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, Japan Natives: surname first
Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, OMC/OFC
Insert: recap from Chapter 6
A/N: Enjoy!
oOo
Last Time
"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
Chapter 7: The Possibility of An Addition
Two months later - April
Silently, Eiri crept up the carpeted steps with a thin, long white box tucked neatly under his left arm.
At the top of the staircase, he quietly walked to the master bedroom. Shifting the box to his right arm, he noiselessly opened the door and stepped into the twilight-strewn room, closing the door behind him. He tiptoed across the room, knowing his way even in the dark, to the large bed. Setting the box against the nightstand, he sat on the edge of the bed next to the curled up lump under the blankets.
The man started chuckling when he pulled down the sheets to reveal a head of short dark purple hair that appeared as if he had stuck a finger in a light socket.
"Shu. Shuichi." He placed a chaste kiss on the singer's bare shoulder. "Shu-chan wake up."
The singer groaned and flipped onto his back. With a yawn, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stretched. Violet eyes fluttered open with a sigh, trying to focus on the man smiling down at him.
Shuichi smiled sleepily. "Hmm. 'Morning, Eiri. What time is it?"
"After ten."
"Hmm." Shuichi yawned again.
Eiri studied his husband's drawn face. "Tired?"
"Hm, yeah." Pushing himself up, Shuichi leaned against the headboard and yawned yet again, wiping the sleep from his eyes. When he opened them, he found himself staring at a long, white shinny box with a red ribbon wrapped around it and a matching bow. He blinked in surprise. "What's this?"
"A present moron."
Shuichi took the box with a smile, his eyes sparkling, not quite chasing away the shadows of weariness. "For me?"
Eiri rolled his eyes. "No, it's for my other husband. Idiot, of course it's for you."
"Really?" Shuichi squealed. "What is it?" he asked enthusiastically.
"Open it and find out," he chuckled.
Grinning like madman, Shuichi ripped off the bow and slid the ribbon off. Both ended up in a pile at his feet. Shuichi ripped the flimsy top nearly in two in his quest to open his present. He could not understand why the lid would not come off.
Eiri sighed in disbelief and snatched the box from him, prying off the tape from the sides of the box as if his husband was eight instead of twenty-eight.
Feeling foolish and blushing brightly, Shuichi took back the box and lifted the lid. His humiliation was soon forgotten as he searched among tons of pink tissue paper and discovered a strange metal object at the bottom. Confused, Shuichi lifted it out and set the box aside. He gasped when he realized what it was.
"Eiri," he breathed in awe.
It was a cane, but not like the plain generic grey one he was using that you could find in just about any story in the country. He got a very strong feeling of déjà vu, knowing he had seen this same cane somewhere before. The cane was pink lacquered with a round silver metallic bulb on top etched with a variety of shapes and images. The bottom of the cane had a similar silver cone that had been deprived of its sharp tip in exchange for a black rubber pad.
"Oh, Eiri. It's beautiful!" Shuichi leaned over and kissed his husband. "I love it."
Distantly they heard the apartment echo with the sudden ringing of the phone in the kitchen right below them. Moments later, the extension in their room shrilled to life.
"Good," Eiri said over his shoulder as he walked around the bed to the phone. "If you love it so much, why don't you use it to go hop in the shower. We have a lunch date with your parents remember?"
"Really? Was that today?"
"Yes it is."
"Are you sure?"
Eiri rolled his eyes as he picked up the phone. "Yes, now go take a shower." He held up the phone to his ear and said casually, "Hello?" He rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "If you call and ask me that one more time, I swear you'll never get it Mizuki."
Shuichi threw aside the covers and dragged himself out of bed as Eiri discussed why his latest manuscript was late. He had no idea why Mizuki even bothered anymore. She should know by now that Eiri rarely, if ever, turned in anything on time and that bothering him everyday about it would only succeed in making it that much more late.
Out of the corner of his eye, Eiri frowned as he watched his husband haul himself out of the room, presumably to go to the bathroom. Shuichi looked so tired all of the time lately. He wondered what was wrong with him. Was he getting sick?
After he assured his editor she would have his next "masterpiece" by this time tomorrow, Eiri followed the sounds of the shower. Without making a sound, the writer stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Stripping, he silently stepped in behind his husband.
Shuichi was standing under the spray, his hands on the wall, his head bowed and his eyes closed. The singer did not make any indication he heard Eiri. When Shuichi felt large hands creep around his waist, the singer's eyes snapped open with a startled yelp. He heard Eiri's deep chuckling as kisses were planted on his shoulder. "Dammit, Eiri," he snapped. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. "You scared the shit-Ah!" He gasped sharply, cutting himself off, then groaned deeply as a large hand grabbed the base of him, squeezing. A shudder raced through him. Shuichi tipped his head back and arched into the tantalizing touch. "Mmm," he moaned. "Ahh! Ohhh, Eiri!"
Eiri nibbled at Shuichi's neck, one hand creeping up his husband's chest to play with the singer's nipples. Shuichi wrapped one hand around his husband's neck while the other cupped the hand that was stroking his stiff cock. He dropped his head down, groans and gasps emanating from his open mouth as his husband jerked him off quickly and expertly. A wild mix of warmth and pleasure swirled through him.
"Ah!" he cried. "Eiri! Eiri! I'm-! I'm-!" With a final cry, Shuichi's head snapped back and he climaxed.
Panting, Shuichi sagged in his husband's arms. His legs felt like they were made of rubber. Closing his unfocused eyes, Shuichi licked his lips and languished in the afterglow.
Smirking, Eiri carefully leaned the not so stable Shuichi up against the cold tile wall and grabbing his narrow hips with one hand, used the other to place the head of his cock at his husband's entrance and with a flex of his hips, easily slid inside. He exhaled the breath he had been holding and just enjoyed the feeling of having his husband surround him.
"Eiri," Shuichi moaned in a voice that did not sound like his own.
"It's a good thing the new school year started the other day," Eiri whispered into Shuichi's ear as he slid agonizingly slow out of his husband.
Shuichi huffed, his hands clawing at the slick walls. "Like that would have stopped you," he retorted in a breathless pant.
"True." It never had in the past. "Tell me how you want it," the writer whispered huskily in Shuichi's ear.
Shuichi shivered. "Hard," he whispered. "Fast. Fuck me into the wall."
"Your wish is my command."
The bathroom was filled with the harsh thwap's of flesh on flesh as Eiri slammed into Shuichi with everything he had, ripping a scream from the singer. He tore out and thrust back in, repeatedly. Eiri grunted, his balls whacking against his husbands buttocks. His fingers dug into narrow hips, leaving imprints.
Shuichi felt the pressure building as the large intruder rammed inside of him from between his legs with such force he was sure something was going to tear before either one of them climaxed, but he did not care. He loved the feeling of his husband.
Suddenly the pressure became too much and he exploded. He cried out loudly and spasmed against the tiled wall. His seed coated the wall for a second time. Eiri echoed him, thrusting his hips into Shuichi's butt one last time and releasing his seed.
Panting, Eiri pulled out and spun an equally winded Shuichi around. Picking him up, Eiri captured Shuichi's lips and walked them into the wall. Shuichi wrapped his legs around his husband's waist as their tongues wrestled. Eiri squeezed Shuichi's buttocks and massaged them as he tried to swallow the singer. Groaning, Shuichi tore his mouth away and ground his rapidly recovering erection into the writers, crying out as a jolt of pleasure rippled through him. Eiri held Shuichi tightly against him, panting, resting his forehead against Shuichi's shoulder.
