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Somebody\'s Watching Me	By : Chocho Category: Gravitation > General Views: 1609 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Somebody's Watching Me
- 1
Somebody�s
Watching Me

One-shot

Written
by: Chocho (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:� After Eiri and Shuichi move into their new apartment,
Shuichi starts hearing and seeing unexplainable things.� Is the apartment haunted or is Shuichi
starting to lose his mind?

Warning: M/M,
sexual situation, language, Shuichi/Eiri

Inserts:� �Time
in My Heart� by Kinya Kotani (AKA Shuichi Shindou from Bad Luck), �Invincible� by Pat
Benatar

A/N:� This idea just came to me one night while I
was watching Ghost Hunters.� If you do not know what it is, it is a show
about a team of paranormal investigators who investigate alleged
hauntings.�

------------+------------+------------+------------

�Let�s see,� Shuichi muttered to himself.�

The door to the study creaked opened.� �Hey, Brat,� Eiri greeted around an unlit
cigarette as he spied his raven-haired boyfriend sitting crossed legged on the
living room floor by the coffee table.

For his birthday, the only thing Shuichi wanted was
for Eiri to quit smoking.� Or to at least
start cutting back.� And of course, Eiri
could deny his baka nothing.

Much to Eiri�s chagrin, Shuichi did not so much as
spare him a quick glance.� He just
uttered an undistinguishable non-committal noise in return.� His complete attention, what little there was
of it, was centered on his brand new hot pink laptop computer that he bought
himself for his birthday.� When Eiri had
asked why pink, Shuichi told him that since he dyed his hair back to its
natural color, he had to have something pink.

�You are
such queer,� he had snorted in
reply.

Grinning, Shuichi said happily, �Thank you!�

Stepping out of his study and into the living room,
Eiri shut the door behind him.� Crossing
the living room, he flopped down onto the couch.� Dropping his head back, Eiri stretched his
arms out along the top of the couch and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

The latest book he was working on was not working
out.� It was frustrating him to no
end.� He was just about ready to drop the
whole damn thing.

�Subway?� came Shuichi whispered mutter.� �Yes.��
There was a clack of keys.�
�Trains?� Central?� Suburb?�
Yes and yes.�� There was the sound
of more clacking keys.

Curious, Eiri lifted his head and peered at his
long time partner who had undergone quite a growth spurt since they first got
together when Shuichi was a senior in high school.� In the last couple of years, Shuichi�s lithe,
slim build has filled out and become hard and supple with toned muscle.� His shoulders had widened.� His chest had broadened.� Shuichi had even grown several inches.� He had not changed so much that he looked
like a completely different person.� But
Shuichi had gone from being cute, to- dare he say it?- drop dead gorgeous.� Sexy.�
A hunk.

Eiri blinked.�
God forbid.� Had he really just
thought that?� He shook his head to clear
it before he jumped the singer, which did not seem like such a bad idea now
that he thought about it.� Shuichi was
overdue for a reminder of just to whom he belonged anyway.� He felt his cock twitch in reaction.

�What are you doing?� he asked Shuichi.� His voice did not sound like his own.

�Apartment hunting,� Shuichi answered without
lifting his gaze from the computer screen.

If he heard the wanton need that Eiri had not
bothered to hide then he made no indication.�
For some reason that pissed Eiri off.�
�Hm.�� But he would let it
slide.� For now anyways.

Shuichi and he had moved any number of times over
the course of their relationship mostly because their address had somehow been
leaked and they became bombarded by fans and reporters and whatnot.� This time, they were moving because frankly
they had outgrown their current three-bedroom condominium.� There was little room for the two of them to
breathe.� Who knew you could collect so
much junk in only a short amount of time?

�Any luck?� he asked.� As interested as he was in the search for a
new, larger place for the two of them to live, Eiri�s libido was interested in
a different type of search.� He shifted
uncomfortably on the couch.� It was
taking all he had not to launch himself off the couch and across the table, but
they really did need to find a new apartment and quick.� They were already tripping over themselves
and all of their, or rather should he say Shuichi�s, stuff.

�Hn,� was the distracted reply.� �Should we stay here in Chiyoda-ku, Eiri?�

�Doesn�t matter,� Eiri said equally distracted by
the carotid pulse located in Shuichi�s neck.

Feeling as if he were being watched, Shuichi lifted
his gaze from the computer screen and met a set of blazing golden eyes.� Shuichi felt his pulse speed up.� His breath hitched.� He knew that look all too well.� Shuichi felt himself harden instantly.� Damn Eiri, he thought.� With just a look!� Despite himself, a blush crept up his neck.� Curling his lips inward to keep back the
embarrassed smile that threatened to split his face, Shuichi lowered his gaze
back down to the computer.

Eiri had been cooped up in his study for the last
several weeks working on a new novel and Bad Luck was working on a new CD that
was scheduled for release next spring- and for once, they were not rushing
through it- so the couple had had little time together.

Shuichi moved the cursor and hit �Chiyoda-ku�,
trying to ignore the heated gaze fixed upon him.� It was not working.

He for one liked it here in Chiyoda City.� It was a small closely-knit community with
less than fifty thousand residents making it the least populated of Tokyo�s twenty-some-odd
wards.�

Chiyoda consisted of
the Palace and a surrounding radius of about one kilometer.� It inherited the name, literally meaning
"field of a thousand generations," from Chiyoda
Castle otherwise known as Edo Castle.� Many government institutions, such as the
Diet, the Prime Minister's residence, and the Supreme Court were located here,
as are Tokyo
landmarks such as Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo Station, and the Budokan.� Fifteen embassies are also located within the
ward.� Not to mention that Chiyoda is
home to over 36,000 businesses employing over 888,000 people.

Chiyoda is located at
the very heart of central Tokyo.� The central area of the ward is furthermore
occupied by the Imperial
Palace.

There were many
attractions such as Hibiya
Park, Imperial Palace,
Kitanomaru Park, National Diet Building, Nippon Budokan,
Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo Station,
and the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater.

A bunch of famous people had decided to make
Chiyoda their home.� People such as Sada Abe,
actress and singer Koshiji Fubuki, film
director Heinosuke Gosho, seiyu Noriko Hidaka,
actress Meiko Kaji,
author Rohan Koda,
actor Yuji Miyake, kabuki and television actor Nakamura Kichiemon II, seiyuu Megumi Ogata,
and physicist and author Torahiko Terada.

There were several
historical sites located here in Chiyoda such as the Site of house of Oguri Kōzuke no suke, the
Site of Haniwa Hokinoichi Wagaku kōdansho, the Site of home of Sano
Zenzaemon, and the Lighthouse of Kudan.

There were also some really great schools including
a graduate school, parks, museums, libraries and resort facilities.� There was even a jogging course, which
Shuichi had only recently begun to make use of.�
The city had many places to shop and there was always a festival going
on (1).�

Not to mention it was close to the studio (2).�

Shuichi could not imagine living anywhere else.

�Minutes from station,� Shuichi read on the
apartment guide�s search criteria.�
�Any,� he clicked.� �Rent?�� His hand hovered over the mouse.�

�What�s the minimum?�

�Uhm.��
Shuichi checked.� �150000 Yen.�

�Hm.� Max?�

�1500000 Yen.�

Eiri shrugged.�
Really, for the two of them, money was no object.� �Whatever.�
It don�t matter.�

�Sure?�

�Yeah.�

��Kay.�

�As long as they have parking, A/C and limited
access,� Eiri quickly added.

