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Something In-Between	By : Despina Category: Gravitation > General Views: 3414 -:- 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
- 9
- 10
- 11
Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation nor do I make any money from using the characters.

NC-17

If you have time, please review. Thank you!!

Note: My sincere devotion goes out to Kri and AshCat for your patience, your ideas, your corrections and your loving, brutal honesty. I really couldn�t do this without either one of you. I love you two!

Sorry for the delay, but it�s an Eiri chapter and you all know how much of a pain in the ass he can be!

Something In-Between

Chapter 10
A Stroke of Luck - Part 1

Hanging by threads of palest silver
I could have stayed that way forever
Bad blood and ghosts wrapped tight around me
Nothing could ever seem to touch me

I lose what I love most
Did you know I was lost until you found me?

A stroke of luck or a gift from God?
The hand of fate or devil's claws?
From below or saints above?
You came to me

Here comes the cold again
I feel it closing in
It's falling down and
All around me falling

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the morning, I awoke to an empty bed and the crushing fear that Shuichi had left me while I slept. I started to scramble for my clothes, but then I heard the comforting sound of him arguing with Fujisaki. They were growling at each other, quite loudly and about something silly, like a couple of angry cats. I think it was about food or maybe eating. I stretched as I lay there and thought about what Shuichi was going through.

I thought about what I was going through as well. How could the two of us have been so stupid? Shuichi had been so easily tricked by my idiot brother and then had given me the silent treatment. My lover had always been outspoken with his displeasure, particularly when the focus of his irritation was our relationship. His cold silence should have served as a warning sign to me that there was trouble. Instead of heeding the warning, I had naively hoped our relationship would somehow miraculously heal itself.

Shuichi�s internalization of his anger and doubt led me to believe that there was a lot more emotional damage that he harbored deep beneath the surface. It seemed there was much in our relationship that needed to be repaired. Shuichi�s deep-seated distrust of me coupled with my own fear of any emotional intervention made the possibility of our reconciliation appear to be hopelessly grim.

Fucking hell, I was tired. Too many meddlesome people interfering with our already difficult relationship was wearing the both of us out. Our relationship had always been high maintenance, but now it was� really and truly fucked-up. How could we get through this? We had to find a way.

Maybe Shuichi could go to a therapist to help him work through his anger and doubts. It would be important to find a therapist that wouldn�t fall for Shuichi�s manipulations. I�d seen my lover use those big violet eyes to his advantage on more than one occasion and therapists could be easy to fool, as I knew from my own experiences. Maybe I would have to go with him to keep him in line. I snorted at the thought. My attitude was much worse with therapists, more than with anyone else. But someone would need to keep an eye on the brat.

That was, if I could even talk Shuichi into it.

If I did manage to get him to attend therapy, I knew that no matter which therapist we ended up with, I was sure that Shuichi and I would do a number on them. Individually, we were tough to handle. Together, we would be nearly impossible. For some reason, I took great pleasure in that knowledge and I suspected that Shuichi felt the same way.

Sitting up, I reached for my cigarettes and thought about the previous night. Kidnapped. How stupid was I for taking Inoue�s �ride�? And really, what the fuck had that been about? Although part of me had to admit, if Inoue and Nakano had been trying to get my attention, they had succeeded. I was also forced to agree with Inoue that I wouldn�t have listened to either of them had they not been so� extreme in their approach. I knew that they were worried about Shuichi�s state of mind, but was he in such bad shape that they felt it necessary to kidnap and drug me? Was Shuichi that close to the edge?

I sighed. Of course he was; I had nearly raped him. And even though Shuichi had never told anyone about my behavior, Nakano had managed to piece it together anyway. It made sense that Nakano would want me to treat his best friend better. I had been so rough with Shuichi, how could I fault Nakano for being rough with me?

When I thought back on it, I had probably been very lucky that Nakano hadn�t the kicked the shit out of me. Had our roles been reversed, and he had been the one to �almost� rape Shuichi, well� let�s just say he wouldn�t have had to worry about a split lip because he wouldn�t be breathing.

Finishing my cigarette, I reached for my clothes and dressed. I couldn�t let myself forget that I was in that bastard Inoue�s house. Shuichi and I needed to leave right away.

I padded down the hall in search of the idiot when I heard soft voices in the kitchen. It was Shuichi speaking with Nakano. I quieted my footsteps as I got close enough to overhear their conversation. Eavesdropping wasn�t usually my thing, but today I considered an exception and I hid so I could listen. Maybe I could figure out what was going on in my lover�s idiotic brain.

The two of them were speaking about Yokohama. It was painfully uncomfortable for me to hear the sorrow and torment in Shuichi�s voice as he struggled to tell his best friend about what he had endured. I was stunned to learn that Nakano hadn�t known anything about it. I had assumed that Shuichi would have at least mentioned that Eiri had been screwing around on him. So, he had had lived in complete silence with his pain, not even reaching out to his best friend? Impossible! Even for a normal person that amount of suffering would be difficult, but for Shuichi? The containment of his distress must have nearly driven him insane. Would that have caused any kind of long-term emotional damage to him?

With all this new information I had gained, I no longer wondered about Shuichi�s behavior the night of the NG party two years ago. My only remaining curiosity about the incident was how he had managed to restrain his pent-up anger for as long as he had.