"Eiri," Shuichi breathed. Before Eiri could answer, they heard the distant trill of the phone.
Groaning, Shuichi dropped his legs, losing steam.
Cursing, Eiri set Shuichi down. Grabbing his towel from the niche, he wrapped it around his torso and still muttering oaths under his breath, stormed out of the bathroom.
Shuichi scratched his head, cursing lightly under his breath with a light chuckle that sounded anything but amused, but admired the view of his husband's backside nonetheless.
Suddenly, his laughter choked to a halt. His eyes wide, he flung a hand over his mouth and stumbled out of the tub. Scampering to the toilet, he flung open the lid and collapsed to his knees just in time.
Eiri heard the sound of wrenching all the way down the hall. "I have to go, Mother," he said to Shuichi's mother. "It sounds like Shuichi's sick." He flung the phone away from his ear and flinched as a cry screamed from the earpiece. "I'm sure he's fine. It's probably just something he ate. I think there's a bug going around," he tried to calm the suddenly hysterical woman down. "…Yes, I'll make sure he gets plenty of rest…Yes, Mother…I'll see how he's feeling and call you back about lunch…Alright…Goodbye." Sighing in relief, Eiri replaced the receiver and thanked God that she was just an in-law. If Mrs. Shindou had been his mother, he would have killed himself years ago.
He strode into the bathroom and saw his husband collapsed over the toilet.
"Again?"
Shuichi groaned.
Eiri took that as a yes. Flushing the toilet, he grabbed the damp rag from the side of the sink and gave it to the pale man. While Shuichi wiped himself off, Eiri shut off the shower. Silence erupted around them. He took the rag and tossed it into the laundry basket, then grabbed Shuichi's towel. Helping him to his feet, he wrapped the singer in the oversized beach towel. "Brush your teeth," he ordered. "I'm going to call the doctor."
Knowing it was pointless to argue, Shuichi only nodded.
In their bedroom, Eiri placed a call to Shuichi's doctor, Dr. Ohtani. The man answered immediately. When Eiri told him what was going on, the doctor said nothing.
"And you said this has been going on for a while now?" the man asked.
"Yes, more or less."
"Hm." He was silent for so long that Eiri was not sure if the man was still there. Then he said, "I'm going to refer you to a Dr. Amano."
Eiri wrote the name down on the pad that was always kept next to the phone. "Dr. Amano?"
"Yes, Dr. Amano Sanae. She's an OB here at the hospital. She also has her own medical practice not too far from where you live. I'll give her a call and see if she can squeeze Shindou-san in. She's a very busy woman and very hard to get in to see, but I trust her implacably. I'll call you right back."
Trusting Dr. Ohtani knew what he was doing, Eiri thanked the man and hung up just as Shuichi limped slowly into the bedroom. He watched as the singer, his new cane in hand, trudged over to the bed and collapsed into it. He set the cane against the nightstand and lay down, flinging the covers over his head. Eiri sighed. Pushing away from the dresser, Eiri walked across the room and lay next to his husband, spooning him from behind. "How're you feeling, Shu-chan?"
Shuichi grunted from under the blankets.
"Dr. Ohtani wants you to go see some OB."
"A what?" came the muffled question under the layers of blankets.
"An OB. Obstetrician."
Purple eyes poked out of the blankets and stared at him blankly. "Nani?"
Eiri rolled his eyes. "Obstetricians deal with all that childbirth…." His eyes widened in understanding. He shot a stunned gaze at his equally shocked husband. The stunned silence was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. The men exchanged a look. Eiri got up to answer the phone. "Hello."
"Uesugi-san? I called Dr. Amano and she is able to see Shindou-san. She can squeeze you in at one."
"Today?" Eiri glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was just about eleven now. They would not have enough time to go to the café, have lunch with Shuichi's parents, and then get to the hospital in time for the appointment.
"Is that a problem?"
"No, no. It's fine."
"Good. I told her about Shindou's-condition," he said for lack of a better term, "and as I said, I trust her implacably so don't worry. I'll fax over Shindou-san's file now."
"Thank you, Doctor."
"No problem. Have a nice day."
Eiri hung up the phone. He then called Shuichi's parents and apologized to them for they would not be able to have lunch with them that day but rescheduled for this same time next week. By the time he was able to pry himself away from the phone, he found his husband laying as naked a jaybird on top of the bed, rubbing his belly. There was a soft, gentle smile on his face.
Smirking, Eiri crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Shuichi turned and smiled at his through tear blurred vision when he felt the mattress dip. Eiri reached out and linked his hands with the singer's over his slightly larger belly.
"If this Dr. Amano Dr. Ohtani's sending me to is a-a…"
"Obste-Baby doctor," Eiri decided, rubbing his hand gently over Shuichi's stomach, a soft, dreamy expression on his face.
"Yeah." Shuichi nodded. "If she's a baby doctor, then does that mean that I'm…?" He stared up at his husband with large pleading eyes.
Eiri shrugged, tearing his eyes away from Shuichi's. He wanted it to be true more than anything, but he did not want to get his hopes up. "It's possible," he admitted. "Why else would he suggest you go see one?"
Shuichi turned back and stared at his belly, smiling. "Hm. True." He giggled, his smile growing. "A baby."
oOo
Eiri flushed the toilet and after washing his hands, walked back to the bedroom just in time to watch Shuichi growl in frustration before flopping backwards onto the bed. "What's the problem now?"
Tears filled the singer's violet eyes, his lip trembled and then he burst out, "They won't fit!"
Exasperated, Eiri heaved a sigh and crossed the master bedroom to the walk-in closet.
Unfortunately, they've been going through this almost every single day for the past four weeks. Apparently, Shuichi has not been able to fit into any of his pants other than the ones with an elastic waist. In all honesty, Eiri hadn't given the problem much thought or consideration. Shuichi has always been a bit of waif, but his time at the hospital ended with the singer looking a bit skeletal. With a little meat on those bones, Eiri discovered that he found his husband even sexier then ever. Of course, Shuichi was none too pleased with the gained weight. Eiri has tried to tell Shuichi that he was not fat and even if he was, Eiri would still love him. Shuichi was not buying it.
But if Shuichi's PCP, Dr. Ohtani, wanted to send Shuichi to an OB, then was it possible…?
As Eiri did not want to get his hopes up, he has been trying not to dwell to much on the possibility that they could be pregnant; it was still difficult to wrap his mind around Shuichi being a Bearer.
Rooting among the various leather, vinyl and lace outfits-he used the term "outfits" loosely-Eiri found a pair of black stretch pants. They were supposed to be women's, but Shuichi liked them. He tossed his husband the pants, which ended up landing on Shuichi's head. "Here put these on until we can go shopping."
Shuichi pulled the pants off his head and sat up with a pout. "But I don't want to wear these! I want-!"
"Shu," Eiri interrupted a little forcibly. "If you don't get dressed, we're going to be late for your doctor's appointment."
When Shuichi continued to sulk, Eiri prayed for patience as he crossed to the bed and ripped the jeans that were now a couple sizes too small down and off Shuichi, who yelped in surprise. Ignoring him, Eiri grabbed the black pants out of his husband's stunned hands and slid them up Shuichi's feet. "Pull them up," he ordered lightly, "then put your shirt on."
