Unlimited Chapter 3 Bullets

A/n: I was particularly inspired to write this chapter because have a new laptop and I can work on it wherever I want to now. It's pretty cool. I've started college and everything's been so stressful and that's why it's taken me so long to update this story. I promise I'll pay closer attention to it now. I have free time between my classes and at night and when I'm not out making new friends and everything I will work on this as much as possible. So here you go!

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Sniff. Sniff. ACHOO.

"Damnit!" The sonorous voice of Yuki Eiri rang through the house. It was just barely beginning to get cold outside and already he was sick. He refused to tell Shuichi, of course, but he was still sick. He didn't want the boy to think he needed o be taken care of, because he didn't, what an embarrassing situation that would turn out to be. Eiri was the type of person who wouldn't let his pride take damage. Admitting to needing someone's help, especially Shuichi's, would be a huge blow to his male ego. He had a name for his ego, but he refused to ever tell anyone what it was. Many liked to speculate, though.

Shuichi often found himself wondering if it was a silly name. He named the stray cat downstairs "Nyankotaro" (Mr. Meow). He knew Eiri had a soft side, he could see if when he was sleeping; when he was awake, sometimes, and only sometimes. It was a strange feeling, seeing him sleep was a very rare occasion. Eiri was a stolid, stoic cruel man to some, but to others, such as Tohma, he was merely Uesugi Eiri. Eiri, the 16 year old boy with a heart of gold and a passion for stories.

Eiri had only become a writer because he'd made a promise to Kitazawa. In reality he hated writing. It kept his readers and his editor satisfied so he wasn't complaining. He was able to live a life of comfort and luxury. The only setback was having a small pink haired brat constantly butting into his life. He was quite sure he loved Shuichi, but he couldn't admit it to himself or Shuichi.

"Fucking cold…Just perfect." He grumbled to himself, attempting to hoist himself from the leather chair that he'd been confined to for the last few hours. Shuichi had been in and out of his study, but for the past few weeks they'd seen neither hide nor hair of each other. The first day after Shuichi had finished his concert, Tohma had announced that he wanted Bad Luck to begin working on their next album, which would be a compilation of their greatest remixes. Shuichi had been at work until well past 1 AM almost every night for the past 3 weeks. Eiri missed his paramour, of course, but he was always asleep when Shuichi finally came through the door.

Eiri trudged miserably into the kitchen and stabled himself against the counter. He was shivering now, much like a leaf in the midst of an autumn storm. He wasn't about to show that kind of weakness to Shuichi. He had to keep himself healthy. He had to be the strong one. Would Shuichi care for him any less if he allowed himself a brief moment of weakness? Eiri doubted it. He wanted to the boy to care for him the way he was. And that is exactly what Shuichi would do. He never once complained about how Eiri acted. Yes, at times he would ask him not to be so cold to him all the time, and most of the time Eiri blew off Shuichi's complaints and continued to act how he wanted to act. He wasn't one to listen to what other people had to say about him. He didn't care for another's opinion of him even if he had hurt another in the process. He was a cold man, and he fully intended to stay that way. Shuichi had said time and time again that he loved Eiri for who he was, not what he was, He didn't care about the novelist's popularity, or his sexual talent, though he wasn't one to complain about that, He loved everything about him including his bad habits.

Eiri sighed once more as he reached for the coffee pot he had started mere moments before. He glared at it as he wrenched back his hand. It was hot. He swore and then muttered, before he grabbed it again, this time being careful not to burn himself.

He set the coffee down on the counter and a moment later, he was struck with a wave of dizziness and he dropped the pot on the floor, flinching as the scalding hot liquid seeped out onto the tile floor. He felt faint and then his eyes rolled back in his head and he landed on the floor with a loud thud.

"I could use a good fuck and some ramen." Hiro remarked dryly, following his best friend into the redhead's small apartment. Hiro had had a chance to move into a condominium much like that that Eiri and Shiuchi shared, but he had declined. His closet had become something of a home to him over the past three years that he had spent there.

"So what'll it be, Shu? Shrimp and rice too?" Hiro asked, peeking his head out of the kitchen.

"Sounds good!" said Shuichi, a wide grin on his face.

"Alright then. Just give me a few minutes and it'll be done!" he gave his pink haired best friend a warm smile.

Shuichi proceeded to sit down on the edge of Hiro's couch, clasping his hands together in his lap, sighing loudly, in hopes that his best friend wouldn't notice his mood. He'd been very down lately for some reason. He had everything he wanted. Eiri, a successful band, supportive friends and family, money, a home, but he was still missing something.

