Chapter notes - Oh! Suddenly it's 2009. How did that happen? And here we are with another chapter in this saga... This one was pretty tough to get through. I wanted to convey the intensity of the interaction between Alan and Eiri... and I'm not so sure it will come out well. I don't want to give away too much here, so I will have to wait and see what you think of it :) They're still having a good time on vacation!
Read and review - It'll make me clean the chapters for publishing faster! It also makes me super warm inside to know that you care enough to jot a paragraph in response to these many pages...
If you happen to be a fan of my writing style, you can PM me to be pointed to another project that is published on a different website.
If you're still enjoying this story, be sure to check out the beginning of the story -- Remix, The Beginning of the New Ending -- that is being published separately.
In the morning Shuichi woke to the songs of birds and wind chimes, which was a definite switch from what he heard when waking up at their apartment in Tokyo. Eiri was gone from their futon but he was nearby. Among the sounds of nature, Shuichi could hear the comfortingly familiar sounds of Eiri ticking away at a keyboard. He rolled over and saw Eiri sitting against one of the wood beams by the open sliding screen door, laptop being abused as his fingers sailed over the keys. It made him smile to see the expression on his face… He was calm, relaxed, working… He must have already been in for a soak because his light hair was slicked back with wetness, he was wearing one of the inn's yukatas.
"Wow… You're just beautiful. I can't believe I get to be with you." He sighed inwardly, still basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, "And you're all happy for a change too. It's so neat to be here with you and Uncle Kentaro and Alan-san. I suddenly feel so normal about things…."
Then something happened to Eiri's face… He got that twitch above his eye that meant the start of supreme irritation, his typing stopped abruptly. Shuichi was very familiar with that look and immediately wondered what he had done to offend Eiri's peace… but he hadn't even said anything yet that morning! As he watched, a snarl grew on Eiri's mouth and then he started typing furiously again.
"Eiri…." He whispered, "Is everything okay?"
"Nnh?" He looked toward Shuichi for a moment, snarl disappearing, "You're awake."
"Yeah… What time is it?"
"7:15 AM. Plenty of time before breakfast." He turned his attention back to the screen, anger growing on his face again.
"What are you doing? I thought you weren't supposed to be writing on your travel laptop 'cause of contracts and stuff…"
"I'm not writing… not novels anyway… Ghhh!" He winced.
"Huh?"
"I was trying to respond to an email…" He growled, "From Nakumura-san."
"He's, umm… The President guy for your publishing company, right?"
"Correct."
"I thought you were trying to relax instead of work."
"I was. It is important that I respond in a timely manner to him, however… Actually… I was just surfing the internet doing some research… when the internet started to rebel…"
"Rebel? Hey wait… How are you getting on the internet?"
"Wireless access point." He pointed over to the TV in their room where it sat blinking peacefully, "Alan-san is fond of technology. Your uncle told me about it this morning. I said I felt strange being away from my email. He told me I didn't need to be separated at all."
"You already saw my uncle this morning? Jeeze, how long have you been up?"
"About an hour. I wandered to the shrine and met your uncle on the way there. We talked for a while, meditated for a while… Your uncle is a good person. Both of them, actually."
"Yeah… So is your computer breaking or something?"
"No… Shuichi… Tell me the truth…" He looked back toward him again, "Did you give your dear Manager K my IM id and email address?"
"What?? You have to be joking!" He sat up, "I would never ever, ever in a billion years do that!"
"Then how the hell did he get it?"
"You mean… he's messaging you?? Right now??"
"Yes…"
"So that's why you look so pissed…" He was at least half relieved that it wasn't his fault for a change, "I have no idea how he would have gotten either… but you know he has his ways of getting information whether we like it or not. Why is he bothering you?"
"Perhaps just to spite me. So I closed the IM down… and now email notifications are popping up all over from him… I need to finish this email and concentrate on being formal about it!"
