Come What May

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation nor do I make any money from using the characters. I am a part owner of Kyosuke, though.

NC-17

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

Notes: Yeah, I haven’t quit working on this story nor am I dead. I’ve just experienced a personal crisis about writing. I think it’s called a slump or maybe a block. Anyway, I apologize for making you wait.

As always, I have the lovely beta’s Kri and AshCat to thank for ironing out the rough spots. Chapter 19 is in the works as is chapter 2 of Slices (oh my! Slices is very strange.)

See you soon!


Come What May

Chapter 18
The Curse


Help me, I don't know what I'm doin’
Help me, before I fall to ruin
And if I'm blind, I will lead you on
Come follow me now, before our time is gone

And as you're laughing at this fool tonight
Let me rid myself of any line that I might use to trip you up
And as I'm howling at the moonlight, don't you kid yourself
I will be your luck and never your curse

Help me, I don't know what I'm saying
Sometimes this tongue can be betraying
And if I'm wrong, is that such a crime?
And if you want, you can set my words to right

And if your eyes forget to well
And if your lies forget to tell
And if our paths forget to cross
It doesn't mean you're lost

If you're laughing at this fool tonight
Let me rid myself of any line that I might use to trip you up
And as I'm howling at the moonlight, don't you kid yourself
I will be your luck, ‘cause even at my worst
I will be your luck, I’ll never be your curse

**********

Eiri was at the doctor’s office having his hand checked out when I stepped into Parfaits, my new favorite jewelry store.

“Ah, Shindou-san,” Touko-san, the shop’s owner greeted me with a big smile. “So glad to see you again. I have your items ready for you.”

I blinked at her in surprise. “All of them?”

“Yes,” she smiled again. “I prefer to overestimate the time it will take in order to avoid disappointment.”

“That’s a smart policy,” I smiled in return. “And for me very exciting, I was hoping I’d get to wear the bracelet or the necklace tonight.”

“They are right over here,” she led me to a glass counter and began displaying the jewelry I had commissioned only a little more than a week earlier. It was hard to believe so little time had elapsed since Eiri and I stood together in this store. It felt more like months had past than days, so much had happened.

Touko-san showed me the bracelet and necklace I had requested with Eiri’s name on them. They were silver with black accents, very well made. There was also the keychain with my name on it, my gift to Eiri. He’d probably scoff at me and complain about how stupid it was, but I knew he’d use it. It was small and tasteful, tame by my standards and you really had to study it to realize it was my name and not just a random design. It wasn’t much, but I wanted him to have something special from me.

Lastly, she held out three matching necklaces, also made of silver and black, each in the shape of a stylized triangle. They would be my peace offering to Hiro, Suguru, and Kyosuke. I knew I still had a long way to go to patch things up with the three of them, but this might get us off the ground.

Touko-san was wrapping up my purchases when my brand-new-special-delivery-from-NG phone rang. I hadn’t even downloaded my favorite ring tones to it and as far as I knew, no one, not even Eiri, had the number. I glanced at the name.

“Mizuki?” I answered with some confusion as I moved to the outside of the store so I could speak without being rude.

“Ah, Shuichi-san, good,” I could tell she was smiling.

“Uh, hi Mizuki, how are you?”

“I’m very well, thank you!” was her cheerful answer. “Shuichi-san, may I meet you for lunch today?”

“I… uh, how did you, I mean I have…” I stammered.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me explain, Seguchi-san gave me your number. He also mentioned you had some time before your hair-stylist appointment this afternoon.”

“Did he?” I asked through clenched teeth.

“Yes. I’ve taken the liberty to make a reservation at that lovely restaurant by your stylist’s shop, say about one o’clock?”

“My stylist? But how did you…” I continued stuttering at her. “Mizuki, why…”

“All right, I’ll see you then,” she said happily before hanging up.

“Fucking Tohma,” I muttered at the phone. I should have known, that bastard always knew everything. Yet, I had to admit, I found myself curious by her invitation. It was unusual for Mizuki to call me, much less to go through Tohma to do it. Something was definitely up, and I was guessing it was all about Eiri. What had he done this time?

Mizuki is a formidable woman. She’s not nearly as evil as Tohma, but she is almost as clever. She had bested Eiri time and time again, in spite of his amazingly stubborn side. I was convinced that whatever she had to tell me was of deep importance to her and possibly to Eiri. However, I did keep in mind that she wasn’t above using me as a pawn to get her way, so I would need to remain sharp.

I completed my shopping, anxious about the lunch meeting and hoping that I had kept my clothing choices conservative enough for Eiri. I tried to keep the bare skin to a minimum, but when I selected my final choice, it remained clear that I am what I am. I didn’t think Eiri expected me to change completely. At least I hoped not.

As I made my way to the restaurant, I realized I was apprehensive about the meeting. I hated being in the middle of power struggle situations and I hated dealing with people who were much smarter than I was.

I entered the restaurant and found that the headwaiter was expecting me. He led me to a private tatami room where Mizuki waited for me.

“Ah, Shuichi, right on time,” she smiled brightly.

“Mizuki,” I started before I even entered the room, wanting to get right to the point, but she motioned for me to sit.