Still sulking, Shuichi dressed while Eiri grabbed his comb off the dresser and started combing out his husband's short-cropped dark purple hair before it tangled.
Shuichi's hair was angled; long in front and short in back. The long tresses that framed his face and his bangs had been dyed a dark purple while the rest had been left black. Eiri had to admit, the cut was a bit odd. It was going to take a little getting used to.
"Ya know, Shu," he told the man, "the fact that you can't fit into your pants may be a good thing."
Sniffling, Shuichi finished buttoning the white silk button down shirt. "How?"
"Well, I did some research and you are showing all the symptoms of a pregnancy."
Shuichi's face brightened considerably. So, he was pregnant! He squealed in delight, his hands flying to his stomach.
"When I dug a little more, I found out that in certain pregnancy cases, six weeks after conception you usually aren't able to fit in your pants anymore." Eiri looked pointedly into those violet eyes staring at him incredibly. "Four weeks ago, you found out that your pants were starting to feel a little tight, right?"
Shuichi's mouth gaped open and closed, making him look like a fish. He did not know what to say. Was it possible that he could be pregnant again? That would be a dream come true. After he miscarried their first child, he struggled with the idea of trying again but when he saw Hiro's little boy, he knew. He wanted a family. He wanted what he lost.
Shuichi blinked. "Wait. A 'certain pregnancy'? What does that mean?"
"Twins."
"T-twins?" That was too much for the singer. His eyes rolled up and everything went black.
Eiri gasped in surprise, rushed forward, and caught his husband before he hit the floor. Wasn't his job to faint at times like these? He sighed, shaking his head.
oOo
En Route
Four hours later, Shuichi and Eiri were sitting in the back of Shuichi's jeep Cherokee heading home from the doctors. Marcus was sitting in the front seat besides the new driver Tohma had hired-Shuichi was not sure what happened to the last one-while Blade had been given the day off.
Both Eiri and Shuichi felt it was a little excessive to have both bodyguards with them at the same time, so it had been decided that Marcus would work the dayshift and Blade the nightshift. On certain occasions, such as certain events and functions, both men would be called in.
"How long will it take to get the results back you think?" Shuichi asked around a yawn.
"A few days."
Shuichi did not need the results of a blood test to tell him what he already knew: he was pregnant. The severe morning sickness, increased fatigue, the weight gain, it all made sense now that he thought about it.
With a smile on his face, he rested against Eiri.
In no time at all, they were pulling into the underground parking garage of the condominium complex where they lived.
The driver pulled in front of the elevators. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Marcus had jumped out of the passenger seat. He held the door open the car door for Shuichi and Eiri, all the while keeping his keen eyes open.
"Do you really think I could be pregnant, Eiri?" Shuichi asked as the elevator ascended to their floor.
"It's possible."
"I hope I am," Shuichi commented wistfully. He hooked an arm through Eiri's and leaned his head against Eiri shoulder. "I would love to have a baby with you."
"Me too," Eiri returned. "We'll just have to wait and see. If it turns out you're not than we'll just have to keep trying, huh?"
A huge smile flashed across Shuichi's face. "Promise?"
"Promise."
After what he has been through these last six or so months, Shuichi was glad to finally be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having Eiri's baby? Yes, dreams were made of that stuff. "I wonder what Riku'll think about having a little brother or sister," he wondered aloud.
Eiri snorted. "Let's just hope it's just a brother or sister."
oOo
Uesugi-Shindou Residence
Eiri walked out of his office reading his manuscript one last time before he sent it in to Mizuki as he headed to the kitchen. Without pausing in his reading, the writer set his mug down on the countertop and filled it to the brim with the steaming dark liquid. He took a sip of the surprisingly still hot coffee and started back towards his office when he heard the front door open.
"Sir," called Marcus as the giant of a man as he stepped into the living room. "Mr. Seguchi is here to see Mr. Shindou," he informed the writer in his native tongue.
"Let him in."
The American nodded and vanished as Eiri walked into the living room and tossed the manuscript of his latest story on the coffee table. Flopping down onto the couch, he removed his glasses and placed them on top of the thick volume of paper.
"Afternoon, Eiri," the president smiled as he strolled into the apartment.
"What do you want, Seguchi?"
"I came to speak with Shindou-san. Is he here?"
"He's sleeping."
Tohma raised an eyebrow. When Eiri did not elaborate or say anything further, he said, "I have a proposition for him. For Bad Luck actually."
Eiri raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd agreed to give them some time off."
"I did, yes."
"O-Kay. Care to elaborate?"
Tohma shook his head with a smile on his face. "I would rather discuss it with Shindou-san present. That way, I do not have to repeat myself."
Eiri snorted. "Can't have that, can we?" He stood and walking up the staircase, vanished in the master bedroom.
Tohma settled himself down on the couch, folding his hands neatly in his lap. He heard the faint sound of his brother-in-law's deep voice speaking softly punctuated with his deep bass chuckle and Shuichi's high-pitched giggle, but could not make out what they were saying. Several minutes passed before Eiri reappeared with his husband in tow.
Shuichi, in a pair of pink bunny pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt limped out of their bedroom and slowly made his way down the stairs, his cane held securely in one hand and his husbands in the other.
Tohma was shocked to see how worn out the singer appeared.
"Good afternoon, Shindou-san," Tohma greeted. "I apologize for waking you up."
Shuichi yawned, scratching his head as he sat down on the couch. "It's okay. Eiri said it was time for me to get up and have breakfast anyway."
"That would be lunch," Eiri corrected.
"Huh?" Shuichi looked at him blankly.
"You slept through breakfast. It is now past noon. Lunch time."
"Oh." Shuichi blushed.
Tohma blinked in surprise. "You are just getting up? I assumed you were just taking a nap."
Shuichi shook his head, blushing. He peeked at his husband and saw him give a small sharp shake of his head.
Tohma saw the exchange and grew curious.
"You have something to talk to me about?" Shuichi asked his boss.
"Yes, I do," Tohma said snapping out of his thoughts. He perched on the edge of the seat and faced the singer. "I know we discussed you taking an extended leave of absence from singing."
Shuichi nodded. They had discussed it soon after he woke from his coma. Tohma told him he could take as much time as he needed in order to recover. Shuichi had yet to talk to Tohma and the rest of Bad Luck about his need to distance himself from the business, not because of this incident that almost left him paralyzed for the rest of his life, but for him, for Eiri and for the family they wanted to grow. Bad Luck has been going strong in one form or another for almost fifteen years and it was time to step back and just be Shindou Shuichi, husband, lover, son, best friend and not Shindou Shuichi, lead singer of the hottest band in the world. The hard part was telling Hiro, Suguru, Michael, Kai and Kei.
"I am not asking you to return to work," Tohma was saying. "But we have been getting hundreds of inquiries each day asking about how you're doing and when is Bad Luck going to perform again and such. I would like you to release a statement to the press, maybe do one or two interviews just to inform your fans that you are indeed alive and well."
Shuichi nodded. That was the least he could do. In the six months since the accident, he has gotten thousands of cards from fans wishing him well. They had been very worried about him and the least he could do was thank them for all their concern, prayers, and well wishes. "Alright. I can do that."