Shuichi got up and pulled on his own yukata, finding his backpack and rummaging, yanking out his cell phone and speed dialing… fuming… Eiri watched him, amused by his expression.
"LEAVE EIRI ALONE!! HE'S TRYING TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL EMAIL! I SO SWEAR I AM NEVER COMING BACK IF YOU DON'T LEAVE US ALONE!! IT'S ONLY BEEN A DAY!!" His powerful voice belted out of his skinny body and suddenly the deluge of emails stopped, the cell phone shut and sailed out the open door. Shuichi stood there, shaking, red-faced for a little while, "Did it stop?"
"Oh… it stopped all right." He smirked.
"I am so sorry… I have no idea how this happened." He slumped.
"C'mere."
Shuichi sat down next to him, leaning on him.
"It's not your fault. The guy's just a menace… Let me finish this and then you can read his messages."
"I don't wanna. Screw him. He's like a stalker not a manager." He pouted.
Eiri smiled and went back to writing without interruption, finally able to proof and send.
"All is well again."
"What did your President have to say? Is everything okay?"
"Perfect… Nakamura-san is enjoying our media attention even though the ones I work with directly have been giving me a hard time about keeping quiet. Things are good. If this next novel goes over as well as I hope it will… I'll have an even easier time getting you in Synergy's door."
"Neat… but don't do it for me. Okay? Just do what you love and don't worry about me."
"I'm not worried."
Shuichi watched him net-surf for a little while, just content with the returned peace and his closeness, "Why are you looking at tires?"
"Time for a new set."
"It is?"
"Umm hmm. Reading reviews…"
"For tires?"
"Yes…. They're not just plain, boring tires. They're performance tires."
"Yikes… They're expensive too."
"You don't put 10 dollar tires on an 80k car, Shu."
"Of course! How silly of me." He joked.
"Indeed… I also looked up a few things for our trip to New York."
"Oh… Cool… Like what?"
"It's a secret." He closed the laptop and put it aside, "Did you notice that your uncles have wedding bands that they wear?"
"Yeah, that's pretty neat."
"We got to talking about a lot of things like that… Your uncle told me that they have many anniversaries that they celebrate. They've spent a lot of time figuring out what they want from one another, what they need. It is reassuring that I am not the only one that has been confused about these things… So… what do you want from me? I had become used to a way of being in a relationship that doesn't seem to apply in this case. You never ask me for anything… Money, gifts..."
"Just to be with you like this. That's all I ever want. Yep. Just to be with you. What gifts do I need?"
"I don't know. That's why I'm asking. It's weird…"
"I just want to do and see stuff with you. That's all the gift I ever need… and maybe to put up with me wanting to be more like a couple than just a couple guys that live together."
"Nn?"
"You know… Doing couple things."
"Like what?"
"Like what you did when you were dating every model of the face of the earth… Jeeze." He blushed.
"I didn't do 'couple things' with models. Mostly just took them out on the town and if I saw them more than once they'd be dragging me off to jewelry stores and junk. It's been a complete relief not to have that happen with you so… I hope that's not what you mean."
"No. It's not… I mean… like when you put your hand on my shoulder while we're walking. That's really nice… Or like that picture I had to force you to take with me at the park."
"What haven't we done yet that you want to?"
"Just… I don't know… Cute things, I guess. Augh…" He clapped his hands over his eyes, "I so swear I am going to punch you if you laugh at me…"
"I'll take that risk… What do you want to say?"
"I always thought… it would be neat if you wanted me to get an earring like yours… or if you kept a picture of me on your cell…"
"Seems a little High School, don't you think?"
"Yeah, well I'm just out of High School! And I never dated in High School except for you!" His hands dropped, face blushed in frustration, "And I would be lying if I said I never thought about having wedding rings like Uncle Kentaro and Alan-san have… so you can laugh all you want now. Go ahead."