“I hope you don’t mind, I’ve ordered several items already. They have the best unagi in town. Please,” she motioned to the table, “join me.”

There were all kinds of wonderful sushi laid out on the table, my mouth began to water and my stomach began to rumble. Well, maybe I could hear her out, at least. “Umm, okay.” I slipped off my shoes and headed for the table.

“Excellent,” she crooned and waited for me to sit before she sat opposite me. She poured me some expensive sake and handed it to me.

As I popped some unagi in my mouth, I wondered again what I had just walked into. For a moment, she had looked so serious. I chased the food with a quick gulp of my sake – it was very good. The kind of stuff Eiri would drink.

Eiri. What would he think about me meeting his editor like this? I shivered slightly as I quickly mixed a clump of wasabi together with some shoyu. Next, I snagged a piece of fatty tuna and a slice of pickled ginger, dipped the two together into the wasabi mixture, and stuffed the fine tasting morsel into mouth. After all, I was hungry.

“Mizuki,” I mumbled around a mouthful of food as I remembered Eiri again. “What’s going on?”

“Really, Shuichi,” she smiled again. “You shouldn’t tease me.”

I furrowed my brow as I swallowed. “Tease you? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t tell me…” she gave me a sad look. “Hasn’t Yuki-san told you about the interview?”

“Sure he did. I’m even attending it with him on Monday,” I answered as I shoved a gyoza in my mouth.

She sipped her tea before she said, “No, Shuichi-san, I’m speaking of his television interview.”

I finished chewing and swallowed. “Television? No, he didn’t say anything about it. When?”

“The first one is scheduled in two weeks.”

“But… we’ll be in Europe then.”

“Yes,” she nodded, “so Yuki-san has informed me.”

“But he has a television interview?” I sipped the sake and then pushed it away. It didn’t taste very good any more.

“Yes.”

Choking out my next words I asked, “Here? In Tokyo?”

She nodded again, “It’s a very, very popular show. They are very adamant about his appearance, as is Yuki-san’s publisher.”

I felt sick. Eiri had been lying to me. After everything we’d been through, all the fights and struggles, I couldn’t believe he would treat me like this. I groaned internally as I remembered how I’d made a fool of myself, going on and on about how glad I was that he would be with me, gushing over his phony, empty promise. It seemed he didn’t have any intention of going with me, he probably never had. He’d been playing with me, with my heart, just as he used to.

“That bastard,” I hissed.

“Yes,” Mizuki agreed. “He does tend to make things very difficult for many people.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?” I fumed aloud, more to myself than to Mizuki. I could feel my anger and my hurt building. I could just leave without Eiri. If I called Tohma right now, I was certain I could be bound for England by tomorrow afternoon. I could walk away from everything and I wouldn’t have to put up with this shit anymore.

Although, then everything we’d worked for in the last six months would disappear. Six months, I couldn’t believe it was all lies. Even so… my anger continued to escalate. “Why does he always have to ruin everything?”

“He will be attempting to ruin his career if he goes forward with this,” she sighed. “I’m afraid that my superiors will not treat this as casually as a missed deadline.”

“And I was just beginning to trust him again. I’m such an idiot!” I ranted.

Mizuiki stared at me. “Well, I’m not sure it’s as bad as all that from your perspective, Shuichi. After all, he is doing this for you.”

“For me?” I sputtered. “Oh, please! How can you possibly say that? By staying here he’ll wreck everything we’ve worked so hard for!”

Mizuki looked puzzled, “Shuichi-san, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Eiri staying in Tokyo while I’m in Europe!” I snapped.

“He’s staying here?” She blinked at me and then went on excitedly, “So you were teasing me! Oh, Shuichi-san, you are wonderfully evil! How did you get him to change his mind?”

“What?” I shook my head, now I was confused. “I thought you said he was staying!”

“No, you said he was staying,” she corrected gently, smiling at me. “Up until now, he has been very, very determined about not attending the interview.”

“Mizuki…” I tried to calm my breathing. “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”

She did. She told me about her daily phone calls to Eiri. She told me about her endless meetings with the television station and her superiors trying to broker a deal. She’d pleaded, she’d threatened, and through it all, Eiri refused to do the interview.

“You were my last hope, Shuichi,” she stared at me with those big eyes. “I thought maybe, if I could explain it to you, you might be able to help me. But now, I think I understand what’s going on.”

“He didn’t tell me,” I could feel tears threatening to break free. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

Mizuki sighed. “Shuichi-san, is it possible that you really don’t know the reason behind Yuki-san’s determination?”

I hung my head as I blinked my eyes frantically, trying to will the tears away.

“He doesn’t want to leave your side. He’s worried about your frame of mind, what it will do to you if he leaves you now. And, now that I think about it, he’d dropped hints that his decision was dependent on you.”

“I don’t believe you,” I answered, shaking my head again. Looking up at her I asked, “Did he tell you that he was worried about me?”

“No,” she chuckled, “he didn’t have to. Yuki-san can be very transparent to the trained eye. Besides, what other explanation is there?”

