Fleeting Inspiration 48
by Anna Sartin

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Chapter 48: Guilty Pleasures

"A tickle fight?

Tatsuha nodded.

"Let me get this straight," Eiri said, in a severe tone. "You lost your wallet, were photographed nude by the paparazzi and picked up by the cops all because you and that idiot singer got into a tickle fight?"

"We didn't know what we were doing! We were drunk!"

"I'm sure father will understand completely," Eiri snorted, not in the least impressed with Tatsuha's lame attempt to defend himself. "He's going to have a heart attack when he sees you in the paper."

"You sound like Mika," the youngest Uesugi pouted. His sister had yelled at him over Tohma's cell phone the entire drive there. "My head is killing me!"

"Join the club," Yoshi called from his place on the sofa. "I feel like someone's trying to drive a giant nail into the back of my head with a mallet."

"Aniki, you've got to take me to Mika's place!" Tatsuha begged his brother. "Tohma took Kurosaki and won't give him back!"

"Nobody gives a damn about your stupid rabbit!" Eiri shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think the old man is going to let you live here if this is how you act?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's no way he's going to let his last hope to run the temple move to the city if he thinks it'll corrupt you!"

"Too late," Tatsuha snickered, looking just like his brother at the moment. The expression quickly faded as he gave his brother a pleading look. "Aniki, let me borrow your car..."

"NO WAY IN HELL!"

"My bike got impounded last night and I've got to go get Kurosaki!"

"I said no. I've a lot to do today and I don't have time for your bullshit."

"Hey, where's Shuichi?" Tatsuha asked, hoping he could play on the singer's sympathies and get him to change his brother's mind.

"He fell asleep while I was making breakfast. I put him to bed."

Damn. "Got any leftovers? I'm hungry." When Eiri didn't answer Tatsuha turned to Yoshi, hoping to rile up some support. He was hoping his brother would be less likely to ignore the needs of a guest. "What about you?"

"Not me," Yoshi moaned, clutching the bag of frozen meatballs on his head miserably. His stomach felt raw and no amount of rinsing seemed to get the combined taste of vomit and booze out of his mouth. "Just thinking about food makes me feel sick!"

Tatsuha sighed. Damn!

"You don't seem to have a problem putting it on your head," Eiri remarked dryly. "You've gone through everything in the freezer."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've put you through," Yoshi apologized.

"You should be," was the writer's unsympathetic response as he snatched the meatballs out of the young American's hand and turned to his brother. "And YOU need to get your head out of your ass and back in the game. We've got a lot to do and you need to get yourself together."

"I do?" Tatsuha asked. "Why?"

"The realtor called an hour ago to let me know the house is ready. We can start moving things over there as soon as we're ready."

"What does that have to do with me?" Tatsuha asked.

"You're going to help, dumbass."

"Says who?" the teenager challenged. His defiant tone caused the last of Eiri's patience to snap.

"You listen here, you little punk! In less than a month you've blackmailed me, pissed off my landlord, made me think my car was stolen and gotten arrested for indecent exposure twice..."

"Getting arrested must run in the family," Tatsuha remarked. Eiri smacked his brother upside the head. "Ow!"

"...Not to mention getting my guest wasted and dumping him off on Shuichi to take care of all night. I'm tired of dealing with your shit. Tohma is going to put a lid on the press, and if you don't want Father to find out about this you're going to shut your mouth and do exactly what I tell you!"

"What's WITH you?" Tatsuha asked. "You didn't used to be this mean to me!"

Eiri started to walk away.

"You use to ask me to housesit for you all the time," Tatsuha continued, following him into the kitchen. "Now it's like pulling teeth to get you to let me stay here. You ignore my calls, hang up on me when you DO pick up the phone and throw me out unless I blackmail you or beg Shindo-san to let me stay." He grabbed his brother sleeve. "We use to share everything and now it's like you can't stand to be in the same room with me."

Eiri shook his brother's hand away. They had been close once, it was true. As a toddler Tatsuha had followed him around like a duckling, as a child he'd been Eiri's steadfast companion and sole playmate, and once they're both grown old enough they went from sharing toys and clothes to booze and chicks. Tatsuha had been the one person in his life who didn't have countless expectations for his future or look down on him due to his odd-colored hair and eyes; and Eiri in turn was the only member of their family who accepted Tatsuha for who he truly was. All their lives the two had been close.

But things had changed.

"I told you, I'm tired of your shit. All you've done lately is cause trouble, for me and everyone else. I should have kicked your ass a year ago when you kidnapped me with a fucking box cutter and hit Shuichi with my car. You've been nothing but trouble since."

Oh. Oh. Tatsuha's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You're still mad at me for that, aren't you?"

Eiri didn't respond.

"I said I was sorry! If you were still pissed off then why didn't you TALK to me?"

Eiri turned away from his younger sibling and opened the freezer, tossing the bag of half-thawed meatballs inside and shutting it again. He then opening the cabinet, retrieving his DEADLINES AMUSE ME coffee mug that Shuichi had gotten him for his birthday last year. I still need to get the dishes packed...

"How am I supposed to know what the hell your problem is if you don't talk to me?" Tatsuha asked. "It was just a prank, I didn't mean to hit Shuichi!"

Eiri slammed the cabinet door shut and turned to face his brother. "You sold me out and nearly got all three of us killed for a fucking paper cup that Ryuichi may or may not have used. You're trouble, Tatsuha, and I'm tired of being dragged into your messes." Eiri poured himself a cup of coffee and turned to leave. "Now if you want this apartment after I move out I'd suggest you shut your mouth and do what you're told!"

