This I promise You

Chapter 13: Almost Made It

Panic like he never felt before raced through Eiri. He ran every light and stop sign, went over the posted speed limit and weaved in and out of traffic like he was playing one of Shuichi’s racing games. He stopped for no one, not old ladies, not mother’s with baby carriages and emergency vehicles had to give him the right of way. Nothing was going to stop him from getting to Shuichi in time. Nothing.

Eiri jerked the wheel hard to the left and flew into the parking lost surrounding his apartment complex. Dirt and gravel pinged the car. He drove right up to the front door and jumped out of the car, leaving the engine running and the car door wide open. Nothing was more important at this moment than his baka, not even his precious Mercedes.

Too impatient to wait for the elevator, the blond romance writer flew like a bat out of hell up the seemingly never-ending staircase. He burst through the steel door clutching his side and panting heavily. His heart was thundering in his chest. He promised himself that if they got out of this alive, he would join Shu in the gym.

Pausing to catch his breath, Eiri sped down the hall and skidded around the corner. His stride slowed as he saw something in the middle of the hallway. He squinted in the darkness, trying to make out what the objects were. A sudden thought froze the blood in his veins. What if that was...

Cursing in panic and fear, Eiri raced down the hall with a renewed surge of energy. As he drew closer, a surge of relief flooded through him.
Eiri collapsed to his knees and said a silent prayer of thanks.

Reaching out, he picked up the cowboy hat. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was Shuichi’s. The baka made such a fuss over the stupid thing when Ryuichi bought it for him. He had worn it consecutively for the next two weeks, until Eiri threatened him with celibacy if he did not take it off. Setting the hat down, he reached for the black bag. It also belonged to his baka. He glanced up and down the hallway but saw no sign of a fight or disturbance of any kind. Neither did he see the guards that Tohma had hired to protect his number one moneymaker.

A door down the hall opened and a shaft of light fell into the hall. Eiri watched as an elderly woman with a shock of white hair and a face with more wrinkles than a bulldog stepped out into the hall. He recognized her at once as Uiko Morisaki. She was the one who called the police whenever she heard the tiniest noise and since Shuichi moved in the meant, she called several times a day. It had gotten to the point where the police did not even bother to show up anymore. They have more important things to worry about than the fact that an old woman could hear every little whisper through the walls.

“Uesugi-san,” she scolded. “I would ask you to tell your roommate to-“

Eiri raised an eyebrow at the “roommate” bit. At nearly one hundred, Morisaki-sama cannot fathom the idea that two men could share the kind of happiness and love she and her husband of eighty years had. It was beyond her comprehension.

“-please keep it down. He’s been screaming and making such a racket!”

Screaming? Oh, God, that did not sound good at all. What the hell was that asshole doing to his husband? The writer dropped the black bag and jumped to his feet, his heart beating rapidly. “Where are they?” he demanded angrily.

Morisaki-sama blinked at the younger man’s tone. “Why, in Rinjin-san’s-“

Eiri did not wait for her to finish her sentence. He spun around and raced to Yasashii Rinjin’s apartment. He rattled the doorknob, but unfortunately found it locked. He slammed his body into the door, putting all his body weight and might into it. “Shuichi,” he cried.

Uiko Morisaki’s eyes widened in fright. She gasped and covering her mouth with her hand, fled into the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind her.

“Eiri!” came muffled replay.

The writer growled and slammed himself into the door. He had to get in there. He had to save his baka. He had to get back what was his.

“Shuichi! Shu-chan!”

***

Shuichi hissed and turned his head away, shielding his sensitive eyes from the harsh burst of light.

“Shu! Shu-han, please!” Yasashii pleaded. “Just give me a chance!”

The man not worthy of an answer, Shuichi raced out of the room and down the hall towards the staircase. His gaze swept over the railing that separated the occupants from a twenty foot plummet and caught sight of the two prone figures lying sprawled out in the middle of the living room. Shuichi gasped and slowed to a halt at the foot of the staircase. He had a feeling that was Koji and Jacob down there. His chest tightened and his eyes filled with tears. He hoped to God and Buddha that they were all right. If Yasashii had indeed killed then, he would never be able to forgive himself.

He sobbed. This was all his fault!

A noise behind him drew his attention from the bodyguards. Through his tear blurred vision, he watched Yasashii walk confidently into the hall, a smug smile on his face.

“Bastard,” Shuichi hissed with tears streaming down his face.

The smile vanished and his face contorted in an ugly mask of anger and hate. “How can you be so ungrateful,” he snapped with vehemence.

“All this is for us,” he whispered softly, walking slowly towards him. “Our love! Our future!”