“He… but he didn’t tell me…” He doesn’t trust me! I wanted to shout at her.

“Shuichi-san, you look upset,” she stared at me with obvious concern as she patted my hand. “I can see that you really are fragile right now. Considering all you’ve been through, I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me. Now I understand his reluctance to be apart from you,” she sighed and then smiled again wistfully. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped then, for what is a career when stacked against true love?”

Was I fragile? Her words slowly began to sink in and I sifted through them trying to make sense of the situation and of what she was trying to tell me. Eiri was going to Europe. He was blowing off his contracts and defying his publisher and he was facing…

I swallowed. “Mizuki, just how… how bad will it be for him?”

“Oh, the usual,” she said cheerfully, “lawsuits, threats by the publisher, and boycotts by the television station. Between you and me, Shuichi-san, he actually has two television interviews I couldn’t manage to delay for him. He was so unmovable concerning the first one; I didn’t even mention the second.”

I couldn’t deny it, I was hurt he hadn’t told me, but at the same time, I also couldn’t deny that he had gone to some serious extremes to uphold our plans to travel the tour together. It didn’t seem healthy for either of us and I didn’t want him to be afraid to tell me things. Anger and guilt mixed together to form a confusing stew of emotions. Eiri could be such a lovable prick when he wanted to be.

“I’ll talk to him,” I said slowly as I wondered what I would possibly say.

“You will? Oh, Shuichi, I could kiss you!”

“That’s not really necessary and I can’t make any promises, Mizuki, but I will talk to him,” I muttered as I stood up to leave. “Thanks for lunch.”

She threw back some sake, either in celebration or simply because she needed a dink, and then she looked at me. “Shuichi, don’t be too hard on him, okay? He may not show it, but your anger affects him deeply.”

“Like I said, Mizuki,” I answered with a smile as I moved towards the door, “I can’t make any promises.”

Once I’d put on my sunglasses and hat, I stepped outside of the restaurant and headed to my next appointment. I walked fast; thinking about Eiri’s ‘secret’ was pissing me off so I tried to burn off some energy before I showed up at Sai’s.

My phone rang again. I groaned as I looked at the name.

“What?!”

“Ah, yes, Shuichi-san. Over time, your greeting has become comparable to Eiri-san’s. Perhaps it is true, the old saying concerning couples resembling one another after many years of togetherness,” his smarmy voice crooned at me.

“Spill it, Tohma,” I growled. “I don’t have all day.”

“I see.”

I swear, I could hear the bastard smile. I waited for him to continue, because with Tohma, honestly, you have no choice but to go at his pace. Believe me; I’ve tried rushing him in the past only to end up even more frustrated by the time our conversation ended. I think Tohma enjoys irritating people. In fact, I’d say he lives for it.

“Well, I’ve called to inquire about your luncheon appointment, Shuichi-san. How was it?”

“It was fine.” I answered.

He waited. I walked.

After a few minutes of silence I finally said, “Hey, Tohma?”

“Did you have a question, Shuichi-san?”

“How bad…” I stopped my forward progress and ducked out of the moving crowd of people and into a narrow alleyway between two buildings. I didn’t bother to explain the situation to Tohma, I was certain he already knew the details. I lowered my voice as I asked my question, “Tohma, if Eiri doesn’t do the television interviews, do you think it will seriously affect his career?”

“Not, perhaps, over the long term,” Tohma answered far too quickly, as if he knew precisely what I would ask. He probably did. “However, I do believe it will be very problematic for him in the short run. The CEO of Eiri-san’s publishing company will be, as you might imagine, very displeased.”

“How displeased?” I bargained. “Like normal displeased or Tohma displeased?”

There was a long pause. “He is a very powerful man, Shuichi-san, and not known for his forgiveness.”

I noted the clear admiration in Tohma’s voice, telling me all I needed to know. “Fuck,” I snarled.

“Shuichi-san, have you considered the possibility of Eiri-san joining us in Europe at a later date?”

“Not until about a half an hour ago, I didn’t,” I answered.

“I think I understand,” he answered softly. “I suspect Mizuki-san’s conversation with you must have been very surprising.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” I felt strange, almost helpless, somehow and I struggled to figure out why.

“Shuichi-san,” his voice softened even further, “I believe Eiri-san was attempting to insulate you from his problems. I do not believe he was intentionally excluding you. You know that he is not the most forthcoming individual.”

Tohma was worried about my reaction. Of course, he was worried; he didn’t want me running off again right before our tour started. When had I become such a burden to everyone?

“He didn’t tell me, Tohma.” I furiously blinked back the tears. “I thought we were past this.”

“Shuichi-san, at this time, Eiri-san’s motivations behind keeping his interview woes from you are unclear, however, what he has made clear is that he has every intention of going to Europe with the tour. With you,” he said soothingly. “At this stage of his resolve, I do not think he could be dissuaded from going, even if you were to attempt it.”

I couldn’t believe it; Tohma was trying to comfort me. What was happening?

“Tohma…” I inhaled, steeling myself to ask the question. “I need to you to be honest with me about something.”

