This I Promise You
Sequel to: "My Heart Beats Like A Drum"
Building A Family series
Written by: Chochowilliams
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: Could it be that Shuichi really is just paranoid or is there something about the new neighbor?
Warning: M/M, Sexual Situations, Romance, Drama, Angst, Fantasy, Infidelity, OOC-ness, Language, M-Preg, Masturbation, Anal, Oral, Minor Character Death, OCs, 1st person POV (Chapter 1), Japan Natives: surname first
Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, OMC/OFC
Insert: recap from Chapter 5, and flashbacks from previous chapters
A/N: Enjoy!
oOo
Last Time
Hearing the exchange, Shuichi carefully lowered the corner of the blanket and peered out. "Eiri, what is it?" he asked timidly.
"Visitor."
"Who?" Shuichi asked curiously.
"It's a Mr. Nakano, Sir," Marcus said.
Eiri's brow shot up. Well, well, he thought.
While Shuichi had no idea what was being said, the name of his best friend got his attention. "Nakano?"
"Hai," Marcus nodded. It was one of the only phrases he knew in Japanese.
"Hello, Shuichi," came a familiar voice from behind the guard.
Shuichi looked up as the bodyguard-he could not remember his name because Western names were so difficult to say and remember-turned around, a hand went automatically to his gun. "Hiro," he breathed, seeing his red-haired friend.
oOo
Chapter 6: To Be Home Sweet Home
Keio University Hospital
"Eiri," Shuichi scolded with a look over his shoulder at his husband.
The blond writer looked at him innocently. Shuichi could just imagine the celestial halo circling his head, held up of course by a pair of devil horns. Shuichi snorted and rolled his eyes at the image.
"No," said Hiro's soft voice. "It's okay."
Shuichi turned back around to stare incredibly at the red-haired guitarist.
"I deserved that."
"What kind of crap is that? Hiro, you're my best friend! There's no excuse for Eiri treating you like that," Shuichi snapped. He cast his writer husband a side-glance. "Even if he doesn't particularly like you."
Eiri looked at him with a raised brow as if to say, "Who me?"
"How can you say that?" Hiro asked Shuichi softly.
"Say what?" Shuichi asked in confusion.
Hiro sighed. "I should have listened to you about Rinjin. If I had," he shook his head, "maybe none of this would have happened."
Shuichi glanced sadly at his friend's guilt ridden face. Admittedly, he had been so angry and frustrated that nobody had taken him seriously when he expressed his misgivings of Rinjin. In retrospect, though, Shuichi could understand their reluctance. Rinjin had been unlike any other stalker or any other overzealous fan. The man had acted the part of the great friend and confident. Shuichi could blame them for being taken in. So, he decided to tell Hiro the same thing he told everyone else.
"Michael, Kei and Kai told me months ago that since Rinjin hadn't done anything, there was nothing you could have done. When he did, he struck in the early morning when I was leaving for work. He waited until I was alone." He stared intently at Hiro. "Even if you'd believed me, there's nothing you could've done to prevent what happened. If it wasn't then, than it would've been another day."
The only ones who could have helped had abandoned their posts because of a text message they assumed was from Seguchi-san.
Hiro stared at his friend in shock for several long seconds and then chuckled. "That's so out of character for you," he teased.
"Huh?" Shuichi blinked in confusion. He had a feeling he was being made fun of, but was not sure exactly how.
Behind him, Eiri chuckled. "I guess even you have your moments."
Shuichi glared evilly at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped.
"It means you're an idiot."
"I am not," Shuichi pouted, hurt. "I know I'm not very smart and that graduating high school was just a fluke, but-"
"Baka," Eiri sighed. He leaned down and pressed his lips against his husband's temple. "I was kidding, you moron," he whispered.
"Oh." Shuichi blushed crimson, silently scolding himself.
Hiro smiled warmly at the couple. Their relationship may have started out rocky, to say the least, but through thick and thin, they stayed together. No matter what the cold bastard did to Shuichi, the singer kept running back each time. It was obvious to anybody with half a brain in their head that these two needed one another in order to have balance in their lives. It was as if they were each other's heart and lungs, something you could not live without. They were perfect for one another, two parts of a whole. They were so in love that Hiro was surprised that it had taken them this long to finally be hitched.
His smile slipped into a deep frown as he remembered that day. It should have been the happiest day of their lives and instead…
Hiro sighed heavily. "I've been afraid to come here and see you," he told his friend truthfully. "The last time I saw you…"
Shuichi lowered his eyes and stared at his lap, remembering that day all too well.
The memory of that day was still all too fresh in Eiri's mind as well. A renewed surge of anger flashed through him.
"Hiro," Shuichi whispered. He threw his fellow band mate a sad glance but quickly looked away. "I…"
"I can apologize till I'm blue in the face, but it won't make up for what I did. Kai called me as I was leaving your place and he said that Eiri called that morning to say that you weren't coming in. Apparently, he forgot. I felt like such a fool and still do."
"I-Kai came to see me a couple weeks ago and he explained everything to me," Shuichi said. "I understand why you did what you did, why you barged into my apartment and I-I do understand Hiro."
Hiro breathed a sigh of relief.
"But…I still can't forgive you. I don't know if I ever will."
That was understandable. Hiro nodded slowly. He had known that, but it still hurt. Shuichi could forgive just about anything anybody did to him, but what Hiro did that day was something even Shuichi would not be able to forgive. He would never forgive himself for destroying their friendship. His head shot up when he felt a smaller hand engulf his fisted hand on the bed. "Shuichi?"
"But you are my friend," Shuichi said with a grin.
Hiro could not help but smile back. "Thank you, Shuichi," he sighed, relieved.
"And friends look out for one another, right?"
"Yeah, you're right," Hiro nodded, smiling widely.
Eiri snorted. "I guess you really aren't as dumb as you look," he told his husband.
"Hey! Even I have my moments," Shuichi snapped, turning to glare at his husband. His anger turned to confusion as the other men in the room chuckled. "Uh, I don't think that came out right." That made them laugh even harder.
Suddenly, a loud wail overrode the laughter, startling them. All eyes turned in unison to the stroller by the door. Sighing heavily, Hiro closed his eyes for a second and muttered something under his breath. Opening his eyes, he reached inside the carriage. When his friend straightened, Shuichi cooed at the sight of the chubby baby cradled in Hiro's arms.
A tiny set of lungs lot loose a tidal wave of misery. The noise grated on Eiri's nerves. This is what he wanted with Shuichi? Buddha, help me, he silently prayed.
"Oh, Hiro," Shuichi cooed, his eyes sparkling. "Is that…?"
"Um hm. Shuichi, I'd like you to meet my son, Nakano Kazahaya."
"Oh! How old is he?"
Hiro stepped closer to the bed so that Shuichi could get a better look at Kazahaya. "Twelve weeks."
"He's so chubby! Oh, Hiro, look at those cheeks!" Shuichi giggled and reached out to touch Kazahaya's tiny-fisted hands. Immediately, silence filtered through the room. Shuichi laughed harder when Kazahaya grabbed his finger.
Hiro blinked in amazement and shock. His son never acted like this with anyone, not even him and Ayaka. It usually took them several minutes of rocking or a binki to quiet him down. But all Shuichi did was touch his hand. How the bloody hell did he do that? He watched his son open cloudy brown eyes.
Shuichi giggled as he watched the baby intently as he studied his surroundings.
"Would you like to hold him?" Hiro asked softly.
Shuichi's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "Really? Could I?"
Hiro nodded.
Shuichi held out his arms as Hiro gladly handed him Kazahaya.
Hiro smiled and stepped back to watch his friend and then turned to look at Eiri who was now up standing besides the bed. He was watching his husband with a smile playing with the corner of his lips. His whole face had a strange gentleness to it. Hiro was taken back. Shuichi always spoke about there being another side to the man, but he never witnessed it first hand before. This was the first time he ever saw the cold, angry, stoic writer act so human before. It felt almost as if he stepped into an alternate universe. This was just more proof that the two of them belonged together. Hiro turned back to Shuichi.
Shuichi was a natural.
"Hi! I'm your uncle Shuichi and that drop dead gorgeous hunk over there is Uncle Eiri!"
Eiri snorted, rolling his eyes while at the same time feeling his face grow warm at the compliment. "Don't you mean aunt Shuichi?" he teased.
Shuichi tossed his husband a glare.
Eiri smirked.
Ignoring Eiri with a toss of his head and a 'humph', Shuichi glanced down at his nephew. His face beamed and his eyes twinkled with laughter. "You're so cute," he cooed. "Yes, you are!"
Kazahaya's face split into a face-eating grin.