"Hey…" He opened his phone and showed Shuichi a picture of himself asleep on the living room sofa, "I already have a picture of you…"
"Eiri…" He sighed, surprised.
"I'm not laughing at you… I suppose I just wanted to be able to remember you this way. Completely calm and relaxed for a change." He looked at the picture himself and then shut the phone, "Tell you what… If you aren't too chicken to get your ear pierced, once it heals I'll give you the small hoop I wear and you can buy me another one that you choose. How's that?"
"Seriously??"
"Seriously… And Shu… there will be a pair of rings for us too. I promise."
"Eiri…" He immediately collapsed against him, sobbing for joy, Eiri smiling and holding him.
"It's too bad, you know…" Eiri sighed after a while, "I thought this would be a peaceful day when I woke up."
"I'm sorry…" Shuichi sniffled, trying to get himself under control.
"It's not your fault. I'm going to have to figure out some better way to deal with Winchester-san." He brushed at Shuichi's bright hair, "Maybe one day you'll go a full 24 hours without crying."
"Don't bet on it."
"I'm not." He nudged Shuichi's chin to raise his face, smiling at him, "You're a mess, you whiner."
"Shut up."
"Hey, you just said I couldn't laugh at you."
"Okay, how about just being nice to me?"
"Ah, forget it. That wouldn't be any fun."
"Would be for me!"
"No it wouldn't. You know it." He now raked his fingers through Shu's hair and kissed him deeply before he could talk more, "Hey…"
"Huh?" He clamped his lips to Eiri's again before being removed once more.
"We better get dressed or we're going to miss breakfast."
"We have time."
"Not enough for what I want to do to you right now…" He winked, "So get off me."
"Awww…"
Even without a pre-breakfast interlude, Shuichi had a fantastic day which flowed right into a fantastic week. The few guests at the inn had no idea who they were other than being related to Kentaro. Shuichi was just bummed that they didn't speak Japanese much at all and his English was still awful in spite of Eiri's tutoring.
They went on a lot of day trips to points of interest including a local sake brewery, attending a tea ceremony and hiking in the woods up to an old temple. The only time they felt like their celebrity-selves was when they were out at these places and recognized, photographed. The two foreign couples started asking questions on their last day, wondering about all the attention. Kentaro proudly explained that his nephew was a famous new musician and that Eiri happened to also be quite well known for his writing, encouraging them to look for his new book when it came out in English.
Near the end of their stay, the other couples departed to spend some time in Tokyo, leaving the inn empty except for the two of them and staff. That was how it was planned so that Kentaro and Alan could leave for the USA the following week. Things were being closed down for a little while. Only the staff would be in residence, looking after things while the owners were out of the country. Shuichi was excited that his new futon back at the apartment would get some use because his relatives had accepted their invitation to stay over a couple nights before going to the airport. They would have their first house guests.
Kentaro decided to put Shuichi to work for fun, dragging him out to pick up some supplies and visit the local shops while Alan put Eiri to work in the workshop, repairing furniture and other things that needed tending to before their departure. Eiri was just thankful that Shuichi wasn't going to be allowed near power tools.
"C'mon, Eiri. Let's be manly and make some sawdust while the women-folk go shopping." Alan joked, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Nyah…" Shuichi stuck his tongue out at them before their car pulled out of the parking lot, "I hope Eiri doesn't hurt himself. I've never seen him do manual labor!" He laughed along with his uncle.
"Don't worry. Alan is very good at what he does and respectful of the tools. He won't let your Eiri harm himself… He has wanted to have some alone-time with your young man, so this will be perfect!"
"Huh? Alone-time?" He wondered, "You don't mean like… he thinks Eiri's cute or something? He's gonna hit on Eiri?"
Kentaro got a look on his face then like he was going to sneeze then instead, burst into laughter, "No! Oh, no no no! How funny!"
"Sorry…"
He took a deep breath, composing himself, "He just sees that Eiri-kun is struggling with some things and wants to see if he can talk to him a bit, help him out."