It really made me want to beat the fuck out of Tatsuha!

I listened as the little fool took the full blame for everything. For Yokohama and all the bullshit that happened after Yokohama. Everything. He even stacked Inoue and Nakano�s kidnapping escapade on his own shoulders. This was no good.

This would crush the life out of him if he kept it up.

I made my presence known and my intention that we would leave as soon as possible. He balked at my suggestion and I watched him closely as he seemed to go through a series of strange emotions.

Nakano recognized Shuichi�s indecision as well and tried to get the brat to stay with him.

Of course, that led to an argument between Nakano and I, causing Shuichi to nearly crawl under the bed with what? Was it Guilt? Sorrow? Despair? Yes, it was all of those emotions and more. What was happening to him? It was as if he were floating rudderless on a melancholy sea.

Shuichi seemed resigned and compliant, unnervingly so. At least he was at first. But I could see that, underneath his seemingly placid exterior, there lurked something like a panicked fear. His actions reminded me of a cornered animal, cagey and terrified, looking for any opportunity to bolt. He had a growing suspicion of my motives, of my actions, of everything. He was afraid of me, afraid of what I would say when angered. Of me throwing out the Yokohama incident like a dagger to his heart every time things got a little heated.

And sure enough, I did exactly that. He pushed my buttons like the pro he was. He knew my limitations, he knew I was still tired and worn out from traveling and being drugged. He knew that I was frayed emotionally from my total surrender to him during the night. And he pushed, knowing that I wouldn�t be able to hold back my guillotine-sharp tongue and the knowledge of two years of misery that he was ultimately responsible for.

At least, that�s the way he saw it.

It was a textbook Shuichi maneuver and I fell for it. I threw out my holier-than-thou words like he knew I would, my goal being to hurt him, to wound him, and to� what? To prove that I was less to blame than he was? Even though I knew, with every fiber of my being, that we were equally to blame.

After I had delivered my killing blow of hurtful words, he became strangely compliant again. It was as if he had received an answer to a question. I was fearful of what the question had been.

I was beginning to think that I needed to have my tongue removed. That would solve so many issues, much better than any therapist could.

Shuichi�s strange, guarded behavior continued as I hurried him out of Inoue�s flat and into the limo Tohma had sent for us. But once we got to the hotel, he seemed to relax a little.

At least, until Tohma and K showed up. Shuichi was taking a shower when they invaded our suite. Tohma informed me that Sakura, the dear, had managed to get digital photos of me in Yokohama. She had also managed to find photos of my �double� that were time stamped. It was absolute irrefutable proof that Yuki Eiri had been in two places at once and, therefore, innocent of all charges of infidelity.

Those dumb asses. They had sent the photos directly to Shuichi. Nakano had told K about what he and Inoue had done to me and the whole Yokohama incident. Then the situation had blown sky high as everyone went into panic mode. No one had known a thing about it. Well, Tohma, I think had suspected, but he always liked to hold out for the most dramatic unveiling of his knowledge.

So now everyone knew the whole not-so-sordid story and now they knew what their total combined payload of idiocy was aimed directly at Shuichi. They had realized too late what they were doing. And now the complete imbeciles were worried about their total fuck up.

Fucking meddlesome idiots.

And their great idea to keep Shuichi safe from harm? Me. I was somehow to keep him from his computer. Me. What a fucking brilliant idea.

I hated doing shit like that; I�m terrible at subterfuge. Especially when it came to Shuichi. While it�s true that the two of us argue and fight like a couple of tomcats, which did nothing to change the fact that he knew me better than anyone. Even if he didn�t want to believe it. So if I tried to fool him, I knew he�d see right through me.

We didn�t need any more distrust between us.

So after our guests had departed, I did the only thing I knew I could get away with without causing suspicion. I took him to dinner.

Tohma had arranged reservations for the two of us at a Moroccan restaurant. He informed me that he thought it was just the thing to pick up Shuichi�s spirits. I was highly suspicious about what that would mean, but agreed to the restaurant anyway.

The lighting was dim and exotic, and the walls were decorated with colorful and ornate arabesques. What I assumed to be traditional Moroccan music played soothingly in the background. We were led to a dark, intimate corner, the soft glow of the candle light mirrored the excited sparkle in my lover�s eyes. We sat on the floor next to one another on comfortable cushions, surrounded by pillows, and we were encouraged to lay back and relax behind the low table, our backs towards the wall. Not far away, we could see belly dancers as they performed with a multitude of scarves, gyrations, and bells.

Hmm. Tohma had been correct, Shuichi loved this.

After we were comfortable, a traditionally garbed server arrived at our table with a pitcher and a large bowl. He bathed our hands in warm water, giving us terry cloth towels to dry off with. A few moments later, a bottle of red Moroccan wine materialized at our table. I suspected Tohma had much to do with that as well.

The first course was lentil soup that we drank directly from the bowl. It was rich and flavorful and I watched closely as Shuichi devoured all of his. I was glad for that at least. I would bring up his scrawny stature soon, but not just yet. I still needed to rebuild some trust with him.

The second course was a salad of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers in a citrus vinaigrette and we both paused as we looked at the salad and then at each other. There were no eating utensils. Our waiter smiled and explained patiently that traditional Moroccan food was eaten with your fingers.