Shuichi�s brows furrowed in confusion.� �Huh?�

Eiri fought the urge to roll his eyes.� �A locked front door,� he sounded out
slowly.� �Ya know like this place?� Where you need a key to even get into the
building?� I don�t want every yahoo to be
able to come and go.�

�Ah!�

By �yahoo�, Shuichi had the feeling he knew to whom
Eiri was referring.

�Okay�No max specified,� he mumbled.� �3 or more bedrooms.� Floor space?�
Hm.�� Shuichi glanced around.� They could definitely use more room.

�Two hundred.�

Shuichi shot Eiri a shocked look before quickly
lowering his gaze back down to the computer.�
�O-kay.�� That seemed like a
little too much space, but he added the additional criteria anyway.� Hitting the search button, Shuichi sat back
to wait for the results.� He did not have
to wait long.� The results popped up on
the screen.� Sitting up straighter,
Shuichi scanned the list.� There were twelve.� �Here�s one for 650,000 Yen.� No maintenance fee.� Key money.�
Two months.� Deposit.� Two months.�
Parking included.� One-hundred and
forty-four point sixty-six square meters (1,555.48sqf).� Uhm��

�Where is it?�

�Sanbon-cho House #5.� 24-2, Sanban-cho�But
it�s not available until next month.�

�Hm.�

Shuichi continued to scroll down the list.�
His eyes lit up.� �Here�s a four
bedroom for 750000 yen and it is available now.�
It is the Sanbancho Daiichi Mansions #501.� 7-4, Sanbancho.� Uhm.� No
maintenance fee,� he read.� �No key
money, but you need six months deposit.�
Parking is included.� There is 194.40 square meters.�

Eiri drew his eyebrows
together.� �How much?�

�How much what?�

�The rent.�

�Oh!� 750000.�
Why?�

For some reason that did
not sound right.� ��Are you sure you did
not forget a zero?�

Shuichi rechecked the
price.� He shook his head.� �No. 7.�
5.� 0.� 0.�
0.� 0.�� He clicked on the link provided and skimmed
over the redundant information.� �Hey!� It has a balcony, air-conditioner.� Comes
with a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher-�

Eiri snorted.�
He did not see what the big deal about dishwashers was.� That was what Shuichi was for.� Besides that, he would not know how to
operate one if the manual hit him upside the head.� Nor did he care.

�-CS, what the hell is that?� Shuichi
muttered.� �Cooking stove, kitchen, oven,
and auto-lock and has an elevator.�� He
snorted.� �I sure as hell hope they
do.� I�m not walking up and down five
flights fifty zillion times a day.��

Eiri lightly chuckled.� His baka was always a source of amusement.

Shuichi scrolled down the page.�
Squinting, he leaned in closer to the monitor.� �This picture sucks,� he said.

�Let me see.�� Eiri pushed up off the
couch and rounded the coffee table.� He
squatted down besides Shuichi.� Unhooking
his rimless reading glasses from his white button-down shirt, he slipped them
on.� �Hm.�� Studying the picture, Eiri noticed right away
that there was a master bedroom suite off the kitchen on the opposite side of
the apartment from the other three.� It
had a walk-in closet and its own bathroom.�
The other bedrooms shared a bathroom.�
There was even a water closet (or �half-bath�) off the entrance.� A rather large shoes-in closet and plenty of
storage space throughout the apartment
(4).� �Make an
appointment,� he ordered.

Gasping, violet eyes went wide.�
�A-are you sure, Eiri?�� His heart
was hammering in anticipation.

Eiri shrugged.

Shuichi squealed.

Eiri winced as he lost a little more of his hearing.� By this rate, he would be deaf by the time he
was thirty.� �Don�t get your hopes
up.� It is only an appointment, Shuichi
Shindou,� he reminded his boyfriend sternly.�
�It may either already be taken or we may not even get it.�

Shuichi pouted with a whine.

Eiri sighed.� He was starting to get
a headache.� �You know, the longer you
sit here, the greater the chance of someone snatching the place is.�

Panic flitted across Shuichi�s face.�
He scrambled to his feet and raced to the phone.

Eiri chuckled.� Pushing to his feet,
he followed his lithe, hyperactive baka
to the kitchen.� Shuichi had so much
energy.� It was time to put all that
energy to good use.

+------------+------------+

(Mitsubishi Estate
Offices � Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,
Japan)

�Alright, Mr. Shindou.� I will see
you on Friday then�All right.� Have a
good night.� Bye-bye.�� Her grin fell immediately as she replaced the
receiver.� She sat back with a sigh.

Norimi Saigo had been with Mitsubishi Estate for quite a few numbers of
years and had been Eiri Yuki and Shuichi Shindou�s real estate agent for half
of that time.� They were usually her
favorite clients for, even though they were famous, they were the easiest to
please.� But this time�

She heaved a heavy sigh.

There was a reason an apartment such as the one her favorite clients wanted
to see that would normally go for over a couple million yen easy was going for
such a steal.� But according to company
policy, what the public did not know could not hurt them.

+------------+------------+

(NG Pro Studios � The Next Day)

With his
hands holding the headphones securely, Shuichi sang into the microphone.� �Time in my heart/Yami no kogashi hikari
terase HAZUsu ORE wo!��
He held out the last note, hearing it echo back at him.� He let the music flow through him, felt it
take him over.� Sometimes he could not
believe that this was his life.� �Time in
my heart.�� The music surrounded him
again.� �Time in my heart/kotae no nai
sekai mo nai kitto/Time in my heart/subete ga aru kimi no yume ni ORE wo irete.�� Again, he held out the last note.

The music faded to enthusiastic applause.

The producer for their third album, Aiya Kotani, gave him the thumbs up.

Grinning, Shuichi took off the headphones and set them on the music
stand.� He bowed deeply at his
audience.� Making his way out of the
sound booth, he was greeted with a renewal of applause and whistles.� He scratched the back of his head,
embarrassed by the attention.� �How was
that?�

From his position besides Aiya, Suguru Fujisaki spun his chair around to
face his lead singer.� �That was perfect
Mr. Shindou.�

�Do you want me to do it again?�

Hiroshi Nakano stepped forward and slapped his best friend on the
back.� �You were awesome Man.�

Shuichi brightened at Hiro�s praise.�
�Really?�

�If we did not think that you could lead us to the top, we never would have
supported you for as long as we have,� Fujisaki said.

His keyboardist always-present snooty attitude could do little to bring
down Shuichi from his high.� Sighing
happily, Shuichi twirled and flopped bonelessly into the couch.

Hiro chuckled lightly.

The door to the studio that Bad Luck was currently using burst open.� �You seem awfully happy today Shindou,� K
observed as he stepped into the studio.

Shuichi giggled merrily.� �Of
course!�� He jumped to his feet and
clasped his hands together.� �Me and Yuki
are going apartment hunting today!�

Fujisaki snorted.� �And that is a
case for celebration because�?�

Planting his hands on his hips, Shuichi glared at the younger guy.� �Because Eiri promised that if we could get a
place with at least four bedrooms, then he would think about us�,� Shuichi�s
face flushed red as the rest became lost behind a cough.

K�s eyebrows shot into his hairline.

�He would what?� Hiro pressed.

If Shuichi thought he could not become any more embarrassed then he would
have been wrong.� He flushed in anger at
having to repeat himself.� But at the
same time, he was so happy at the prospect of what the future might hold if
Eiri and he were to get this apartment.�
�He would think about us�having�a baby.�

There was stunned silence following his admission.

Shuichi pouted.� �What?� he demanded.

