: stuffy, represive and conservative. Tatsuha grimaced. "I have a duty to the temple, and Ryu's always in Tokyo, where NG is." He paused. "Besides, Ryuichi's . . . so famous and I'm . . ." He gave a short, embittered bark of laughter.
"You're an idiot, then." Eiri said harshly.
"What?"
"I said; you're an idiot." Eiri bent, stabbing his cigarette into the sand beside Tatsuha's collection. "It's debatable wether I'm an expert on the subject of romance," he said, "but I can tell that the two of you make each other happy. If you don't want a formal, public relationship, I can't blame you. I wish Shu and I didn't have to dodge cameras and reporters . . . and fangirls so often." He shrugged one shoulder. "I decided that marriage with Shuichi was what I wanted and I knew Shu would like that, too. Tatsuha, I don't mean to belittle the two of you, but you'll still only be nineteen in couple weeks. You don't need to make a major life decision like that yet."
Tatsuha stood, angrily. "I've been in love with him for years without even being near him! Now that we can be physically close, it has only become stronger!" Eiri smirked at his brother's confessional outburst. Ryuichi watched and listened from the other side of the pond with serious eyes. "I need him," Tatsuha said, deflating. He frowned down at his clenched fists that held onto all of his pent-up emotions. Eiri set one hand on his shoulder and turned him to look across the pond.
"Shuichi? Let's go in," he called out.
"Okay!" Shu called back from somewhere between Ryuichi and himself. In a moment, he came around the pond and latched onto his lover's arm. They left, allowing the other two to be alone and sort themselves out.
***
[1] 18 degrees Celcius. Normal March temp. would be a high of 55 F = 13 C. [2] –han suffix means 'half'. When used with a person's name, it's like calling that person your other half... used between fiancees.
last time: aniki = older brother.
***
Author's Note: Ack! I'm so glad fanfiction's site is working again. I haven't been able to login for days!
Commitment
Part 5: Conversations
Just before lunch time, on the twenty-eighth of February, Eiri took a call from Jenna Albright in San Franscisco. At first, the femine voice speaking English threw him off. Then, she introduced herself and he remembered her. She had received his mail from the County Clerk's office.
"Would you please open it?" He asked her.
He heard tearing paper. "Mr. Yuki! You plan to get married? Here in California?"
"Was it approved, then?"
"Y-Yes, it was," Jenna said quickly.
He sighed in relief. "Good. Then, yes, I plan to get married in California." A recent update on the County Clerk's website had stated that as of February 23rd, marriage licenses could be received by scheduled appointment only, and they would no longer be accepting e-mail, fax, or phone appointments. It was probably from an overflow of people like himself, Eiri guessed. He hadn't known how long it would take for his application to be processed and he'd wondered if he would need to re-submit the paperwork in person. "I have to finalize our flight schedule before I know the exact dates," He told the American woman. "Would you please keep that letter in a safe place for me, Ms. Albright?"
"Yes, of course, Mr. Yuki. Who's is your lucky Mrs.?" She asked coyly, in a teasing tone of voice.
"Mr.," he corrected. "Shuichi Shindou," he said, automatically reversing Shu's name in spoken-English-style.
"Oh. Congratulations." She sounded unsure and laughed nervously, "I guess that explains 'why here'." Getting straight to business, and changing the subject, she asked, "Have you considered my request for a photo op or book signing? Perhaps we could set up a radio interview? We are prepared to offer compensation for your time, of course. If you're willing . . .?"
"Thank you. I appreciate the call and will get back to you as soon as my plans are finalized."
"Of course, Mr. Yuki. At your convience. Good bye."
It was a little irregular to work during vacation, but he did want to reciprocate Ms. Albright's kind help. It could boost her standing with the company to score some publicity with a foreign, notably reclusive author. It couldn't hurt his career, either, to perform for some American publicity. He sighed.