"Yeah! You are the cutest thing and I bet you're so spoiled, aren't you? Spoiled little Kaza-kun!"
Kazahaya laughed, his face crinkled up in laughter.
To Shuichi it was the most beautiful sound in the world. It was like the sun revealing itself after a storm, but it also pained the singer. As fast as he was growing fond and attached to his nephew, it also hurt. Shuichi lifted his head and glanced at Eiri with tears prickling his eyes.
Something flashed across both Shuichi's and Eiri's faces that Hiro could not decipher.
Shuichi smiled down at Kazahaya who was staring up at him. An overwhelming sense of loss swept over him. If things had gone differently…
In that instant, Shuichi came to a decision. He looked up at Eiri, knowing that his face was an open book.
I want this, his expression screamed. I want this.
oOo
"He's a beautiful baby," Shuichi told his friend quietly as Hiro gently put his sleeping son in the stroller.
"Thank you." Hiro straightened. He had a beaming smile plastered on his face as he watched his son.
"He looks like Ayaka-san."
Hiro smiled wistfully. "Her looks and hopefully my talent." Turning around, he once again caught sight of the yearning expression on both Shuichi and Eiri's faces and wondered just what was going through their minds.
A huge yawn seized Shuichi. He rubbed heavy lidded eyes, fighting the strong urge to rest his eyes.
"Alright," Eiri commanded, watching his husband's drawn haggard face. "That's enough for today."
As predicted, Shuichi whined in protest, despite the fact he knew Eiri was right. He could hardly keep his eyes open all of a sudden. H e figured the adrenaline rush he received due to the arrival of his best friend and new nephew was wearing off.
Eiri shot him a look.
Shuichi clamped his mouth shut and smiled sheepishly.
Hiro chuckled nervously. "It's alright, Shu. I should get going anyway." The two friends embraced, but Hiro quickly pulled away when he noticed a warning glint in the blond writer's eyes. He swallowed. Never before had he been so aware of someone's disapproval before. "I'll visit again," he comforted his friend as he maneuvered the stroller to the hospital room door. "We're going to Kyoto on Monday for a week or so. I guess Usami-san has been really sick lately."
"Oh, I hope he's going to be alright," Shuichi said over a yawn.
Hiro chuckled as he skirted the stroller to hold open the door to push the stroller through. "The old codger is so damn stubborn; he'd make Death work around his schedule." Propping the door open with his back, Hiro wheeled his son out of the room.
"Say 'hi' to Ayaka-san for me," Shuichi called after him.
"I will," Hiro nodded. "See ya later, Shu."
"Bye, Hiro!"
When the door shut behind Hiro, Eiri linked their fingers together. Their wedding rings clinked. Eiri brought their clasped hands up and placed a tiny kiss on each of his husband's fingertips.
Blushing, Shuichi smiled at him. "I love you," he whispered. He yawned again.
Eiri returned his smile and ran a hand over Shuichi's hair, noticing the soft silky feel of it as it ran through his fingers. "I know," he said. "Now go to sleep."
Shuichi snuggled down under the covers. "Remember," he yawned. "You promised."
"So I did." Eiri leaned down and kissed his forehead.
"You won't forget?"
"No, I won't forget. I'll go talk to Dr. Ohtani now."
Shuichi's eyes popped open and he flew up, all thoughts of sleep vanishing like snow in June. Fear and anxiety raced across his face. With wide eyes, a pounding heart and sweat breaking out all over his body, he grabbed hold of his husband and frantically searched his face. "Don't leave me," he practically shouted in rising panic. "Please, don't leave me!"
Images flashed through his mind, of him outside their apartment, alone, with an advancing Rinjin, a covetous gleam in his eyes. He remembered waking up in total darkness and silence, again alone with Rinjin, hearing those falsely, insane words. "I won't hurt you, you know that! I'm here to help you! I want to save you...I love you…We belong together…Believe what you want, Shu-han. For you are mine…I'm doing all this for us, Shu-han, for our future!"
Not again! Not ever again! He never wanted to be alone again!
Eiri blinked, startled at the singer's outburst, then sighed heavily and pulled Shuichi into a hug. "How many times do we have to go through this? I won't leave you," he stated firmly.
Shuichi clung to him, suddenly crying and shaking.
Eiri rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered silently to himself.
For some reason, Shuichi's separation anxiety and abandonment issues had returned worse than ever since he woke from his coma. If Eiri was not in the room when he woke up, he threw a fit and literally went berserk.
His first night out of the coma, Shuichi woke up after a particularly disturbing nightmare to discover that his husband was not in the room with him. It did not matter that visitation hours were over and that Eiri had been forced to go back home. The only thing he knew was that Eiri was not there. He had abandoned him. He started screaming and thrashing about so widely that the hospital staff had been forced to sedate him. For the rest of the week, the very same thing happened. It got to such a point they had to prescribe some sleeping pills for him to take before he went to bed at night.
Sometimes, Shuichi was fine, but other times, like now, he refused to allow Eiri out of his sight. If he could, Shuichi would handcuff the writer to him so that he could not go anywhere without first alerting him. When he got like this, Eiri waited until Shuichi was asleep before he left and made sure he returned before Shuichi woke. It did not matter if someone else was in the room with him when he got like this. Nobody could calm him down but Eiri at times like these, not even his own parents.
Shuichi admitted he was afraid. He feared that once out of his sight, Eiri would disappear and he would never see him again. It was like how young children thought before they learned the difference. Out of sight, out of mind. If they could not see it then it was gone.
"Don't leave me! Please, don't leave me! Please," Shuichi mumbled repeatedly.
Eiri shushed him, holding him tight. "I promise you, Shuichi. I will not ever let you go. I almost lost you once and I don't plan on ever going through that again." He chocked back a sob. "You scared the shit out of me, Shu-chan and I promise you, now and forever, I won't ever let you go."
He continued to rock and console Shuichi, reassuring him that everything was going to be all right until he felt his husband's body relax and his breathing even. He pried Shuichi off him and gently pushed him back onto the bed. With a smirk, he pressed their lips together then quietly walked out of the room, thinking, He is so cute.
oOo
It was a dream. Part of me knew that, but it was so real that the other part did not want to believe it.
I was lying in bed besides Eiri's softly snoring form. The moonlight filtered in through the shades covering the window across the room, throwing a soft glow about the bedroom.
Tossing back the sheets, I swing my legs over the side of the bed and grabbed the pink lacquer cane leaning against the nightstand. Quietly, so I did not disturb my sleeping husband, I creep out of the room and tiptoe down the hall to the extra bedroom that at one time housed all the awards Bad Luck had received and all the stuffed animals and things our fans had given me. The awards had been moved into the room Eiri used as his office and all the stuffed animals and whatnot had been donated to various children's charities a year ago.
As I near the door, I notice it is open.
Entering the room, I see the lamp that looks like a bunny rabbit had been turned on and was acting as a nightlight. The ceiling fan was also on. It seems that there was a new study out that said having a fan on in an infant's room was supposed to help keep the baby from suffering from the effects that led to SIDS.
I walk across the room towards two white cribs that sat at opposite angles to the room's only window. A smile grew on my face. Standing between the cribs, I glance down at the small forms sleeping on their stomachs with a rolled up blanket placed under their side to keep them from smothering their faces in the mattress. I am not sure if babies were supposed to lie on their backs or their stomachs. It was always going back forth, but I asked my mother and she said to put the boys on their stomachs like this. Being a first time mother to newborns, I still worry though. My mother said it was only natural.
My boys' faces were hidden in shadow, but I knew. These were my boys, my two lovely boys. Smiling down at them, I silently thank Buddha and Kami-sama for this wonderful blessing and miracle.
Placing my cane against the side of the crib to my left, I reach a hand inside and trace my son's cheek lightly.
A noise from behind me drew my attention. I glance over my shoulder and smile at the tall man standing in the doorway. Turning back around, I smile down at my boys.
oOo
The Next Morning
Violet eyes fluttered open and stared at the window across from the bed blankly. He was vaguely aware that the shades had been drawn over the windows. They had been open when he fell asleep.
With a yawn, he flipped onto his back and stretched. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then ran his fingers through his bed head hair. Sighing, he glanced about the small room that had become his home for the past four months and for the first time noticed that he was alone.
He flew up in bed, panting heavily and feeling a surge of fear rush through him. His heart started racing and he began to sweat. He was alone just like that day. The memory flashed through his mind, as fresh as if it had just happened. He pictured himself walking down the dark, silent hall, alone, his guards nowhere in sight.
"Eiri," he shouted. "Eiri! Eiri!"