Shuichi gave me a smile that nearly stopped my heart and dove in, scooping up salad with his fingers and stuffing his mouth full. I watched him intently, my heart hurting with the overwhelming feelings that assaulted it.

�Aren�t you gonna have some, Eiri?� he said through a mouthful of salad.

�Yeah,� I smiled at him. A real smile, as I said, �I was just thinking how cute you are.�

He laughed, �Well, we have four more courses after this, so put that thought on hold, okay?�

At this moment, with the total joy he was exuding, he was so like the Shuichi of old that I could barely speak. He was still in there, my boy, and I was determined to find a way to get him back, or at least a part of him.

Scooping up my own salad, I joined my lover in the moment.

The third course was something called a b'stella. It was a large, round, sweet puff pastry with a savory chicken and egg filling. Shuichi pulled a chunk off and offered it to me. I opened my mouth and he slid the morsel in, his fingers lingering as I closed my lips around them.

�Well?� he asked.

I finished chewing and swallowed, my eyes never leaving his, �It�s good. You fucking tease.�

He laughed with obvious delight and my heart hurt again. I�d missed his laugh so much.

Eating with our hands was unbelievably sensual. And as the long, slow dining experience continued, Shuichi and I moved closer, lounging against one another while we fed each other bits of pastry, vegetable couscous, lamb with honeyed apricots, and Cornish game hen with lemon and green olives. Licking and sucking each other�s fingers clean after each bite.

The last course was traditionally made hot mint tea and something called briouat, a puff pastry made with crushed almonds and honey. It was sweet and tasty, almost enough to rival strawberry shortcake. Especially when your lover licks the sticky sweet syrup from your fingers.

It was a wildly erotic experience and I was ready to throw Shuichi down and fuck him in the restaurant by the time our server showed up with the warm rose water to wash our hands again, signifying the end of our meal.

I did jump on him in the limo, laying my body on his, and he was ready for it. �I thought you were tired,� he teased as he ground his own very hard erection against me.

�I thought I was too,� I murmured as I bit his neck.

�Can you wait until we get to the hotel?� he panted at me.

�I can. Can you?� I taunted him as I let my hand slide under his shirt and tug at his nipple ring.

Moaning he said, �Eiri, should we be doing this in the limo?�

�You didn�t mind at home,� I explained. �Why now?�

�Because we�re not home,� he pushed up against me, thrusting his body against mine, his hard-on digging into my hip.

I was still feeling the effects of being separated from him for so long and the erotic feast we just finished. The truth was, I wasn�t sure I could wait until we got to the hotel.

His hand slid under the waistband of my pants and stroked at my skin, traveling lower to touch my erection. �Shuichi,� I growled a warning at him, �you need to stop, now.�

�I thought you could wait,� he writhed against me.

�I think I was wrong,� I panted.

�What?!� he pushed at me with a laugh, �Are you actually admitting to me that you aren�t in control?�

I stopped. Sitting up, I glared at him and reached for my cigarettes. �Not anymore. You sure know how to ruin a moment.�

�Oh, come on Eiri,� he purred as he sat up and rubbed up against me, finally sliding his leg over mine in order to straddle my lap. �I know you want me.�

I dropped my unlit cigarette and pressed my mouth against his in a sizzling kiss. We were tongues and salvia, hands and fingernails as we tossed aside the previous night of sweet gentleness for rough and wild.

Luckily, the limo came to a stop at our hotel minutes later, before I had actually managed to get his pants completely off.

We scrambled to redress. We were both missing a few buttons, our hair was unruly and we each bore a few bite marks as we ran into the hotel. We saw K in the lobby who gave us a knowing smile, but did not dare to delay us. Disappointingly, the elevator was manned by a hotel bellhop so we did not have our usual round of foreplay in that setting. Instead I had to settle for groping Shuichi�s sweet ass as we rode up to our floor in relative silence.

But once we reached the room and closed the door, we literally tore each other�s clothes off.

As soon as we were both completely naked, Shuichi jumped up on me and I momentarily lost my balance and fell against the wall. Once I managed to regain my stability, I carried him to the bed, his legs and arms wrapped around me. He hadn�t jumped on me in so long, I found that I was temporary filled with emotion over the silly, lovable, and unguarded gesture.

When I got us to the bed, I fell with him, making sure that I caught myself before I crushed him. He seemed so frail and tiny beneath me, more so than he had the previous night.

And then he bit me, right at the juncture of my neck and collarbone, hard enough that I would bruise, reminding me that he wasn�t all that fragile and that he was still a brat. A very sexy brat.

He gained some leverage and managed to actually roll me onto my back. Straddling me, he sat upright and caressed my skin, staring intently into my eyes.

Reaching up, I cupped his face and met his loving stare, so many different emotions surging and overflowing inside of me. I stroked his cheek with my thumb and said clearly, �I love you.� The words tumbled off my tongue without a touch of resistance, as if it were the most natural saying in the world. Needless to say, it startled both of us.

I swallowed in trepidation, afraid of being rejected by him as he stared at me. And then, I nearly sighed with relief as he broke into a smile that could have lit up all of London.

�Don�t be so smug about it,� I finally snarled at him, trying to regain my surly demeanor, but pleased within. I had been the cause of his smile. �It�s not like it�s a secret.�

�Yeah, but I hear it so seldom,� he giggled and then gave me a seductive look.