+------------+------------+

(Sanbancho Daiichi
Mansions � Later That Day)

�Oh!� Wow!� Yuki!��
Shuichi raced into the expansive living room.� Giggling like a schoolgirl and holding his
arms out on either side of him, he twirled around and around and around and�

Eiri was becoming seasick.� �Baka,� he snapped.� �Knock it off!�

�Aw,� Shuichi whined.

Behind him, Norimi laughed lightly at his clients antics.� �No, it is perfectly alright.�

Dizzy, Shuichi staggered.� He giggled
delightfully.

Eiri rolled his eyes.� How in the
world had he fallen in love with such an imbecile?� He could not believe that this was the man he
wanted to have a family with.

�This is the combination living room and dining room.� It is a little over fifty-five square
meters,� Norimi was saying.

�There�s no separate dining room?� Eiri asked.

�No.�� Norimi shook her head.� �It is an open floor plan.�

�This is more like a Great Room,� Eiri noticed.� He did not know if liked it.

�Yes,� Norimi agreed.� �It is perfect
for entertaining.�

Shuichi giggled as he rejoined Eiri and their real estate agent.� He hooked his arm through Eiri�s.� Entertaining?�
Eiri was the most unsociable person that Shuichi has ever known.

Eiri threw Shuichi a look.

Shuichi just gave him a look full of innocence.

Eiri snorted and shook his head.�
Shuichi?� Innocent?� Please!�
Only when it suited him.

Still giggling, Shuichi unlatched himself from Eiri and waltzed into the
kitchen.� �It�s also good if you have
kids.� Right?� Eiri?��
With his hands clasped behind him, Shuichi turned and tilting his head a
little to the side, he smiled sweetly at his lover.

Eiri caught his breath.� He would
never admit it aloud, but at that moment, his heart skipped a beat.� He cleared his throat.� �I don�t know what you are talking about.�

Not fooled, especially seeing the pinkish tint to the pale writer�s face,
Shuichi chuckled and turned his attention to what could be their new kitchen.

�The kitchen has travertine tile floors.�
Granite countertops.� New cherry
cabinets and stainless steel appliances,� Norimi stated amused by the couple.

�Looks like the stove is gas,� Eiri guessed.

�Yes,� Norimi answered.

Shuichi and an open flame?� That was
a disaster waiting to happen.� He would
have to remember to keep the baka as far
away from the stove as humanly possible.

�Hey, Yuki?�

Speak of the devil.

�Is this kitchen smaller than ours?� Shuichi asked as he danced around the
kitchen opening cupboards and pulling out drawers.

�Yeah.�

�Oh.�� Shuichi paused and turned
towards Eiri.� �Is that bad?�� He hoped not because he really, really liked
this place.

Eiri shrugged lazily.� �Not
really.�� He threw his long time partner
a look.� �Seeing it�s in much better condition.��

Shuichi glanced back sheepishly.�
Scratching the back of his head, he gave a nervous giggle.� �Aah, c�mon Eiri!� You know that wasn�t my fault!�

Crossing his arms over his chest, Eiri cocked an eyebrow.� �Oh really?�
And who, pray tell, should I hold accountable for nearly burning down
the apartment?� Again?�

�Uhm�Well�You see��

�Well?� Eiri demanded.

��Uhm��

Feeling bad for the boy, Norimi decided to speak up.� �Would you like to see the rest of the
apartment?�

Shuichi snatched the opportunity gifted to him.� �Please!�

Norimi gave a light chuckle.� �Alright,
then let�s go see the bedrooms.�

Shuichi�s eye lit up.� He
squealed.� Grabbing Eiri�s hand, he
pulled the writer behind him as he followed Norimi.

+------------+------------+

(A Month Later)

A month later found Shuichi sitting crossed legged on the kitchen floor of
Eiri�s and his new apartment.

Shuichi giggled gaily at that.

It was not Eiri�s apartment.� It was their apartment.� Both of their names were on the lease.

Now that they finally had a place that had more than enough room, Eiri had
agreed to keep his promise, which surprised, but delighted Shuichi.� And come this summer, there was a fairly good
chance that there would be the pitter-patter of little feet in the apartment.� Oh!� He
could not wait!

Hiro and the others were still not sure adopting a child was the best
idea.� When he asked, they would not say
why.� Whatever.� Shuichi did not care what people thought.� Yuki and he were in love.� They were practically married.� And now that they had a big enough place and
were in a comfortable place in their respective careers, then the next logical
step was to have children.� It was a
shame that men were not born with the ability to bare children like women.� But seeing as they were not, there was always
the next best thing.

Reaching into the box besides him, Shuichi pulled out a thin, round shaped
object covered with newspaper.� Unfurling
the newspaper, he tossed it carelessly aside with the growing mountain of other
paper and set the gleaming white plate with the others in front of him. �He reached within the box again and pulled out
another.

The stack of plates grew.

�For Heaven�s sake,� Shuichi exclaimed as he pulled out yet another plate
from the box.� �How many freaking plates
do we have?�� It was just the two of
them.� For now at least, he added.

There was a loud creaking.

Shuichi�s head shot up.� He spotted
Eiri holding a box and stepping over the same spot again and again, each time
elicitating the same creaking sound.�

With his brows furrowed in contemplation, Eiri studied the wood floor
beneath his feet.� This was a fairly new
building and the floors were just installed not too long ago according to
Norimi.� He would have to remember to speak with the building supervisor about
this, he thought.�

Hefting the slipping box more securely in his arms, Eiri raised his head
and met Shuichi�s violet tinted jet eyes watching him openly as he stepped into
the kitchen.�

�Is that the last?� Shuichi asked pointing to the box in Eiri�s arms.

�Of the kitchen stuff yeah.�

Shuichi sighed heavily.

Eiri stepped over and around Shuichi�s mess to the counter where he set the
box down.� �You better clean that crap up
Shuichi Shindou.�

�Yeah.� Yeah,� Shuichi rolled his
eyes in exasperation.� Why was he so in
love with such a neat freak?

Eiri turned to glare down at him.

In return, Shuichi gave him his patent innocent look.

�Moron,�
Eiri mumbled.

Shuichi giggled.

Eiri ripped the tape from the box.�
Rolling it into a ball between his hands, he then tossed it over his
shoulder.

�Hey!�

Eiri smirked to himself.

Shuichi picked up the ball of tape that had hit him on the head from the
stack of plates and tossed it into the black garbage bag that sat besides the
mountain of newspaper.� �What was that
about picking up my mess?�

�Have no idea,� was Eiri�s reply as he pulled out what looked like large
tootsie rolls from the box.

Shuichi huffed and returned to his box.�
To his amazement, the plates seemed to have stopped multiplying after two
dozen.� Seriously, who needs this many
plates?� Especially seeing as Eiri never
wants to invite people over for a dinner party.

�What was that?�

Not realizing he said that aloud, Shuichi blinked up at Eiri in
confusion.� �Huh?� What was what?�

Eiri narrowed his eyes before turning away.

Shuichi watched Eiri for a little while longer before reaching into the box
and pulling out a small round shaped object wrapped in newspaper.� These must be the�what were they called?� The salad plates?� Great!�
They probably had two dozen of these as well.� �You know, Eiri��

�What?�

�Nothing,� Shuichi grumbled.

Eiri snickered.� He carefully
unrolled the newspaper to reveal a burgundy wineglass.� He set the wineglass on the counter with the
others and then smoothing the piece of newspaper out, folded it neatly before
setting it on the counter on the other side of the box.� He reached back into the box and grabbed the
next one.� When he felt it shift in his
hand, his face contorted in rage.� �Son
of a bitch.�

With a salad plate in one hand and a scrunched up sheet of newspaper in the
other, Shuichi went still.� �E-Eiri?� he
called out timidly.� Eiri was scary when
he was angry.