No, no, no! Where was he? He promised! He swore he would not leave. That he would stay with him! He promised! Had something happened to him? Oh, dear, Kami-sama! Was Eiri hurt? He could be lying bleeding and unconscious in a gutter somewhere right now! No!
"Eiri! Eiri," he cried hysterically. "Eiri!"
How he heard the door open over his ear splitting wails and cries for his husband was something nobody could figure out, or ever would.
At the first sound of their clients screams, the two bodyguards shot into action. Drawing their guns, they flung open the door to the hospital room. With expert precision, their gaze and guns swept over the room, taking in everything at once.
Shuichi sat in the bed, his face red and drenched with tears. He glanced at the door, hopeful, but his hopes were shattered when he realized it was only his bodyguards and not his husband. Fresh tears trailed down his face. He buried his face in his hands and cried. His body shook with unchecked sobs.
Marcus glanced at his partner and chucked his head towards the door. Blade inclined his head and exited the room, re-holstering his piece as he went. Shutting the door behind him, he retook his post. Meanwhile, Marcus put up his gun as well. "Mr. Shindou," he called, trying to be heard over the man's continuing cries.
"Where's Eiri," Shuichi sobbed. "Where is he? Why isn't he here?"
"Mr. Uesugi will be here shortly," Marcus told his young client in an effort to comfort the younger man, despite the fact that Shuichi would not be able to understand a word he was saying.
Shuichi only sobbed louder and cried harder.
The door opened behind them. Marcus, a hand on the butt of his gun, turned sharply. Shuichi's tears stopped and silence descended upon the room once again. He turned hopeful eyes towards the door, but was once again disappointed. Shuichi dropped his face in his hands and started bawling. His tiny frame shook. He collapsed into a ball in the middle of the bed and sobbed.
"Is there a problem?" the nurse in purple pants uniform asked in heavily accented English.
Marcus shook his head. "Everything is fine," he assured the woman.
The nurse bowed and left, shutting the door behind her, but not before throwing one last look at the bundle of misery sitting on the bed crying his eyes out.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Marcus left the room and took up his post on the other side of the door. He tossed a skeptical look at his partner.
A loud ping sounded down the hall and both men glanced questioningly and guardedly down the hall as the elevator opened. They relaxed noticeably as the tall blond haired writer strode confidently out of the elevator towards them.
Eiri had not taken more than half a dozen steps when he became aware of loud, pitiful wails emanating down the hall. With an annoyed, irritable sigh, he rolled his eyes, then closed them briefly and said a silent prayer. Reopening them, he marched down the hall, passing the nurses station on the way. One of them tried to gain his attention, most likely to tell him to please silence Shuichi because he was disturbing the other patients. He ignored her.
"Mr. Uesugi," Marcus greeted with a curt nod.
"How long has he been like this?" Eiri asked in English with a tired sigh.
"Just a few minutes, Sir."
Shuichi sounded like he had lost his best friend. With another sigh, Eiri pushed open the door and before he could take one-step over the threshold, a small, black blur barreled towards him, nearly knocking him over. Eiri grabbed onto the door jam trying to stabilize himself and to keep from flying backwards with a sound curse as the air was squeezed out of him.
Sobbing and shaking, Shuichi latched onto his husband like a koala.
"Damn brat," Eiri snapped. "What the hell are you doing?"
The trembling ball of snot and never-ending tears and distress wept out an explanation or an excuse of some sort that was completely muffled and censored by his hysterical sobs, none of which Eiri could understand or decipher, but he did not need a translator to understand what his husband was saying. He has been spewing the same nonsense for the past month. When he felt Shuichi starting to collapse, Eiri scooped him up bridal style and carried him back to the bed. He cuddled with the pintsized singer, letting him vent. The jest of the whole episode was that Eiri was a bastard for lying and not being here as he promised.
"I promised I'd never let you go, didn't I?"
With his face pressed against Eiri's shirt and his arms hugging him as if he was the last solid object in a sea of water, Shuichi nodded.
"And did I abandon you?" Eiri asked calmly and slowly as if he was talking to a hysterical child.
"You did," Shuichi accused with a sob. He lifted a tear stained face towards his husband. "But you did!"
Eiri shook his head. "No, I did not," he stated firmly but softly.
"You did! You did," Shuichi chanted pounding his fists against Eiri's chest.
Wrapping his arms around Shuichi, he held him tightly, rocking him and whispering in his ear, trying to calm him down. "I did not abandon you," he whispered. "I went to speak to Dr. Ohtani after you fell asleep yesterday like I promised you I would and then I had to leave when visitation hours ended."
That got Shuichi's attention. Silence once again fell onto the hospital room. Shuichi lifted a face red from crying, flooded with tears, and glanced at Eiri with hopeful, patient eyes.
Eiri ran a hand through his husband's soft, black hair, noticing for the first time that he needed a haircut. He raked his eyes over his husband as he quietly, but assuredly told him, "I asked him if it would be alright if I took you home."
Shuichi sat back and watched him intently.
"I told him that no matter what he said, I was going to take you home."
His patience was starting to wane. Shuichi started bouncing up and down on the bed in growing impatience. "Eiri," he whined. "What did he say?" He grabbed hold of Eiri's shirt and tugged it as he searched Eiri's face intently. "C'mon! Tell me! Tell me!"
Prying Shuichi's fingers off his shirt, Eiri held his arms at his sides and pecked his nose. "Tonight, you'll be in your own bed," he whispered. Eiri kissed a trail, starting from Shuichi's lush, pink lips, along his jaw line to his ear. He bit his earlobe gently and suckled it.
Shuichi moaned and tilted his head back to give him better access.
"Where," Eiri continued his voice low and husky, "I can finally fuck you until you can't move." He pulled back, noticed Shuichi's flushed face and his eyes filled with lust.
Shuichi's tongue poked out of his mouth and ran along his lips.
Eiri followed the movement and felt his own libido stir to life. He swallowed and cleared his throat, shifting as his pants became restrictive. All Eiri wanted to do at that moment was throw his lithe lover down on the bed and fuck him silly, but unfortunately…
Over the loud speaker came a garbles page for a doctor to report to the OR.
To get his mind off what his other head wanted, Eiri stood up, ignoring his husband's pout and groan of disappointment. He walked around the bed towards the window, but paused mid-stride when a realization hit him. "Shuichi…"
"Hm?"
Eiri turned around and watched his husband settle back onto the bed. "How were you able to walk to the door?"
Shuichi blinked, startled and confused. "Huh?"
"You clobbered me as soon as I entered the room."
"Oh." He blushed deeply, turning his head away. "I wanted to go find you and kinda, uh, forgot…"
Eiri studied his husband with a raised eyebrow as his blush deepened into a deep red flush. With a snort, Eiri shook his head. "Baka."
Shuichi peered at his husband, smiling.
oOo
Dr. Ohtani was against sending Shuichi home, but did not have a choice. Uesugi-san wanted his husband released and brought home. What Uesugi Eiri wanted, Uesugi Eiri got, especially when he had friends in high places. One call from Seguchi Tohma, one not so carefully veiled threat, and the release forms were being signed.
After dinner, Shuichi was given a full physical examination. Dr. Ohtani was surprised at how much progress the singer was making in such a short time. A month ago, Shuichi had been completely paralyzed from the waist down and now, his right leg was improving at such an incredible rate that it if this kept up, it would be back to normal in no time. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought Shuichi would regain the ability to walk. Yes, there had been a chance, a very good one, but reality and possibility were two very different realms.
While possibility appeared at the front door, reality was in the dining room eating dinner. Unlike his right leg, his left one was not faring so well. The feeling had returned, but unfortunately, it remained stubbornly impassive. It will not as much as twitch. Just for that alone, Dr. Ohtani wanted Shuichi to remain in the hospital for a bit longer, but that was not going to happen.
Dr. Ohtani stood at his office window watching as Uesugi Eiri and Shindou Shuichi's adopted son Riku wheeled Shuichi to the black Mercedes waiting right outside the front doors of the hospital.
One of the bodyguards placed a suitcase in the trunk of the car as Eiri helped his husband into the backseat. The second bodyguard stood like a sentry behind and slightly to the right of Eiri and his son with a blank expression on his face. His sharp eyes flashed around in such a way that left no room to question that he was on the job. The first suited goon took the state-of-the-art wheelchair, secured just an hour ago by none other than Seguchi Tohma and folded it down. There would be no cheap hospital contraption for the Uesugi-Shindou's. It was placed in the trunk next to the suitcase.