Uh oh. I recognized that look and I rolled my eyes. Well, I had offered myself up to him the night before. I guess I couldn�t take it back now.

He got up and rummaged around in his luggage. When he returned he had a bottle of lubricant.

�Strawberry, again?� I asked.

�No, this one is vanilla ginger. The scent is complex and spicy, just like you,� he grinned at me.

I had to chuckle, �So does that mean��

�I�d like to test that theory?� He was still grinning as he opened the bottle and poured some of the liquid into the palm of his hand and drizzling some over me. �I believe so.�

I hissed out a breath of air when the chilly liquid struck my cock and balls. Before I could complain, his fingers were touching and stroking me, pushing my thighs open, warming me with his heat. His tongue licked at my cock, causing me to sigh with contentment.

And then, he bit me again, right at my hipbone. Hard enough to leave teeth marks in my skin.

�Oww!� I shouted at him, �What was that for?�

�Oh, you love it,� he ginned at me as he slid a finger into me while I was still �outraged�.

I groaned with the invasion, my vision blurring with pain and pleasure.

He repositioned himself as he thrust his finger in and out of me. He nipped and bit at the inside of my thigh as he slipped a second finger into me, causing me to cry out with the overwhelming mix of sweet agony and mind-bending euphoria. His tongue moved and licked my perineum, and I arched my back with the sensations and trembled with desire.

He pulled his fingers from me and replaced them with his tongue, pulling my upper thighs further apart, spreading me open to him.

�Uh� Shu�i�chi,� I moaned.

He has a very amazing tongue -- long, strong, talented. He�s one of those people that can do all those crazy things with his tongue. Fold it over, turn it completely upside down and, of course, tie cherry stems into knots with it. And now he used all those tricks on me and then some as he pushed the wet length of it inside me.

It was one of the wildest, most intimate things I had ever experienced with him.

Sitting up, he reached for the lube again and slicked himself up. I watched as he positioned himself between my legs, feeling him place the head of his cock at the hole his tongue had just vacated. Then, he slammed into me.

I howled with the searing pain and total pleasure. I was struck with the ridiculous, meandering thought that Sakura was right. I did howl during sex.

My lover didn�t give me any time to get acclimated to him before he started thrusting into me. I deserved it; I had done the same thing to him many times. The intense sensations almost made me lose control, but I managed to hold out. I had every intention of having him once he had taken his pleasure with me.

�Mmm, Eiri,� he moaned as he nipped at my neck. �You are so tight, I don�t think��

I twisted my hips in a counter motion to his and that was all it took. He pressed into me harshly and gave a throaty groan. I could feel his warm cum and his twitching cock as he spilled himself in me.

I will never admit to it, but I am secretly glad that it is so easy to make him lose control. In the long run, it is all the more fun for me.

�Oh!� he panted with obvious embarrassment, �That was too fast. I�m sorry, Eiri I didn�t��

That was as far as he got before I kissed him and rolled us both over as I reached for the lubricant. Our movements had dislodged him from inside of me and I repositioned myself between his legs. Breaking the kiss I pushed back his hair and asked, �So I guess you won�t mind if I have my way with you now?�

He shook his head as he continued to pant, �Not at all.�

I pushed a lubricated finger into him, �Not too sore from last night are you?�

His breath hitched as he spread his legs wider for me and moaned, �Nah� no.�

�Good,� I said smugly as I slid a second finger in and slicked up the way. �Because you will be after tonight.�

�Promise?� he said raggedly.

�Oh yeah,� I panted as I pulled my fingers from him and greased myself up. I was brutally quick as I pushed all the way into him with one snap of my hips. He was taut and hot and I had to fight against my desire to simply slam into him until completion.

He whimpered at my rough initial invasion and then moments later with need as he twisted his hips in an effort to get me to move.

This was nothing like the previous night. This was primal and passionate, this was bruising and biting, this was us at our wildest. Rolling and trying to get the most leverage, screaming and howling. It was more like two wild dogs, each trying to get the advantage in the struggle to dominate.

I finally pinned him on his side, our legs were tangled together until I pulled the nearest one of his up by his bent knee and eliminated all leverage for him. This also gave me complete access and I pushed in deeper. I had one leg on either side of his remaining earthbound thigh as I rocked into to him with savage ferocity.

He mewled with my harshness, but pushed back against me, as much as he could, proving that I was not hurting him. The angle was mind blowing and I raised his ankle to my shoulder, taking complete advantage of his amazing flexibility, driving me impossibly further into him.

Releasing his ankle, I slid my hand to Shuichi�s renewed erection, stroking him in time with my thrusts. It was only moments before I felt his shaft become even harder and he cried out. He came with a furious shudder, clamping down tightly on my cock buried deep in him.

It was too much for me and I felt my own orgasm uncoiling inside of me, blossoming like fireworks to make every nerve ending tingle and sing with my release.

�I love you,� I whispered again moments later, after my vision cleared.

He was staring at me, his eyes wide and spilling tears as he struggled to make sense of my words.

�I mean it, Shuichi.� I sighed as I lowered his leg to the bed and leaned in to kiss him.

After a few moments, I moved so that I could lie down next to him. I wrapped my arms around him and drew him close, letting him cry on me. I sighed with contentment at the comfortable familiarity of this scene, of Shuichi sobbing in my arms. I stroked his hair and rubbed his back gently, I tried to soothe away his fear and pain.

