Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Ghosts and Inner Demons ❯ Part 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Thank you everybody for reviewing. Your feedback is very encouraging, especially since this is my first Gravitation fic.

Teletha - thanks for pointing the typos out. I try my best, but English is only my second language, and I haven't found a beta reader for this fic yet. As for Shuichi calling K, K-kun, he does a few times in the manga.

And about Tohma being evil, well I hope you are not going to be too disappointed. Again, I'm going mainly by the manga. Although I wouldn't call Tohma really "evil" I think it is pretty clear that he is rather manipulative, controlling and at times self-serving. Even Eiri calls him a "shark". He does care for Eiri no doubt about that, but perhaps a little too much.

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Ghosts and Inner Demons

Part 3

Shuichi raised his head from the table surface with a sigh and looked at K. "Why did you have to drag me out of my bed in the middle of the night? I was still asleep, you know."

"It's nearly noon," K pointed out. "We have got a lot of work to do today. You knew that when you got drunk last night."

"Drunk? Who was drunk?" Shuichi objected. "I had only two drinks."

"That's even worse. Didn't anybody ever tell you that getting only half drunk is a waste of money?"

Shuichi blinked and stared at the manager for a few seconds, trying to find sense in K's logic. Just then the door opened and Hiroshi walked into the dressing room. Shuichi turned his head and frowned slightly as he looked his friend over. "What have you been doing last night? You look like shit," he remarked in a matter of fact. "Are those hickeys on your neck? What'd you do; make out with a blowfish?"

"Shut up," Hiro told him in a slightly edgy ton of voice. "For your information, those are no hickeys."

When his friend stepped closer and turned his head to the side Shuichi could see that indeed they weren't. The marks on Hiro's neck looked more like bruises; prints left by somebody's fingers. The singer's frown deepened. "What happened?"

"Your so-called lover, Yuki Eiri is what happened;" Hiroshi explained. "He stopped by at my place last night."

"What? Why?" Shuichi gave his friend a confused look.

Hiro shrugged. "Apparently the nutcase saw us fooling around backstage after the show and got the wrong idea."

Yuki came to see the concert. He does care after all. For a moment Shindou was delighted that his lover cared enough about him to actually get jealous. But that moment was short-lived, because images of a bleeding and beaten Ma flashed through his mind, and he suddenly remembered what Yuki was capable of doing when he got furious.

Shuichi swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Hiroshi made a dismissive gesture, as he walked over to the coffee maker to pour himself a cup of java. "It's alright."

"No, it's not alright." Shindou jumped up, fists clenched in anger. "He could have hurt you, Hiro. He really could have hurt you. Who does he think he is?" With that the young man headed for the door.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" K yelled after him. "We have work to do"

"I need to make a phone call. I'll be right back."

Hiro scratched his head, as the door slammed shut behind his friend. Maybe I should just have kept my mouth shut? That nutcase, Eiri Yuki, is scary, but not as scary as an angry Shuichi.

###

Eiri woke up around one in the afternoon, with a slight headache. He could feel the pressure behind his eyes and knew that it would probably get a lot worse before it got better.

Great, he thought. I need to finish my manuscript and I have a meeting with Mizuki in less than three hours. A headache is just what I need to top it off.

He stuck a cigarette between his lips and lit it before he climbed out of bed. On his way to the kitchen he noticed that he light on his answer machine was blinking, indicating that somebody had called while he was sleeping.

Maybe Mizuki is checking up on me to make sure that I won't disappear on her again. Eiri hit the "play" button as he walked by.

"One message, 11:43 am: Yuki are you there? Pick up the fucking phone if you are listening…"

Yuki stopped in his tracks and turned his head. He almost hadn't recognized Shuichi's voice beneath all that anger.

"…Hiro told me you showed up at his place last nigh. What the hell do you think you are doing? You know, I really don't care if you treat me like dirt, tell me that I'm stupid and that I have no talent. I have learned to live with that. But I won't allow you to mess with my friends. Do you hear me? What's wrong with you anyway? I barely ever tell me that you love me. You are only nice to me when we have sex, yet you act like you own me, Yuki. I have kept up with your shit for two years because I love you. But this time you have gone too far. I don't ever want to see you again. Go to hell for all I care."

"Been there, done that." Yuki snorted sardonically as he turned away and walked into the kitchen. When he opened the fridge he realized that he was out of beer.
Damn it, I meant to go shopping yesterday, what happened? Oh right, I went to the fucking concert instead.