While Riku scrambled into the backseat, Eiri leaned into the car and gave his husband a quick chaste kiss before shutting the door and rounding the car to get in on the other side. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and Riku stepped back out of the car. Eiri slid into the backseat, apparently to sit next to his husband, ruffling his son's hair in the process. With a scowl, Riku slid into the car after his father. The door shut. The two hired goons got into the front seat and moments later the car sped off.
Dr. Ohtani wished them luck. They would need it.
oOo
En Route
Despite the seat belt and his half-paralyzed torso, Shuichi still managed to curl himself up against his husband. His head rested against Eiri's chest. His arms were wrapped around his waist and his good leg was using Eiri's legs as a footrest. Eiri's arm was draped around his lithe lover's shoulders, holding him securely to his side.
Eiri lifted his hand and studied his wedding ring over Shuichi's back. The gold band shinned and the three carat elongated oval Australian Tiger Iron glittered brown, black, deep red and gold in the late afternoon sun.
Draping his arm back around his husbands shoulder, he hugged him close. "Ya know, this little stunt of yours really screwed everything up," Eiri mock scolded.
Shuichi lifted his head and stared at his husband in confusion. "What?"
Feeling inexplicably chilly all of a sudden, Eiri grabbed the back of his husband's head and returned him to his earlier position. "I mean, we were supposed to go on our honeymoon, remember?"
Shuichi blushed and bit back a smile.
That was right. Eiri had gone to meet Mizuki-san to reschedule various appearances and whatnot in order to take his new husband on a special trip. Shuichi had been given the special duty of talking to Tohma when he went into work that morning.
He cuddled closer to his husband, feeling his heart soaring.
"And then you had to go and pull a Sleeping Beauty," he smirked over Shuichi's head.
Shuichi's smile slipped. "Hey," he frowned. Sitting up, he pouted at his life partner, causing Eiri's side to get cold once again. "That's not fair! Eiri-"
"Baka," Eiri whispered affectionately. He cupped the side of his husband's face and pressed their lips together. Pulling away, he smiled as he saw a light blush color Shuichi's cheeks. "You're cute when you blush," he found himself saying.
Shuichi's blush deepened. He dropped his head, avoiding his lover's soft gaze and cuddled back into him.
Riku found himself trying not to vomit. Really, he should be used to his parents being so lovey-dovey by now. When Eiri was stoic, he was cold and ruthless with all his heart, but when it was one of those rare times when he became all romantic and gushy, he was that with all of his heart too. He should just be happy that his parents were so in love. But really! Did they have to do in front of him? Ah!
Eiri chuckled and hugged Shuichi. He rested his cheek on top of Shuichi's head and smiled. It felt so good to be holding his singer again and to be going home. He looked forward to sleeping next to him once again. He especially could not wait to make love to him. He has felt like a ravenous wolf these last four months. It was like a bad case of cabin fever and it was driving him insane. All he wanted to do was possess his husband in every sense of the word. He wanted to stake his claim and mark his territory. He wanted to fuck the singer, but that was not what he was going to do. He was going to make sweet love to the man he planned to spend the rest of his life with, nice and slow and gentle.
"We still get to go, right?" Shuichi mumbled against his shirt, tightening his hold. He yawned, his eyes fluttering shut.
Scooting down in the seat, Eiri leaned his head against the top of the seat. "We'll talk when we get home."
Shuichi did not like that answer. He lifted his head and gazed deeply into his husband's eyes, pleading with him to give him something, some semblance of a normal life once again. "We will, right? Eiri?"
Eiri lifted his head, saw the puppy dog eyes, and suddenly felt guilty. He swallowed it back. "We'll talk when we get home," he told him firmly. He gently pushed Shuichi back down. "We have a lot to talk about."
Shuichi did not like that either. He buried his face in his husband's shirt, frowning. He suddenly felt a heavy tightness in his chest.
Lifting his hand, he studied his wedding ring through a blur of tears. The gold band shinned beautifully in the bright late afternoon sun. A brown star shinned in the eight black opals and the deep, rich rose pink Sri Lanka spinal in the center sparkled as the sunlight hit the ring.
Shuichi felt his throat constrict around a sob.
Did Eiri regret marrying him now that there was a chance that he would never be able to walk properly again? Now that he would not be able to slink and prance around on stage like he used to, sidling up against his band mates in a sly attempt to make Eiri jealous while at the same time getting the audience riddled up, would Eiri still come to his shows? With him having to learn to be independent again, to be able to go up and down the stairs in their apartment, to get in and out of bed, to dress himself, bathe himself, would Eiri stick by him knowing that he had to take care of a man that already depended on him for continuing balance in his life? Was Eiri already regretting his promise to stay by his side through it all? God, he hoped not. He needed Eiri. Without him, he was nothing. He would die a slow death without his husband at his side and he did not mean that just metaphorically. "E-Eiri?"
The man made some sort of indecipherable noise.
"D-do you…do you regret-?"
Eiri's head snapped up. He grabbed Shuichi in blind fury and glowered at him.
Shuichi cowered under his husband's gaze, wincing as Eiri's fingers dug into his arms. "Ow! Eiri, you're hurting me!"
In the front seats, the guards peeked in the side and rearview mirrors at the couple, but said and did nothing.
Riku's head snapped around. Holding his breath, he watched the scene intently out of the corner of his eye.
Eiri shook Shuichi, barely suppressing the urge to hit him. He may have slapped him in order to wake him from his nightmares and smacked him upside the head when he was being stupid, but he would never ever hit him in anger. Though, in the beginning of their relationship, he had kicked him around a few times, but he had not done so since and did not intended to ever do so again. He would do nothing to risk losing what he had with Shuichi. "What the fuck is your problem?" he snapped irately. "Why would you ask something so stupid?"
Shuichi bowed his head as tears trickled down his face silently. "I just…It's just that I'm not-I'm not the same as I was. I can't-"
"Shut the fuck up, you stupid ass!" Eiri pulled his husband into a tight hug. "I don't regret anything, you hear me? And if you start this bull crap, I'll beat you senseless, understand?"
Shuichi wrapped his arms around his husband and wept into his shirt.
Both embarrassed at witnessing such a tender moment and relieved that the fight had not been anything too serious to worry about Riku avoided the scene and turned back to staring out the car window. The city whizzed by in a blur of color. Maybe he should have stayed home.
"Do you think I would have put my life on hold these past three months and stayed by your side this whole time if I had any regrets? Do you think I would have defied the doctor's orders and brought you home?" Eiri cupped Shuichi's face and pulled away, glancing into his watery violet eyes. "Do you think I would have regrets when all I want to do is sweep you in my arms and carry you to bed where I plan on keeping you up all night?" he whispered sweetly, causing Shuichi to blush, his eyes shinning with the beginning of lust. Eiri lifted Shuichi's left hand and placed a light kiss on Shuichi's wedding ring. "Do you think I would have placed this on your finger if I had any regrets? Do you think I would be here now if I had any?" Eiri cupped Shuichi's face again. "We've been together for ten years, Shu. If I wanted to leave, I would just do it, but I'm here and this is where I plan on staying until the day we die."
"Oh, Eiri!" His face full of tears, Shuichi threw himself at his husband, hugging him tightly. "I love you so much!"
Eiri hugged Shuichi back, a stray tear trickling down his face. "I know. I know," he echoed softly.
Riku rolled his eyes. His parents were something else. Though he could not keep a smile from his lips.
oOo
Uesugi-Shindou Residence
When they finally pulled up to their apartment building, the little family was happy to see that once again they had thwarted the media. It was peaceably quiet, or at least, as quiet as it got in Tokyo. They knew that they would have to set up a press conference within the next few days, but for right now, they were wallowing in the tranquility.
One of the bodyguards popped the trunk and Eiri got out to fetch the wheelchair. Riku took his mama's luggage.
Eiri had no idea how his brother-in-law managed to get hold of the wheelchair such a short time. It was an electric wheelchair. It was also one of only a handful in the whole world. Eiri was not sure how it worked, but somehow using the lever on the arm you could lift the chair up so that the wheels acted like a kind of lift so when you went out for a walk with someone you could be at the same height. Another feature the chair had was the ability to go up and down steps. That function scared Eiri. He could just picture Shuichi spilling down the stairs face first. He had no intention whatsoever in allowing his husband to even try that. If he had to, he would carry the singer up and down the apartment stairs every five minutes if need be, but there was no way Shuichi was going to walk up those steps in this contraption.
Eiri shook that image aside violently as he unfolded the chair. He locked the brakes and stepped aside to watch Shuichi scoot out of the backseat and into the chair without any help. Eiri smiled and felt a surge of pride. He retrieved his husband's suitcase and stood by the trunk, watching as a variety of emotions swept across Shuichi's face. He watched the effort it took for Shuichi to gather the confidence to overcome his fears. Pushing away from the trunk, he walked up to the singer. "Ready?"