Peeling open the newspaper, Eiri pulled out the pieces of the shattered
wineglass with a scowl.

With a gasp, Shuichi�s eyes went wide in horror.

Unlike the dishes, Shuichi knew that they only had a couple of
wineglasses.� Under normal circumstances,
it would not matter if one glass broke during transit.� It happens.�
But these were not normal glasses.�
These wineglasses belonged to Eiri�s deceased mother.� They were given to her from her mother on her
wedding day.

Shuichi jumped with a startled yelp as Eiri tossed the broken wineglass
into the sink with a sound curse.

Eiri gripped the sink tightly.� The
pressure turned his knuckles white.� His
jaw was clenched.� A vein throbbed
dangerously in his forehead.

Shuichi opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and said
nothing.� Instead, he studied his pale
complected lover.� A war of emotions was
playing out on Eiri�s face.� One second
he looked beyond pissed and the next he looked as if he were on the verge of
tears.� From past experience, Shuichi
knew at times like these, it was best if he said and did absolutely nothing.� One wrong word, one wrong move and Eiri would
make what happened to Shuichi all those years ago when he was gangbanged by
Sourpuss and those street thugs look like nothing more than a casual handshake.

Uncrossing his legs, he brought them up to his chest and hugged his arms
around his knees.� Resting his chin on
his knees, Shuichi watched Eiri as he tried to gain control over his out of
control emotions.

But it did not take long for him to break.�
He knew the risks involved and he was willing to take those
chances.� He did not like seeing Eiri so
upset like this.� Those wineglasses were
one of the only things that Eiri had to remind him of his mother.� His father had gotten rid of pretty much
everything else.

�W�� Shuichi licked his lips and tried
again.� �What was she like?� Your mother?�

Silence.� Was that good or bad?

�I bet you look like her.�� Mika,
Tatsuha and he certainly did not look like their father.� Thank God.

But again nothing.

Shuichi was just about ready to give up when Eiri�s soft voice broke into
the silence.

�I was�eight, I think, when she passed.�

Shuichi remembered hearing from Tatsuha, for Eiri did not like to speak of
their mother, that she had uterine cancer.

�I�don�t really remember her.��
Heaving a sigh, Eiri let go of the sink and straightened.� Turning around, he leaned back against the
counter and slid to the floor.� Imitating
Shuichi, he pulled his knees up to his chest and clasped his hands loosely
around his legs.

Shuichi wanted to say something, anything, but was afraid that if he broke
the mood, Eiri would go back into hiding.�
He did not open up very often.

�And you are right.� We all have
Mother�s looks.�

�Then she must have been beautiful,� Shuichi whispered.� Too late, he realized he should not have anything.

But Eiri smiled, chasing away the dark shadows.�

Shuichi heaved a mental sigh of relief.�
He still had bruises from the last time Eiri snapped.

�Yes.� Yes she was.�� Eiri cleared his tightening throat.� �Mika and Tatsuha have Father�s coloring, but
I was born with Mother�s.� I think that
is one of the reasons why Father was always on my case.�

�Because you remind him of her.�

Eiri leaned his head back against the lower cabinets and stared up at the
ceiling as he fought back the threatening tears.� �You know,� he said suddenly into the
silence.� Lifting his head, he gave
Shuichi a predatory once over.

Shuichi felt his body tightening.

�Let�s leave this for tomorrow.�

Gulping, Shuichi could do nothing more than nod.

Eiri stood up and pulling a fiercely blushing Shuichi to his feet, dragged
him out of the kitchen.� It was time to
christen their new master bedroom.

+------------+------------+

Eiri had not thought to ask Norimi if the walls were soundproof or at least
thick enough to muffle the sounds of them �boning�.� In their last place, they had gotten many
complaints from their neighbors.� Not
that they bothered him any.� It just made
him more aggressive, which in turn had pissed off the neighbors even more.� It had been a never-ending cycle.� Shuichi had been a different story,
though.� Eiri had tried to keep Shuichi
out of the loop, knowing how it would affect the singer, but their old landlord
must have suddenly grown a brain because he lay in wait until Shuichi came home
from the studio at the crack of dawn one morning after spending the entire
night working and told him about the complaints he has been getting.� The singer had been so embarrassed!� And of course told Eiri off.� But all that had been quickly forgotten.

Whether the walls were soundproofed or not, Eiri could have cared less.

A gasp turned into a throaty moan.�
Shuichi arched into Eiri�s touch.�
Ripples of pleasure coursed through him.�
He grabbed fists full of the white feather down quilt his mother bought
for them for Christmas last year.�

There was a part of him that still felt weird having sex with his boyfriend
on something that had been a gift from his mother.� When he told Eiri about his misgivings, Eiri
had just given him that predatory look of his and pounced.� Shuichi had been sore for weeks after that.

��Aah!�

Shuichi�s hands shook as he tightened his hold on the bedspread.� His knuckles turned white.� He tossed his head from side to side.� His toes flexed and curled.

��Nn��

He was going crazy!

�Ei�ri!� Ugh!�

He tossed his head back and arched off the bed as his orgasm swept through
him.

Eiri swallowed all Shuichi had to give him and sat back.� He gazed down the lean, hard body of his baka as he licked Shuichi�s essence from
his lips.

Panting, Shuichi flopped bonelessly back against the bed as he tried to
calm his racing heart.

Eiri chuckled.� Cute, he thought.

Shuichi peeled open an eye and glared up at his golden-eyed lover.

Grinning, Eiri stretched himself against his sweaty, sexy lover.

Shuichi lowered his gaze in embarrassment.�
A rosy tint colored his cheeks.

Eiri leaned forward and breathed, �Shuichi.�

A delicious shudder raced through Shuichi.�
His hands danced to Eiri�s back as he turned his head away.

Even after all of these years.� Eiri
chuckled.� He nibbled lightly on
Shuichi�s neck.

Shuichi tightened his grip on Eiri�s shoulders.� His fingernails dug half-moon circles.� Moaning, he craned his neck in order to give
Eiri better access.� �Nn.�� Shuichi hooked his leg around Eiri�s hip in
order to bring his hard, throbbing partner closer.

There was a loud, long creak.

Startled, Shuichi�s eyes snapped open.

Oblivious, Eiri trailed a line of kisses down Shuichi�s throat to his
shoulder.

Shuichi�s eyes were fluttering closed.�
He was losing himself into Eiri�s touches and his kisses when it
happened again.� That same loud, long
creaking noise.� Shuichi�s eyes snapped
back open.� It reminded him of when Eiri
kept stepping on that spot in the kitchen earlier.� He could tell himself that all houses make
noises, but for some reason that did little too comfort Shuichi.� �Eiri.�

Eiri ran a hand along Shuichi�s stomach and up to tweak his nipple while
Eiri suckled on the other one.

�Aah!�� Shuichi tangled his hands in
Eiri�s thicket of golden locks and arched off the bed into Eiri�s magical
touch.

The silence was shattered by another loud creaking noise.

Shuichi�s eyes flew open.� He pushed
against Eiri�s shoulder.� �Eiri.�� His lids fluttered and his breath hitched as
the writer curled his tongue around his perk nipple.� �No, Eiri.�
Stop.� I, I thought I heard
something.�

Eiri went still.� Growling softly, he
slowly lifted his gaze.� Hard golden eyes
met wavering violet eyes.

