Shuichi's Personal Assistant

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“You scare me.”
Umiko’s eyes widened slightly and she pushed herself into a sitting position.
“What do you mean I scare you?”
Eiri gave her a sad smile and sat up as well. He realized that they were now in a fairly compromising position, with Umiko sitting in his lap. He considered since he’d already ended up face down on top of her earlier this evening that it didn’t really matter.
“You scare me,” he said again. “You do so much for Shuichi...for everyone. You seem to be able to anticipate everyone’s needs before even they do.”
“And that scares you?”
“No. What scares me is that one day he’ll actually notice.”
She looked disbelieving at Eiri. “You honestly think I’m a threat to you? You think Shuichi would leave you for...me?”
“No. Just the opposite.”
“I don’t understand.”
Eiri captured a delicate strand of her hair between his fingers before meeting her gaze.
“I could love you, easily.”
Umiko felt her breath stop and her heart begin to beat rapidly. This wasn’t a sentence she’d ever expected to come from Eiri. Eiri, of all people! He hated her! He’d always been cold and distant. A star that she’d gazed on from afar, knowing always that the heat that emanated from him would burn her from the inside out. Suddenly, feelings that she’d been suppressing bubbled up and created shining tears that fell from her eyes.
“You can’t...you can’t mean that. You can’t say that. Not now.” She brought her hands to her face to cover her tears. Eiri gently pulled her hands from her face and held them in his.
“I know I shouldn’t. There are always so many things I shouldn’t say...or do. We both know nothing could ever come of this. And I’ve been selfish in telling you. It would have been worse for us if I never did though. I’ve been hurting you in the worst possible ways. I couldn’t do that anymore. It was killing me. It was killing the both of us.”
He slowly began gently tracing his finger along her life and love lines on the palm of her hand.
“I was breaking you down. And you were letting me. And today...when I...,” he paused. He had to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat. “I hurt you. I threw you around the room for christ sakes, and you...you didn’t do anything but yell. You didn’t fight me. You just took it.”
“I had to,” Umiko whispered. “I had to because it was you. And if you hurt me, it makes it easier to forget what I feel about you. It makes me forget the lies I’m telling to Hiro and Shuichi everyday.”
They sat quietly, just looking at each other, neither one knowing what to do. Eiri slowly raised his hand to caress her tears away gently. She just closed her eyes, feeling his touch, never wanting to forget it. Suddenly, she felt a soft whispering pressure against her lips and her tears continued to flow.
He hadn’t planned on kissing her. He knew he shouldn’t. He knew if he didn’t he would regret it forever. The moment his lips brushed hers, he felt all the longing disappear and something else bubbled to the surface. Loss was in this kiss. It was a confession of love, a happy hello, a mournful and regretful kind of goodbye. When Umiko pulled away from him, ending the kiss, grief flooded his heart.
She stood up from the floor on shaking legs and began limping slowly to the door. Slipping on her shoes, she
opened the door, and turned to smile sadly at him. Then, she was gone.
*********
Umiko stood on the dark street, trying to figure out where Shuichi could be.
“Oh no,” she thought, “He’s with Ryuichi.” And she frantically dialed her cellphone for a cab. She needed to make sure that nothing else was going to happen that night.
********

Shuichi couldn’t remember the last time someone had been gentle with him. Ryuichi’s kisses, while passionate, were still so soft. His tongue was a smooth and slow wave inside Shuichi’s mouth. Ryuichi’s hands glided gently, so gently across his chest and down to his waist. Shuichi felt like he could forget anything as long as Ryuichi was touching him, whispering in his ear. He found himself raising his arms and letting Ryuichi remove his shirt, then burying his face in the soft contours of his neck. He felt himself letting go of so much, he knew he was reaching a point of no return, but Shuichi just couldn’t seem to care. Until he heard the loud pounding in the distance.
“Sakuma Ryuichi! Let me in, NOW!”
Sakuma lifted his head slowly from Shuichi’s chest and stared into wide, panic stricken eyes.
“Shit,” he whispered.
“Ryuichi! I know you’re in there. Get away from him now and let me in.”
“No!” Ryuichi shouted to the closed door. “And the door is locked, so you can’t get in.”
“Oh, is it?”
Shuichi heard some shuffling outside the door, then a scraping, and a small click. The door creaked as it was pushed slowly open.
Ryuichi’s eyes suddenly seemed to take up half his face.
“How did you get a key!?”
Umiko smiled in victory.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She took in the scene before her. A half-naked and tousled Shuichi sitting on the floor leaning against the wall and a very flustered Ryuichi straddling him. Looked like she’d made it just in time.
“Ryuichi, get off of him. Shuichi, get your shirt back on and go home.”
Shuichi looked completely bewildered. What the hell was happening? And who the hell was she to tell him to go home? Anger slowly began simmering under the surface. Shuichi was so tired of everyone telling him what to do. Eiri, Tohma, Hiro, and now Umiko.
“I’m not going anywhere!”
Umiko blinked.
“The hell you aren’t!” She strode purposefully across the room and lifted Shuichi up by the arms. “You’re going home and you’re going to fix whatever problems you have with Eiri, and you’re going to do it now!”
“Umiko, you need to butt out! This is my life! And I don’t pay you to interfere with my life!”
“THEN I QUIT!” She shouted back. “And I’m telling you as someone who loves you and cares about you, go home and be with Eiri and love him! BECAUSE I CAN’T!”
Ryuichi, who had located his Kumagoro once more, stopped chewing its ear. What? Woah.
Shuichi’s eyes widened for a split second before narrowing.
“What did you just say?”
“You heard what I said, Shuichi. Do I really have to say it again?” She looked at Shuichi stonily. “Fine. I’m in love with your boyfriend. Happy?”
The sharp smack across her face hadn’t been entirely unexpected.
“You’re just like everyone else, aren’t you?” Shuichi gathered his shirt and shoes and stormed out of the apartment. Umiko didn’t care how angry he was with her. She just needed him to go home. She felt her heel throbbing and her knees shaking so she slowly sunk down to the floor. She felt a wetness hit her hand and she realized she’d started crying again. Damn it, why did she have to feel so weak right now?
“Umi-chan?”
“Shut up Sakuma,” she sighed, then looked at him. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But, it had to be done.”
“Don’t be sorry.” he smiled brightly. “Drama is always fun! And it’s nice to see that you’re not lying to yourself anymore.”
Shock crossed her face. “You knew?”
“I know lots of things. But, no one thinks I do. Are you really quitting?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “I think that would be best. I’ll give Seguchi-san my letter of resignation in the morning..”
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It's not a super long update, but I'm still trucking and I think this story may only be 2 or 3 updates from being finished.