Not really, Shuichi thought uneasily peering up at the apartment building. Swallowing back his fear, Shuichi smiled at his husband. "Yes." Or as much as I can be, he added silently. He covered Eiri's hand that rested on his shoulder. "Let's go home."
Shuichi grabbed the lever and propelled himself forward like a pro.
Riku followed slowly behind. He regretted volunteering to take his mama's suitcase. It weighed a bazillion tons. What in the world did he have in it? Bricks?
Marcus followed them inside the building while Blade went to park the car. Other than Koji and Jacob, Shuichi used to have a chauffer. With him being as well known as he was, it was impossible for him to take public transportation anymore. Even in disguise, he was easily recognizable. Apparently, Tohma had fired his driver. Either that or the man was on an extended leave of absence. It was something Shuichi would have to remember to bring up the next time he saw the president.
The whole ride up the elevator was a nerve-racking experience for Shuichi. Riku was trying to say something to him, but it was all background noise as with each passing floor, he felt the anxiety, fear, uncertainty and the ambiguity close around him. They clouded his mind, numbing him to the joy he felt at finally being able to go home. He gripped his hands together in his lap to keep them from shaking. He felt his heart beating a rapid tattoo in his chest, felt it pounding painfully and heard the blood rushing in his ears. He took deep, even breaths to try to quell the rising panic. The last thing he wanted or needed was to start hyperventilating. He had to be strong. He had to overcome this. He could not let it run his life.
When the elevator pinged, Shuichi whispered in a confident voice, "I can do this."
When the doors slid open, Marcus stepped out first to do a quick sweep. When the coast was clear, he stepped aside and allowed his clients to exit the elevator. Shuichi flew out of the elevator and down the hallway, determined not to let this horrible event hold him back, but he could not stop the memories that came flying back.
o
"Hello, Shindou-san."
Shuichi turned, expecting it to be Koji or Jacob, but instead he gasped. He took a step back as a figure stepped out of the shadowy doorway. "Ri-Rinjin."
The singer continued to back away slowly. His heart was racing. It was beating a rapid and uneven tempo against his breast. His breath came out in wheezing pants. He was dry mouthed and his palms were slick with sweat. He was shaking violently and his stomach was churning. Saliva filled his mouth like a leaky faucet. He swallowed sharply. His ran his tongue along lips gone dry.
"I heard you got married," Yasashii accused angrily as he strode towards the terrified singer.
Shuichi stared at the man in shock and surprise. "H-how did you…?" The only person other than Eiri and himself who knew was Seguchi-san. How had Rinjin found out? Pale and feeling slightly lightheaded, Shuichi glanced around him in growing desperation.
o
When the memory faded, Shuichi found he was sitting outside the apartment where his life had taken a drastic and unexpected turn. Trembling visibly, he stared at the newly restored door. "Eiri? I want to go in," he told his husband in a shaky but firm voice as the blond writer stepped up besides him.
Riku gazed from the apartment door to his mother and then glanced up at his father.
Eiri sighed. He was not sure if that would be possible. A month after the incident, the police finally released the apartment and the landlord immediately contacted Rinjin's family and demanded they come and clear out his things. He then sent Eiri a bill for the door and the railing he and Shuichi damaged. One call to Tohma and the landlord suddenly reconsidered. Two weeks after the apartment had been handed back to the landlord, a new family had taken residence. "I don't know-"
"Please, Eiri." Shuichi turned pleading eyes to his husband.
"Why do you want to go in for Mama?"
Shuichi locked eyes with his son. He smiled softly. "Because I have to."
"But why?"
"…It's something I just have to do."
Eiri sighed. "It's late, Shu. Why don't we wait until tomorrow? I'll talk to the tenants in the morning."
Shuichi's face brightened and held out his arms towards his husband.
Eiri had a strong urge to just walk away and leave the man hanging, but decided against that before the thought finished forming and obliged him instead.
"Arigato," Shuichi whispered, hugging his lover tightly. "Thank you."
Eiri pulled away, horrified to find he was blushing.
Riku grinned broadly. It was rare to his color in his father's cheeks. It was something only his mama could do to him.
Clearing his throat, Eiri turned his back on his husband and son and dug out his keys. He walked into the foyer and stepped aside, watching as Shuichi rolled to the door and peered inside. A smile flashed across his face, chasing away the last of the shadows that had been present since they pulled up. Taking a deep breath, he rolled inside, feeling suddenly as if a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was home.
oOo
In the three months Shuichi was in the hospital, he lost considerable weight. Eiri would have to make sure he started eating, especially if they planned to have that family.
A family. Eiri's lips tilted into some resemblance of a smile. He glanced down at the man in his arms. Shuichi smiled back and rested his head on his husband's chest. He never believed growing up he would get married-and to a guy no less-and want a family. He never thought he would ever feel this happy or feel this complete.
Eiri kissed his husband on top of his head.
Shuichi cuddled against him when a yawn suddenly came over him.
"Don't even think about it," Eiri warned his husband. "You aren't going to be able to sleep for a long time."
Shuichi giggled. "Is that a promise?"
"You'd better believe it."
Eiri kicked open the master bedroom door and marched inside. He unceremoniously dropped the smaller man onto the bed, watching as he bounced lightly. He felt himself growing hard as he thought about all the vigorous bouncing this bed was going to be seeing tonight.
Shuichi stared up at him, his eyes shinning and overflowing with desire. He giggled as he lay back on the bed. "Eiri," he whispered. His voice was thick with lust.
The writer growled and ripped open his button down shirt. The buttons scattered, pinging each way as if a bomb had gone off among them. Eiri really did not care that this particular shirt had cost a couple thousand Yen. He had more important things to worry about. He tossed the torn shirt over his shoulder, not caring where it went, whipped off his belt, throwing it after his shirt, and then removed his pants along with his boxers in one foul swoop. Stepping out of his jeans, he kicked them aside. He stood besides the bed, watching his husband with unbridled hunger.
Shuichi licked his lips as he watched his naked husband standing before him. His eyes roamed down from Eiri's pale, round face and gorgeous golden eyes to a well-toned chest and flat abs, a narrow waist, long legs and the thick meaty muscle standing erect between them. Shuichi's breath hitched at the glorious sight before him.
Sitting up, Shuichi yanked off his half shirt and tossed it to the floor. Lying back, he waited for his husband, knowing exactly what he would do. He was not disappointed when Eiri grabbed the waistband of his sweats and yanked them, along with his boxers, off, tossing them over his shoulder.
Eiri gazed down at his husband's nude body; he really was noticeably skinnier and would be even more so before this night was over. Feeling like a predator stalking his prey, Eiri crawled across the bed and up his husband's body, a deep growl emanating from his throat.
Shuichi's heart skipped a beat in expectation as he watched his lover slink his way up his body. It was as if the older man suddenly had muscles in places he should not have. It was very erotic.
Licking his lips, Shuichi gazed into his husband's ravenous golden eyes and reached up to trace the hard lines in his face. His ran his thumb along the fullness of his lips and down his chest, his fingers brushing over the sleeping buds and bringing them instantly to life.
They kissed softly, gently, almost tentatively. It was delicate, a light caress, in stark contrast to the fiery urge both had to completely consume one another.
Without pausing, Eiri's hand stroked up Shuichi's right leg lightly, brushing up his calf, over his knee and down the inside of his thigh to tease the edge of him.
Shuichi linked his fingers behind Eiri's head and pressed their mouths together hard and firm. He ran his tongue along Eiri's bottom lip, nipping it, seeking entrance. Eiri opened his mouth willingly and Shuichi slipped his tongue inside, exploring his mouth. Eiri's tongue teased Shuichi's back into his mouth. He nipped and pulled at the lush, red lips as his finger slipped inside. Shuichi cried into Eiri's mouth, arching his back off the bed, his fingernails digging into Eiri's shoulders.
Eiri quickly found that sweet spot and thrust over and over it, slipping in a second and then a third finger before Shuichi pried his mouth away from his husband's and cried out, enveloping them both in a white spray.
Shuichi lay back, panting and sweaty, his limbs feeling like rubber.
Eiri removed his fingers, pleased with himself. Walking backwards on his knees, he gazed down at the wide set shoulders, the flat stomach with its small indentation and perk nipples, the narrow waist and bony hips and his groin that lay limp now.
Eiri gazed at the sexy face and the violet eyes that were only now beginning to focus.