“Ah, well, Shuichi-san perhaps someone else might be better suited to have this conversation with y…”

I interrupted him, “No, Tohma, I need to hear it from you and you have to tell me the truth.”

“Very well,” he agreed, although his tone was not that of a happy Tohma.

“Do you think…” This time I exhaled, fighting back the dark emotion that surged through me. “Am I emotionally fragile?”

Ten seconds is not a lot of time, but it can also seem like an eternity. Tohma’s pause was ten agonizing seconds long before he finally said, “Shuichi-san, I understand that finding out about Eiri-san’s troubles would agitate you, but I feel assured that you will bounce back admirably after your date tonight.”

I leaned against the building as I absorbed the implications of what he didn’t say. Tohma had pointedly dodged the question, and by doing so, he’d given me a clear answer. I was emotionally fragile.

“Tohma, I…” I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice even before I continued. “I have to hang up now. I have another appointment.”

“Ah, yes, with Sai-san. Please give my regards to her.”

“I will,” I promised. I was tired suddenly, exhausted.

“And Shuichi-san?”

“Yeah?”

“Perhaps you should…” he paused again, “never mind. Please attempt to have a good time tonight, you both deserve it and there might not be time to enjoy yourselves when the tour begins.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Tohma,” I hung up.

I stood in the dirty, questionable alleyway as I let the emotions roll over me. Eiri was going to Europe with me. He was walking away from his work commitments in order to go on tour with me. He would be miserable on tour and he would probably hate every moment of it, and yet he still chose that option over staying home and satisfying his publishing company.

It was too much, this was too much. He couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let him do this. If he went to Europe, choosing me over his work, it would unbalance our relationship.

I was trying to process the situation when my phone rang a third time. I stared at the number I didn’t recognize that was ‘unknown.’ I considered not answering, but the last ‘unknown’ I’d received was from my frantic sister calling for help. A weird sense of déjà vu came over me and I felt compelled to answer.

“Yeah?”

“Hey.”

The sound of his voice was like a soothing balm to my open wound. Exhaling with relief, I answered, “Hey.”

“What’s going on? Tohma just called and said you needed to talk to me as soon as possible,” his concern and care for me was obvious.

“Tohma… that bastard,” I complained as my voice broke and the tears stared to flow.

“Shu, are you crying? Are you alright?”

“I am now, Hiro,” I choked, “now that I’m talking to you.”

I could hear a commotion in the background.

“Get away, Kyosuke,” Hiro snapped away from the phone. “No, you can’t talk to him, damn it, get away from me! Suguru, a little help here, please? Yes, it’s Shu. What? No, wait!”

“Now you did it,” I heard Kyosuke laugh in the background. “I’ll get him; you talk to our other boyfriend.”

Hiro sighed. “Sorry about that, Shu.”

I started to laugh. Their relationship was beyond insane.

“What’s so funny?” he asked with some suspicion.

“You guys are so…” I wiped the tears from my eyes. Maybe being with one crazy man wasn’t so bad, I could be with two and that would be much more difficult.

“We are so…. what?” Hiro prompted and I could tell he was smiling. “Come on Shu, spit it out, we are so…?”

“Lucky,” I told him as I continued to laughed.

“Riiiight,” Hiro replied with his own laugh, not buying my answer for a second. “So what’s going on, Shu? Is it Yuki, again?”

“Sort of,” I sighed. “I think I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything. Just ask away,” he said confidently.

I felt the tears prick at my eyes again. I couldn’t believe that after everything I’d done to him, he would still treat me so well. “Do you think I could stay with you guys until the tour starts?”

“Of course you can stay here, you know you don’t have to ask,” he answered without missing a beat. His voice shifted into the caring, loving Hiro I knew so well and had nearly lost. “But what happened, Shu? Why isn’t Yuki coming with you? He didn’t hurt you again, did he?”

“It’s not what you think this time, Hiro,” I explained.

“Well, then, maybe you should tell me about it,” he encouraged.

I did. After I explained to him about Eiri’s secret television interviews, he was silent for a few moments as he processed what I told him.

“You know, Shu,” I heard a lighter fire in the background followed by the sound of Hiro inhaling. “As much as it irks me to say this, I have to admit that I can’t blame Yuki for not telling you. You have been a little flighty.”

I sighed as I realized Hiro’s description of my behavior as ‘a little flighty’ was very generous. “I know. I can’t really blame Eiri for being… cautious with me either. I guess it shows how far we have to go to get things right again.”

“Well, it’s kind of a miracle you found your way back to one another in the first place,” he pointed out as I heard him inhale again. “It makes sense that everything would take time to shake out. I know it’s hard, but try to be patient.”

“Patient. You know I’ve never been good at that,” I complained.

He chuckled. “That is true. But don’t feel bad, it turns out I need to take my own advice.”

“You too, huh? But, Hiro, you’re very patient,” I answered.

“I thought I was, too, but I’m finding out differently. Apparently, I have some serious limitations to my patience. Maybe we can learn together.”

“I’ll try,” I promised with a groan.

“That’s all we can do.”

“I guess.” After a moment I asked, “So what do you think about Eiri’s interview situation? Do you think he should stay?”