"Oh… He can tell that, huh?" Shuichi frowned.
"Indeed. Alan has been around a while, seen a lot of stuff, and he just wants to see if he can loosen Eiri-kun up a bit so he can be more relaxed, get him to talk things through. He's so controlled in everything he does and says. That has to take up an awful lot of energy." He shook his head.
"Yeah… Well… I hope Alan-san is ready for some stiff opposition. Eiri probably won't exactly appreciate the unsolicited help." He sighed.
"Perhaps not, but we're family… and family helps family in need. Right?"
"Right." He nodded and hoped for the best.
Back at the inn Alan found Eiri had returned to the main building, now wearing a T-shirt and some pants he didn't mind getting messed up. He was sitting, leaning against a porch beam of their common house, looking out into the garden with a rather intense gaze, cigarette dangling from his mouth. Alan shook his head with a smile and wandered over.
"Hey there, kid… What's with the super intense stare?"
"Nnh?" He snapped out of it and turned his head to look up, "Sorry?"
"You're burning holes in the scenery with your eyes." He held out one of the cans of beer he was carrying as a peace offering, Eiri taking it from him, "What's behind the look?"
"Just thinking." He turned away again, hand to mouth to take the cigarette away after an inhale followed by an elegant exhale.
"Ready to do some male bonding?"
"Sure." Eiri nodded, unusual golden brown eyes looking up at Alan as he offered a hand for a lift up. After a moment of hesitation he decided it was all right and accepted, wandering along with him to the shop to try something he hadn't done before.
Alan gave him a friendly harassing, putting him to work, trying to get him to loosen up, crack a smile that wasn't a put-on. It seemed to be more difficult with Shuichi out of the picture. That only confirmed what Alan had been thinking. After a good while he opened the shop's fridge and tossed Eiri a second beer.
"Break time. Cheers." He cracked it open and they sat together on the porch of the workshop.
"You built all this?" Eiri inquired, taking a drink.
"Yup. There used to be an old potting shed here that was falling in on itself. Tore it down and improved upon the original after some research into traditional Japanese construction… So it looks a lot the same but it's bigger, has electricity, and won't fall over in a stiff wind." He smiled.
"It's impressive."
"Thanks."
"How did you become a woodworking doctor?"
"My dad is a woodworker. A cabinetmaker and so on. A real craftsman… He taught me and my brothers from a very early age. We were always out in the workshop. My brothers back home are all in the family business… so I was psyched when I came up here with K-chan and started to build my dream workshop."
"You did not pursue a woodworking type of education though…"
"Nope… Times were tight at home so I joined the army… They said I had it in me, so I learned how to fix people instead of houses." He took another drink and relaxed with a sigh.
"But you did not keep to being a doctor… even after all of that effort."
"Sure I did… I volunteer down at the medical center in town, when they need me I pull pager duty for the ambulance… I still love being of service to the community in healthcare, but I love being here even more… When I was finishing my residency I swear I didn't get a full night of sleep for a year… I was getting so tired of hearing that damn pager. I was just sick of it. I didn't get to see Kentaro much at all and when I did, it was only a matter of a little time before he was putting me to bed so I could sleep for a few hours… Sooo I guess what I'm saying is, I was only seeing him in bed and not in a good way!" He chuckled and actually caught the edge of a smile on Eiri's face.
"So for a simpler life…this is what you chose."
"Pretty much." He nodded.
"How did you end up with Kentaro-san? You do not strike me as… gay."
"I don't go around checking out guys, no. Never did. Women however…" He nodded, "I can't explain, really." He shrugged, "All I know is that I love him. He didn't want to see me wreck my life so he told me to go home and get married and be 'normal' and happy. Fact was, I wasn't happy. I knew the moment I was separated from him that I didn't want a life that didn't have him as the biggest part of it. Took me a couple months to clean up the mess of my life in the USA and get back to Japan. Since then, I've only left for vacation with him next to me... So there it is. My life in short essay form."