He leaned down over the heavy weight between the thin thighs and licked along the shaft as if he was eating an ice cream cone. Up and down, back and forth until Shuichi cried out. Eiri grabbed the base of him and squeezed. Shuichi caught his breath and shuddered, closing his eyes briefly. Eiri leaned back down and pulled him into his mouth. Eiri slid his husband's soft cock all the way into his mouth and down his throat. He took him all in, deep throating him. He slid him back out and then, after catching his breath, slid back down, swallowing him whole once again. He did this repeatedly, each time feeling Shuichi's cock harden even more. He felt Shuichi's body jerking underneath him.
"Oh, God, Eiri," Shuichi cried out, his voice thick with lust.
Eiri raised his head and noticed that Shuichi had grabbed hold of the headboard, his knuckles white. He returned to his ministrations, thrusting his husband in his mouth and down his throat. Shuichi writhed, panting heavily, his whole body pulsating with each breath. His muscles spasmed and convulsed, arching off the bed with one cry after another.
"Eiri, please! Oh, Kami-sama! Please!"
Eiri slid his husband's rock hard cock out of his mouth. "What is it, Shu-chan?" he asked the man, his voice just as thick with desire.
"Fuck me! Now! Please!"
"No."
Half dazed, his mind clouded with lust, Shuichi had a hard time wrapping his mind around what his husband had said. "What?"
"I won't fuck you, but I will make love to you."
Eiri crawled up Shuichi's body and leaned over him in a sort-of push up motion. He captured his husband's lips and kissed him deeply and passionately, transferring all his pent up desire and hunger into it. He possessed his mouth, coveted it and crawled inside.
At the same time, he grabbed Shuichi's ankles and spread his legs. Taking hold of his bony hips, he pulled Shuichi down towards him. Grabbing himself, he laid his own hard cock against Shuichi's entrance and holding Shuichi's hips tightly, pushed inside him one tight inch at a time. Shuichi cried out against Eiri's mouth, moaning at the sensation of his husband pushing his way inside him. Eiri pressed himself inside his husband until he hit the end.
Eiri pushed up and watched Shuichi underneath him. Shuichi opened his hunger-filled eyes and stared up at his husband, resituating himself. He held Eiri's shoulders and squeezed them, telling him he was ready. Eiri took his husband at his word and pulled out slowly, until the tip of him was barely inside, then just as slowly thrust inside. He buried his face in the crook of Shuichi's neck and slowly and gently pressed inside of him and pulled back out. He had to fight the urge to speed up, to take his husband without mercy, to make him scream bloody murder.
He rocked against Shuichi, both hands on his hips, holding them together.
Underneath him, Shuichi moaned erotically, thrusting his hips up and down, meeting his husband. His eyes were closed, his mouth hung slack as he moaned and cried out in passion. His fingers clawed at Eiri's shoulders, arching his back off the bed.
Shuichi was so caught up in the hypnotic sensation of his husband pressing himself inside of him as if he was afraid he would break that the orgasm took him by surprise. His eyes rolled back and he arched off the bed, his hands fisting the sheets on either side of him. He cried out long and loud.
His husband clamped around him, making it harder for Eiri to thrust inside of him. He felt the pressure and pushed inside of his husband one last time before he exploded. He groaned, arching his back and shuddered, releasing his seed.
Panting, Eiri pulled out of his husband, hearing Shuichi hiss and groan, and collapsed onto the bed next to him. Shuichi curled up next to Eiri. Eiri hugged Shuichi to him and kissed the top of his head. "Are you okay?"
Shuichi nodded against Eiri's chest.
"Good." Eiri draped his other arm around Shuichi's waist, holding him tightly.
"This is better than any trip to the Caribbean, or the Bahamas," Shuichi whispered sleepily.
Eiri chuckled.
"Just being with you is heaven," Shuichi whispered.
Within minutes, his breathing had settled and Eiri realized he was asleep. So much for keeping him up all night. "Welcome home, Shuichi," Eiri whispered before he closed his eyes and fell in the first peaceful slumber in four months. Hey, the night was still long. He would give Shuichi a couple hours.
oOo
It was the middle of the night when I found myself staring at the ceiling, suddenly wide-awake and was not sure why.
Usually when something like this happens, it is because I have to go to the bathroom, but not tonight. Tonight is different, especially when an eerie feeling comes over me. It feels like I am not alone, as if someone is watching me. It was a feeling we all get when we are at home alone, but I know I am not alone because Eiri is asleep next to me. No, this-this was different.
Without turning my head, I stare down the length of the bed and freeze. I lie petrified under the sheets and stare at the figure standing in the middle of the bedroom, directly between the bed and the door. An unspeakable fright and panic wash over me. Fear takes away my ability to speak, to move, to breathe. I stare at his chest, struggling for some reason with myself not to stare into his face. Why, I do not know.
Without moving, without taking a step, the figure was suddenly standing at the very foot of my bed. I feel my heart leap out my chest. I still cannot move. I am completely paralyzed, whether by fear or something else I do not know.
Then out of the corner of my eye, I spot someone appear out of nowhere. He glides across the room until he stands between the foot of the bed and this shadowy figure without it taking a step back. The newcomer I study and realize is my paternal great grandmother, in other words my father's mother mother, who passed away a few years back.
My grandmother Shindou stands with his hands outstretched and his back to me. I suddenly feel my fear and panic vanish. A sense of calm washes over me. I close my eyes and fall back to sleep, knowing that Nana would take care of everything.
oOo
The Next Morning
The next morning, Shuichi was sitting at the breakfast table staring into his juice.
He could not stop thinking about the weird dream he had last night. Had it even been a dream or had it actually happened? At the time it was happening, it'd felt so real, and not like those dreams that felt so real, you swear up and down that it was actually taking place, because on some level, you always know it was a dream. No, this dream had felt as real as reality, as real as he felt at the moment. But now, the morning after, the memory was surreal, like something out of a book or movie. Things like this just did not happen.
It scared him to think it might have been real. To think that some-entity could just appear inside his bedroom, a place where you were supposed to be safe. It scared him, but at the same time, knowing that whatever happened, he always had his family to protect him, that made it seem a little more bearable.
Shuichi blinked, snapping out of his thoughts when Eiri set a plate before him. Shuichi suddenly forgot all about that strange dream and picking up his chopsticks up, broke them apart, muttered, "Ita da ki masu," and shoveled the beautifully prepared Japanese breakfast into his mouth. He was so hungry! It felt like he had not eaten in months!
"Riku," he heard Eiri holler from the doorway of the kitchen. "Your butt better out of bed and on its way down here or I'm going to kick it in!"
There was a barely audible reply that apparently Eiri heard clearly.
"I don't care! You drag your ass down here now! Because if Shuichi eats your breakfast, then you're shit out of luck!"
Shuichi threw his husband a glare, which went ignored. Was Eiri saying he was a pig? Grumbling at the insult, Shuichi went back to shoveling the deliciously prepared food into his mouth. He was soon lost back in thought.
Eiri took his seat opposite Shuichi and dug into his breakfast that was fast becoming cold. His chopsticks paused halfway to his mouth, Eiri watched his husband in amusement. With a shake of his head, he went back to eating. It was amazing he had been able to find anything to cook, seeing as for the past three months he has been practically living at the hospital, but apparently someone had done some shopping as the kitchen was stocked. Eiri had a feeling he had Tohma to thank for that. He took a sip of his coffee, realizing just how quiet it was. It was unusual for the apartment to be this silent when Shuichi was home. He was not sure if he liked it.
He checked the clock on the wall behind Shuichi. "Your son apparently stayed up late last night playing video games." He stabbed his chopsticks at his once pink haired lover. "If he's late to school, it'll be your fault for buying him that goddamn game system."
Not really listening, Shuichi shrugged listlessly.
Eiri studied his husband. "…You're awfully quite this morning," he observed.
Shuichi looked up at stared at his husband across the table in confusion. "Hm?" he muttered around a mouth full of food.
"I said you're awfully quiet this morning. What's wrong?"
Swallowing, Shuichi reached for his cup and took a big gulp of juice. An image of that mysterious black figure flashed through his mind. "I was thinking," he admitted, setting his cup down.
Eiri cocked an eyebrow as he shoveled some tuna into his mouth. He had a smart retort ready for that, but decided against it when he saw the thoughtful, distant expression on his husband's face. "About what?"
"A-dream I had last night."
"You're not sure?"
Used to his husband being able to read him like an open book, Shuichi only nodded. "It…I think I was awake, but…It just seems…"
"Tell me."
And he did. Shuichi told him about waking up and finding that man, that-thing at the foot of his bed and of his dead great grandmother coming to protect him.