"But I-"

"Pack the dishes!" Eiri commanded, cutting him off. With that the aggravated blond stormed off, leaving Tatsuha looking uncharacteristically disheartened.

"Aniki... I'm sorry..."

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Eiri had been planning on calling a truck to come pick up the furniture later, but when he got to the living room he found the phone was already in use.

"You want to be a rapper?" Yoshi asked the person at the other end of the line. Eiri was about to tell his guest he needed the phone when the young man exclaimed "You can't leave now, Lola! Are you crazy! Grandfather's going to flip!"

The author rolled his eyes and headed for the bedroom. He'd call the moving company later, the last thing he wanted to hear about was Mamoru Eto or his ridiculously annoying granddaughter. Besides, he still needed to get his clothes and a good number of other things in his bedroom packed and it was best to get it done while his boyfriend was still asleep. He didn't need the brat finding his secret collection of Buck Luck CDs hidden away in a box in the closet, or the photos he'd taken of Shuichi (naked and thoroughly debauched) after he'd passed out one night after their third (or was it fourth?) round of sex. He kept the pictures hidden in his nightstand to tide him over when the singer was on tour. And then there was the poster in his closet...

Better get that first... he decided. He set the coffee mug down on the nightstand and went over to the closet, carefully opening it so as not to awaken his sleeping lover. He checked quickly to make sure the boy hadn't stirred from his slumber and then pushed his clothes aside to admire his secret treasure.

He'd never admit to anyone that he'd stood in line for over an hour to get it. He'd rushed out of the apartment after Shuichi had gone to work and drove like a demon on speed to get to the store before they were all sold out. The limited edition poster featured Shuichi in a flirty pose wearing a tight leather outfit complete with spiked collar. He'd been tempted to asked Tohma if Shuichi could bring those clothes home but then he'd have to admit that he'd actually seen (and taken an interest in) the poster in the first place. He carefully began untacking each corner.

"What are you doing, Yuki?" Shuichi asked, causing every hair on his lover's golden head to stand up. "Why are you hiding in the closet?"

Eiri quickly rolled up the poster he'd just taken down and tried to hold it behind his back. "I'm not hiding, you freak. I'm getting my clothes packed."

"Oh. So what's with the poster?"

Eiri winced. Shit! "It's Tatsuha's. I keep telling him not to leave his shit in my room."

Shuichi yawned and sat up. "Oh. Did he ever get back?"

"Yes, unfortunately," the blond grumbled. Not wanting to discuss his brother or the poster in his hand he changed the subject by asking, "Did you sleep well?"

Shuichi just blinked and stared at him for a moment, before leaping out of bed and latching on the taller man's waist, squealing, "Aw! Yuki loves me!"

"Sorry I asked," Eiri muttered, trying to pry the singer off with the hand that wasn't holding the poster. He didn't succeed but eventually Shuichi let go on his own.

"Actually, I had a really weird dream. I dreamed that I was riding in a bus with lots of cats. There was a black and an orange one and there was a boy with cat ears..." he yawned again and stretched. "Come to think of it... I think the bus was a cat. K was there too, and there was this really hot blond guy who kept accusing me of trying to steal his fiance. It was really weird..."

Eiri cocked an eyebrow. His lover had strange dreams. Still, considering all the garbage he'd read last night he was lucky he wasn't dreaming about cages and tentacles again.

"Well, stop thinking about it and get ready. The realtor called and said we can start moving into the house today.

Another squeal escaped the singer as he asked, "Really!"

"And we got a letter from America. It's in the living room."

Shuichi ran out of the room like a bolt of lightning and Eiri quickly stashed the rolled up poster in a large box.

"Yuki! Where's my computer!" Shuichi called out from the living room.

"I boxed it up and put it in the car, stupid," the author answered back. "Were you planning on leaving it here when we moved?"

"It's from Riku!" Shuichi yelled excitedly as he bounced back into the room. "We got a letter from Riku!"

"No shit." The author tried not to seem too interested as he edged closer to read over his lover's shoulder. Eiri hated to admit it, but he missed the little brat. Riku had been visiting Yoshiki for over a month now, and while the older man enjoyed having Shuichi all to himself (the kid demanded a lot of attention and his boyfriend was all too happy to give it to him), reading the childish print made him long to hear the small boy's laughter. He never thought he'd be attached to other member of Yuki Kitazawa's family, let alone his son, but the child had somehow managed to worm his way into his heart.

"I can't read it..." Shuichi whined, disappointed. He'd only passed English in high school (or, in deed, managed to graduate at all) by copying Hiro's work. He handed the letter to Eiri for translation.

"He says he's coming back on the 16th-"

"My birthday!" Shuichi interrupted, practically squealing with joy. "He remembered!"

"...and that he'll need to be picked up at the airport at two o'clock." Eiri finished.

"He's coming alone?" Shuichi asked.

"I suppose so."

"I can't wait to tell him about the new house! Maybe we can get moved in before he arrives and surprise him with his new room!"

"Just who said he's moving in with us!" Eiri asked, but it was a bluff and they both knew it. Shuichi kissed his grumpy boyfriend on the cheek and ran off to start loading boxes in the car, giving Eiri the opportunity to finish packing his "guilty pleasures" in peace.

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End chapter forty-eight

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Author's note:
For those who have asked about the dedication in TOKYOPOP's edition of Gravitation: The Novel, yes I am the same Anna Sartin. There's only one of me! (I hope!) XD