"It is very interesting to me…" He raked his fingers through his blond hair, taking another long drink.
"Yeah, to me too!"
"There are no regrets?"
"Not a one." He shook his head, "Do I look sad?"
"Far from it… I would have thought that an American living here might be feeling homesick."
"I like visiting, but this is my home now. Home doesn't have to be where you're from."
"True… I hate Kyoto."
"Really? Beautiful place, I thought… We've visited a few times."
"Too much history."
"Amazing temples…"
"Not so amazing if you are raised in one." He smirked and put aside the beer to light a cigarette.
"Ah… That's right. Kentaro was saying you were raised to be a priest. Forgot that."
"I would not have been a good one."
"Good writer though."
"So people say." He shrugged.
"Your car says you've got the bucks that prove your popularity."
"Being popular does not make you good."
"I suppose you're right… Do you enjoy writing though?"
"Yes, I do."
"Then if you enjoy it, keep on going."
"I fully intend on it."
"So, how does a guy who has probably been with more women than I've even looked at, end up with Shuichi?." He smirked, "Seems a far more unlikely tale than mine…"
"Nnn…" He nodded, "A little altercation over a video game that he wanted and I got the last copy of… After a lot of begging, I let him play a game with me… Turned into a full evening of pretty even matches. I enjoyed it. Maybe because he wasn't treating me like most people do. I only found out later that he had no clue who I was."
"Sounds like that was a good thing."
"It was… I saw one of the songs he was working on, spilling out of his backpack when he took a bathroom break… Read it… When he came back I told him it was the biggest load of crap I'd ever read and that he should quit while he was ahead."
"Jeezis… Harsh."
"Yes. I was… Didn't stop him from stalking me from that point on to prove me wrong and get my attention though… So, now here we are."
"Why'd you give in, then? From your account of the situation, you should have just gotten a restraining order."
He shrugged slightly, staring ahead.
"Eiri… Guy… Unclench already." He laughed.
"Unclench…" His eyes tightened.
"Seriously… You're what? 28?"
"Yes… And?"
"I've always been amazed by how fast you Japanese are expected to grow up… You've got the kind of success that a guy twice your age might not get after a lot of trying. Kentaro was managing a hospital's offices and staff at 23. Blows my mind… But you're still young, Eiri. Lighten up a bit. It's not all serious."
"Don't think you know me…" He muttered, taking a drag on his smoke.
"I don't. I just know the guy whose surface I'm looking at right now. The one I've been watching for a few days up close and personal. I'm trying to get to know you, but you're doing a damn good job of burying yourself. You've got more cement than the Great Wall of China going on in you. What the hell, Eiri-kun? You're young, you're famous, you're rich, and you have someone in your life who loves you. What's the problem? Why can't you relax and just be yourself? It's not going to make you less of a man to crack a smile for more than just effect or punctuation."
Eiri shot him a cold look, but it didn't deter Alan.
"Ow… If looks could kill… I'd be dead a million times over." He chuckled and noticed Eiri's surprise at having his scowl challenged with a smile.
"My life… is none of your business. With respect… I appreciate your hospitality but do not appreciate being questioned, picked apart."
"Tough." Alan continued to set him off balance with his smile and not backing down.
"Tough?"
"Yeah. Tough… You're the one that said he wanted my advice. Right? So I'm giving it to you now whether you like it or not… I think I knowwhy you're with Shuichi."
"Enlighten me…"
"Because that kid's the only one with the vibration speed to get past your maze of walls. He's open and honest and kind and helpful. Every emotion is out there for everyone to see. There's no mystery, there's no walls with him. In other words, he's your polar freakin' opposite. He's safe for you because he doesn't wear a mask. He's completely comfortable in his own skin…" He watched Eiri's expression shifting as he was deciding how to react.