Afterward, silence stretched between them. Eiri truly had no idea what to say. Truthfully, just hearing Shuichi talk about that creepy dream made him want to bless the house. "Maybe it was Rinjin trying to make you his one last time," he joked, picking up his coffee mug.
Shuichi paled and Eiri mentally cursed. Wrong thing to say.
"But from what you said, your grandmother came to your rescue, right?" He shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "Maybe now you'll stop having all those nightmares and we can finally have a decent nights sleep."
"You think so?" Shuichi asked him.
"One can only hope," he muttered.
"What?"
Eiri was saved from having to repeat himself by the ringing of the phone. He stood and crossed the kitchen. "Yeah…Yes...Oh, yes, Shiratori-san. What can I do for you?"
Shuichi raised an eyebrow. Shiratori-san? Who was that? And what did they want at seven-thirty in the morning?
"...Yes…Thank you." Eiri hung up the phone and turned to see a patiently waiting Shuichi behind him. "That was Shiratori Yuri. She and her partner are the ones who moved into Rinjin's apartment. I called them while you were in the bath and left a message about you wanting to check out the apartment."
"And? What did she say?"
"Both she and her partner leave for work at nine, so anytime before then."
With a squeal, Shuichi jumped out his chair and tossed himself at his husband. He hugged the man tightly, planting wet sloppy kisses all over his face. Eiri held onto his husband as he tried to regain his balance.
"Ack! Enough, you damned brat!"
Eiri walked back to the wheelchair and plopped the smaller man into it. How Shuichi had managed to jump him was beyond him. He had figured that since his left leg was nothing more than a bump on a log, he would be safe from that shit. Guess not, he thought. He glared down into his husbands smiling face.
"C'mon, let's get this over with. Dr. Hikari is coming over for your session at ten and then you have to go for your physical therapy at two."
A low groan escaped Shuichi. He slumped down in the chair as Eiri wheeled him through the house to the front door.
"Riku," Eiri yelled up the staircase.
"I'm up! Jesus Christ!"
Shuichi snickered as his son appeared.
His dark blond hair was sleep tousled and his pajamas were twisted around his lanky form. Riku yawned loudly and scratched his head. "God! Can't a guy get any sleep around here?"
"Not when it means you're going to be late for school."
"Whatever. Maybe if someone hadn't kept me up all night…" Riku grumbled under his breath as he made his way back into his cave-like bedroom.
Mortified, Shuichi slunk down in his wheelchair.
"We're going next door," Eiri called after him with a smirk. "If you aren't dressed and ready to leave by the time we get back, your ass is grass. Got it?"
Still half asleep, Riku yawned and waved over his shoulder at his father.
Once Riku had vanished back into his bedroom, Eiri turned back towards Shuichi sitting with a bemused smile on his face in his wheelchair. "What?" he barked.
Shuichi shook his head. "Hey, Eiri?"
"What?"
"Why can't we just have a nice, quiet day at home?" he whined.
"You, quiet?" Eiri snorted. "Never gonna happen."
"Hey! It could," Shuichi argued, turning around in the seat to face his husband.
Eiri raised an eyebrow.
"It could," Shuichi pressed.
"Sure, Shu. Whatever you say."
"It could."
"Uh, huh." They stepped out of the apartment, seeing the hired goons standing at their posts. Do they ever sleep, Eiri wondered. "We're going next door," he told them in English.
"Yes, Sir."
Eiri walked down the hall, where Shuichi was already waiting in front of the door. He stood several feet away and watched the emotions race across his husband's face. "Shu," he called softly.
Shuichi blinked and turned to look at him.
"Are you sure about this?" Eiri walked up to stand next to him. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."
"I know, but I have to"
"Alright." Eiri knocked on the door. He really did not want Shuichi to have to go through this, to relive that awful experience, but Shuichi was right. It was something he had to do.
There was a loud click and the sound of a chain sliding across the door before the door opened revealing a young woman in her early twenties and another slightly older woman behind her. Both women had long dark brown hair pulled back in neat ponytails and black eyes that was spewing with all the excitement they were trying desperately not to show at the idea of the Yuki Eiri and the Shindou Shuichi coming into their house. It was obvious they were both office drones from the conservative skirted suits they wore.
"Ah, Yuki-san. Shindou-san," the younger one greeted with a slight bow. "I am Shiratori Yuri." She swept her hand to her companion. " And this is my partner, Oda Shuri. Please, come in."
Eiri nodded his thanks and stepped inside. Immediately, he saw Blade take up post outside the door. Marcus had stayed behind. Both women took in the muscle bound foreigner and suddenly looked a little uneasy.
"He's Shu's bodyguard. Blade'll stay outside if that's alright with you?" he explained.
The woman exchanged a quick nervous look. "T-that's fine," Yuri squeaked.
Eiri glanced at his husband, waiting for him patiently.
Shuichi was slightly pale and his hands were trembling. Gulping audibly, the singer wheeled himself through the front door. He inclined his head at the two women. "Arigato, Shiratori-san, Oda-san. I appreciate it."
"Think nothing of it," Shuri said, waving his thanks aside. "If you need anything, feel free to ask."
Shuri and Yuri backed into the living room, trying to stay out of the way. Eiri stood to Shuichi's left hand side, leaning against the wall with a carefully blank expression on his face as he watched the effort it took his husband to wheel himself through the foyer and into the living room.
Shuichi swept terror filled eyes up the long staircase.
He remembered clearly being pinned underneath Yasashii and looking up into those crazed black eyes, realizing for the first time just how far gone the man really was. Rinjin was a man who had lost all sense of reality. That was what scared Shuichi that day, not the kidnapping, not the murder of his guards and the promise of more to come. No, Rinjin had been the most frightening thing about that morning.
In that same spot, Rinjin tried to-He had-He tried to make Shuichi-his.
o
"It's no use, Shu-han," Yasashii whispered in his ear, ignoring the threat from below. "I told you, I'd make you mine no matter what."
Panic raced through the singer. "Eiri! Eiri! Please," he sobbed.
"Shuichi!"
"Eiri!" Shuichi screamed. Even he could tell how hysterical he was becoming.
Yasashii found himself getting hard by his love's attempts to escape. Licking his lips in anticipation, he bent over, his face hovering centimeters from Shuichi's. "Our first kiss, Shu," he whispered.
"Don't do this," Shuichi begged with tears coursing down his cheeks. He tried turning his head from the inevitable, but long, skeletal-like claws clamped around his chin, holding him firmly in place.
"I love you, Shu-han," Yasashii whispered right before their lips touched.
o
Shuichi was grateful he had been able to fool Yasashii and get away. Otherwise…
He refused to think of the alternative.
As his gaze traveled to the railing. A shudder raced down his spine. He could still hear his husband's panicked, terror filled voice shouting out to him. He heard him screaming at him to stop, but it had been too late. He had been speeding and the cars antilock brake lines had been severed. He could have done nothing.
o
Hearing the panic in his husband's voice, Shuichi tried to slow down, but was unable to. He felt the jarring impact as Yasashii crashed into the railing. The collision sent shockwaves through Shuichi's body. Seconds later, the horrifying sound of splintering wood echoed through the apartment and this time, Shuichi knew it was not the sound of the door being busted open. He stared at the man he was strapped around with wide, terrified eyes.
Eiri reached the landing just as the railing gave. For a few precious seconds, the two men teetered at the edge. "Shuichi!" he cried, rushing forward. Time seemed to slow down at that moment. It seemed like Eiri had all the time in the world to get to his husband's side, but knew in reality that he had no time at all. "Shuichi!" He reached out for him, as he rushed forward.
Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at him, his eyes wide in fright, and a look of foreboding on his face. His eyes widened as gravity reached out with mighty claws and snatched them. With a blood-curling scream, his husband vanished from view as everything around him rushed passed him towards the ceiling. He closed his eyes tight against the sight quickening up to him at the speed of light.
"Shuichi!" Eiri cried hysterically as he ran to the edge of the landing. "Shuichi!"
o
Shuichi took deep, even breathes to calm a racing heart and dispel the sudden panic that clutched at him. Blinking away tears, he breathed through his mouth in an attempt to loosen a constricted throat. "I want to see the bedroom," his voice came out breathless with an underlining layer of fright he could not quite hide.
Eiri glanced questioningly at the women. At Yuri's nod, Eiri walked over to his husband and scooped him up effortlessly. Shuichi draped his arms around his husband's neck for support as Eiri carried him up the stairs.
Standing before the closed master bedroom door, Eiri felt his lover's hold on him tighten.