Shuichi gulped nervously.

Pushing off Shuichi, Eiri picked his pants off the floor and slid into
them.� He walked around the bed and
grabbed the heavy metal baseball bat off the floor from where he set it earlier
that morning.� He crept silently to the
bedroom door.� With a hand on the
doorknob, he paused and ordered over his shoulder, �Don�t.� Move.�

Shuichi nodded obediently.� He bit
his lips to keep from calling out to Eiri as the dark hallway swallowed him
whole.� Maybe he should not have
anything, he thought as he glanced around nervously.

+------------+------------+

He flattened himself against the wall of floor to ceiling windows that
looked out over the roof balcony.� With
the metal baseball bat at the ready, Eiri crept silently down the short
hallway.� Having forgotten to shut the
door that led into the short hallway that led towards the master suite, Eiri
could see clear into the living room.�
The only things he could see were the dark oblong shapes of the boxes that
had yet to be unpacked.

Then he heard it.� The sound of
creaking floorboards.

Frowning, Eiri flung himself across the hall and flattened himself against
the opposite wall.

The creaking sounds continued.� It
sounded as if someone was pacing over that small section of loose floorboards
he had noticed earlier.

Taking a deep breath, he mentally counted before jumping out.

Nothing.

A quick check let him know that Shuichi and he were the only ones in the
apartment.

Eiri heaved a tired sigh.� Using the
bat as a crutch, he massaged his throbbing temple with his free hand.

He chalked the mysterious incident off as a combination of sleep
deprivation and the natural settling of a building.

Just then, the tranquil hush that had fallen over the apartment was
shattered by a noise that made Eiri�s heart just about stop.� �Shuichi,� he breathed.� His heart thumping in panic and growing
terror, Eiri raced back through the apartment.�
He tossed open the door to their bedroom and reached for the light
switch on the wall besides the door.� He
shielded his eyes from the harsh, blinding rays of the domed ceiling light and
glanced towards the bed with the bat once again at the ready.

The bed was empty.

Eiri�s eyes grew wide.� �Sh-�

There was whimpering from his right.

�Shuichi,� Eiri breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the singer.� But his relief was short lived.

Huddled on the floor in the far corner, partially hidden behind stacks of
moving boxes was Shuichi, pale faced and eyes wide in terror.

�Shuichi!�� Tossing the bat aside, he
raced across the room, sliding the last couple of feet to Shuichi�s side.� �Shuichi!�
What�s wrong?� What happened?� he
demanded frantically.� His gaze roamed
over Shuichi, searching the singer for some signs of injury.� When he found none, the tightness in his
chest eased slightly.�

Nothing.

�Shuichi?�� Eiri�s heart started
beating frantically.� What the hell was
wrong with him?� Eiri grabbed Shuichi�s
upper arms, intending to give the moronic singer with the voice of an angel-
though he would never admit it aloud- a good shake.� His eyes went wide in shock.� �Jesus!�
You are freezing!� C�mon.�� Wrapping his arms around his naked shaking
partner, Eiri gently lifted Shuichi to his feet and guided him towards the bed.

Panting heavily, Shuichi started fighting him.

�Shuichi, stop it.�� Eiri was really
becoming worried about his little baka.� �C�mon now.�

�No,� Shuichi cried softly as he continued trying to pry himself out of
Eiri�s vise-like grip.

Trying to ignore the knot in his chest that was telling him that something
was horribly wrong, Eiri grabbed Shuichi�s shoulders and turned the singer
towards him.� �Shuichi,� he called.� It was not working.

Shuichi�s wide, wild eyes were glued to the spot over Eiri�s shoulder as he
dug his heels in and shook his head vigorously.�
�No,� he whimpered.

�Shuichi,� Eiri tried again with more force.� �What happened?� What�s wrong?�

With tears flowing down his face, Shuichi gazed briefly into worried hazel
eyes golden like the sun before looking away.

Eiri followed Shuichi�s gaze over his shoulder and found he was looking at
the walk-in closet.� His brows
twitched.� The doors were wide open.� He thought he had closed them?� It was something that went back to his
childhood.� Eiri could not sleep with the
closet door open.� Shuichi was always
giving him slack about that.� While the
closet was open, the light was off.� With
help from the bedroom light, Eiri could see that like the rest of the
apartment, the closet was full of unpacked boxes.

��Th�There was��

�What?� Eiri pried gently as he turned back to Shuichi.

Shuichi�s breathing became heavy and labored.

��Shuichi?�

��G�Gi...rl...�

Girl?� Eiri glanced over his shoulder
at the closet.� �There is no one there.�

�She was there,� Shuichi snapped through his tears. �His face crumbled.� �I saw��

��Where?� Where was she?�

�There,� Shuichi sobbed, pointing with a shaking finger over Eiri�s
shoulder.

Eiri�s glance flitted to the closet before returning to Shuichi.� Shuichi�s face was as white as the down
comforter on which they were just making love.�
Eiri pulled Shuichi to him, hugging him tightly.� It hurt his heart to see Shuichi like this.

Shuichi wrapped his thin trembling arms around Eiri and buried his wet face
in Eiri�s chest.� Sobs wracked his body.

�Whatever was there is gone now.�
There�s nothing there,� Eiri whispered.�
He dropped a kiss on Shuichi�s raven head.

�But I saw her!�� Shuichi sobbed.

�I know.�� Eiri ran his hands up and
down Shuichi�s back.

��She�she was�I��

Eiri hushed him.� �Come on.� It�s late.�
We�ve had a long day.�

Shuichi pushed out of the comforting warmth of Eiri�s arms.� �I�m not crazy!�

�I never said you were.�

Shuichi shook his head forcefully.�
�I saw her!� She was standing in
the closet watching me!�

Reaching out, Eiri captured a stray tear with his thumb.� Kissing Shuichi�s forehead, Eiri retrieved
the bat he had tossed aside in his frenzy just moments earlier.� Indicating over his shoulder for Shuichi to
remain where he was, Eiri crept silently across the room and around the bed.

Eiri had nothing to worry about.�
Shuichi had no inclination of ever moving from this spot until he was
sure it was okay.� Feeling suddenly sick,
he wrapped his arms around his churning middle.�
He pursed his lips together to keep his teeth from chattering.� He felt so cold, as if his whole body had
gone numb from the inside out.� A lone
sob escaped his lips as a renewal of tears stung his eyes.� Shuichi was not sure he liked this apartment
very much.

He bit his lip to keep from calling out to Eiri as the writer vanished
within the closet.

Shuichi was not sure what it was about that�that�specter that unnerved him so.�
It could be because one second he was alone.� The next there was a face watching him from
the suddenly open closet and then the next he was alone again.� Or it could be something else all
together.� Shuichi was not sure he wanted
to delve too deeply into the possibilities.

After what seemed like an eternity but was in reality only a handful of
seconds, Eiri stepped out of the closet.�

Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.�
His tense stomach muscles unclenched.

Eiri leaned the bat against the wall and pulled the closet door shut until
he heard the familiar click.� �Like I
told you.� There�s nobody there.�

That surprised Shuichi.� That was not
right.� There had to be someone
there!� He swore he saw someone!� It had only been a flitting glance out of the
corner of his eye, but standing right where Eiri was standing now had been a
young woman maybe a little older than Eiri.�
He had not been able to make out much more than that.� �But-!�

�Baby.�

Shuichi cut off his rant.� His face
went red.� A goofy grin crossed his face.