�I�ve dreamed about you treating me this way, forever, Eiri. Being open and sweet and vulnerable with me. And now that you�re actually doing it, I can�t believe it. It�s too good to be true! This can�t possibly be real. You�re confusing the hell out of me, Eiri!� he managed to say through all his tears.

�I know,� I answered. �I don�t mean to confuse you. Maybe I�m confused as well.�

�Well, stop being so nice to me!� He choked out between his sobs. �It makes me want so much more and I don�t want to be disappointed anymore. I don�t think my heart can take being broken again.�

�Shuichi,� I smiled and said quietly, still caressing him, �will you please try and relax? I know you are afraid, but I can�t promise that I won�t ever hurt you again. I will, maybe not intentionally, but I will. Just as you will hurt me again. That�s what happens in relationships -- ours in particular. You and I are passion, love, lust, and pain all jumbled together. We just have to find our way through the painful parts.�

�You are so full of shit, Eiri,� he sobbed but there was no anger in his voice. �What do you know about relationships?�

�Hey, I�m trying my best to be sincere and charming for you. It doesn�t come easy for me, you know,� I growled softly at him, also without anger.

�Well, stop it then!� he shouted through his tears as he struggled to sit up. �I don�t deserve your charm, not after everything I�ve done. Not after... I don�t deserve it! So just stop it!�

�Okay, okay,� I sighed as I also sat up. I pushed the hair out of his eyes and my thumb swept a tear away from his cheek. It looked as if we had a long way to go before he would trust me. Not to mention that he hadn�t told me that he loved me in return. �Then let�s take a shower together, dumb ass.�

�That�s better,� he sighed as his tears began to subside. �A shower would be good.�

I nodded as I got up and headed for the bathroom.

�I�ll join you in a minute,� he gave me a tentative smile. �First, I need some water.�

We were both so tired, we actually showered with only gentle caressing involved.

After our shower, he handed me a glass of ice water and climbed into bed. He was totally complacent as he snuggled into me with a deep sigh, �I love you, Eiri.�

Finally. I felt myself relax with his words. I finished my water then wrapped my arms around him, giving him a chaste kiss. I couldn�t help but be content. Everything seemed so easy, as if our troubles from the last two years had just melted away into nothingness.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It had been too simple.

So, consequently, the next morning, I should not have been surprised when I received a very abrupt wake up.

�Hmm, Yuki-san,� I heard an irritatingly familiar voice say, �I can see why Shuichi can�t stay away from you. And look at all the love bites he gave you.�

I opened my eyes and stared at a pink furry thing. I was so startled and confused, I yelped as I sat up hastily, in order to get away from the stuffed animal.

�Good morning, Yuki-san!!� The big American K shouted at me from across the room. He was leaning up against the wall smoking.

I looked at who was on the bed with me, �What do you want?�

Sakuma Ryuichi gave me a sly smile that was not at all innocent as his eyes raked over me, �What have you got?�

I looked down. Great. I was naked. I grabbed for the sheets.

�What do you want?� I snarled this time.

�Do you know where Shuichi is?� K asked me as he removed his gun from its holster.

How did he manage to get those things into every country in the world?

Wait. My sleep-muddled brain played back his question.

I stood up, wrapping the sheet around me, my eyes frantically sweeping the room, �Fuck!�

K nodded, �I�ll take that as a �no, you do not know where Shuichi is�.�

He pulled out his cell phone and punched a button. After a moment or two he said, �Confirmed. Shark in the water.�

Fuck!! �Shark in the water� code for �Shuichi on the loose.�

�He was here last night,� I explained.

K nodded, �Yeah, I know.� He held up a bottle of pills, �These yours?�

�How did you� yeah. Prescription. Sometimes I have trouble sleep�ing�� My head snapped to the glass next to the bed and I picked it up. I could see the remains of pill residue at the bottom of the glass. The little bastard had slipped me one of my own sleeping pills! I had been so tired to begin with; one of those would have knocked me totally out.

�He�s gotten pretty clever, hasn�t he?� K smiled. �I think we�ve all had a hand in shaping his outrageous behavior.�

�Oooh,� we both turned our heads to see Sakuma sitting in front of Shuichi�s laptop.

I moved closer to see what he was looking at. It was the pictures that Tohma had warned me about. The one of me and the one of my brother disguised as me taken at nearly the same time.

I couldn�t help but notice as Sakuma reached out and touched the image of my brother on the screen, as he said dreamily, �Naughty, naughty, Tats-chan. So you are to blame, are you? You need a good spanking, I think.�

For some reason, I shuddered involuntarily.

Turning away from the crazy man I glared at K, �So what do we do?�

He shrugged, �What we always do. We look for him.�

There was someone at the door and Sakuma ran to let them it. Oh good. It was Inoue. This morning was quickly turning into a nightmare for me.

K turned to face Inoue.

�Shuichi?� my nemesis asked K abruptly, ignoring me completely.

�Gone,� K said.