“I told you there is no us!” Shuichi screamed.

“And I said, there will be,” Yasashii reminded the singer in a calm voice.

“Fuck you!”

Sudden pounding from below drew his attention. “Shuichi,” came the familiar voice, muffled though the door.

Shuichi’s heart surged in joy and relief. Before he could even open his mouth, he saw a blur of color out of the corner of his eye. A dull pain slammed into his side and the breath was knocked out of him as the floor raced up to meet him. Shuichi arched up off the floor with a hiss as pain raced like bolts of lightening through his body. He grunted and groaned, as the wind was knocked out of him a second time as a heavy load plunged down onto him, straddling his hips. Large, clammy hands fumbled with his, forcing them above his head, trapping them in a vice-like grip.

Opening eyes he did not realize he had closed, Shuichi stared up into the eyes of a deranged madman. The look in Yasashii’s eyes was nothing like what Shuichi was used to. What he saw in that second, made his heart stop. This guy had seriously lost it. This was more than just a simple over-infatuation. This man had completely lost all sense of reality. People like him, scared the crap out of Shuichi. “E-Eiri,” he shouted. He started trembling in fright.

“Shuichi,” came the shout as a loud crash echoed through the apartment. “Shu-chan!”

Grunting, Shuichi struggled against his captor as the loud banging and crashing continued, but Yasashii was stronger than his geeky, wimpy build gave him credit for. Trying to get away from this guy was like trying to push a building off its foundation with your bare hands. Shuichi kicked his legs out of frustration. Tears rolled freshly down his face.

A loud splintering sound echoed through the apartment. The front door started to buckle and crack under the constant beating it was getting.

“It’s no use, Shu-han,” the man whispered in his ear, ignoring the threat from below. “I told you, I’d make you mine no matter what.”

Panic raced through the singer. “Eiri,” he cried. “Eiri! Please!”

“Shuichi!”

“Eiri!” Shuichi cried, becoming hysterical.

Yasashii found himself getting hard by his love’s attempts to escape. Licking his lips in anticipation, he bent over, his face hovering centimeters from Shuichi’s. “Our first kiss, Shu,” he whispered.

“Don’t do this,” he begged, sobbing. Shuichi tried turning his head from the inevitable but long, skeletal-like claws clamped around his chin, holding him firmly in place.

“I love you, Shu-han,” Yasashii whispered right before their lips touched.

Shuichi froze, unable to form one coherent thought. He stared at the man kissing him with wide eyes, his thoughts racing around like a dog chasing its tail. What the hell was he supposed to do? He did not know! Oh, God, Eiri, help me, he thought. Then a thought started to form. Forcing himself to relax, he opened his mouth willingly, allowing the man’s tongue to slip in and sweep the dark, dank cavern. The singer suppressed a shudder at how disgusting it felt to have this guy inside of him. He had to fight the urge to bite down on the slimy thing invading his mouth, but it worked. Thinking he had finally won Shuichi over, Yasashii’s hold loosened. Shuichi silently rejoiced. He yanked his hands out of his captor’s grip and slammed them into the sides of Yasashii’s head. The man screamed out in pain and sat up clutching his head. Fisting his hands, Shuichi punched the unsuspecting man in the face, hearing a sickening crunch of bone. The first one sent Yasashii’s head back with a snap and a gasp. Spittle flew from the man’s mouth and specks of blood arched from his nose. The second fist slammed into his jaw, sending him keeling over backwards. Shuichi staggered to his feet, shaking and stood over his would-be rapist as he moaned and writhed on the floor, gripping his head.


He started towards the door once again. Just one or two more times and the door would be history, but the sudden screaming from inside stopped Eiri’s blood cold. He stumbled to a halt, his heart racing. Eiri cursed and backed up. Taking a deep breath, the writer charged the door with a primitive cry. He bounced off of the door as he heard it crack and shatter open.

Eiri rubbed his sore shoulder. He knew this could be done. He had seen an episode of the American show “Myth Busters” where the bigger guy had beaten down a down with just his body weight. So, Eiri knew it could be done. Since he was not as big as the man on the show, it would take him twice as long to break through the door, but it could be done.

He pushed the door aside and stumbled inside the apartment, tripping over something that was laying right inside the door. Regaining his balance, he started over his shoulder at the limp bodies and cursed.

“E-Eiri,” came the cry from above him.

The writer glanced up and saw his baka alive and well at the head of the staircase. At his feet was their neighbor, clutching his face and crying. He blinked. “Shu, wha- what did you do to him?”

Shuichi smiled proudly. “Decked him.”