"What the fuck do you know?… Nothing."
"I think I hit it right on the head, actually… So… How many of you are in there trying to defend the real you, anyway? Which personality is this one? Protective guardian at the gate? Frightened child lashing out?"
Eiri's eyes widened with shock and he got up, Alan jumping up and taking his arm to prevent his departure.
"Here comes another one. Who's this one, kiddo? Rage? Do you even know all the masks you wear?"
"Fuck you… Let go of me." He snarled.
"Not a chance… You hate being out of control, don't you?"
"So the fuck what? Who doesn't??" He jerked his arm away but Alan pushed him back against the wall.
"We're not done yet, kid… I've been in the military so I know what post traumatic stress looks like… and I've spent a lot of time picking up some rather old healing arts… I can see all that pain you're masking through all your coping mechanisms… so why don't you let me help you break up that concrete a bit? I can already see it starting to stress from being challenged… Shuichi doesn't challenge you like this. He does it in different ways."
"It's none of your goddamn business, gaijin." He tried to get free but was pushed back again.
"You're family now, Eiri. I want what's best for you. I'm not doing this to hurt you. I want to help. Won't you let me?"
"What can you possibly do to help me?"
"Offer you some release, healing energy and someone you can talk to, someone who isn't going to give a damn about your name, your fame or whatever else everyone sees of you on the surface… That's about it right now… So be a man and let me help, why don't you? Five minutes. Give me five minutes of you just calming the hell down."
"Fine…" He growled.
"Keep trying." He laughed gently at Eiri's continuing scowl, "It'll stink more if I start off with you all wound up like this."
"I don't know how to calm down when I'm pinned to a wall by ex-US military…"
"Yeah, well… I'm also your gaijin Uncle Alan… so we'll do this the hard way and get it over with, huh? It'll be a little worse than ripping off a band-aid."
When he lay his hand on Eiri's stomach it seemed to hit him like a solid punch. His expression changed completely from the sensation and he doubled over with a yell. Eiri tried to fight it off now that he felt it, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do to defend himself from the strange energy that had entered him.
"It's okay… Just relax. Just let it happen." Alan said quietly in his calming voice.
"What… are you… Aaah…" He gasped.
He ended up sliding down the outer wall of the workshop, wrecked, sobbing. Alan knelt there with him, Eiri trying weakly to pull his hand away from his stomach.
"Stop it… Please stop. It hurts…" He urged out.
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just all the shit inside you getting a chance to come out. It's not all going to come out right now… There's a load of it… but you have to let it go, Eiri... It's not your friend. You're just used to it." He said, pressing his hand firmly into all those knots and trying to speak as kindly as he could, "You've been seeing psychiatrists… taking medication… I'm not going to put that down, because there's a place for it… but I feel like it's just making it easier for you to keep the status quo, yanno? It's not helping fix the problem, especially seeing how you're trying to resist this… It's just keeping the symptoms in check… You're doing real good, kiddo. Keep it coming. You'll earn the rest of your beer." He smiled, pleased to see the flicker of a smile on his patient's face.
After a very long few minutes he let go and Eiri took a shallow, shaking breath, wiping at his red eyes. Alan ruffled his hair up affectionately.
"You okay?"
"No I'm not okay… It still hurts… What the hell did you do to me?" He moaned.
"Oh, a little ancient technique of energy manipulation that I picked up. You're pretty blocked up in several chakra points. The worst is your stomach. You've been eating all your pain for years… but you've made a bunch of progress on your own lately, haven't you?"
"I'm doing my best." Another sob came out of him against his will, tears still falling.
"Takes a lot of guts to face this like you have. I'm proud of you." He nodded.
"Right…" He scoffed.
"Seriously. I'm not mocking you. Look at me…" He tilted Eiri's head back, "Anything you need help with, you let me know. Okay? Under all this stuff there's a hell of a good guy. Whatever happened to you, happened to you, not because of you. Wasn't your fault. Stop thinking you don't deserve to be loved."
