No I don't own a single character, but if you'll forgive that I think you'll enjoy this chapter. I had fun writing it at least.
"Shuichi, what are you doing?"
"You're going to get us all shot!" Suguru cried.
"Not if you shut your big fat mouth and don't draw his attention." Shuichi whispered. This was his chance. Maybe he couldn't get out short of being in a body bag until their album was recorded, but he'd slipped Sakano's cell phone into his pocket after he collapsed in front of him earlier and now he could get in touch with Yuki.
"You're going to let me call Ayaka with that thing later, right?" Hiro asked, playing a few measures of the song they were working on to cover the sound of Shuichi dialing.
"Be quiet. Oh my God, it's ringing! Yuki!"
"Be quiet!" Hiro and Suguru whispered in unison.
He had tears of joy in his eyes as the phone rang across town. A phone that Yuki would be on the other end of. He could talk to him, tell him how sorry he was for not coming home and how much he missed him.
"You have reached the Uesugi and Shindou residence. Please state who you are calling for and leave a message after the-" The mechanical beep almost killed the fragile singer. It had taken him forever to get Yuki to let him change the recording, and he'd called Shuichi and idiot for cutting it off, but he once caught Yuki calling the house from his cell just to hear the message.
"Yuki! Yuki, it's me! K's holding us hostage at the studio! Blah Blah printed the wrong release date for our album and now we have a day to finish it or...or...wah! Yuki, I want to come home! I-"
"Now Shuichi, hostage is a harsh term."
"Shindou, watch out!" Suguru ducked behind his keyboard as K sprayed the booth with ammunition.
"Yuki, I'm-" A bullet shattered the cell phone and Shuichi screamed.
"So much for my phone call." Hiro muttered, hiding beside Suguru as K pumped their vocalist full of lead.
Yuki didn't bother to hit the flashing button on the answering machine when he got home. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone. There were no other shoes sitting by the door. Shuichi wasn't there.
And no his third cigarette in ten minutes wouldn't make him feel better, but he set the three cartons on the table beside the answering machine and lit up another one. He remembered watching Shuichi make that stupid recording and was even more annoyed. He was starting to wonder if he should even let the vocalist in if he decided to come back.
He wasn't hungry. His stomach was probably so full of cigarette smoke that there wasn't room for anything else. He stuck another pack into his pocket and headed back to his office. He was too disgusted to work. He blew deformed smoke rings into the air and sighed heavily several times. He felt restless and distracted.
It just didn't make sense. Why hadn't he come home?
"Stop smoking. Or-or I'll leave. For good."
"Come on." Yuki whispered to himself, moodily smashing his half smoked cigarette into the full ashtray on desk. Who the hell makes a threat like that? And who follows through on it?
Over the last two days it had become such a habit to grab another cigarette when he finished one that he did so then. He stared at it for a second. What if he wanted to smoke? What if he liked to smoke?
Did that mean he couldn't want Shuichi, too? Couldn't like him? Not that he did. Mostly. Were they both habits?
Could he break either one of them?
"Okay, boys! Are we ready to get back to work?" Hiro and Suguru nodded frantically, but Shuichi couldn't move his neck. He really couldn't move at all. The emergency medic that someone had had the good sense to send down after the fire fight had wrapped him up like a mummy. But when positioned properly in front of his microphone, all he had to do was sing. No more escape attempts for him.
"Great! Because we only have 18 hours to get out the last five songs!" He held up his gun, clearly telling them what would happen if they didn't finish. "But don't worry, I have faith in you! Especially you Shuichi. I predict you're about to catch your second wind. So let's get to it!" He laughed maniacally as he left the booth.
"Shuichi, are you sure you're okay?" Hiro whispered, starting with his intro.
"Uh-huh." He smiled, tears silently streaming down his face. His only option now was a body bag.
Had to amend this ending comment. Broke the last chapter into two chapters, but both are up so no big deal for anyone. Right? Read on...