Eiri smiled gently.� He was not sure
what it was that Shuichi had seen if he had seen anything at all.� But it was clearly obvious that something had
spooked the singer.� Eiri had never seen
Shuichi like this before.

�Whatever you saw, it�s gone now.�

Shuichi just did not understand.�
There was someone in the closet.�
He knew he saw someone.� How can
someone get into the apartment and then just disappear as mysteriously?

�Now, come on.� It is late.� We have another big day tomorrow.�

Shuichi nodded solemnly.

The couple crawled into bed.� Shuichi
was grateful that Eiri did not initiate anything.� He really was not in the mood anymore.� He fell into a deep, troubled sleep curled up
in Eiri�s arms.

------------+------------+------------

(Next
Morning � NG Productions Studios)

�Maybe your house is haunted,� Fujisaki said
blandly from behind his synthesizer.� He
frowned as he ran his knuckles over the keys.�
One of the keys sounded a little off.�
Maybe it was time for a new one.

Paling, Shuichi�s eyes went wide.

Hiro tossed the rag he had been using to buff his
guitar at their musical arranger.� �Baka,� he hissed.

Fujisaki shrugged.

Shuichi could not stand watching the trailers for
horror films.� Hiro was not sure how his
best friend would take to living in his own horror flick.

�H-Haun�ted?��
Shuichi felt nauseous.

�Why not?�
You guys got the place for a steal.�
Makes sense.�

Hiro laughed Fujisaki�s explanation off even though
it was the same thing he had been thinking.�
�You were probably just tired.�
You know, from moving?� It would
not be the first time, Shu.� Besides, it
was your first night in your new place.�
Ya know?�

Eiri said practically the same thing, Shuichi
thought.� Maybe they were right.� Last night, he had been so adamant that he
had actually seen someone.� But now
Shuichi was not so sure anymore.� He was not
sure what to think.� He gnawed on his
bottom lip as he played with the zipper of his sleeveless tank.

�Of course.�
Everyone knows there is no such thing as ghosts,� Fujisaki pointed out.

Shuichi heaved a sigh of relief.� A wide smile splashed across his face.� �Yeah, you�re right.� Thanks guys!�

+------------+------------+

�Dammit,� Shuichi hissed as he dug through his bag
strapped across his chest.�
Cellphone.� Notebook.� Wallet.�
Gum.� Gum wrappers.� Candy bar wrappers.� Empty chip bag.� Water bottle.�
Broken sunglasses.� Pens.� Address book.�
Empty box of strawberry pocky.�
Ipod.� Manga�but no keys.� Shuichi scratched his head in confusion.� He was sure he had them when he
left�right?� You need the keys to lock
the apartment door and since Eiri had been too busy arguing with Mizuki when he
left, Shuichi had been the one to lock the door.

Kanna Mizuki, Eiri�s editor, had invited herself
over early this morning �requesting� the manuscript that was �a week overdue�,
or so she claimed.� Eiri said that the
woman just got off on harassing him.� So
while Eiri dealt with her, Shuichi had decided to go into the studio and talk
over what happened last night with the others, even though he was supposed to
have the week off.� He had been hoping
they would help him sort out what had happened.�
Unfortunately, as soon as he stepped out of the studio, his doubts and
fears started to return.� Despite the
warmth of the sun beating down on him, Shuichi felt suddenly cold.

�Good afternoon, Shindou-san,� greeted a feeble
sounding male voice from behind him.

Startled out of his thoughts, Shuichi spun.� �Oh!� Aso-san!�� He bowed
at the elderly gentlemen.� �Konnichiwa.�

He met Koji Aso on the elevator this morning.� Apparently, the old man lived in the building
with his wife of fifty years and half a dozen cats.� �What seems to be the trouble?�

Shuichi blushed hotly.� �Oh, uhm.��
He scratched the back of his head.�
�I, uh, seem to have misplaced my keys.��
He laughed.

�Aah!�

+------------+------------+

Shuichi hummed happily as the elevator ascended.

�Maybe
your house is haunted,� Fujisaki
had said.

Shuichi shook his head.� �Stupid Fujisaki,� he mumbled.

But what if his keyboardist was right?� What if their apartment was haunted?� It would make sense.� First, there sounded as if someone had been
in the kitchen and then there was that face staring down at him from out of the
closet.� And what about the closet?� Shuichi had seen Eiri close it earlier.� It was a strange phobia, if you wanted to
call it that, which Eiri had.� He may
chide him about it, but Shuichi was the same way.�

Fujisaki was also right about them getting the
place for such a steal.� Even Eiri had
said so.� Maybe he should speak with
their neighbors and see how much they pay.�
Besides theirs, there were three other apartments on their floor and
from what they were told, despite each having a different layout; they were
four bedrooms as well.

�Is anything wrong, Shindou-san?�

�Huh?��
Shuichi lifted his head and met steely grey eyes.� �Oh, uhm, no.�
Nothing�s wrong.�

Aso-san nodded.

�It�s just that, uhm��

�Hm?�

�Do you know anything about this place being
haunted?� Shuichi blurted.� Embarrassed,
his face grew warm.� Shuichi felt like
such a fool for asking.� Both Eiri and
Hiro said that he must have been half sleep.�
But he just could not shake the feeling that that �dream� had been more
than just a figment of his imagination.

�Haunted?��
The old man chuckled and shook his head.�
�I haven�t heard anything like that.�

Shuichi felt his face fall.� For some reason that did not make him as
relieved as he thought he would be.�
�Oh.� Well, thanks anyway.�

The elevator came to a halt.� There was a ping and the doors slid
open.� Shuichi stepped out and turned to
bow at the elderly man.� �Thanks again.�

�You are very welcome,� he inclined his head in
return.

As Shuichi turned towards his apartment, which was
to the left of the elevator, Aso-san called
after him.

�Is that your apartment?� he asked with his cane.

Shuichi glanced at his apartment door.� N 501 in small silver lettering was secured
to it above a peephole.� �Yes,� Shuichi
nodded.

�Ah,� the man said sadly before he stepped back
onto the elevator.

Before Shuichi could even process what had
happened, the elevator doors slid closed.

Shuichi scratched his head in confusion.

Shaking it off, he danced up to the apartment door
and knocked.� He hoped Eiri was
home.� Otherwise, he was screwed.

Moments later, the door swung open to reveal a
disheveled looking Eiri who had an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

�Hey, Eiri!�
I�m home!�

�Really?�
Never woulda noticed,� Eiri mumbled as he stepped aside.

Giggling, Shuichi danced inside and gave his grumpy
looking boyfriend a kiss.� �You look like
crap.�

�And you have a mess in the kitchen you need to
clean up,� Eiri retorted as he swung the door closed.� The sound of a lock falling into place echoed
down the silent hallway.

A whine could be heard from behind the closed door.

+------------+------------+

(That
Night)

�Shuichi,� shouted Eiri�s voice from somewhere in
the house.

�Yeah,� Shuichi called back from the dressing room
in the master bedroom.

�Tomorrow, I want you to do the other bathroom,�
Eiri commanded.� His voice sounded
closer.

��Kay!�

�And make sure you put the hairdryer back under the
sink!�

Shuichi rolled his eyes.� �Yeah.�
Yeah!�

�If I see it sitting out one more time, it is going
in the trash.�

�I heard you the first time,� Shuichi snapped
back.� It was not as if he forgot to put
it away every single time.� Besides, it
was not as if he were the only one.�
Shuichi noticed that Eiri left it sitting out earlier.� He had not even known that Eiri liked to use
the hairdryer.