"I don't… I've been awful to Shuichi… I've made him cry so much… I can't stop myself from being an asshole to him most of the time… but I love him. I really love him." His tears increased, the pain welling up again with the confession, "And no matter what I do… he's always there for me. He never holds it against me."
"Because he loves you. You know he'd move heaven and earth for you. Just to make you happy, just to see a real smile on your face… There's worse things in the world to have to live with, huh?… This too shall pass… Take a deep breath."
"I can't." He moaned again, stomach still tight.
"Okay… Then sensei says, drink your beer." He smiled and gave him back his can to finish.
Eiri composed himself enough to have a drink and that helped to slow him down. His hand was over his stomach, which was still aching like he had been punched 20 times. Alan just watched over him, making sure that he didn't pass out from the release, drinking his own beer, resting against one of the outside beam supports for the porch roof.
"Hey…" He nudged Eiri with his foot after a while.
"What?"
"Want another?"
"Yeah… Bring me about 30." He smiled a little. Alan was pleased to see that it was a real smile for a change.
"We'll start you with one… Work your way up, Superman… Feeling any better?"
"Not much…. Sort of… I feel strange all over and my stomach is still killing me."
"It'll get better." He got up and went back inside, getting a couple more beers then returning to the porch, sticking one on Eiri's head, which he reached up and took.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"I mean for what you did… and the beer."
"No problem… Anything you need, kid. I'm serious." He sat down next to Eiri this time.
"How about you quit calling me 'kid'?"
"Sure, as soon as you catch up to me in years. You may act like an old man, but you're not. Deal?"
"Deal." He relented and after the second beer he was feeling more like himself… in a good way.
It still took nearly an hour to recover to a point of near normalcy but it was enough to get him back to work with Alan. Half drunk, they made a crappy pair of movers for some bookcases Alan had built and they had stained and finished before their break. Kentaro and Shuichi came back from their shopping expedition to find them this way, weaving half way down a path with a bookcase between them. Both stopped and stared.
"Welcome home!" Alan smiled, quickly trying to rebalance his end from having let go to wave.
"Hey, quit shifting." Eiri complained.
"Drunk movers… Be careful with that!" Kentaro scolded and they got out of the way.
"Wow. Eiri's really doing physical labor… How strange."
"Alan has an interesting effect on people." Kentaro smiled, receiving a kiss from his husband as they passed by, nose wrinkling at the scent of alcohol, "That and some beer apparently. Let's go make them dinner so they have something to soak up the alcohol."
"Good idea… Wow."
Eventually Eiri and Alan came into the house to see what was available for eating.
"Hey." Eiri came over and kissed Shuichi in greeting.
"Ummm… You're definitely full of beer. I can taste it!"
"Yeah." He smiled lazily.
"You've been drinking since we left?" Kentaro inquired.
"Not just me. He's the one with the beer." He pointed an accusing finger at Alan who was going to the fridge for another.
"So… he corrupted you?" Kentaro smiled.
"Exactly." Eiri nodded.
"I hope you haven't been using power tools while you've been drinking this much…"
"Nah, not once we finished the first can. Just the simple stuff and moving a few things." Alan stood beside Kentaro and kissed the top of his head, putting another can on the counter for his new nephew-in-law.
"It's cute to see you boys bonding."
"Eiri's a good kid. We're having fun. Right?"
"I didn't know this was a forced labor camp though." Eiri opened his next beer.
"That's why I got all the beer in ya. To keep you pliable." Alan winked.
"You mean, too drunk to know what I'm doing."
"But not so much that you fall over. It's a fine line… You want a beer, Shu-chan?"
"No thanks. We're having sake." He held up his cup.
"The cups are way too small." Alan said.
"Don't drink the beer. He'll put you to work." Eiri warned, drifting beside Shuichi and leaning.
