A massive thanks to everyone who took the time to review Chapter 3, this chapter wouldn't exist without you and I'm so grateful for your feedback! I'm glad to be continuing with this actually as it's the first time I've written anything that even comes close to yaoi and has proved an interesting challenge. I wanted to experiment with the seme and uke themes by balancing both characters stubborn natures in this chapter, I'm not sure how I feel about it but I hope for your feedback on what you thought of it.
Contains some 'coarse language' although infrequent.
Sorry it's a little short, and I'm going to ask for around three reviews minimum per chapter from now on? May be a little ambitious but we'll see how it goes. Enjoy!
Nami was leaving for work in the morning when the man approached her; he was a short, fat, scruffy looking person, with an unattractive mess of thinning brown hair. His forehead was unpleasantly shiny and an expensive camera hung around his neck.
"Good morning," he called to her, shuffling over and bowing hastily, "my name is Genji Rukachi, and I'm doing a newspaper report on the author Eiri Yuki. I noticed you talking to someone who looked very much like him a few days ago outside here, and I was wondering if you would be able to confirm that fact."
Nami's eyes narrowed. "If you'll excuse me asking, what exactly is your news report on?"
Rukachi waved his chubby hand dismissively, "oh, mostly about his overall success," he replied, "and of course how this relates to that of Shuichi Shindou, his alleged lover." Nami didn't want to answer anything that might land Eiri in trouble with the press, but this man didn't seem to be anyone very important.
"Of course, if you do have any information, I would be more than happy to pay you for your trouble." Rukachi tempted.
"And if you were able to give me any details... well, would ¥120,000 about cover it?"
Nami's eyes widened. "Why would you give me ¥120,000 just for the details of Mr Yuki's visit?"
"So it was him?" Rukachi pressed, scribbling onto a notepad he had pulled from his coat pocket. "And he was visiting someone?"
Nami thought of the busted shower in her flat, the dress she'd had repaired almost three times because it was the best one she had, the laptop that had deleted two solid hours of work after crashing just two weeks ago.
"Okay." She said. "I'll talk. But how do I know you'll pay me?"
"Ah" Rukachi grinned, "actually, I had hoped you might take me up on my offer, I've got it right here," he said, momentarily taking an envelope out of his pocket and showing her its contents. "How about we nip into that little café over there, you give me the information, I give you the money, everybody's happy." He granted her a greasy smile.
"I'll be late for work," Nami said, wavering, "you won't miss half an hour's wages with this," Genji grinned, patting his pocket. Nami hesitated, then nodded and followed him in.
Eiri was in his office, typing furiously on his laptop, when Shuichi let himself in. Slipping off his shoes, he crept into the office as silently as he could, Eiri's eyes remaining focussed on the glowing screen; Shuichi sneaked around behind the chair and placed his hands over his lover's eyes. "Guess who?" Shuichi cooed, giggling.
"Get off me you damn brat," was Eiri's irritated reply, only making Shuichi giggle further as he moved his hands to Eiri's shoulders and leant forward to peck him on the cheek. "Shuichi, I need to talk to you." Eiri sighed, closing the laptop and taking off his glasses. Shuichi clung to him like a monkey, hugging him from behind. "Shuichi..." His tone was uncharacteristically resigned, and Shuichi immediately knew that something must be wrong. He had been avoiding asking Yuki where he had been all night, thinking that it would only irritate his lover, and that, considering Shuichi had fallen asleep pretty early and not woken until the next morning, it was possible that Eiri had simply gone out again by the time he woke. Now that he knew nothing had happened to his beloved, he didn't want to believe that Eiri may actually have been gone all night. "I have something to tell you." Eiri stated reluctantly, sadly.
"It's about last night isn't it?" replied Shuichi, his arms only clasping Eiri's shoulders tighter as his eyes began to sting, surely Eiri wouldn't have... couldn't have... spent the night with someone else? Eiri reached up and gently prised Shuichi's arms away from him, pulling the boy around to sit on the stool beside him. "Shuichi I..."
He didn't know how to explain... Shuichi's lower lip began trembling. "I spent the night with Kyo," he stated, looking away as he found himself unable to meet Shuichi's gaze.
"You... you what?" Shuichi's eyes seemed to have grown to twice their normal size as fat tears swelled within them. His hands grasped Eiri's. "Yuki?"
"I slept with Kyo." Eiri's face was pained, sad. Shuichi was silent. "I'm sorry." Eiri said, before standing up and leaving the room. Shuichi's hands remained outstretched, aching for a lover that he could no longer reach, as tears began to pour down his face. "Yuki..." he choked.
How could you do this to me? Yuki... I thought... I thought that... that maybe you loved me... Why would you do this? Yuki... I love you so much! No one could ever love you like I do! Why is that not enough? Why is it never enough? Yuki...
Eiri slumped against the wall in the bedroom, closing his eyes and trying to ignore Shuichi's soft sobs from the office. He slid to the floor, his back against the wall, one arm propped up on his knee as his head sank into his palm. He hated himself for doing this to Shuichi, but he knew he had to do it. So many unexplored emotions were weighing him down, and he needed time to work them out. He couldn't torture Shuichi by staying with him when he kept thinking about Kyo, no longer with pity and guilt, but with longing.
He pulled himself together and stood, before crossing to the wardrobe and starting to pack his things.
It was late; thick darkness encompassing the main street and penetrated only by the glow of the occasional street lamps and neon signs. Kyo stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and pulled the hood up over his head in an attempt to shield himself from the biting cold.