He found himself smiling. He'd been doing that a lot lately; genuinely happy smiles. He thought about calling Shu, to tell him the good news, but Eiri knew he'd be recording today. Cell phones were not allowed in the sound booths, for obvious reasons. He could leave a message, but he'd rather wait to tell the singer when he returned home. He saved the chapter he was working on, and switched to the internet to book a flight for two from Tokyo to San Francisco.
***
***
On the evening of March eleventh, Eiri went to pick Shu up from work. He had decided to drive straight to Kyoto this evening, for the kiake tomorrow. When he arrived at NG, he was able to see first-hand what Shu had meant before about crazy fangirls. Females from young high school age, up to late-twenties waited outside the main doors to NG Studios like a large flock of vibrantly-plumed birds. Most held trinkets or presents and riveted their attention on the open glass lobby, peering inside, watching for their prey. They sounded like birds, too, Eiri thought. They tittered when they laughed and spoke in high-pitched voices punctuated by sharp squeals.
He pulled the Mercedes up to the front and Shuichi appeared in less than a minute, with Katsu-san and another large guard in tow. This time, the guards were in full 'protective mode', each keeping one hand out to sweep back anyone who approached. There was collective scream from the fans when they saw Shu. It hurt Eiri's eardrums even though he sat inside the car with the windows up. There were cries of 'Shindou-san!' and bids for attention from all around. Shu smiled and waved, but hurried to climb in the car. The windows were tinted, but evidently not well enough to avoid *very* close inspection. He heard one girl loudly say, 'Yuki-san!!' and the car was swarmed.
"Is this usual?" he asked Shu, coolly.
The kid smirked at him with a hint of self-satisfaction and a healthy dose of annoyance. "Lately, yeah. The last single we released, 'Candy Hearts', was . . . uhm . . ."
"Hot," Eiri supplied.
Shu grinned at him. "You think so? Have you seen the video?"
"Keh!" Shu giggled at his reaction.
Of course he'd seen the damn thing. Every time Shu left the channel on music television before he shut it off and Eiri turned it on, it seemed that Bad Luck was being featured. The first time he'd seen it, he'd been a little shocked. Shu had told him about the video shoot, in detail, of course, but Eiri hadn't really pictured it so . . . graphically. He had mostly complained about being cold during the shoot. Shu's concert clothes were normally skimpy, but for the video he had worn a pair of red leather short-shorts and an open, completely sheer white shirt. That was all. It was a very sexy look and the choreography had worked to enhance that image. Bad Luck's guitarist, Hiro, had been dressed similarly in a sheer pink shirt and white shorts to go with his red hair. Suguru was the only one who got to keep long pants, though they had been bright red and his white shirt was also sheer. Eiri'd been told the video had premiered on Valentine's day— the reason behind the prominent combonation of red and white, plus the pink of Shu's hair— and had been an instant hit. Four weeks later, the single was still drawing a lot of attention.
Of more concern to Eiri right now, however, was the possiblity of crazed fangirls scratching the paint on his car! One guard was trying to clear them from in front of the car, so they could leave. It wasn't doing much good. The other guard was using a cell phone or something. Eiri guessed he was calling for backup. Girls clung to the car, peering inside and shrieking with delight. My windows are going to be all smudged, he thought with ennui. The fans screamed and begged for attention from the two men, declaring love for their respective public images.
"Now I understand what you meant about crazed fangirls," he remarked. Shu chuckled weakly. Car horns sounded from behind them. The noise cleared a few girls off, but they had to wait another five minutes or so before backup arrived and the rest of the girls were peeled away from the car. Eiri drove away as soon as he could.
It took him about four hours to drive to Kyoto. Shuichi curled up in his seat and napped for most of the ride. He'd been up late last night, working on some new lyrics. He needed the sleep and Eiri enjoyed driving. With Shu asleep, he listened to the stereo quietly, tuned to talk radio. When he pulled up to the house, around 10:30 p.m., there were five other cars in the driveway, along with Tatsuha's motorcycle. One was Mika's, but the other cars probably belonged to other reletives from farther prefectures. When the Mercedes stopped, Shu woke up, rubbing his eyes and stretching like a little kid.