“Personally, I don’t think there’s any question about it, he’d be foolish if he didn’t stay,” Hiro answered without having to think about it. “But you need to remember that I am biased towards him staying at home. Maybe it really does depend on how you feel, Shu. If he stays in Tokyo, will you be mad at him?”

“Maybe,” I replied truthfully. “I guess that’s selfish, isn’t it?”

“A little, yeah.”

I leaned against the building again. “Fuck, Hiro, I’m so tired of problems. I need a vacation.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what, if you come alone, when you get here, we’ll spend a ton of time laying around and playing games. You could probably use a break considering everything you’ve been through.”

“Yeah, sure,” I laughed suspiciously. “You just want me to cook.”

“That is a possibility,” he laughed in return. “I think Nakamura’s been missing you. Since Ryu hasn’t been showing up out of the blue anymore, he’s been pretty bored.”

“Have you seen Ryu?” I asked, suddenly realizing I’d hardly given my friends any thought in the past couple of weeks.

“No. We are supposed to go see him tomorrow,” Hiro answered. “To see how Tatsuha… uh, I mean Yuki’s brother, is.”

Tatsuha. I clenched my fist and quickly changed the subject. “Hiro, are you sure it’s okay for me to stay with you? I mean, I don’t want Suguru’s panties to get in a bunch.”

“Nah,” his calming voice answered. “It’s good for him. Besides, aren’t you more concerned about what Yuki’s reaction might be if you stay here? I would imagine he’ll have a few choice words to say on the subject.”

“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that.” Eiri would probably have a fit about it. That is, if I could even stop him from going with me.

Hiro’s voice sounded amused as he said, “You know, I think if we play our cards right, Kyosuke and I might be able to get Suguru to intervene with Yuki on your behalf.”

“Suguru?” I chewed on my lip as I considered it. Keeping in mind how jealous Suguru was of me, Eiri might actually listen to him. I think everyone was surprised to find out that Suguru, the control freak, could be so territorial. Although, when I thought about staying with them in that context, I wasn’t convinced Suguru would go for that idea, either. “I dunno, Hiro. Do you really think Suguru would do that?”

“I have a sneaking suspicion he would,” Hiro chuckled and he almost sounded evil. “Kyosuke and I have our ways of getting what we want from him. He may seem unbendable, but he can actually be kind of a pushover.”

“How would you… Does he… Oh, forget it. It’s best I don’t know,” I shook my head as I answered. I really didn’t want to know. “Hiro, I wish I could talk longer, but I’ve got to go. Sai’s waiting on me and you know how she is.”

“Then you’d better get a move on, Shu,” he said cheerfully. “Call me later.”

“Okay, thanks, Hiro,” I could feel myself misting up again. “I love you, you know that don’t you?”

“Yeah. Me too. See you soon.”

I hung up and began to move again. I had a lot to think about, and now, I headed for the perfect place to do exactly that.


My emotions were fully in check when I showed up at my favorite salon. NG Studios has a stable full of hairstylists and make-up artists, but my all time favorite is Sai. At one time, Sai worked for NG, but she left in order to run her own, very exclusive shop. Her clientele included many pop and rock stars, actors, and other tabloid-rich individuals; her impeccable discretion was very attractive.

When I stepped into her wonderfully bright and cheerful establishment, I spotted her immediately. She was wearing a wild, lime green and lemon yellow dress that was short in the front and reached the ground in the back. Her hair, dyed in matching shades of yellow and green, set ridiculously high on her head, sculpted in some elaborate shape and somehow kept precariously in place by an army of colorful clips and bows. Her jewelry jangled as she swept across the floor towards me in her usual, very dramatic fashion.

“Darling,” she called to me as she met me and kissed me on the cheek.

“Hi, Sai,” I couldn’t help but grin as I kissed her back. She was always so over-the-top. “You look terrific. I’m sorry for getting here so late.”

“Not to worry, my pet. You are, after all, my favorite client. Now, let me get a good look at you,” she said hesitantly as she stepped back to scrutinize me. “Ah, much better than the last time! You were so skinny and sickly!”

“I do feel much better now,” I smiled at her. “A little more stable, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah, indeed, I do understand,” she motioned to her staff of scurrying minions to relive me of my purchases. Then, she wrapped my arm around hers as she steered me towards the ‘prep station.’

As we walked, she said lowly, “So, your man is good to you, finally?”

I laughed. “I’m still undecided about that.”

“Trust me, darling, that’s a good thing,” she continued wistfully. “It’s best that you never stop guessing, because when the mystery is gone, the relationship is probably over.”

“Do you think so?”

“Absolutely. A true love affair is always full of epic struggles, it is the way of true love,” she gazed at me and nodded her head as if I understood.

I humored her with a smile. Then I leaned close and whispered, “Sai, we have a date tonight. I’d really like to…”

She held up her hand. “Say no more, my dear. I will make you positively irresistible.”

“I was counting on it.”

There’s something soothing about spending time at the salon, it helps center and relax me. Maybe it’s the pampering; knowing someone else is taking care of me? Maybe it’s the attention to my hair and scalp? That always relaxed me and I’ve always loved it. Even in the early days, when I used to dye my own hair, I would always manage to talk Hiro or Maiko into doing it for me.