�So is Miki. I�m guessing they are together,� Inoue rolled his eyes and rubbed his hand through his long hair. �We didn�t need this. Ito-san�s going crazy.�

�Yes, Sakano is as well,� K nodded. �I guess it�s time to pull out all the stops.�

Inoue nodded as he moved back towards the door, �I agree. I�ll get to work notifying my people. Tohma is already working on it from his end.�

�All right. Keep in contact,� K said gruffly as he also moved towards the door, Sakuma scampered along side of him.

�Hey!� I shouted at the two of them. �What� should I do?�

Inoue gave me a sad, genuine look of understanding, throwing me completely off balance before he turned again for the door and continued his retreat.

I turned to K, growing desperate, �So what should I do?�

�Just be patient and wait,� K smiled as he also left the room.

When I was alone I felt the anger suddenly surge in me and I grabbed Shuichi�s laptop and hurled it across the room. That fucking brat! How could he do this to me? After the last two nights� all that sappy, embarrassing crap I spouted and it still wasn�t enough? What else could I have possibly done to convince him? Well, fuck him!

Fuck him!

I collapsed onto the couch, my fierce indignation still burned brightly. When the little bastard got back, I would have more than a few choice words to say to him. When he got back I would�

When he got back. That thought brought me around again. K had said I would need to be patient and wait. That wasn�t very reassuring.

Not to mention that I had never been patient in my life.

I took a shower, trying to soothe both my mind and my body. My phone was just outside the shower door so I could hear it in case there was news. I felt so helpless, powerless and pissed off. I really felt as if I would start to go mad with waiting at any moment.

Stepping out of the shower, I began drying off and that�s when I noticed it. There was a towel in the wastebasket. I fished it out. It was covered in dark, nearly black, blood.

Suguru and Shuichi fighting about food. Shuichi thin as a toothpick. And now this�

Ah, I recognized all these symptoms. I looked closely at the towel, if his ulcer had reached this stage, he was in trouble. There was a chance, although admittedly a small one, that he could bleed to death internally if he wasn�t tended to very soon.

I raced to put on my clothes and then ran to Tohma�s room. I didn�t knock as I burst through the door. Tohma and Sakuma Ryuichi were involved in what appeared to be a very intense conversation. Tohma glanced at me with annoyance, not something that he usually allowed to show through his calm exterior. Something was happening and, although I wasn�t sure, I had the feeling it somehow involved Shuichi.

�Ah, Eiri-san,� he said flatly, another sign that he was irritated. �What may I do for you?�

Sakuma cradled his stuffed animal and moved off into a corner. I couldn�t help but wonder if he was the one that had initiated the conversation with Tohma.

�Did you know about this?� I held up the bloody towel.

He nodded, �Suguru-san told me about it yesterday. I did not know until then.�

�He�s very sick,� I said as I sat down with a sigh. �Very sick. Tohma, we have to find him soon.�

Tohma looked over at Sakuma. After a long moment he sighed and nodded, continuing to keep eye contact with Sakuma said, �Yes, I agree. We must find him and time is of the essence.�

Sakuma stood with a smile and walked behind me and toward the door. He ran his fingertips across my shoulders as he passed me, whispering, �Don�t worry, Yuki-san. I�ll get him for you.�

I jolted at his touch and his words. After he left the room I turned on Tohma, �Don�t tell me he knows where Shuichi is?�

Tohma already had his phone to his ear and said into the mouthpiece, �The Mad Hatter has left the tea party.� Closing the phone he shook his head, �I don�t think he knows yet. But he will.�

Mad Hatter. I suspected that was code for Sakuma Ryuichi. It fit perfectly, after all.

Inoue burst through the door, his own phone to his ear, as he gave Tohma a questioning look and asked �Sakuma?� Tohma nodded and Inoue barked a quick succession of what sounded like orders in Mandarin.

Tohma raised his eyebrow at Inoue, �Nakamura-san?�

Giving his usual smug smile Inoue said, �Yes. Sakuma-san drives him crazy, so Nakamura will try extra hard to keep up with him.�

�I suspect Ryuichi-san will lose K-san within a half an hour,� Tohma smiled in return. �Think Nakamura-san will manage it?�

�Nah. Nittle Grasper�s singer always seems to get the best of him,� he sighed. �Did he make you a deal?�

�Yes,� my brother-in-law grimaced. �But I must speak to Eiri-san alone about it.�

�Understood,� Inoue said as he moved back to the door. �I�ll let you know if I hear anything, Yuki-san.�

I ignored him.

After the door closed I snapped, �What was that all about?�

�Are you asking about The Deal that Kyosuke mentioned?� Tohma sat down and crossed his arms.

�What deal?� I said in exasperation. �What are you talking about?�

�Eiri-san, you know that Ryuichi-san has always rejected Tatsuha-san�s� advances.�

�Yeah, so? What does that have to do with Shuichi?� I was rapidly losing my patience.

He gave me a forced smile as he continued, �But what I suspect you don�t know is that Ryuichi-san rejected him for only one reason.�

I shrugged. What did I care?

�He rejected Tatsuha-san because I asked him to. Ryuichi-san has always wanted to pursue Tatsuha-san, and honestly, I think he may have always harbored special feelings for Tatsuha-san. But I discouraged it because the two of them having a relationship would make my life� complicated.� He gave me the same forced smile.

�What you are really saying is that it would make your life more complicated than Shuichi and I do already, right?� I wished he would get to the point, but Tohma was Tohma, he would go only at his own pace.