Eiri snorted, but felt a surge of pride. “I can see that, baka.”

“Well,” the singer said, fisting his hands on his hips, “that’s what he gets for trying to take what I reserve for you alone.”

“What?” Eiri did not like that one little bit. He started towards the staircase. “Shuichi, what…“ He cut himself off when he noticed the bastard who took his baka stagger to his feet behind Shuichi. With his wide eyes, he watched as this man, who had blood covering the lower half of his face and an insane gleam in his eyes, glared at the back of his baka’s head.

Shuichi cocked his head to the side, studying his husband in confusion. “Eiri? What’s…”

“Duck,” Eiri shouted in panic.

Without bothering to question the older man, Shuichi did what he was told and crouched. His eyes widened as he felt the swoosh of air passing right above his head. He crab walked backwards and stood back up as Yasashii staggered past him, trying to regain his balance.

The man growled and charged Shuichi. The singer stood his ground. Bending over, he rammed his head into Yasashii’s gut and grabbed hold of his belt. He heard the man grunt as his breath was forced out of him. With a cry, Shuichi pushed them down the hall, unaware of where they were heading.

Eiri stood at the foot of the stairs, feeling more proud of his Shu-chan than he had since he met him. Shuichi may look like a weak thing, but he could kick some major ass. His eyes widened in sudden realization as he saw where the pair was heading. “Shit in hell,” he whispered in panic. “Shuichi! Stop!” Eiri raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He had to get to him!

Hearing the panic in his husband’s voice, Shuichi tried to slow down, but was unable to. He felt the jarring impact as Yasashii crashed into the railing. The collision sent shockwaves through Shuichi’s body. Seconds later, the horrifying sound of splintering wood echoed through the apartment and this time, Shuichi knew it was not the sound of the door being busted open. He stared at the man he was strapped around with wide, terrified eyes.

Eiri reached the landing just as the railing gave. For a few precious seconds, the two men teetered at the edge. “Shuichi!” he cried, rushing forward. Time seemed to slow down at that moment. It seemed like Eiri had all the time in the world to get to his husbands side, but knew in reality that he had no time at all. “Shuichi!” He reached out for his baka, as he rushed forward.

Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at him, his eyes wide in fright, and a look of foreboding on his face. His eyes widened as gravity reached out with mighty claws and snatched them. With a blood curling scream, his husband vanished from view as everything around him rushed past him towards the ceiling. He closed his eyes tight against the sight quickening up to him at the speed of light.

“Shuichi!” Eiri cried hysterically as he ran to the edge of the landing. “Shuichi!”


They were greeted by a heart stopping scream when the elevator doors pinged open. Glancing at one another, the group raced down the hall passed the Shindou-Uesugi residence towards the apartment next door.

The first thing they noticed was the door that was hanging crookedly by one hinge. A large hunk of the doorframe was missing where the doorknob should have been. The cheap chain lock had a chunk of the doorframe swinging from it. The second thing they saw where the two unmoving figures. Even with their faces hidden from view, the group knew immediately that the still figures were those of Shuichi’s bodyguards. Whether they were alive or dead and what happened was unknown and on the back burner as they heard a stampede of feet and a muttering of incoherent ramblings. In unison, the group watched as a tall, blond haired man raced down the staircase and towards the back of the apartment, where two more prone figures lay.

“Shuichi,” the Shiro twins Kei and Kai whispered.

“Oh my God,” Michael cried, covering his mouth with his hand as tears sprang into his eyes.

Hiro stood dumbfounded as he watched Eiri “Yuki” Uesugi cradled the unmoving, limp body of Shuichi Shindou in his arms, crying uncontrollably. He had never seen this coldhearted, emotionless man anything other than angry or cool.

Sakano cried out and swooned.

Kakei Niwa stood behind them, shaking. This was all his fault. If had come forward sooner, none of this would have happened!

Tohma strode towards his brother-in-law sadly. “Eiri,” he called softly.

“Help him, Tohma,” Eiri cried. “Help him!”

“We will,” Tohma told the younger man softy as he knelt behind the writer. “They’re on their way. We called them on the way here.” He hugged his old friend from behind, laying his head against his blond locks. “Everything’ll be all right.”

Eiri hugged his baka tightly to him, crying chaotically into his black locks. His hand ran down Shuichi’s back to his buttocks, so he could hold the tiny man closer, but felt something slimy and squishy at the crotch of the lithe singer’s jeans. Pulling back, he glanced down and gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “Shit,” he cursed. He hugged Shuichi to him, tears falling freshly down his face. “Shuichi! Hold on! Shuichi!”

In the distance, the sound of approaching sirens could be heard.