Eiri says my love of spending time at the salon is proof of my girly side, but he likes to get his nails manicured every now and then so what does he know?

While I let myself be spoiled, I thought about Eiri and our current situation. I was still pissed off at him, but I could also see why he’d kept it from me. Every time something happened that would upset me in the slightest, I’d freaked out. He didn’t tell me because he expected me to overreact; there really wasn’t much of a mystery there. Understandably, he didn’t trust me.

Hiro had helped me to sort out my jumbled thoughts about Eiri. It seemed rather simple after I talked with my best friend, he could always see everything so clearly. If Eiri went to Europe with me, he’d have legal problems for a long while. Eiri hated dealing with lawyers and legal stuff.

There really wasn’t an option; I had to let him stay. What was I saying? Let him? That was a laugh! Now that he’d dug in his heels and made up his mind, it would take a miracle to get him to change it. He was always so stubborn. It looked as if I would need to convince him somehow.

Hmm.

Now, that would require some serious planning.



I was ready for our date and Eiri was already in the other room, waiting for me. He’d been there for almost an hour. I looked in the mirror one last time, surprised by the feeling that came over me as I looked at myself. I didn’t hate the person staring back at me anymore. I didn’t love him, either, but my apathy was an improvement over stomach-turning hatred. It was a start.

Maybe my change of heart had something to do with my plans for the evening. For the first time in over a year, I was determined to give instead of take.

I took a long look at myself in the mirror.

Scared. Vulnerable. Strong. Even so, I knew I would be all right.

I looked at the counter, picked up Eiri’s new keychain, and placed it in its box. Then I grabbed the handcuffs and placed both items in my bag, slipping the key to the ‘cuffs into my back pocket. I wasn’t sure I would need them, but it was good to be prepared.

Strangely, I felt nervous as I turned and headed to meet my date in the living room. When I stepped into the room and spoke, Eiri turned to meet my gaze and then stood up.

He was in a black silk suit, of course, with a wine colored shirt, one of my favorite colors on Eiri. He really wasn’t dressed much differently than usual, but the suit was a little different from any I’d seen before, letting me know it was new. Eiri looked as he always did… mouthwatering. He returned my stare and the way he looked at me made my knees shake with passion.

Almost immediately, we began to spar verbally about who would give in to their desire first and jump the other. I could feel the crackle of sexual electricity between us, both of us already wanting it. An idea formed in my head as we agreed upon the stakes for the game we now played.

If I gave in first, he would pick the time and place for us to have sex in a public place. That’s not really my thing, but I know he gets off on the idea. If he gave in first, he would let me be on top. At least, that’s what he assumed I would ask for. The evening would be intense but I intended to win our bet.

I started things up in the elevator. The moment the doors closed, I was on him, pressing against him and kissing him lightly. He tried to pretend he wasn’t interested, he really did, but his cock was telling me otherwise. Once I established his desire, I stepped away from him.

“Give it up,” he smirked at me. “You don’t stand a chance.”

Reaching out, I pressed my hand against his hard, monster-sized cock. Meeting his icy stare, I said, “Oh, really? It seems as if your pal here says otherwise.”

He wrapped his left arm around me as his right fondled me.

“Ah,” I moaned.

He leaned forward to murmur in my ear, “You seem to be in a similar state. Maybe we should just stay home?”

I gently pushed him away, but held on to his hand. I gave him my seductive smile and said, “Oh no, not so fast. We have a date.”

“Fine,” he pretended to be unaffected again, but moments before the elevator opened, he leaned over once again and brushed his lips over my cheek and then he nuzzled at my neck, causing me to shiver. As the elevator slowed and pinged, letting us know the doors were about to open, Eiri whispered in my ear, “Let’s go.”

Huh. This would be a long night.


Outside of our apartment building, we found Akira waiting with the limousine.

“Shindou-san, Yuki-san,” he bowed.

“Akira,” I greeted him with a smile. “It’s good to see you again. I hope tonight is less adventurous than the last time.”

“Last time?” Eiri asked with curiosity.

Oh, crap.

The last time Akira drove me around was after my fight with Eiri at the therapist’s office. I had called up Akira with every intention of clubbing that night. I hadn’t been in the mood to be at a club, but in my anger at Eiri, I had still gone, determined to prove I didn’t need him. My plan backfired on me and the evening turned out far different than I planned. I had to force myself into making a brief entrance at one club, hell-bent on dancing, even if I didn’t enjoy it, but when I looked over the throng of nameless individuals, the lonely smell of desperation assaulted me. It reminded me of the emptiness my life had been without Eiri and I made a frantic, hasty exit.

Then Maiko called me, and my evening changed dramatically.

I looked over and realized Eiri was watching me, waiting for my explanation about the last time I was with Akira. Opening my mouth, I tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t piss him off and possibly ruin our evening. Instead, my mind went completely blank.

Finally, Akira spoke, “I was Shindou-san’s driver the night his sister called.”

“You were with him that night?” Eiri asked pointedly. “All night?”