"Wonderful!" Tohma clapped his hands together. "There is another thing I would like to discuss with you this afternoon, but before you say anything, here me out."
Shuichi nodded despite the bad feeling he was getting.
"I received a call from the president of the Music Channel and he wanted Nittle Grasper as their surprise guest on the Music Channel Video Music Awards this year."
"Really? That's great!"
"I turned them down-"
"What?" Shuichi cried in shock. Why would Tohma Seguchi turn something like that down?
Even Eiri was shocked his brother-in-law had done something like that. He might not be as outgoing and carefree as his husband, but he did know that the MCVMA's was the biggest award show in Japan. It was the only award show where the winners were chosen based solely by their fans. It was an award show geared towards the young people, who buy the majority of the music.
"-and offered the position to you."
Shuichi blinked. "T-to me? I don't understand."
"What I'm saying, Shindou-san is this; Bad Luck has the guest appearance on the hottest award show in Japan. This will be the first time you have performed in over a year, the first time you have been seen in public since the accident. Nobody knows who the special guests are except for a very select few. With everything that has happened, nobody would ever guess the guests would be you. If we were to hold back those press statements and interviews until after the show, it would be even more of a surprise when that curtain rises." Tohma searched the singer's face and saw the eagerness, the anticipation, the fire and desire burning away in them, but he also saw something else: fear. "You do not have to do this. I am not forcing you and I will not hold it against you. If you are not ready, that is fine."
To be the special guests on the Music Channel Video Music Award show would be the greatest thing in the world-other than being pregnant that was. He has been hearing some rumors that he was permanently paralyzed, that the concussion left him brain dead, or unable to sing, or mute and blind. There were dozens of such rumors floating around. A lot of people and so-called experts have been saying that a fall like the one he took should have left him blah, blah. His x-rays show blah. Everyone had been saying Shindou Shuichi was as good as dead and that Bad Luck was finished. They had completely written them off. Well, he could not let these falsehoods continue. This performance could be his way of thanking all the fans for their support and to let everyone know while he was far from back to normal, he was far from finished.
"The only thing is…the show is only two weeks away," Tohma added.
Eiri head snapped around. He glared at his brother-in-law. "Two weeks?" It was bad enough Tohma wanted his husband to perform so soon after the accident, but now the guys had only two weeks to come up with and perfect a stage show. He did not like any of this. He could not allow Shuichi to do this. It was too soon. "Seguchi-"
"I know. I know." Tohma patted the air with his gloved hand. "You would have a lot to do in such a short amount of time, Shindou-san. That's why I was not-"
"We'll do it."
"What?!" Eiri rounded on his husband. "Shindou Shuichi -!"
Shuichi threw his husband a reassuring smile. He saw the concern on Eiri's face and knew what the man was thinking. "This could be Bad Luck's-farewell performance."
Tohma's smile falter. "Farewell performance? Shindou-san, surely your brief hiatus-"
"No, Seguchi-san." Shuichi shook his head with a sad smile. It was now or never. He glanced at his husband. They linked hands, twining their fingers together. He took a deep breath and plunged forward. "I'm-leaving the music business at least for now," he quickly added. His hand fluttered to his stomach. "You see, it's not official, but-I think we're, uhm, we're going to have a baby."
The president of the biggest record label in the country was stunned into silence. His eyes bugged out of his head and his jaw dropped to the floor. "What!?"
oOo
The Next Day
"It's something that I've been wrestling with ever since our last tour ended." Shuichi shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. "You all know I was firmly set against this album. It wasn't exactly a secret. That didn't change just because I agreed to do it."
Suguru spoke up. "But it's gone Platinum sev-"
Shuichi shook his statement aside. "Forever Yours could go diamond tomorrow and it would not change the fact that I hated doing it."
"Why?" Hiro asked his best friend. He slid to the edge of the couch and stared, feeling confused, at his best friend who was gazing out over the balcony.
"You guys don't know this, but I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown," Shuichi confessed. His voice was barely above a whisper.
Gasps, whispers and cries of shock and disbelief followed this statement.
Shuichi ignored it all and plunged on ahead before he lost his nerve. "It was easier then I thought it would be to hide my breakdown from you guys. I was surprised none of you noticed." Actually, as he really thought about it, it wasn't that surprising. They all had their own lives now, wives, girlfriends, children…They could not keep on looking after him. "That day," he continued, "I was heading into the studio to tell you that I had had enough, that I needed a break. In the event that you denied me my request, I-I was ready to quit."
"What?" they all shouted.
"You're kidding!"
"No way."
"I don't believe it."
"Shu-"
"Though, that would have broken my heart to do so," Shuichi admitted truthfully.
The living room was filled the heavy silence. Each was lost in his own world of confusion and bewilderment.
"When K was our manager, he never gave us a moment's peace. It was always GO! GO! GO!" Shuichi emphasized the last by pounding his fist in his hands. Relaxing his hand at his side, he heaved a sigh. "I understand why he did it. He wanted us to get our name out there. He wanted us to be the biggest in the music business. Hell, I wanted that too! But as time went by, it just got worse. The pressure to be bigger than the last time, to out do what we achieved before. There was always a show we had to do. We were always doing a week stint here two weeks there. It just did not end! He never gave us a break. Ever! To him, it was to hell with your families and significant others. Forget the holidays and having any semblance of a normal life. We were to live, breath, eat and dream Bad Luck. He was the world's biggest workaholic and he expected us to be as well. When he left, I thought, 'Finally! Some peace!' But nothing changed. It was still GO! GO! GO! For the past ten years it's been the same damn thing."
Shuichi felt his anger beginning to take over him, pushing aside the melancholy, though he wasn't sure whom he was mad at.
"Rush through an album, promote the hell out of it, tour until my voice's shot and I'm mentally and physically exhausted and then tour some more. Come home, rest for a week-longer if we're lucky-and then start all over again." Shuichi turned around, tears running down his face. His anger suddenly evaporated, leaving only the despair and the sadness. "I can't do that anymore! I can't!"
This was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Tohma had taken it well, after getting over the shock. He also understood. He pointed out that even Nittle Grasper had taken several vacations through their long careers. It was something everyone had to do occasionally. You had to slow down. You had to take a break away from it all otherwise, you ended up burning out.
"Singing is what you do. It is not who you are," Tohma said to him.
"I love you guys. You're my best friends, my family, but I can't do this anymore." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly through his mouth. "I've been struggling with this decision even before I was forced into doing this last album. I knew what I had to do, but I-I didn't want to let you down! I was fading rapidly, but still…I had to at least try to make it to the end. We were almost finished, but…" Shuichi shook his head. But then I got pregnant, he added silently. The unexpected pregnancy just made it all that much worse. "I'm sorry. I really am, but this is just something I have to do." He face scrunched up as a renewed surge of sadness welled up inside of him. "Bad Luck is my life," he sobbed. "Without it, I have nothing! But-"
Kai smiled at his cousin. "It's alright, Shuichi."
"Take as much time as you need," Kei agreed.
Shuichi sniffed and stared at the twins in awe.
"Besides, we have a little side project we've been working on," Kai explained.
"I've, uh, been thinking about going home," Michael spoke up. "It's been awhile since I've seen my family and I want…I want my children to see where I'm from, ya know? Besides, my folks want to be there when Anzu has the baby." He shrugged. "This's actually pretty good timing." He smiled at Shuichi. "Like Kai and Kei said, do what you must. The last thing we need is for you to collapse from exhaustion, or something."