�Good, because I am not repeating myself.�

�Whatever,� Shuichi muttered.

Eiri stuck his head into the dressing room.� �What was that?�

Shuichi�s face grew warm.� �Uhm�I love you?�

�Uh huh.��
Eiri withdrew back into the bedroom.�
�That�s what I thought.�

Shuichi stuck out his tongue.

�I saw that!�

Giggling, Shuichi wrapped the cord around the
hairdryer.� Opening the cabinet door, he
started to place the hairdryer under the sink, but something metallic towards
the back of the cabinet caught his eye.�
Setting the hairdryer back down on the vanity, Shuichi crouched down and
fished out the object.

�What the hell?�

What he held in his hand when he stood back up were
the very house keys he had been looking for earlier.

+------------+------------+

At midnight, Shuichi found he was still very much
awake.� From besides him, he could hear
Eiri�s soft snores.� He cursed the man
for being able to fall asleep so easily.

When they went to bed, Shuichi made sure that Eiri
was sleeping on the side of the bed that was closest to the closet.� It was still up for grabs whether the woman
he saw walking out of the closest last night actually happened or had been a
product of a mind clouded by fatigue.� He
was vying for the latter, but was not holding his breath.� Other then wrestling with the question of
what really happened last night, Shuichi had been fine all day, but as soon as
night fell, the terror of the experience had returned.� Eiri thought he was being ridiculous.� Shuichi thought he was being realistic.

A creaking sound jerked Shuichi out of his thoughts
and pulled a startled gasp out of him.

Fear had his heart beating rapidly.� Squeezing his eyes shut tight, Shuichi
cowered under the covers and curled up against Eiri as the creaking, like last
night, continued.�

+------------+------------+

(The Next
Day)

�We can�t afford to be innocent/Stand up and face
the enemy/It�s a do or die situation/We will be invincible,� Shuichi sang
loudly as he danced through the living room towards the guest bath with an
armload of brightly colored towels.

The second bathroom was across the hall from the
bedroom that Eiri had commandeered as his new study.� Not only was it the room furthest away from
the master bedroom, but it also happened to be largest of the three bedrooms.

�And that was �Invincible� by Pat Benatar, the
theme song from the 198x movie Billie
Jean here on the eighty minute eighties lunch.� Next up we have...� (5)�

The sound of the radio dimmed as the door swung
shut behind him.

Humming, Shuichi skipped down the hall passed the room
that was to become their child�s room.�
The second bedroom, which was going to be his music room when he got
around to unpacking everything, was besides it.�
The utility room where the washer and dryer were located was on his
left.

He peeked into the third bedroom, which was Eiri�s
study, as he passed by.� Eiri was sitting
on the floor lost amongst a sea of books.�
Curious, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.� �Yuki?�
What are you doing?�

Startled, the book Eiri was holding slipped from
his hand.� He glared over his shoulder at
Shuichi.� �What�s it look like?� he
snapped, annoyed at being disturbed.

�I don�t know.�

Eiri sighed.�
He was beginning to get a headache.�
�Alphabetizing my books.�

Shuichi cocked his head to the side.� �Why?�

��To make it easier to find the book I want later.�

�Aah!��
Shuichi still did not get it.�

Leaving Eiri to his organizing, Shuichi opened the
storage closet located outside the dressing room and set the extra towels on an
empty shelf besides the hand towels and wash clothes.�

�There!��
Stepping back, he closed the closet doors.

Picking up the box at his feet, Shuichi carried it
into the dressing room and unloaded the miscellaneous items into the storage
closet, which included toilet paper as well as extra bath supplies.

His ears perked up when he heard the sound of feet
stride passed the door and disappear down the hall.� The door that led out into the living room
swung open.� The D.J.�s voice boomed down
the hall.�

�-�sy Lover� by Phil Collins-�

Before it was silenced by the door swinging shut.

�Hey, Eiri!��
Shuichi raced to the dressing room door and stuck his head out into the
hallway.

�What?� barked the answer from across the hall.

Shuichi blinked.�
�Eiri?�� He crossed the hall to
the study.

There sitting on the floor amongst all his books,
was Eiri.

�You�re�here?�

�Yeah,� Eiri drawled.� �Where else would I be?� I�ve been here all damn day.�

Shuichi drew his brows together in confusion.� �But�I mean�I heard�I thought�� He scratched his head.� What was going on?

�Will you make sense,� Eiri growled in annoyance.

Shuichi felt like an idiot as his mouth gaped open
and closed, but he really had no idea what to say.

+------------+------------+

(A Couple
Hours Later)

Tipping his head back, Eiri blew out a stream of
grey smoke into the air.� He watched
fascinated as the breeze whipped it about.

�I�thought
I�heard someone.�

Stubbing out his cigarette on the railing, Eiri
tossed it into his empty teacup.

�Who?�

His face a mask of confusion, Shuichi had only been
able to shake his head.

Something was clearly going on.� Either concerning their apartment or with
Shuichi.

Sighing, Eiri turned from the breathtaking view of
the city.

Back in his study, Eiri set his cup down on the
file cabinet that Shuichi had somehow been able decorate with stickers and
closed the sliding doors behind him.�
Crossing the room, he pulled out his chair and sat down behind his desk.� Reaching for the phone, he dialed NG
Productions� number by heart.� As he
waited to be patched through, Eiri sat back and raked his fingers through his
breeze teased hair.

He had finally finished unpacking his study.� It looked exactly like it had in each of his
previous places except unlike the other apartments he had ever lived in, the
architect for this building had added a traditional Japanese flare by making it
so that the terrace was easily accessible from almost every room in the
apartment.� If Shuichi and he did indeed
adopt a child, he would have to look into buying a special lock for the balcony
doors in the kid�s room.� There was a
sturdy railing and a row of hedges between the roof balcony and the five story
drop to the pavement, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

�Eiri-kun,� came the enthusiastic greeting over the
phone, breaking into Eiri�s thoughts.�
�To what do I owe this honor?�

Biting back a sarcastic retort that was clawing to
be released, Eiri said instead, �I need you to look into something for me.�

��Are you alright, Eiri-kun?� You don�t sound too good,� came the concerned
reply.

Dropping his face into his free hand, Eiri rubbed
his throbbing temples.� He did not feel
too good.� �Tired,� he slurred
slightly.� �It�s been a long day.�

��Hm�I�m not-�

�Are you going to help me or not?� Eiri snapped,
trying to ignore the fact that the room was spinning.� He swallowed back a groan.� It felt as if he were going to be sick.

�Of course!�
Anything for you Eiri-kun.�

Eiri opened his mouth, but closed it when nothing
came out.� That was weird.� His mind just went blank.� He blinked.�
What was it he had just been talking about?

+------------+------------+

Shuichi reached into the box before him and pulled
out a rectangular shaped object wrapped in brightly colored newspaper.� If he ever saw another newspaper again it
would be too soon.

He tore off the newspaper and tossed it over his
head into growing pile with the others to reveal a silver plaque for Bad Luck�s
first single �Rage Beat�.� He could
remember when they were presented with this went the song went platinum.� It had been a dream come true.

Giggling, Shuichi set in aside.

His eyes landed on the plaque besides it.� �Bad Luck.�
�Blind Game Again�.� Platinum Record,� he read.� Their second single.� Making the video for that song had been an
experience and a half to say the least.

Reaching back into the box, he pulled out a
newspaper wrapped rectangular shaped object similar to the others.

�Bad Luck.� �Rage Beat�.� Double Platinum Record.�

Even if Bad Luck never sold another CD, Shuichi
would just be satisfied with the legacy they left behind.