Eiri made himself some coffee and walked with a cup in his hand into his study. He sat down at his computer and started reading over the parts of his manuscript that still needed to be worked on. When he reached the last two chapters he frowned. What the hell was I smoking when I wrote this? Eiri highlighted almost the entire two chapters before hiding the "Delete" key. There is no way I'm going to turn it in for publishing like that.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes for a moment. His headache was getting worse.

###

Kanna Mizuki had to ring the doorbell several times before Eiri finally opened. The novelist looked like he had just rolled out of bed, but the fact that he was wearing his glasses told her that he had been probably working.

"Oh, it's you." He sounded almost disappointed, as though he had been expecting somebody else.

"We have an appointment," she reminded him with a charming smile.

"Yes, I know," Eiri stepped aside to let her enter. "I was working and just didn't realize what time it was."

"If you will just give me the manuscript, Mr. Eiri, I'll be out of here in not time, and you can right back to your work."

Eiri gestured for her to take a seat. He removed his glasses, put them down on the table and lit himself a cigarette before he sat down in the chair across from her. "I'll need another day or two to finish the novel."

"But Mr. Eiri, you promised that you would have it finished by today. Mr. Eiko extended your deadline twice already."

"I know." He blew out a lounge-full of smoke before he continued. "But writing a novel isn't like baking cookies which you put in the oven, set the timer and expect to be ready when the buzzer goes off."

I realize that, but Mr. Eiko is going to rip my head off when I come back to the office without the manuscript and yet another excuse. Mizuki sighed inwardly. "May I at least see what you have got so far?"

"Of course." The blond novelist nodded and rose to retrieve the printout from his study. "I had just finished making some tea when you came, can I offer you a cup?" he asked, as he handed her the papers.

"That would be lovely, thank you." Kanna gave him a polite smile.

She could here him rummage in the kitchen, while she quickly scanned over the manuscript. She had read part of it earlier already and was just catching up on the newest chapters. A few minutes later Eiri walked back into the living room, carrying a tray with dishes and a teapot. Mizuki couldn't help but notice that his hands were trembling slightly as he filled her cup. She looked up at him concerned. "Are you alright, Mr. Eiri? You look a little pale."

He gave her one of his sarcastic smirks. "I have been working almost five days straight, I have barely gotten any sleep in that time and I have a headache. But other than that I feel just peachy, thanks for asking."

There was a short moment of silence while she sipped at her tea, then she asked. "Have you and Shindou-san been fighting again?"

He snorted. "What makes you say that? Not that it would be any of your business to begin with."

"Just a woman's intuition, I guess." She smiled at him charmingly. And the fact that you are always a little more testy than usually when the two of you had a fight. "But anyway, I'll take these to Mr. Eiko if you don't mind. I'm sure I can convince him somehow to give you another few days." Not that he has much of a choice. "It looks good so far. Not that I expected anything less from you, Mr. Eiri. It seems to have quite a bit of angst in it, but that's what your readers love, isn't it?"

"I guess though."

"Well I'd better be going now." Mizuki put the papers into her handbag and rose. "Thank you for the tea, Mr. Eiri."

###

Eiri was standing by the window, popping open a can of beer- he had gone to the store shortly after Mizuki had left - , when a white BMW pulled up behind his Saab convertible. For a moment he considered pretending that he wasn't home, but it was already too late. Tohma Seguchi had seen him as he climbed out of his car, and waved up to him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he opened the door for his brother in law.

"I was near by and decided to come by and see how you are, Eiri-kun. I thought you might need a ride to the impound yard to get your car."

Right, I almost forgot about that. The police had impounded his Mercedes when they arrested him the night before. "You didn't have to trouble yourself, you know. I could have taken a taxi." Eiri said as they walked into the living room.

Tohma just smiled at him. "No trouble at all." He opened his coat and pulled off his leather gloves before he settled down on the couch. The producer of N-G records let his gaze wander for a few moments before he asked. "Did Shindou move out again? Did the two of you have a fight?"

"Why do people keep asking me that? It's nobody's business but his and mine." The novelist snorted. "Why is everybody so concerned about my personal life?"

"I'm not concerned about your personal life, I'm concerned about you," the older man clarified. "You look a little pale. Are you alright, Eiri-kun?"