"Thank you, Michael."
Hiro sighed. "Well, I must admit, it has been good to spend time with my wife and son. If we were to go back into the studio full force, or hell, even half force…If I was still single, it wouldn't bother me as much, but I have a family now, so…" He lifted his head and smiled at his front man. "Alright, Shu. To tell you the truth, I think we've been long due a little r and r."
One by one, the others swept their gaze towards the manager and synth player. They all waited expectantly.
Suguru really did not like the idea of them taking any amount of time off. It would just be that much harder to rise to the top when they came back. Like Shuichi, Bad Luck was his life. Without it, he felt as if he had nothing, that he was nothing, but one look at Shuichi and he knew that it had to be done. He saw the exhaustion, the strain. And as much as he tried to ignore it, he felt the same weariness in his bones. He sighed noisily. "Just promise me that we'll have one last gig, or something? A small tour, anything! Some sort of farewell performance."
Shuichi smiled brightly at the man. "Actually-"
All eyes swept towards the purple haired singer.
"Tohma came to see me yesterday afternoon and he wants us to be the special guests on the MCVMA's."
Silence greeted this announcement. Then like an explosion, the other members of Bad Luck began celebrating their good fortune.
Hiro came twirling towards him. "Tell me this isn't some sort of bad joke!"
Shuichi, grinning like a madman, shook his head.
"Yes!" He jumped Suguru, laughing.
Shuichi hated to be the bearer of bad news, but… "We have two weeks," he shouted over the noise.
The noise died down as if a button had been pushed.
"What!" Suguru demanded, twirling around, Hiro still on his back.
Shuichi blushed. "The, uh, award show is in two weeks and it's live."
As screams of disbelief echoed throughout the apartment, Shuichi saw Marcus enter, his hand on the butt of his gun. The singer caught his eye and shook his head, waving him back. Marcus nodded and retreated.
Shuichi turned back towards the others, the corner of his mouth tilted in a smile. Just because Bad Luck was officially disbanding did not mean they had to stop being friends, but it was the end of an era and it made Shuichi sad.
oOo
"Take care, Shu," Hiro said, hugging his best friend a few hours later. "See ya at the studio in the morning," he said, walking down the hall towards the elevator where the others were waiting.
"Bye, Hiro. Bye, guys!" Shuichi kept waving until the elevator doors closed. He then walked back into the apartment and shutting the door behind him, leaned against the door and sighed heavily.
They had two weeks before the award show. What had he been thinking agreeing to this?
Pushing away from the door, he limped through the living room to the stereo. He ran his fingers along the hundreds of CD's that lined the shelves. A great deal of them was Nittle Grasper and Bad Luck. His fingers stopped over "The Rage Beat" CD single. Pulling it out, he flipped it over and read the back. There was the original version with his musical arrangement, the version with the souped up arrangement by Suguru. Then there were several remix versions. One was the "zoom mix", another "the last element mix". The others were various club mixes.
A plan began to formulate in his head.
"This might work," he muttered to himself, nodding. "All I need is to pick the final song." He snorted, shaking his head. "Pick a song, any song! You only have about forty singles to choose from."
"They say-"
Startled, Shuichi gasped and twirled around. With his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face, was Eiri.
"-talking to yourself is a sign of intelligence." Eiri snorted. "But in your case, I think it's a sign of derision."
"Dammit, Eiri," Shuichi snapped, a hand over his pounding heart. "You scared the shit out of me!"
Chuckling, the writer pushed away from the wall and crossed the room. He kissed his husband and flopped down onto the couch. "How'd it go?"
"They took the news better than I thought they would."
"Baka. I told you they would."
"It did look as if Suguru was going to argue, but he gave in. They all said to take my time and do what I have to. Besides," Shuichi sat down on the couch, folding his legs underneath him, "Kei and Kai said they have a side project they've been working on. Hiro wants to spend more time with Ayaka and Kazahaya and Michael wants to head back to the States and see his family."
Eiri nodded. "And Fujisaki?"
Shuichi shrugged. "No idea. He didn't say, but he's very talented. He could help many bands as a music arranger or even as a manager."
"Hm." That was true. Eiri took in the CD in Shuichi's hand. "What were you doing when I came in?"
"Huh? Oh! Trying to figure out which songs to use in our performance."
"Decide on anything?"
"Sorta. I was thinking of starting with an instrumental version of `The Rage Beat' and then a second song, but I can't figure out which one to use."
"Hm." Eiri stood up and walked over to the CD shelving unit. His eyes roved over the music store that had somehow managed to relocate in their living room. He really had to go through them one of these days, preferably when Shuichi was not home.
"I thought it would be ironic to use 'The Rage Beat', ya know? It was the song that introduced us to the world and the song that we'll use to say goodbye." Shuichi swallowed over a sudden lump in his throat. "For the other song, I was thinking about 'Jounetsu Ballad', 'Masking Pleasure Around' or 'Spicy Marmalade', but I don't know. I want something really fun and upbeat. Something to dance to."
Eiri snorted. That narrowed it down. He slid a CD off the shelf and tossed it to Shuichi.
Shuichi blinked at the choice. "'Spicy Marmalade'," he read. He tapped the CD case against his chin. The other one beat a rhythm against his knee. The plan that had started formulating earlier picked up speed. "This might work." He looked up when a shadow fell upon him. "Uh? Eiri? Wha…?"
The writer grabbed the CD's out of his husband's hands and set them on the coffee table behind him. He knelt on the edge of the couch and leaned over Shuichi, a hand on the back of the couch, as the singer reclined back. Eiri captured his husband's lips and kissed him passionately.
Shuichi melted into the kiss and encircled Eiri's neck with his arms, pulling the man closer as the kiss deepened. Shuichi bent his legs and parted them automatically so that Eiri could settle between them.
Eiri lay on top of the smaller man. The blond writer pried open Shuichi's mouth with his tongue, slipping it inside as he unbuttoned Shuichi's shirt and flung it open. He felt the reaction he was searching for immediately as his husband's arousal poked into him.
Their tongues battled, chasing each other from one damp cavern to another. The match ended in a draw and an erotic, sensual dance began. Eiri trailed kisses along Shuichi's jaw and down to his neck where he suckled. He had a strong inclination to once again leave his mark so he did so
Shuichi moaned, his fingers tangling themselves in Eiri's soft, blond locks.
Eiri's hands trailed softly down Shuichi's chest.
Shuichi gasped when his husband tweaked his nipples. He trailed his hands down Eiri's back and tugged his shirt out of his pants. He slipped his hands down the front of Eiri's shirt until his fingers hit something hard. Blindly, he unbuckled the belt and slid it from the loops, tossing it onto the coffee table. He then undid the button and tugged the zipper down. He reached inside and squeezed the hard length he found within.
Eiri flung his head back and hissed with a shudder. Panting as heavily as his singer husband, Eiri captured Shuichi's lips and ravished his mouth as he groped the hard lump that lay pressed against his own freed cock. One hand captured Shuichi's small wrists and held them above his head while the other one groped him through the thin cotton. Shuichi flung his head back. His gasp turned into long breathy moans as Eiri squeezed him, massaging him expertly.
"Eiri," Shuichi cried out breathlessly.