Eiri climbed out of the car and popped the trunk. He retrieved his suitcase and the duffel bag that Shu had packed for their brief stay. Eiri didn't understand why he used the bright yellow bag when he had perfectly good luggage. He heard Shu getting out of the car, yawning. Eiri threw the duffel at him. "Hey!" he protested, bending to scoop the bag off the ground, "You could have just handed it to me."
Eiri dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. He ignored Shu's grumbles. Lights were on in the back of the house. He shut the trunk, wondering if his siblings were entertaining their guests. Shu was already heading for the door. Eiri caught up and passed him, walking in. If there were sleeping guests, he didn't want to wake them. They stashed their bags just inside Eiri's room without seeing anyone.
They were walking the hall, heading for the back when Shu said, "I wonder if Ryuichi-kun is here, yet?" As if the words had conjured the man, Ryu was suddenly in front of them.
"Shuichi!" He called loudly and engulfed Shu in a big hug. The childish singer's ever-present rabbit rode on his head today. "I'm so glad you're here, na no da! The people with Ta-chan are sooooo boring! Hello, Eiri- san!" Ryu waved brightly to him and turned Shuichi around, searching him. "Did you bring any colors? Where's your sketchbook?"
"H-hi, Ryu-kun. I'm sorry, I didn't bring my sketchbook. Uh, I should say hello to Tatsuha and Mika. Then we can go outside and play, okay?"
"Okay!" Ryuichi agreed easily. "Kumagurou likes to be outside!" He put a hand to the rabbit on his head, treating it like a touchstone. "Oooo, Shuichi, pretty ring!" Ryuichi grabbed his hand to hold it close to his eyes and look at it.
Shu blushed and grinned. "Thanks. It was a gift from Eiri."
"Ta-chan said you're getting married!" Ryuichi grabbed Shu's other hand and twirled him around like a game of ring-around-the-rosies. "Mar-ried, mar- ried," he sang. There wasn't enough room in the hall for it, so he swung Shu in an awkward elipse to avoid the walls. Shu laughed at the other singer's antics and Eiri sighed. The two of them effectively blocked the hall, preventing him from traveling onward through the house. He was considering walking around the outside of the house and coming in the back, when the two vocalists twirled out of the hallway, spilling into the next room in a laughing heap. Whatever guests were staying here would be awake now.
Eiri walked into the room about the same time his brother came in from the opposite side. "Aniki, Shuichi-kun," Tatsuha said, "welcome." Eiri crossed the room to stand next to him, ignoring the singers who burst into the chorus of 'Candy Hearts'. Eiri rubbed one hand over his eyebrow and across his temple. Tatsuha leered at the two men on the floor. "I like that song," he said. Straightening his monk's robes, Tatsuha said to Eiri, "Come on, we have guests."
"You mean *you* have guests," Eiri corrected, following him. Tatsuha shrugged. It was unseasonably warm for early March; it had been almost sixty-five degrees today. [1] The temperature had only dropped a little since sunset so the back of the house was open to the garden and lit with lamps. In the room, were four people dressed in black, plus Mika, kneeling on cushions in a rough square grouping, leaving one side of the square open to the garden. Three cushions were empty. Eiri guessed that the two on his left were vacated by Tatsuha and Ryuichi. Mika sat between those and the next empty space.
"Uesugi Eiri," Tatsuha announced formally. Eiri moved to the farthest empty cushion and Tatsuha stood on the other side of Mika, leaving Shu a place to sit beside Eiri. The other people murmed hellos and good evenings. Eiri nodded to them. He had only vague memories of his mother's younger sister and her husband. "Aunt and Uncle Ouchi," Tatsuha introduced formally. The pair were middle-aged and paunchy. Both had hair turning to grey. They looked like they fit together, the way peoples' dogs in the park resembled their owners. While it might not be a flattering observation, Eiri thought, it was still true.