"I have a headache. And I haven't been sleeping well," Eiri admitted. "Yuki! I know, I said that I never want to forget him, but it would be nice if he would leave me alone for a few nights every once in a while."

"You are working too hard. Maybe you should leave town for a few days," Tohma suggested. "You have been very busy lately."

"I'm still busy," Eiri pointed out. "The novel isn't finished yet." For some reason, Tohma's presence reminded him that he hadn't taken his medication yet. He walked into the kitchen picked up the small bottle and poured two pills into his hand. He swallowed them and washed them down with the rest of his beer.

Seguchi gave him a somewhat concerned look. "I believe, you are not supposed to take those with alcohol."

The blond writer just shrugged as he tossed the empty beer can into the trash. He did it all the time. "Umm…I was just about to take a shower," he said, hoping that Seguchi would take the hint.

"By all mean, Eiri-kun, don't let me stop me. I'll just make myself useful and cook dinner while you are in the shower. We can drive to the impound yard later. What would you like to eat?"

Eiri glared at his brother in law. "Why are you offering me food in my own house? If anything, shouldn't I be the one inviting you for dinner?"

"I don't mind cooking for you, Eiri-kun." Tohma gave him a brilliant smile.

That wasn't really the point, but Eiri was in no mood to argue. He just shook his head and shuffled into the bathroom. He turned on the water and undressed while it was getting warm. He gave a content sigh as he stepped into the shower. For a long moment he just stood there and let the hot water run over his head and back for a long while, simple enjoying the massaging effects of the powerful jets. His headache was finally starting to subside too.

He loved taking long showers, and so did Shuichi. Sometimes they would stay in here together until the water ran cold, only to end up in bed afterward and get sweaty and sticky all over again.

Shuichi! I made a complete fool of myself last night, didn't I? Eiri snorted. What was I thinking? I have never allowed anybody get under my skin like that. But then again, I have never met anybody like him before. He can be such a brad, and he gets constantly on my nerves. Sometimes I even wonder if he does that on purpose. And yet, I can't get him completely out of my head. I actually miss the little baka when he is gone for too long. And that's what really scares me. I don't want to get hurt again. I don't want to have to go through that pain again. I'm not sure if it was a good idea to let him get so close to me. But I suppose it's too late now.

Suddenly he regretted that he hadn't erased Shuichi's message from the answer machine, although he didn't really think that Tohma would go as far as listening to it. However if he did, Eiri was sure, he would be pleased. He was well aware that Seguchi had never too keen about his relationship with Shuichi.

"Eiri-kun!"

The blond almost jumped at the sound of Tohma's voice. "What the hell are you going in here, get out!"

"You didn't lock the door, so I thought you wouldn't mind." Seguchi replied calmly. "Do you have any tofu?"

"Not in here I don't," Eiri snapped. "If there isn't any in the fridge I'm out."

"I'll check again, but if you don't have any I guess I'll just have to do without."

Eiri Yuki glared at the door after it had closed behind Tohma. He turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He locked the door to prevent any further unwanted disturbances before he started to dry himself off and got dressed. By the time he stepped out of the bathroom dinner was almost finished.

"Why don't you set the table, Eiri-kun? I'm almost done here," his brother in law suggested.

###

Dinner was a rather quiet affair. Eiri wasn't in the mood for small talk. He more or less moved his food from one side of the plate to the other before finally pushing it away.

"You barely ate. Didn't you like it?"

"It tasted great, but I'm just not hungry." It wasn't even a lie. Tohma really was a great cook. It was one of the things not many people knew about him.

Eiri rose and picked up some dishes. He carried them to the sink before he walked over to the liquor cabinet and reached for a bottle of brandy. "Do you want a drink?"

"No, thank you." Seguchi, walking into the kitchen with the rest of the dishes, shook his head. "And I don't think you should drink any more either."

The blond just snorted. He only had two beers all day long. .

Suddenly Tohma's hand was on the bottle. "I mean it. Your medication and alcohol don't mix well. You should know that."

"Don't tell me when I should drink and when I shouldn't. It's none of your fucking business," Eiri snapped. "Stop acting like my father." The blond writer stood almost toe to toe with Seguchi. A lesser man would have cringed under Eiri's intense glare, but Tohma didn't even blink. Even his voice was surprisingly calm as he said: "Maybe I'd better go."

"Maybe you should." Yuki agreed coldly.

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T.B.C.

Author's Note:

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)