“Yes,” Akira answered smoothly.

Eiri glared at both of us. “Huh.”

Great. In spite of Akria’s good intentions, Eiri was pissed off anyway. Well, I could change that. At least I hoped I could. When the limo door closed, I quickly straddled Eiri’s lap and looped my arms around his neck.

He was still glaring at me. “Get off.”

“No,” I answered as I squirmed closer to him. “I stared at the place you and I went to.”

“What?” he snarled.

“The night Akria drove me around,” I explained as I locked my eyes on his. “You want to hear about it and I want to tell you. In fact, I think it’s important I tell you, that way there are no secrets between us.”

I watched guilt replace the angry glare in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.

Weaving my fingers in his hair, I rubbed against him one more time before I settled my weight on his lap. “Yeah, I went to a club that night, long enough to walk in and then walk out. I couldn’t stay, Eiri. Then I had Akira drive me to the club you and I went to on our last date, but I couldn’t go in. I just sat in the limo and stared. I was pissed off and hurt that night, but I promise you that I didn’t make it worse by doing what you accused me of.”

“What did I accuse you of?” His anger was waning I shifted against him again.

“Mmm,” I crooned. “That day in the doctor’s office, you called me a whore.”

“I did not,” he growled at me.

I snagged his hair with my fingers and tugged his head up as I interrupted him, “It really doesn’t matter, Eiri. All that matters is that we are together.” Then I kissed him.

His arms curled around my back as he pulled me close, returning my kiss with his own desire. It was fireworks and passion, wet kisses with tongues and teeth, searching hands and hard cocks. If I thought the elevator ride was passionate, it paled in comparison to the blazing intensity of the limo ride.

When we reached our destination, we were half-naked and so involved it took Akira several taps on the window before we managed to get ourselves together. Even then, my condition was so totally obvious in my tight pants, I had to cover up with my jacket.

Eiri was quite amused.

The restaurant was amazing. It was a highly exclusive place and, as far as I knew, no one got in on such short notice. I wasn’t certain they would let me in at first, after all I wasn’t the norm for the establishment, but after Eiri gave them our names, we were ushered in without a question. I suspected Eiri must have burned up a whole lot of brownie points with Tohma in order to get the reservation.

Our table was cozy and private, allowing me to feed Eiri with very few glances. We also had a startlingly gorgeous view; we sat side by side so we could gaze out onto the city. It was perfect.

Over the course of dinner, I studied him. I could usually narrow down what was on Eiri’s mind by his body language and at the moment, he was crystal clear to me. There was something he wanted to tell me, but didn’t know how. He actually started to speak several times, only to get cold feet and change the subject unnaturally.

When I thought back on it, over the past few days, he’d exhibited the same body language and the same halting conversation a lot; but I had focused on my own woes to the point where I hadn’t noticed. Maybe Tohma was correct, maybe Eiri and I did resemble one another now. Selfishness, for both of us, always seemed at the top of the list.

We were eating our dessert, mine was crème brûlée and his was predictably, strawberry cheesecake. I was slowly feeding both of us alternate bites so we could taste both desserts, but my hand was shaking and I was having trouble staying focused. I’d taken off my boots during the course of dinner and I had one foot curled around Eiri’s calf and the other underneath his right pant leg stroking his ankle. Eiri in turn had his right hand in between my thighs, rubbing my aching hard on.

“No fair,” I panted. “You’re using your hands.”

“I don’t see anyone stopping you from doing the same,” he challenged.

“Really?” I let my left hand drop down and curl around the inside of his thigh. “Be careful, Eiri, or I’ll jump on you right here.”

“Promises, promises,” he teased.

“If I do attack you here, I get to be on top,” I answered as I raised a fork full of cheesecake.

“Huh, only if I give in first and that’s not likely to happen,” Eiri answered as he gave me an expert squeeze and then opened his mouth for the dessert.

“Uh,” I groaned as I placed the cheesecake in his mouth. It was a big bite and it smeared on the corner of his mouth. I leaned forward and slowly licked his lips clean. I could feel his hand move and the button on my pants pop open, followed quickly by my zipper. Not bad considering it was his right hand.

“Oh, Eiri,” I breathed heavily. “You're jumping ahead. Are you giving up?"

His hand stilled. “Not likely.”

“Don’t worry, Eiri.” I smiled as I let my own hand move up his thigh to caress him through his pants; it seemed his monster was wide-awake. “It's only one dance and then you can have me anyway you want me. Provided I get what I want first.”

“I don’t think I said anything about being worried,” he denied. His eyes focused and he glared at me as he renewed his determination to win our bet. He ratcheted up his glare a few notches and he pulled his hand away.

I nearly whimpered over the loss of contact but instead, I placed the dessert in my mouth, making sure to chew and swallow as I cupped him through his pants. I met his steady glare with my own coquettish, teasing smiled. “It needs to be a slow, sensual dance. I want to feel you against me -- hot, hard, and full of passion.”

He kept his eyes locked on mine as he reached for a cigarette and managed to light it without any problem or breaking contact. I forgot just how good he was at glaring. I’d missed that. We stared at each other for a long time. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the angry stare… well, not completely. It was more of who-would-make-the-next-move stare.