Sitting up, Eiri grabbed the waistband of Shuichi's sweatpants and tugging off the offending material, tossed them aside. He gazed down at the naked man beneath him. His breath hitched and he licked his lips, feeling himself getting harder at the glorious sight. "You're so beautiful, Shuichi."
A hot blush flushed across Shuichi's face.
Eiri leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on the man's swelling stomach. He rolled his eyes up and gazed into the teary eyes of his husband.
Crawling up the man, Eiri plundered his husband's mouth, kissing him like he wanted to eat him. Shuichi did not like it when they did this dry, but it never stayed dry for very long. Natural lube was what they used. Shuichi gasped into Eiri's mouth as he felt his husband's cock at his anus. He groaned, hissing as the large invader was pushed in. Eiri grabbed the narrow hips and pressed inside one tight inch at a time until he was fully sheathed inside, tearing moan filled cries out of the man pinned underneath him. Pulling himself out, Eiri then thrust back in. He rocked his hips, setting up a steady pace, quickening as his own excitement lubed the tight passage squeezing his dick.
Shuichi tossed his head back, arched his back and cried out. His hands spasmed on Eiri's shoulders. "Oh, God, Eiri!"
Eiri buried his face against his husband's neck, grunting and he thrust inside of his husband repeatedly, feeling the pressure building as they rose higher and higher. Finally, they reached the crest and the pressure exploded like a balloon popping. Both men cried out as the orgasm hit them.
Panting, Eiri pulled out and collapsed besides the man, cradling him tightly against him. He kissed the top of Shuichi's head and sighed. "I love you, Shu."
Shuichi tipped his head back and was met with a soft, chaste kiss. "I know."
Eiri sighed and thought about the performance Shuichi had to do in two weeks. He was nervous about the whole thing. Was he ready to do something like that? The baka could go without his cane for short periods, but he got so tired so easily these days. He was not sure if he should let Shuichi go through with this. "Be careful, alright? I don't want you doing anything strenuous. Understand?"
Grinning, Shuichi flipped over and straddled Eiri. "Are you concerned about me?" he teased.
Eiri snorted and held Shuichi's hips. "Hell no. I'm worried about our son."
Shuichi chuckled and snuggled on top of his husband. "Liar."
"Sure."
Sighing contently, Shuichi closed his eyes. "Love you," he whispered as he fell asleep.
"I love you, too," Eiri whispered back.
oOo
The Next Day - NG Productions
"…instrumental version of 'The Rage Beat'. It'll start with just Hiro on the acoustic guitar, Suguru'll play the piano, and then we'll add an orchestra towards the end. They'll finish the piece, extending it into some transition piece while the rest of us get ready for 'Spicy Marmalade'. It'll be full out! Lights, fireworks, dancers!"
Shuichi looked around him at his friends and band mates. He was grinning and bouncing up and down, barely able to conceal his excitement. He stood at the head of the long conference table, his back to the windows, addressing his band the next day at NG studios. He was vaguely aware of his bodyguard, Marcus, standing by the door across the room from him.
"So, what do you think?"
Impressed, Hiro nodded. "I gotta admit, that sounds pretty damn cool, man."
Kai, Kei and Michael agreed.
Suguru was another story, but it was one they heard countless times before.
"I don't know, Shindou-san. I mean, if we had more than two weeks, we might be able to pull this off, but with only two weeks?" The diminutive manager/synth player shook his head.
"C'mon, Fujisaki," Shuichi said, slapping his hands on the table in the conference room. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Shindou-san…"
"It's not like I'm forcing you all to learn a new song! We've played them a hundred zillion times!"
"He's right, Suguru," Hiro told the man.
"It'll only be you on the piano and Hiro on his acoustic guitar at the beginning anyway," Kai explained. "The rest of us don't have to worry about doing anything."
Kei nodded. "Until we get into position to do 'Spicy Marmalade'."
"Right," Kai said with a nod. "Yes, we'll have to come up with a transition piece, but that shouldn't be too hard."
"We could always ask the violinist if they have any suggestions, ya know?"
Shuichi nodded. "That's a good idea. It would free us up to concentrate on other things."
"The only thing the rest of us have to worry about is playing 'Spicy Marmalade'. Which should be a no-brainer," Michael added. "Like Shu said, we've played it about half a zillion times."
Suguru sighed and flopped back in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair. He leaned his head back and stared at the drop down ceiling, thinking. They made it sound so easy. Not only did they have to work on two songs, they had to figure out a viable transition piece, talk with the makeup artist, the costumer, set designer, choreographer, lighting crew, pyrotechnic experts, dancers, security…
They also had to find a doctor and physical therapist for Shuichi just in case his own could not be present.
That had been Eiri's one stipulation to letting Shuichi do this. Both had to be present the day of the show and through out all the rehearsals.
Suguru sighed is resignation. "Fine. Fine. We'll do it."
"Yes!" Shuichi cried out, throwing his hands in the air.
Kai, Kei and Michael whooped and clapped, laughing at their success.
"You're a good man, Suguru," Hiro said. "You made the right decision."
Suguru snorted. "I hope so," he muttered. Otherwise, it was his head. He sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. "Alright," he announced, slapping his hands on the table and standing up. "I'll make some calls and see if I can round up an orchestra on short notice. In the meantime, why don't we run through 'Spicy Marmalade'. Tonight, I'll try to come up with some changeover pieces and tomorrow we can do a complete run through."
"Sounds good," Hiro agreed with a nod, standing up.
"I can't wait to get started," Kei announced. The others agree wholeheartedly.
Shuichi smirked happily. It was all starting to come together. He just hoped they could pull it off.
Suguru gathered his papers together and tapped them into a neat pile as the others, all talking at once, trooped out of the conference room. "I sure hope this doesn't blow up in our faces," he muttered.
"Don't worry, Fujisaki," Shuichi smiled broadly slapping the younger man's shoulder as they walked into the hall. Marcus shadowed his every move.
"Shindou-san, are you sure you want to do 'Spicy Marmalade'? I mean, I don't mind doing it, but it hasn't been that long since the accident. Why not do-?"
Shuichi waved away his manager's concern. "Don't worry, Fujisaki. It'll all come together." S lapping his younger friend on the back again, Shuichi vanished into rehearsal studio 2.
As Shuichi walked towards the sound booth, he watched Hiro, Kai, Kei and Michael through the windows unnoticed and smiled. Kei sat down at the piano and started doing an imitation of Stevie Wonder.
Shuichi laughed at his friends ridiculous antics, but then slapped a hand over his mouth. He fled out of the studio and raced to the bathroom as the breakfast Eiri forced him to eat this morning returned on him, vaguely aware that Marcus was hot on his heels.
oOo
Spitting into the toilet, Shuichi used his cane to help him get to his feet. As he limped to the sink, he heard the toilet flush behind him, getting rid of all the evidence that he had thrown up. He leaned his cane against the wall and cupped his hands under the faucet, which came on automatically. Splashing water onto his face, he used his hands as a cup and rinsed out his mouth. Sighing, he gripped the sides of the sink and closed his eyes, hanging his head over the white porcelain bowl.
A hand crept to his belly and lightly traced lazy circles over his belly. He still had not figured out what he was going to tell the guys about his pregnancy. Eiri had taken it surprisingly well as had Riku. His adopted son was ecstatic at the idea of having a baby brother or sister. But how would the others take it?