He nodded grimly, �Yes, but it is a bit more than that, I fear. Ryuichi-san is� eccentric when it comes to relationships.�

Shrugging again I said, �It�s not really your call, Tohma. I believe the two of them are adults. At least in age anyway.�

�So,� he stared at me closely, �you wouldn�t mind if Ryuichi-san dated your brother?�

�Not my problem,� I snarled.

�Good,� he sighed, �because that was the deal I just agreed to.�

It was my turn to stare, �Tohma, do you really think that your nutbar singer can find Shuichi?�

He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk, �Yes. I do.�

�At the cost of a few dates with my brother?� I snorted. �That seems like a simple enough deal. In fact, it sounds as if it is favorable for everyone.�

�Well� we will see, won�t we?� Tohma sighed, concern furrowed at his brow, disrupting his smile.

His obvious discomfort made me curious, �Tohma, you make it sound as if you have just made a deal with the devil.�

He leaned back, crossing his arms once again, �You know the saying, Eiri-san, �Be careful for what you wish for?� I believe Tatsuha-san might be living that proverb soon.�

�Is that so?� I thought about it. A relationship with Sakuma Ryuichi would be trying for even the most patient of people. My brother worshiped the crazy singer, but what would happen if they had an actual relationship? I shivered with the thought and said, �Well, he deserves it.�

Tohma nodded, �I thought that might be your feeling on the matter.� He sighed, �Now, if you�ll excuse me, I will need to have a conversation with Mika-san.�

Later that evening, while I was attempting to write, my phone rang. I grabbed it, answering before the second ring, �Yeah?�

�Have you checked your email?� It was that bastard, Inoue.

�No,� I growled.

�Well, I suggest you do so there�s a messa��

I hung up and called up my email. There were two messages from Shuichi. The first one was sent to all of us, Tohma, Nakano, Fujisaki, K, and the like and all it said was:

Don�t worry. I�ll be back soon. I promise.

The second one was only to me and it said:

Eiri,

I�m trying to sort everything out and I need a little space to do that. I know that you, of all people, can understand that. I hope you can forgive me.

I miss you so much, but I�m also very confused. Just give me a little time, okay?

Try not to worry too much, it�s bad for you and it will make you sick.

I love you. Do you know that? You should by now.

I�ll be back soon.

Love,
Shu

PS: Sorry about the sleeping pill.

It was bad for me to worry? I had to laugh internally at the irony of the situation. He was the one that was dangerously sick, he was the one that needed help! I felt my anger at him begin to ebb.

He was asking me for time. I would be lying if I said I didn�t understand that.

I knew that he might not see it, but I sent him an email reply anyway. Although it wasn�t entirely true, I told him I wasn�t angry, I understood. And that I missed him. And finally, I hoped he would come back to me soon.

It was much later that night or maybe I should say morning, and for some stupid reason, I found myself working on that silly love triangle story again. I had nearly trash-canned the story back in Tokyo because I had gotten stuck. I was concentrating so hard that I jumped when there was a knock at the door. Because of the late hour, I assumed it was Tohma.

�Come in,� I shouted, not looking up and still staring at the words on the screen. Maybe I could fix this, maybe this story wasn�t really about a love triangle, but about trust � maybe if I just changed a few of�

�Yuki-san?�

That wasn�t Tohma. I looked up. It was Sakuma Ryuichi and he was quite lucid.

�What are you doing here?� I snarled. �Shouldn�t you be out looking for Shuichi?�

He smiled, �I don�t think we need to worry about Shuichi so much this time. He�s only working out the wrinkles in his brain. That�s good. He needs it. It means he�s working his way back to being Shu-chan.�

�But he�s sick, Sakuma,� I snapped as I reached for a cigarette.

Nodding gravely he said, �Yes he is. But he has to be the one to come out of this. I can probably find him, but what�s the use if he doesn�t come to you of his own free will?�

I didn�t say anything. The crazy man did have a point, one I had been considering as well. If we hunted Shuichi down and dragged him back, he would only run off again. I had come to London to find out if Shuichi loved me. I had my answer. And, while I knew that he loved me, Shuichi still had a lot of doubts. He would need to decide if love would be enough for him to try and to make our relationship work again. And he needed to make that decision without any interference from me or anyone else. It was now up to me to be patient and give him the time he had asked for.

I watched the smoke from my cigarette curl and dissipate into the air next to me before I finally nodded and said, �I agree. It would be of no use to drag him back.�

�Okay. I�ll find him for you, but you have to figure out how to handle it from there. Don�t scare him off, okay?�

I nodded again and asked, �Does this mean my brother is still part of the deal?�

�Absolutely. I�ll�� he gave me a smile that caused goose bumps to rise on my arms, �take care of him for you.�

He turned and headed for the door, �Oh, by the way, Yuki-san. Shuichi beat the crap out of some guy at a dance club tonight.�

I started, �He did? Where?�

Shaking his head, the singer said, �It doesn�t matter since Shuichi was long gone by the time I got there. I just thought you might want to know that he�s still in London and he hasn�t gone too far. Also, from what I understand, the guy tried to grab him and Shuichi went crazy. I thought it was interesting.�

What was this, this -singer? Tohma, K, and Inoue all searching all of Europe and then this insane person can get closer in twenty-four hours that the three of them combined with all their extensive connections. Sakuma was an evil genius indeed.