"I'll leave that all to you… You're heavy."
"Why don't you drunkards get washed and changed so we can have a somewhat respectable family meal?"
"Whatever you say, K-chan." He bent and kissed Kentaro before going around the counter and taking Eiri by the back of his shirt, "You heard him. Let's go while you can still stand."
"Erk…" He almost toppled over from the sudden change in direction but caught himself and stumbled along.
Shuichi laughed, watching them go. "That's so funny. Eiri really likes Alan-san… He doesn't like people, usually…"
"Your Eiri is a complicated young man. Alan likes a challenge… and he likes family just as much as I do. Looks like he has broken down some of his defenses, after all."
"Yeah. It's so bizarre. I'm glad we came here more and more every day."
"So am I. It's nice to feel that my family is coming back to me. Maybe one day your mother will actually let me visit your sister!" He refilled their cups while things were simmering.
"I hope so. I know Maiko would be happy to know you."
"She knows about you two and she has no problems?"
"Right… I mean she kicked me because I was whining once about how Eiri had dated a billion models before he met me… but she doesn't have a problem with our being together."
"That's good… Not that she kicked you, of course…"
"Yeah… I love my family." He smiled happily, really pleased with how their week had gone.
"Me too…" Kentaro sighed, "Before, all I had were photos of happy lives. It's much better to have the real thing."
Outside, Alan was escorting Eiri back to the cottage so he could get washed up. Both of them were weaving a bit, but Eiri seemed much more relaxed.
"Alan-san…" He said just as they were approaching the porch.
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I should continue to see my psychiatrist?"
"I never said you should stop, but it seems like you have some doubts… Talk to me."
"I have not seen this person for very long. She is better than my previous Japanese nut-docs… but… She is nowhere near as effective as this one that I met in New York. There is still somewhat of a feeling that she is bowing to my will out of respect for my fame."
"You feel like you can get one over on her, huh?" He chuckled.
"Yes. That is it. That is how I behaved with my previous doctors. I know it didn't do me any good, but I felt safe because I was in control… After what you've done to me, I believe that what I need is to let go of that control to someone that I trust and respect… someone that doesn't see me as anything other than a person who is wounded… Am I wrong?"
"Nope. You owe it to yourself to get the best treatment that you can. If you have doubts about the person you are being treated by, they'll linger. You'll be no better off than you were. I know you don't want to go backward."
"Exactly. The doctor in New York did more for me than anyone has, and in a short amount of time. This new person was recommended by him."
"He won't be insulted if you seek out someone that's a better match. You should ask him for another recommendation. In the mean time, see if you can't do some phone sessions. It'll cost a bunch but I think you'll agree that would be better than nothing."
"Cost isn't an issue… It's too bad you're not a psychiatrist." He smiled weakly, "You'd be good at it."
"Nah… You don't necessarily have to see a psyche-doc either. Therapy comes in different forms. I'd recommend that you also find a good local Reiki master that isn't into books or pop music or pop culture and go get yourself some additional relief. I'll see if I can help you find that person through my connections."
"I would appreciate that." He nodded, "Is it going to hurt as much?"
"No. Not at all. I wouldn't recommend having to do anything afterward though. You'll feel like Jell-O. What I did to you was a little extreme, but it seemed to me like it was necessary to release the pressure inside you. It was causing you more pain than the treatment. You know?"
"I understand… and I still thank you… Can you do it again? In the less painful way."
"Not this time around. You're still sore. Just let this one sink in for a while… When we come down to see you, if you're still in the mood, I'd be glad to."
"All right… Thank you, Barton-sensei." He bowed to the man, almost tipping over from the beer.
Alan laughed and caught him, "That's 'Uncle Alan' to you. Right?"
"Right."
"Good man. Go get cleaned up. I'll wait."
"I will try to hurry without falling over."
"Yeah, you can try." He laughed again as Eiri tripped a bit going up the stairs.