Sighing, Shuichi snagged some paper towels from the dispenser and patted his face dry. Grabbing his cane, he limped out of the bathroom and returned to the rehearsal studio.
oOo
That Evening
The elevator pinged and the doors slid open. "See you guys tomorrow," Shuichi said as he headed towards the black jeep Cherokee parked right besides the elevators in the underground parking garage.
"Bye, Shu," they all waved.
The singer slid into the backseat of his husband's jeep. His bodyguard shut the door behind him before getting into the front seat. With a squeal, the car was soon out of sight.
Michael sighed enviously. "It must be great," he commented as he headed towards his car, his keys jangling in his hand, "to have a chauffer drive you around everywhere."
"Shu doesn't drive," Hiro reminded the bassist as he stood besides his motorcycle. "And Yuki-san can't drive him around twenty-four seven. Because of whom he is, he cannot very well use public transportation. He would be mobbed . He does have his bodyguards now, but Marcus and Blade make Shu stand out even more than he already does."
"Ya know," Kai said, "I don't know whether to pity Shu or feel envious." He shrugged and got into the car.
Kei started his brand new car and just sat, listening to it purr. Hiro and Michael chuckled. Kei's new sports car had cost a fortune and a half, but it had been well worth it according to Kei. It was his new baby. When his brother slapped him, Kei chuckled and tore out of their parking spot and out into the street with a loud squeal from the tires.
"See ya in the morning," Michael said as he too vanished into the early evening traffic.
Hiro turned to see Suguru deep in thought. "Suguru?"
Suguru snapped out of his thoughts and blinked. "Huh?"
"Is everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah. I was just wondering if we can really pull this off."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Shuichi knows what he's doing. He wouldn't have suggested doing something he knew he wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of accomplishing."
"I'm sure you're right, but…I still can't help wondering."
Hiro nodded in understanding. "I know, but Shuichi is a remarkable person. You should know by now not to underestimate him."
Suguru nodded. He knew Hiro was right, but something was bothering him. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Have you noticed anything odd about Shindou-san?"
"Odd? Like what?"
"I don't know, just..-Never mind. I'll call you later, Hiro." The diminutive man slid into his car and pulled away with a wave.
Hiro frowned after the man. What had that been about?
oOo
Uesugi-Shindou Residence
"Tadaima," Shuichi called as he entered the apartment. Toeing off his shoes, he called singsong, "Eiri! Riku!" He slid into his slippers and walked into the living room. The whole apartment was dark but for a lamp in the corner of the living room. "Hello?"
As he searched the apartment, he turned on every light he could in an attempt to try to quell the rising panic he felt.
Like the guilt, he felt over the deaths of his old bodyguards, the dread and fear that gripped him occasionally when his husband was not around was something that Dr. Hikari had not been able to rid him of completely.
Shuichi himself did not understand why he got like this, but Dr. Hikari said that his abandonment issues were in response to how Eiri had treated him early on in their relationship. The writer had ingrained it in Shuichi's mind that eventually, he would leave him and that was Shuichi's biggest fear; that he would be left alone, that everybody he cared about would desert him. It did not matter how many times or how many ways Eiri told him he loved him. That fear was always there and always would be.
It did not seem as if his husband or Riku were home. Where could they have gone? Neither said anything this morning anything about having to go anywhere. Had something come up?
Shuichi paled. Had Eiri or Riku been hurt? Had something happened? Had they been rushed to the hospital? Maybe he should-
Shuichi violently shook those thoughts aside. He had to try to calm down and think rationally.
Eiri had finished the final draft of his story the day before and had been going over it one last time before he sent it to Mizuki. Maybe he finished sooner than he thought he would and decided to hand it in, just to get it over with. Eiri said something about speaking with their lawyer again as well. Shuichi knew he had not gone to see his psychiatrist. Eiri had not seen her in years, but he could have gone out for a walk. And Riku had been saying something about a huge history test coming up. Maybe he'd gone to a friend's house to study?
These same thoughts did not make him feel any better. The irrational side of his mind was stronger and bullied his way to the forefront.
With a heavy heart, Shuichi flopped down onto the couch and stared blankly at the television, trying desperately not to think.
oOo
I heard Eiri's soft snores following me as I stepped out of my bedroom. Shutting the door behind me, I tread quietly down the hall into the spare bedroom. Silently so I did not wake up my sleeping angels, I tiptoed across the carpeted room to the white crib. I reached inside and touched my baby's soft, warm cheek.
Suddenly, a shrill ringing shattered the silence of the apartment. My heart beating wicked fast, I straightened and listened. T he ringing continued. It sounded like the phone, but the sound was distant.
I went out into the hall and listened as the shrill ringing echoed through the apartment. I could not tell where it was coming from. If it was the phone, then as I made my way back down the hall to the master bedroom, it should get louder, but it did not. The tone remained far-off.
Turning around, I headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Maybe the extension in the bedroom was broken. That would explain why the ringing sounded so far away, because the extension in the kitchen would be the only phone in the house, other than their cellphones.
As I neared the phone, I realized that it was not ringing and yet the ringing was louder here then it had been upstairs. What was going on? My hand reached out for the phone and everything started to fade…
Violet eyes fluttered open. Sitting up, Shuichi sniffed and scrubbed a hand over his face. It was only then that he realized he had been crying. Wiping at his tear stained face, he dragged his fingers through his hair and sighed.
He jumped, startled, as a ringing swept through the house. A hand over his racing heart, he went into the kitchen and grabbed it mid-ring. "Hello?" he greeted, his voice thick from crying.
"Shindou-san," came a female voice over the line.
Shuichi blinked, trying to place the voice. "Yes."
"Hi, this is Dr. Amano. I'm sorry for calling so late."
Dr. Amano? Who-? His eyes widened and his heart started beating faster. "Oh, yes, Dr. Amano. That is fine. How're you?"
"I'm doing great. How about yourself?"
Shuichi sniffed and chuckled. "Other than having no energy and throwing up several times a day? Fine."
Dr. Amano laughed. "Well, you may as well get used to them, Shindou-san because they aren't going anywhere any time soon."
Confused, Shuichi blinked. "What?"
The doctor laughed again. "Congratulations, Shindou-san. You are indeed pregnant. Ten weeks to be exact."
Shuichi felt numb with shock.
"Shindou-san?"
He was pregnant. "Are you sure?" he asked in a serious, calm voice. This did not seem real at all.
Dr. Amano chuckled. "I'm sure, Shindou-san. I want to set up an appointment to have you come in to have a sonogram, all right? There's something I want to check."
"Okay."
"When is good for you?"
"Actually, the next two weeks I'll be busy getting ready for a concert."
"Would you be able to come in tomorrow at five-thirty? I usually have hours until five, but because of your special circumstances, I think it'll be best if you came after hours. Can you do that?"
Bad Luck really had a lot to do within the next two weeks in order to get ready for their performance on the MCVMA's, but then Eiri had made it clear that he wanted him to take it easy. He was sure that the guys would want to continue until the wee hours of the morning, but knowing Eiri, his husband would storm NG if he did not show up within half an hour of the appointed time that he set for him. Having an actual excuse for bailing would help alleviate the guilt.
"Sure. Sounds good."
"Alright. Then, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Goodbye and congratulations, Shindou-san."
Shuichi blushed and laid a hand on his belly. "Thanks, Doctor. Goodbye." He pressed the talk button, set the phone down on the table behind him, and stared blankly into space.