And then he reverted to baby talk again and held up his stuffed animal, �Bye-bye, Yuki-chan!�

What a freak.

Dawn was threatening to break when my phone rang. I was lying in bed, but I was fully awake so I grabbed it before the first ring finished.

�What?� I answered as I always did.

The line was silent.

�Hey,� I said gruffly, �say something or I�m hanging up.�

�Eiri?� His voice was so weak, I could barely hear it.

�Where are you?� I asked quietly.

�I don�t know. Lost, I guess.� He said softly and his voice cracked.

I remembered my conversation with Sakuma, and asked, �Do you want me to come get you?�

�I think I�m dying, Eiri� he said through his sobs. �It hurts so bad and there�s always so much blood, sometimes it�s black but lately there�s been more that�s red� It never stops hurting anymore.�

�Shuichi,� I answered, trying to maintain a calm that was nowhere to be found in me. �You have a bleeding ulcer. At least, I think that�s what you have. I�m not a doctor, but you have all the same symptoms I get. You need to go to a hospital.�

�I can�t,� he sobbed. �I can�t go, they�ll find me.�

Great, he was delirious and paranoid from the pain. �Shuichi,� I said as I forced myself to resist my rising panic. �No one will come for you. I�ll make sure they leave you alone. Go to the hospital, okay? I�ll take care of everything else.�

�No. I don�t need to go to the hospital. I deserve this agony,� he choked softly. As he continued his voice became fainter, �This is my Karma and I deserve it. I�ve treated everyone so bad. Hiro, Kyo, Ryu, Suguru, Mirai. But I�ve treated you the worst of all, Eiri. I�m sorry for never believing in you.�

�Shuichi,� I exhaled, trying to think, �let�s not worry about that right now. You need a doctor��

�You were right, you know,� he continued, ignoring my suggestion. �I have never really been able to get past those first six months of our relationship. My anger, it just became� like a habit. It wasn�t fair to you, I�m so sorry.�

I controlled my breathing and said, �I understand about anger becoming a habit, you know. You are not alone in that.� There was a long pause, �Shuichi? Hey! Are you listening to me?�

�I�m glad I got to hear your voice one last time. I really wish you were here so I could die in your arms. That would be nice��

The dramatic little fool! I had to grit my teeth in order to keep my voice even, �Shuichi, you are not dying. Listen to me, you are not dying! Now, tell me where you are and I�ll come get you, okay? Just me, nobody else.�

�I love you, Eiri. I�ve never stopped loving you, did you know that? Never, not one second,� I could hear his sobs. �Do you know all those fanboys? And everyone else I was ever with? I used to cry afterwards. I used to take a shower after, scrubbing and trying to feel clean again, while I cried my heart out because they weren�t you. I hated them and I hated you for that. I couldn�t feel anything with them except anger that they weren�t you.�

�Shuichi��

�And now, you�re here in London, clouding my mind with sweet talk and lovemaking to the point that I can�t think straight anymore. Eiri, I know there�s no way you can ever forgive me.�

�Of course I can forgive�� that was as far as I got.

�How can you?! Are you crazy?!� He gasped and then his voice dropped to a whisper. �I�m sorry, Eiri, I�m so sorry for� for everything. I wish I could go back in time� that I could somehow fix it all. But now�� he went into a strenuous bout of choking coughs.

�Shuichi?� I said into the phone.

He didn�t answer, but I could still hear his tortured, retching coughs. The phone clattered to the ground.

�Shuichi?!� I shouted.

I could hear a muted conversation in the background. It was a woman�s voice and she was speaking lowly and soothingly about finally finding him. Was that the Watanabe woman from the other band?

Then the phone went dead. I immediately attempted a call back, but all I got was voicemail.

Wonderful. Now what would I do?

I needed help. If Shuichi called again, I would need to be able to go get him. Immediately, I thought of asking Tohma, but I dismissed that idea just as quickly. He wouldn�t be able to help himself from turning our hunt for Shuichi into some media circus act. K�s help would essentially result in the same thing, only invariably more violent, with guns and bombs and who knew what. Not to mention that Shuichi was avidly trying to avoid the both of them.

That left me with only one option. And even though it pissed me off to have to admit it, it was a pretty good option. He knew the city, he knew the girl, and he knew Shuichi. He also drove very fast and with considerable skill.

And if this didn�t prove to Shuichi how much I loved him, I didn�t know what would.

I found his number on my incoming call list and dialed it. The phone was answered by Nakano.

�Inoue.� I muttered my demand.

I could hear a sleep fuddled Nakano as he growled at Fujisaki to move as the phone traded hands.

Wait. Fujisaki? I thought Inoue and Nakano were fucking. Why was Fujisaki in bed with Nakano? Or were they all� Eh, I didn�t want to know.

�Inoue,� my option answered.

I took a long drag from my cigarette as I hesitated for a moment and thought about what I was doing. Requesting help from Inoue did seem desperate for me. I exhaled. Well, this was for Shuichi, after all. �We need to talk.� I finally said and then I hung up.

Once the smarmy bastard got here, I would tell him about Shuichi�s phone call. Maybe, between the two of us, we could figure out how to bring the brat home again.

TBC

Lyrics for �A Stroke of Luck� by Garbage

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