I gave in first, of course. I finished the last bite of crème brûlée, making sure I used my tongue as much as possible as he watched me like a predator. "Do you want to go? The place I have in mind isn't far, but I'll need you to do something for me on the way."

He didn’t say anything, he didn’t have to say to, his body ratted him out. He was horny as hell but he was also cautious. He took a drag of his smoke and finally asked, "What did you have in mind?"

Giving my lips a final lick, I reached into my bag and pulled out a black silk scarf. "Blindfold."

He shook his head. "Not going to happen."

"Come on, Eiri," I bargained. I knew this part would be tough. "It will only be for a few minutes - just until we get to where we need to be."

"Why do you need that?" He pointed at the scarf.

"Because I want it to be a surprise!"

He took another drag of his cigarette. "I told you, no."

"But, Eiri..."

He cut me off. "Why can't you be normal?"

"This from the man who wants to fuck in public," I grumbled. "You are such a hypocrite, Eiri."

"Forget it," he growled in return.

"Okay, I will," I sighed. Our conversation was over as far as Eiri was concerned. If I pushed it now, we would only end up in an overblown argument and our night would be over. I didn’t want it to end that way. “Whatever. Fine. You win. Let's just go home.”

“What?” He stared at me with suspicion.

“You heard me,” I tried to zip up my pants. My hard-on was surprisingly still alive and proving to be something of a problem with my skintight pants. As Eiri watched me struggle in silent amusement, I returned his almost-smile with my own cultivated glare.

“Want some help?” he offered.

“No,” it was my turn to growl. “You’ll just make it worse.” I got them zipped and stood. "Let's go."

He stared at me. "You're serious."

"Yes, I am."

He didn't move. "I shouldn't have to explain to you about the blindfold."

"You don't," I answered as I turned. My misdirected anger about the TV interview blossomed. "This night is over."

"What? Wait a minute," he stood and followed me. Grabbing my arm he stopped me, his anger evident. "Because of a stupid blindfold?"

"Yes," I glared back at him. “It’s not about the blindfold.”

“Then explain it to me. What’s it about?”

“It’s about trust, Eiri,” I answered. “I want this night to be about trust.”

He made the guilty face again.

“Come on, Eiri,” I crooned as a pressed myself against him. “I promise, it will only be for a little while.”

Looking around the restaurant and taking note of the occasional stares we were getting from the other diners, he took my hand and said, “Limo.”

I followed him obediently as I realized what a gamble I was taking and I hoped like hell my little game didn’t backfire on me. He’d be pissed off at me for what I had in mind, but hopefully I could make the time enjoyable for him. Eiri was full of kinky switches and I’m sure a blindfold fit in there somewhere. I felt kind of bad about manipulating him this way, but when it came right down to it, this night was about trust, whether he knew it or not. He hadn’t told me about the TV interviews and I was still plenty angry with him over that, enough to counteract any self-reproach. Besides, I was certain I could find a way to pacify him later.

It might have to be sex in a public place.

When we got to the limo, I had Eiri get in first so I could tell Akira where to take us. I gave our driver the directions and told him to take the long way.

Once I got inside, I crawled back on Eiri’s lap and said, “Did you have something to tell me?”

He looked at me with open surprise and then sighed in resignation when he realized I was talking about the blindfold. I was delighted with his reaction, happy that I wouldn’t have to mess with his head any more, but I also realized the only reason he surrendered was due to his guilty conscious. Even so, I would take the lucky break I got.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the long, soft piece of silk. I looped it around his neck and dragged it against his skin. “See? It’s not so bad.”

He glared at me. “Maybe when you get to wear the blindfold we’ll see if you think it’s not so bad.”

I paused. Could I do this? Could I let him put a blindfold on me? I dropped my hands, suddenly overtaken with my own guilt. He was right and I was being completely unfair, tricking him into this.

“Hey,” he said quietly as he touched my cheek. “Don’t tell me you are backing out now? Now that you got what you’ve wanted? That’s very unlike you. Hurry up and get on with it before I change my mind.”

“I love you, Eiri,” I answered as I tossed the silk scarf back into my bag and gave him a kiss.

“Whatever,” he said and then he kissed me back.

Did I detect disappointment in his tone? Nah, I must be imagining things. His hand roamed over me, his left arm holding me tight as we kissed, our passion building again. I realized that we were hopelessly in love with each other. How had we ever been apart? How had we survived? Could it happen again?

The limo slowed and once again, we scrambled for our clothing. Akira, like the trusty, good man that he is gave us a few minutes before he opened the door and the two of us stepped out. Eiri’s hair was a bit askew and his clothing rumpled, so I could imagine what I looked like. I could still feel his teeth on my neck and my shirt was torn, but we were able to shake our heads clear enough to stumble out of the limo.

Eiri’s eyes were glazed as he blinked several times, trying to make sense of what he saw. He turned to me. “Hey, what is this?”

I smiled at him and shrugged my shoulders. “Surprise.”


TBC


Lyrics for The Curse by Chris Cornell, Rock God, extraordinaire.