A baby.
Dr. Amano said he was ten weeks pregnant. That would mean the baby was conceived a couple weeks after that first night home. A hot blush spread across his face as he recalled just how it was conceived.
A baby.
He was going to have Eiri's baby. Tears filled his eyes. A sob shattered the silence of the kitchen. He clamped a hand over his mouth as tears tickled annoyingly down his face. He could not believe it! His other hand rubbed lazy circles over his belly. There was a life inside here? Another person growing inside of him that he and the love of his life had created.
Shuichi laughed through his tears, a huge smile on his face.
"Definitely derision," said an unexpected voice.
Yelping in surprise, Shuichi swung around to see his husband standing in the doorway with a smirk on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. "Eiri," he breathed over a pounding heart. With a face wet from crying, Shuichi tossed himself at his husband.
Eiri hugged his husband back. Tipping Shuichi's head back, he kissed him firmly on the lips. "What are you crying for this time?"
"Dr. Amano called," Shuichi cried through his renewal of tears. He sniffed and wiped futilely at the drops of water that fell down his cheeks. He could not stop himself from smiling.
His heart pounding, Eiri held his breath.
"We-we're going to have a baby!"
Eiri blinked, staring at his husband in incomprehension. "What-did you-say?"
Shuichi's eyes sparkled and a huge smile caused his face to glow. "A baby, Eiri! A baby," he cried, tears spilling down his face.
"A-baby. We're…"
Feeling lightheaded, Eiri stumbled around Shuichi and flopped into a chair. He stared blankly down the hall, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he and Shuichi had created a life together and it was growing right now inside of the man he had promised to love, honor and cherish six months ago. He had known it was a possibility, but a possibility was not fact. It was not reality.
He blinked, startled out of his thoughts as a worried face was suddenly inches from his.
"Eiri? Are you okay?"
Eiri reached out and traced the lines of Shuichi's face lightly. A gentle smile graced his face. Cupping the side of Shuichi's face, Eiri ran his thumb over his lush, full lips. Dropping his head, he kissed Shuichi chastely then enveloped him in a hug. Pulling away, he cupped Shuichi's sexy face and stared deeply into those vivid violet eyes. "I love you, Shindou Shuichi."
Shuichi smiled sweetly. "I know," he whispered, throwing his husband's words back at him.
Taking Shuichi's small hands within his, Eiri stood up and pulled his husband to his feet. Scooping the singer into his arms, he captured his lips and kissed him slowly, gently and deeply.
Shuichi wrapped his arms around his husband's neck and kissed him back.
Eiri carried the singer through the house and up to the bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him without breaking the kiss.
He crossed the room and set Shuichi down gently on the bed.
The singer used his arms and feet to push himself backwards, until he was in the middle of the bed.
Eiri followed him, the kiss becoming hungrier and more demanding. Eiri pushed Shuichi back and lay down on top of him, between his parted legs. Their hands fumbled
Eiri held himself off Shuichi in a push-up motion and gazed down at the naked man beneath him. His golden hazel eyes took in the wide, broad shoulders, long chiseled torso, narrow hips, and his stiff, thick manhood standing at attention between long shapely thighs. "You're beautiful, Shuichi."
A hot blush colored the singer's face.
Eiri swooped in and captured Shuichi's mouth, his tongue licking along his already swollen lips, asking permission to enter. Shuichi opened his mouth and caressed the tongue that slunk inside.
He wrapped his arms around Eiri's neck, his fingers running through the blond locks, holding the man he was in love with close. Eiri's fingers gently tortured his husband's nipples, causing Shuichi to groan against his mouth. He then ran a hand down Shuichi's chest to his thigh, being careful to avoid the swollen, weeping member between them. As his hand started back up, it detoured and cupped that which he had avoided. He squeezed him and kneaded his balls. Shuichi groaned and his fingers dug into Eiri's shoulders in response, arching into the touch.
Eiri pulled back and without breaking eye contact, crawled down Shuichi, and took his nipple into his mouth. Shuichi moaned and writhed as his nipple was suckled, licked and bit. Eiri then breathed open-mouthed kisses down his body, stopping just above the groin.
"Eiri," Shuichi breathed.
"Shuichi."
Eiri crawled back up his husband's body and plundered his mouth while he searched under the pillows for what he knew was there. When his hand found the tube, blindly he opened it and smeared a small amount into his palm then tossed the tube over his shoulder, not caring where it went. He smeared the gel over his own rigid cock and then without warning, pressed two fingers inside of his husband.
Shuichi broke the kiss and tossed his head back, giving a sharp cry. He arched his back and tensed. He forced himself to relax and was soon moaning and crying out as waves of ecstasy and desire swept through him as Eiri's fingers fucked him slowly, finding that sweet spot.
All too soon, Eiri's fingers were gone, only to be replaced by a much larger but similarly shaped object. Eiri pressed himself into the tight, hot opening. He rolled his hips and drove into Shuichi repeatedly. Shuichi wrapped his legs around Eiri, hooking his heels around his husband's knees. He pumped his hips to meet the fierce plunges. He held him tightly, forcing him deeper and harder. He clawed at Eiri's back, his cries echoing each thrust.
Eiri sped up as he felt the end nearing. He felt Shuichi tense right before he flung his head back and cried out passionately. His seed sprayed them both. Several more thrusts and Eiri grunted, emptying himself into his husband. Panting, Eiri pulled out and collapsed onto the bed besides Shuichi, who wrapped his sweaty arms around him.
After several minutes, their breathing had evened out.
Reached out and laid a hand on the singer's swollen belly. It was hard to believe there was another person in there.
When Shuichi clasped a hand over Eiri's much larger one, the blond writer lifted his head and exchanged a soft smile with the singer. Propping up on his elbow, he kissed Shuichi softly than resting his head back on Shuichi's bony shoulder, smiled at their laced hands.
Shuichi combed his writer husband's thick blond hair as they both relaxed in the solitude of each other's arms.
"Hey, Eiri?"
"Hm."
"Where did you go? Where's Riku?"
"I finished my story and went to met Mizuki for lunch. Afterwards, I went to meet our lawyer."
Shuichi's brows furrowed in thought. "Didn't you go see her before right after we were married?"
"Yeah."
"Then why-?"
"I just went to see her about updating a couple things since we're now married," Eiri explained. "I also went to talk to her about releasing a press statement about us getting married, but with everything that happened, she held off releasing it and today I went to update that statement."
"Oh, you mean, because of what Seguchi said yesterday."
"Yes."
Shuichi chuckled. "You'll have to call her to update it again, huh?"
Eiri snorted and smirked, rubbing his hand over the belly that would soon swell with the life he had helped to create. "And Riku is staying at Renjiro's tonight so that they can study for that history test."
"Ah. Okay. Oh! Before I forget. Dr. Amano wants me to come in tomorrow at five-thirty."
"Why?"
Shuichi shrugged. "Don't know. She said something about checking something out."
"Hm. Well, I'll be there early to pick you up. We'll go straight to the hospital from the studio."
Sitting up, he kissed his husband and drew the covers up. He spooned Shuichi as the singer curled up on his side and laid a protective hand over his belly. Kissing the side of his head, Eiri breathed in the fruity scent of Shuichi's hair and drifted off to sleep.
…To Be Continued…
Preview: "More Surprises"