Assurance from the one he loved. He loved Eiri unconditionally, and he would stay with him regardless of how Eiri displayed his emotions because he loved him so deeply.

The one thing he could never be sure of though was if his emotions were returned. He often felt like his lover just used him as a convenience. Though he was often told by others to leave the fair-haired author, he never would. He wasn't the type of person to leave someone by themselves after he'd made a promise. He was one who followed through on his word.

Since Shuichi had zoned out completely during his little reverie. He failed to notice Hiro standing in front of him with a dish of ramen and some chopsticks.

"Shuichi? Earth to Shuichi!" Hiro waved his free hand in front of the boy's face before he set the dish down on the table in front of him. Shuichi looked up and smiled.

"Gomen Hiro! I didn't mean to ignore you like that! I'm sorry!" he grinned sheepishly.

"No, no sweat, Shu." He smiled brightly at his friend, and sat down next to him on the couch.

"So…how are things with you and Yuki-san going?" he asked, glancing at Shuichi out of the corner of his eyes.

Shuichi glanced up at him from the corner of his eye and he smiled. "Oh, you know…he's been working a lot since I came home. I guess he has another deadline at the end of the month. That would explain why he hasn't been paying much attention to me." He looked down and pouted inwardly at that small factor.

"Shuichi, if he's ignoring you, you need to speak up about that. I thought you guys had worked out those issues?" he glanced at him again, before he began to stuff his face with ramen.

"Well…I thought we did, but the day after that he went right back to ignoring me again! I don't know what I keep doing wrong! Hiro, do you think he doesn't like me anymore?" his eyes suddenly took on a sad, lost look. Hiro hadn't seen that look in those amethyst eyes since the day Shuichi received his key in an envelope from Eiri. Shuichi was too sensitive.

"Shuichi, you should know by now that he cares for you. Don't go second-guessing yourself all the time just because Yuki-san ignores you once in awhile. I'm sure he is a very busy man and he has just as much work to do every day as you do." Hiro couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"That's not fair Hiro! You don't know what it's like! It was so hard to go home to that stupid apartment and not find anyone waiting for you, or a sign on the door that says, 'Don't bother me, you fucking brat! I don't have time for any of your shit today!' Or to go to bed and find it as empty as it was when you left! Blankets still tucked in neatly, sheets cold as ice! It's not fair! He loves his work more than me!" he dropped his bowl of ramen on the table, thus spilling the contents all over the table.

"Damnit Shuichi! Are you that blind? Yuki-san loves you. He would've kicked you out much sooner than this if he didn't. He wants you around, can't you see that?" Why does he always doubt himself? Why can't he ever realize that people do want him around? If Yuki Eiri cannot see how great of a person Shindou Shuichi is, then who really can?

"H-Hiro…I-I'm sorry! I…I have to go!" he stood up and in a flash he was gone, leaving the door wide open in his wake.

"Damn..." Hiro muttered.

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"I can't believe him. How would he know what I have to go through every day? He doesn't. He doesn't know what it's like to be ignored, or have your love unrequited. He doesn't understand what it's like to be the loner. The one who is always left out. MAN! I'm depressing myself even thinking about this!"

"Yukiiiiiii! I'm home!" he walked in slowly, the glum disposition that had been following him all day followed him home and made it's presence known.

He didn't spot the blonde author right off the bat, but he saw something familiar out of the corner of his eye, and instantly panicked. He saw the still body on the floor and his mind immediately assumed the worst.

"Yukii! YUKI! Wake up! What happened?" he screeched, shaking the author roughly by the shoulders. Eiri stirred a minute later.

"What the hell are you doing you damn brat? Are you TRYING to kill me?" he asked, his voice coming out in nothing more than a hoarse whisper.

"Yuki! Yuki! Are you alright? What happened?" he yelped, fidgeting nervously. He reached his hand down and brushed it across the smooth plane of Eiri's chest, and immediately withdrew it, gasping.

"Now do you get it?" Eiri murmured. "I'm sick you moron."

"Yuki, you should be in bed." He chastised him.

"Don't tell me what to do, I'm old enough to take care of myself you brat." He muttered. He opened his eyes a little bit, only to realize that Shuichi had disappeared.

The pink haired singer reappeared a minute later, dressed in a nurse's outfit, and a silly grin on his face.

This is going to be a long night…

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A/n: Hey everyone. I'm gonna have to stop here for now I ran out of ideas for this chapter. I'll update ASAP!

Enjoy.

Chi