He reached his block and punched in the code; the building was lit inside, and his eyes took a few seconds to readjust. He took the stairs; no matter how achy he was after a long shift, the climb was considerably better than the lift. Kyo hated lifts.
The first thing he noticed was the smell of cigarette smoke, just as he turned into his corridor; it was unusual because nobody really smoked outside their flats. He kept walking, head bowed.
The second thing he noticed was the pair of shoes outside his flat; smart shoes on the end of a pair of equally smart trousers. He looked up and saw the shaggy blonde hair, the brooding amber eyes that made his throat close up and his chest squeeze tight. Eiri.
His visitor didn't say anything. He didn't have to; the bag at his feet told Kyo everything he needed to know.
"No." He stated bluntly, hating the panicked edge to his voice but unable to mask it. "You can't be here." Eiri didn't move.
He didn't know what to do; the hand clutching his keys in his pocket clenched so tight he felt the metal cutting a groove into his palm. Kyo lowered his voice, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Please Eiri, don't do this." His jaw clenched, a nervous habit. He couldn't look Eiri in the eye; it made him sick to think about how weak he was, even after all these years. Pathetic.
"Christ." He breathed, his eyes closing briefly.
"Ok... Ok." He moved to the door and unlocked it, pushing it open. "Get in here." He hissed.
Eiri, collected and emotionless as ever, dropped his cigarette to the floor and stepped on it, grinding it with his heel before picking up the bag and entering the flat to place it on the floor. Kyo slammed the door and, pausing with his back to Eiri to slow his breathing, stuffed the keys back into his pocket and turned to his guest.
"I'm not a fucking queer." He spat, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Eiri didn't even flinch. "I'm not going to be your boyfriend." His tone dripped with venom even as he felt his face flush.
"You need to leave me alo-mmph!" Eiri's mouth slammed into his forcefully, shutting him up. Kyo stiffened, but didn't pull back.
When Eiri moved away, Kyo saw that he was smiling; a glint of triumph in his eyes. "If you're telling the truth," Eiri breathed, his voice low, "why don't you push me away?"
Kyo blinked, his face turning pale. He seemed to be searching for something to say; he opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words. He turned away, running a hand through his hair.
"Christ Eiri," he murmured, "why are you doing this to me?"
"What are you so afraid of?" Eiri asked.
"Don't you see how difficult you're making things for me?" Kyo cried, turning back to face him.
"Just like always." He added, his voice lower.
"Whenever you're around, everything gets so... so much more complicated than it has to be."
Eiri felt a little guilty seeing the look on his face, the way he forced the words out, unable to explain properly. It reminded him of himself.
"One night." Kyo stated flatly, looking up at Eiri. "You can stay one night. Then you're going home." He kicked off his shoes and crossed to the kitchen, pulling the jumper over his head as he went. Eiri felt his stomach clench a little as Kyo's shirt rode up, exposing his back and shoulders; and then he was out of sight.
Kyo had a spare blanket in the closet, and he dragged it out to lay it across the two floor cushions he had lined up. "You can sleep here." Eiri smiled a little at his stubbornness, but didn't argue, which was how he ended up lying on his back, pressed against cold, hard floorboards from the waist down and covered only by a thin blanket.
He didn't know how long he had been lying that way before he pushed himself up off the floor, stiff and uncomfortable and too cold to sleep. He thought about making a coffee, but decided against it, feeling more than a little intrusive already.
He caught the faintest rustling of sheets from Kyo's room, where the screen was pushed slightly open. He found himself wondering whether his host was asleep, and crossed silently to the screen. Kyo lay on his side, his back to Eiri, his hair falling into his eyes. His face was illuminated just enough by the moonlight for Eiri to see that they were closed, thick eyelashes splayed on his cheeks. His eyes grazed Kyo's face, taking in the gentle curve of his mouth and the sharp angle of his jaw. His eyes moved to the broad shoulders, the sharp shoulder blades and the muscles that ran either side of his spine, right down to his narrow waist and the two dimples set either side of the very base of the curving spine. Kyo was longer, broader, better muscled than Shuichi; more man than boy. His face had lost the fullness and softness, the innocence that Shuichi's still held, his cheekbones, nose and jaw all forming hard, sharp angles. Yet there was something about the way his auburn hair fell softly across his forehead, strands catching in his eyelashes, his mouth slightly open, that preserved an air of humanity, fragility almost, that was impossibly endearing.
Eiri, against his better judgement, edged closer to the futon and lay down beside Kyo, pulling the thin sheets over himself.
The faint sounds of movement woke Kyo, and he found himself struggling to keep his breathing even as he was suddenly aware of the sheer proximity of his bare skin from Eiri's. He forced himself to remain motionless, pretending to be sound asleep, and suppressed a sharp intake of breath when he felt Eiri's hand glide over his ribs and around his waist. He willed his eyes to stay closed, his body to keep from trembling, as Eiri pulled himself closer so that Kyo was pressed into his chest.
The cool breath on Kyo's neck was sudden, as if Eiri was testing him, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it, clenching his jaw to suppress a moan when Eiri's lips touched the spot where his neck met his shoulder, brushing the skin with a teasing tenderness that sent shivers down Kyo's spine. Eiri remained frozen there, his lips millimetres from Kyo's skin, for what felt like hours; Kyo lying as still as he could, before he pulled his head back and laid it on the pillow beside Kyo's, closing his eyes.
Kyo relaxed; he didn't know why he was letting Eiri sleep in his bed, why he hadn't just confronted him the minute he entered the room, but no matter how much he pushed this man away, he knew Eiri would always win. Just like before, and just like always.