"Cousin Kunda Hatsue," Tatsuha said, indicating the cousin who sat across from him. Eiri had recognized her, but hadn't recalled her name. She looked about Shu's age. She was pretty in a very traditional way. Eiri suspected she worked hard to appear so. "Naito Aritomo is also staying with us, but he's . . . he retired for the evening." With Ryu and Shu's racket, the man couldn't be sleeping. Eiri bowed a little in greeting. He wondered why his brother was being so formal.
"Cousin Eiri," Hatsue said, "Did I hear Sakuma-san correctly? Are you getting married? Did you bring your fiance?" She sounded very perky. Tatsuha shot him a sideways glance. Was it a warning? Jealousy?
He pulled a cigarette from his shirt pocket and said simply, "yes."
"Tatsuha," Hatsue said chidingly, "why didn't you tell us something about your brother's fiance before? I'm sure we would love to hear all about her!"
Eiri located his lighter and lit up, calling out, "Shuichi!"
His pink haired head popped into the room. "Oh! Hello, everyone!"
"Shu-han, [2] come and meet everyone." Hatsue's eyes bulged in surprise, then she looked angry. Aunt and Uncle Ouchi looked a little stunned, but covered their reactions better than Hatsue. Mika let loose a long-suffering sigh and touched her fingers to her forehead. Shu blushed and grinned at him. There was a speaking look between them and Eiri schooled himself to not adopt an equally idiotic expression.
"Shindou Shuichi," he said, bowing politely in greeting. Eiri made introductions, gesturing to the visitors. "Pleased to meet you," Shu said, taking the cushion beside Eiri. "How was your trip, Ouchi-san? Did you come from a long way away?" Shu was better at small talk than he was and had a far better tolerance for it.
Eiri's aunt recovered first. "Oh, we had a nice trip, thank you. It's a nice time to see the countryside and the weather has been so warm! We drove from Aomori City and made a small vacation of it." Aomori prefecture was on the Northern tip of the main island of Honshu. Eiri estimated it had probably taken them two days of leisurely driving to get to Kyoto from there. If it was him, Eiri would have made the journey in one day of marathon driving.
Hatsue looked ill. "I-I'm suddenly very tired. Cousin Mika, could you show me where I'll be sleeping, please?"
"Of course." She and Mika rose. Just as they were leaving, Ryuichi came in and hung himself over Shu's shoulders.
"Shuichi," he whined, "Let's go outside and play, na no da!"
"Eiri?" Shu looked to him, like he was asking permission.
"Go on, brat. Let the adults talk."
"Yay!" Ryuichi said. He and his rabbit bounced out to the yard, twirling and hopping. That idiot had no compunction against being refferred to as a child. Shu, on the other hand . . .
"Eiri! That's not fair! You can't — !"One small fist pounded the tatami mat for emphasis.
"Shu-han." Shuichi closed his mouth with a snap and a blush. That worked better than 'shut up', Eiri noted. It had a strange effect on the guests, too. He suspected Tatsuha was working hard to keep a straight face. "Do as you like," he said fondly. Shu looked worried, like he didn't trust himself to not make the wrong decision.
Aunt Ouchi came to his defense. "I'm sure we can talk more tomorrow, Shindou-san."
"Ah, okay." Shu recovered his temper as quickly as he lost it. "Pleased to meet you both," he said again with a little bow. Then he walked out to where Ryuichi was squatting over the carp pond.
"Actually, we're a little tired, too. It's quite late for us," Aunt Ouchi smiled and spoke for both herself and her husband. "If you'll excuse us? Good night." Uncle Ouchi, Eiri and Tatsuha echoed her 'good night' and the couple went into the house.