His breathing fast, Shuichi swept large eyes across the bedroom. The women had it set up almost identical to his and Eiri's room. The curtains were tied back and the windows thrown open to allow the cool breeze to sweep through the apartment. It was a stark contrast to that night.
o
Darkness. Silence. Utterly and complete. They surrounded him, encompassed and engulfed him. A sea of nothingness entrenched Shuichi. He was alone in a great, black void. The silence was just as thick, just as heavy, just as suffocating. There were no birds chirping, no locust buzzing, no creaking boards or settling foundations. He could hear none of the traffic that should be on the other side of the wall nor could he hear conversations floating up from the street as people went by. The only sound was the buzzing in his ears silence causes.
The hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stood on end. He was no longer alone.
His heart started racing, pounding painfully in his chest, making it difficult to catch his breath. The silence was drowned by the sudden wheezing that sounded louder than it really was in the unnatural silence. Shuichi placed his hand over his rapidly rising and falling chest as he tried to catch his breath.
Shuichi licked his lips and swallowed audibly. His mouth had gone inexplicably dry.
From out of the darkness came two ghostly hands.
o
Shuichi shook away the memory violently, which caused Eiri to almost drop him. Shuichi's heart was racing as he remembered all too clearly the sheer terror he felt at being trapped like a deer caught in the headlights. His breathing was shallow and sporadic, his eyes wide and glassy.
Eiri did not like how the memories were affecting Shuichi, but kept silent.
Glancing across the room at the far corner, now hidden by a dresser, Shuichi saw himself huddling in on himself, tears streaming down his face, fear and panic flashing across his face. Across the room in a chair was Rinjin, calm and cool, but his eyes had a look of a crazed man. He saw him stand up and cross the room towards his hunched form.
o
He soft sobs became loud cries that echoed in the black nothingness. He howled when he found himself suddenly trapped in a corner, literally.
Shuichi could hear the soft creaks as whatever was trapped in the darkness with him crept towards him ever so slowly. He knew he had to get away. There was no telling what this psycho would do to him, but he could not move. His fear trapped him there.
"Eiri," he hiccup-sobbed. "Please."
"I'm sorry, Shu-han," whispered a voice in his ear. "But your 'lover' is not here. It's just you and me."
With a terrified yelp, Shuichi scrambled blindly away from the voice.
"Shu-han," chuckled the voice. "I won't hurt you, you know that! I'm here to help you! I want to save you!"
Shuichi hissed in pain as he smacked into something hard. Agonizing pain laced his head. Tears prickled his eyes. Rubbing his throbbing head, he spit, "I don't need your help! I don't need you to save me! I don't want anything from you, Yasashii!" He reached out blindly and felt the slick, smooth surface of another wall. Cursing, tears of pain and fear racing down his face, Shuichi sat with his back pressed against the wall and tried to search the darkness for his captor.
"That's because that damn perverted womanizer has poisoned your mind! Why can't you see that?" he pleaded.
"Fuck you! That 'perverted womanizer' is my husband! I love him and he loves me!"
"What about me, Shu-han?" Yasashii asked in a gentle voice. "Don't my feelings count for anything?"
o
Shuichi was not sure when they started but as the memory faded, he found his face drenched with tears. He wiped at then futilely and sniffed, but they would not stop. He turned and buried his wet face in his husbands shoulder and wept bitter tears, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed. Eiri hugged him tightly, choking on his own sobs.
oOo
When his tears lessened, Shuichi lifted his head and wiped at his face. He glanced behind them at the hallway.
Yasashii made a terrible oversight that day. He left the bedroom door unlocked. That gave Shuichi the opportunity to flee, but instead of leaving the apartment, as he should have, he stood at the top of those stairs and stared down horrified at the sight he saw. Both of his guards, Koji and Jacob, lying face down and unmoving. Or maybe Yasashii left the door open knowing Shuichi would escape and see his wonderful handy work, something he did for "their future".
"Can you…Can you go over to the railing?" Shuichi asked his husband, his voice thickened by all the crying. Without a word, Eiri walked to the newly repaired railing and Shuichi glanced down into the living room below.
Shuichi was well aware that Eiri had not said a word since they came here and for that; he was eternity grateful to him.
o
Shuichi raced out of the room and down the hall towards the staircase. His gaze swept over the railing that separated the occupants from a two-story plummet and caught sight of the two prone figures lying sprawled out in the middle of the living room. Shuichi gasped and slowed to a halt at the head of the staircase. His chest tightened and his eyes filled with tears. He hoped they were all right. If Yasashii had indeed killed them, he would never be able to forgive himself.
o
Tears trailed down Shuichi's cheeks as he sobbed quietly. The pain of losing his bodyguards was still there. There was still a part of him that felt responsible for their deaths. That would never change no matter how many sessions he had with Dr. Hikari.
A phantom crash echoed through the apartment, jerking Shuichi's gaze down towards the front door. He saw the door implode as Eiri burst through it, a knight in shinning armor trying to save his princess from the dragon. Shuichi snickered through his tears at the thought. Sighing, he leaned against his husband's shoulder, sniffing as his sobs lessened.
Eiri gazed over the railing to the front door. He could remember the first thing he saw when he busted down the door.
o
"E-Eiri," came the cry from above him.
The writer glanced up, saw his baka alive and well at the head of the staircase. At his feet was their neighbor, clutching his face and crying. "Shu, what did you do to him?"
Shuichi smiled proudly. "Decked him."
o
Eiri kissed the side of his husband's head.
Shuichi turned his head and gazed at his husband through the thin veil of tears he was unable to chase away. He glanced deeply into those golden hazel eyes and smiled. Shuichi reached out and lightly traced the side of Eiri's face. Eiri smiled back, leaning into that touch.
"I love you."
Eiri chuckled. "I know," he whispered back. Eiri's head descended until his lips brushed lightly over Shuichi's. He touched their foreheads together, gazing into those big violet eyes.
Snuggling against his husband, Shuichi hugged the man tightly. "Let's go."
"Alright." Eiri carried his husband towards the steps, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder at the railing. Today he was taking his husband home, but three months ago, he stood at the bottom of these stairs and watched as a deranged madman, covered in his own blood, went after Shuichi…
o
"What?" Eiri did not like that one little bit. He started towards the staircase. "Shuichi, what-?" He cut himself off when he noticed the bastard who took his Shuichi stagger to his feet. With his wide eyes, he watched as this man, who had blood covering the lower half of his face and an insane gleam in his eyes, glared at the back of Shuichi's head.
Shuichi heart beat in reaction to the sudden panicked look in his husband in confusion. "Eiri?" he called out cautiously. "What's-?"
"Duck," Eiri shouted in panic.
Without bothering to question the older man, Shuichi did what he was told and dropped. His eyes widened as he felt the swoosh of air passing right above his head. He staggered backwards and stood back up as Yasashii lurched past him, trying to regain his balance. The man growled, spun around and charged Shuichi. The singer stood his ground. Bending over, he rammed his head into Yasashii's gut and grabbed hold of his belt. He heard the man grunt as his breath was forced out of him. With a cry, Shuichi pushed them down the hall, unaware of where they were heading.
o
Shuichi glanced at his husband and saw him staring up the stairs. "Eiri?"
Eiri turned a drawn face towards his singer. His pale eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"Eiri!" Shuichi was always shocked to see this side of his husband. Eiri almost never cried. Shuichi could count on one hand how many times he has seen Eiri cry and still have enough fingers left over to make a fist. "W-what's wrong? Why…Why're you-?"
"I almost lost you that day," he choked.
With tears in his own eyes, Shuichi hugged Eiri, feeling the blond writer squeeze him in return. "But you didn't," he whispered.
Eiri took a deep breath and nodded. He had not, but he could have. He hugged his husband tightly, closing his eyes against the tears that threatened to spill. "I love you, Shuichi."
"I know," Shuichi whispered back.
Down in the living room, Shuri engulfed her lover from behind, holding her tightly as they watched the men at the top of the stairs. Yuri leaned into the older woman, a soft smile on her face. She turned her head and glanced tenderly at her lover. Shuri smiled back, kissing her softly, then turned back to watch their neighbors.
oOo
Shuichi and Eiri walked out of the apartment and turned back to the women. "Thank you again."
"You're very welcome," Yuri nodded.
"I hope everything works out for you," Shuri told the men.
"Thank you," Eiri said. "Come on, Shu."
"Goodbye," Shuichi nodded as he and Eiri headed back to their apartment.
Marcus and Blade took up their positions outside the door as the couple entered the apartment.
"Now we just have to make it through a session with Dr. Hikari and then your physical therapy," Eiri told his husband.
Shuichi groaned as he wheeled into the living room. "Why'd you have to remind me?" he whined as the apartment door closed behind him.
…To Be Continued…
Preview: "The Possibility of An Addition"