He set the plaque besides another one.

�Bad Luck.� �In the Moonlight�.� Triple Platinum Record (6).�

Smiling nostalgically, Shuichi ran his fingers over the smooth surface of
the silver award.� �In the Moonlight� had
been the first Bad Luck song to be released worldwide and had quickly become
one of their greatest hits to date.

�Baka.�

Shuichi started at the sudden gruff voice from behind him.� Trying to calm his racing heart, Shuichi
grinned over his shoulder.� �Hey, Yuki,
do you remem�� His smile faltered when
his gaze landed on the empty space behind him.�
Frowning, Shuichi set the plaque down and scrambled to his feet.� �Eiri,� he called as he leaned out of the
door to his room.

Nothing.

�Eiri?�� Something was not
right.� He could not explain it, but
Shuichi could feel it.� His heart started
hammering.� He broke out into a cold
sweat.� �Eiri!�

�In here,� came the muted reply from the study.

With a hand over his heart, Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.� �Thank God,� he whispered.� He stepped around the door and peered into
Eiri�s study, grinning.� �Did you want
some�thing�Yu�?�� Violet tinted jet eyes
went wide.� An olive complexion went white.� �Yu�ki,� Shuichi called softly.� He took a tentative step into the room.� He felt lightheaded all of a sudden and had
to grip the doorframe to keep from passing out.�� He took another step and then another.� Each step was faster than the last.� �Yuki?�

Lying slumped across his desk with the phone dangling from his hand was
Eiri.� His already pale complexion had
gone ashen.

�Oh, God,� Shuichi gasped.� �Yuki,�
he cried in panic as he raced towards his long time partners side.� �Yuki!�

------------+------------+------------

(Three Months
Later)

The images on the television went still and then with a click, the screen
went dark.� Silence descended upon the
apartment.� Shuichi set the remote down
on the coffee table and then sat back.�
�So,� he asked folding his legs underneath him and curling up against
his boyfriend, �what did you think?�

�Crap,� came the answer.

�Eiri,� reprimanded Shuichi with a pout.

�What?� It�s a show about a college
student in love with a ten year old boy,� he said in disgust.

�Twelve.�

�What?�

Shuichi turned to face Eiri.�
�Ritsuka is twelve.�

Eiri shrugged in disinterest.�
�Ten.� Twelve.� Same difference.� That Suki guy-�

�Soubi,� Shuichi corrected.

�Whatever!� He is still seven years
older.� He�s a pervert.�

�He�s in love,� Shuichi corrected.

�With a twelve year old,� Eiri shot back.

�Eiri!� You just don�t get it.�� Shuichi folded his arms over his chest and
turned his back to the author with a �humph�.

Eiri sighed heavily.� �What�s to
get?� In the real world Soubi would be
thrown in jail for rape.�

Shuichi said nothing.

�Right?� Eiri pressed.

��Eiri�� Shuichi gave a heavy
sigh.� Why would he think Eiri would
enjoy watching Loveless with
him?� �That is not the point.�

�Then what is?�

�Love.�

�Love?�

�Yes, love.�� Shuichi nodded.

Eiri said nothing.� �Whatever,� he
finally muttered.

Shuichi dropped his arms and turned to face his boyfriend.� �I was barely legal when we first met,� he
reminded Eiri.

��That was different.�

Shuichi rolled his eyes with a sigh.�
�How?�

��It just was.�

It was Shuichi�s turn to say �whatever�.�
�Are you telling me that if I were Ritsuka and you Soubi, you never
would have kissed me?� You never would
have come on to me?�

Violet met gold.

�Whatever,� was all Eiri said as he broke contact with those hard
challenging eyes.� He turned to stay out
over the balcony as the sun vanished behind the horizon of metal and glass.

Knowing he had his answer, Shuichi cuddled back against Eiri with a
satisfied smirk.

His smile slipped off his face.�
Shuichi gripped Eiri�s T-shirt as the threat of tears stung his
eyes.� His throat tightened.

It has been three months since Eiri had his stroke.� Three months since Shuichi thought he had
lost his whole world.� If Eiri had not
been on the phone with Tohma at the time, Shuichi was not sure what would have
happened.� He had been so scared and
unsure what to do.

�Yuki.�
Yuki!� Talk to me!� Yuki!�
Please!� Yuki!�

When the EMTs arrived, Shuichi had refused to let Eiri go.� He had been so afraid that if he let Eiri out
of his sight, he was never going to see his boyfriend again.� Tohma had needed to pry Shuichi�s grip from
Eiri and then hold him back as Eiri was wheeled into the ER.� Shuichi had been this close to being sedated.

The doctors to this day were not sure what had caused the stroke.� Blood clots were the main cause, but Eiri was
in relatively good health.� He had a
history of heavy smoking and drinking, but had cut down considerably over the
last several years.� Besides, Shuichi was
not even sure if Eiri�s smoking and drinking had anything to do with his
stroke.

But whatever the cause, Shuichi was just glad that Eiri was okay.� It was a mild stroke and thankfully did not
have any lasting affects.� He recovered
fairly quickly and was released from the hospital a couple days later.

The silence of the house was shattered by shrill cries.

A grin spread slowly over his face.�
He glanced over his shoulder at the closed doorway that led to the other
part of the house where their offices were and now their newborn son�s bedroom.

Ichigo, named after Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach, was just two months old today.� His birth family was unknown.� Ichigo was found mere hours after his birth
in the back of a metro bus.� Nobody had
seen anything.

�Your turn.�

Grinning at Eiri, Shuichi leapt off the couch.

A smile crossed Eiri�s face as he watched Shuichi vanish into their son�s
room.

Turning back around, Eiri scanned the silent, twilight-strung apartment.

Other than his son who definitely sounded as if he had his mother�s lungs-
Eiri chuckled, wondering dryly who the �mother� in this relationship was-
everything had been quiet in the apartment.�
The activity had stopped just as suddenly and mysteriously as it began.

Tohma�s research had turned up nothing substantial, but he promised he was
not going to give up.� Not just yet.� If there were something to these �hauntings�
then he would find it.� Eiri had no
doubts.� Shuichi said that there was an
older gentleman who lived up on the tenth floor who might know something.� He would have to look into that.

But it did get Eiri to wondering if the two, the unexplained activity and
his stroke, were connected.� Especially
after what Shuichi told him.

�I was unpacking like you told me to and I
heard you call me.�

But it had not been Eiri.

Whatever it had been, whatever had been going on was gone now.

�Hey, Daddy!�

Eiri turned around.� He grinned and
stood up when he saw Shuichi walk through the door into the living room with a
small, round bundle on his hip.� Tears
were drying on Ichigo�s face and his mused raven hair was sticking on end.

This was his family.� This was his
life.

------------OWARI------------

(1) Info
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiyoda,_Tokyo

(2) In
the Gravitation anime, volume 1,
there is the scene from the �day after� that shows Shuichi waiting for Hiro at
Ichigaya Station, which I found, is located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo,
Japan, so I decided to make
this where Shu and Eiri live in Tokyo.

(3) �This site is real: https://www.mitsui-chintai.co.jp

(4)� Real apartment but at a different apartment
complex.� It is an �R Type� from the
�Ichigaya Sadohara II� located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.� It has an �L� shape layout.

(5)� �80 Minute 80�s lunch� is real.� Borrowed it from 105.1 the River located out
of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
(I believe).

(6)� These are from the reversible covers of the
anime/OVA.

A/N:� What did you think?
- 1
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