Tatsuha doused the lamps inside. "Mika will probably go to bed, too," he said. Eiri silently agreed. Moving in unspoken accord, they went out to sit by the pond. Tatsuha sat on his favorite rock, with its clusters of hidden cigarette butts stabbed into the wet sand behind it. Tatsuha lit up, pulling cigarettes and lighter from the sleeve of his kimono. Eiri stood by his brother, watching Shu and Ryu. Ryu must have thrown his rabbit, Kumagurou, into a tree. He was climbing on a lower branch, reaching up. Shu was trying to hand him a stick to knock the stuffed animal down. Eiri shook his head. He and his brother smoked in companionable silence for a while.
"Ready for tomorrow?" Eiri asked. "It's your show."
Tatsuha grinned at him. "It won't compare to the video for 'Candy Hearts'," he teased slyly. Eiri laughed. He couldn't help it; a heretical mental picture of his brother in one of those pink and red and white video outfits, performing the kiake ceremony set him off. Tatsuha smirked at him. "It sure is good to see you happy," he remarked. "You're a lucky guy, aniki."
Eiri stifled his mirth. "Aren't things going well for you?"
Tatsuha shrugged. "Yes. Everything's good at the temple. Mika's. . . well, she's still not over it, but she's taking care of the house, cooking and stuff, which is nice for me. Ryu's . . . great." He sighed. "I just wish we could be as free as you guys, I guess."
"What's stopping you?" Eiri asked.
Tatsuha frowned. "Me, maybe." He smoked and Eiri didn't press him. Shu's startled laughter drew his attention toward the darkness. He couldn't see the two singers, but they were so loud, it wasn't necessary. The laughter died away and quieter singing started; a traditional ballad from Ryuichi. That man's voice is really something, Eiri thought. When Shu joined in, Eiri listened raptly to the combination. They sang together beautifully. The Uesugi brothers listened to the whole song, enjoying the music.
"Aniki, when I brought you that news, about San Francisco, I thought . . ." Eiri had guessed right away that Tatsuha was considering going to the US with Ryuichi.
"What made you change your mind?"
"Ack. People like them," he gestured toward the house. "You haven't met Naito Aritomo, yet. He's a monk, too— one of father's old friends." Translation: stuffy, represive and conservative. Tatsuha grimaced. "I have a duty to the temple, and Ryu's always in Tokyo, where NG is." He paused. "Besides, Ryuichi's . . . so famous and I'm . . ." He gave a short, embittered bark of laughter.
"You're an idiot, then." Eiri said harshly.
"What?"
"I said; you're an idiot." Eiri bent, stabbing his cigarette into the sand beside Tatsuha's collection. "It's debatable wether I'm an expert on the subject of romance," he said, "but I can tell that the two of you make each other happy. If you don't want a formal, public relationship, I can't blame you. I wish Shu and I didn't have to dodge cameras and reporters . . . and fangirls so often." He shrugged one shoulder. "I decided that marriage with Shuichi was what I wanted and I knew Shu would like that, too. Tatsuha, I don't mean to belittle the two of you, but you'll still only be nineteen in couple weeks. You don't need to make a major life decision like that yet."
Tatsuha stood, angrily. "I've been in love with him for years without even being near him! Now that we can be physically close, it has only become stronger!" Eiri smirked at his brother's confessional outburst. Ryuichi watched and listened from the other side of the pond with serious eyes. "I need him," Tatsuha said, deflating. He frowned down at his clenched fists that held onto all of his pent-up emotions. Eiri set one hand on his shoulder and turned him to look across the pond.
"Shuichi? Let's go in," he called out.
"Okay!" Shu called back from somewhere between Ryuichi and himself. In a moment, he came around the pond and latched onto his lover's arm. They left, allowing the other two to be alone and sort themselves out.
***
[1] 18 degrees Celcius. Normal March temp. would be a high of 55 F = 13 C. [2] –han suffix means 'half'. When used with a person's name, it's like calling that person your other half... used between fiancees.
last time: aniki = older brother.
***
Author's Note: Ack! I'm so glad fanfiction's site is working again. I haven't been able to login for days!