Tape

By: Late-Sleeper

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing…or else Shuichi would be walking limp everyday

Yuki paced thru and fro the apartment waiting for the call of the supposedly kidnappers of his lover as he keeps on puffing his cigarette with every steps he took. He could no longer count how many sticks he consumed at this time. Hundreds maybe.

The brat was already missing for three days that the cold stoic novelist becomes worried on his small lover's whereabouts.

He had a gut feeling that something wrong happened to his pink haired baka. He could feel it in his veins, running throughout his body and he hated himself for feeling that way.

"Eiri-san please calm down, we will find Shindou-kun." Tohma tries his hardest to calm his brother-in-law before he could dig himself a hole with his non-stop pacing.

"Find him?! You already told me that yesterday and the day before that." Yuki couldn't help snapping at the smaller blond although he knows it was just an act of concern on Seguchi's part but he couldn't make himself to calm down when all he could think about is his brat and the danger he might be in.

With that retort every one was silent in the room, they knew better than to argue with an angry Yuki and damn hell he was angry. Everyone is anxiously praying for the phone to ring. The tension filled the room, as eyes darted from one face to another.

A loud ring broke the silence and Eiri almost launched himself towards the device to answer the call.

"Hello."

"…"

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

"…Yuki."

Yuki's eyes almost budged out from its socket as he heard the familiar voice of his lover on the phone. "Brat, where are you?" Everyone looked at the author with anticipation as the said man clutch his mobile phone for his dear life, like he would lose Shuichi if his grip loosen.

"Yu…Yuki…did you miss me? A harsh voice was heard on the other line.

"Brat! Answer the damn question bitch." Yuki wanted to growl in frustration, hand it to Shuichi to ask a damn question in the middle of a crisis.

"…I don't know. A dumpster, near a lake…overseeing a large Ferris wheel. Those guys threw me here…thinking that I might be dead…I'm just lucky that they even damp my phone with me…or else I wouldn't have called you."

Lucky? Yuki couldn't believe that after all that, Shuichi could think positively… didn't he just said that his captor thought he was dead already!

"Yuki."

"What?"

"I love you."

"Baka, you shouldn't be saying that in times like this."

"…I just want you to know that I love you that's all." A harsh breathing escaped Shuichi's lips.

"Baka tell me that when I get there." Yuki hurriedly signaled Tohma to get the car, which the other blond made its way in a jiffy.

"Brat, do you see anyone there to help you?" Desperation plagued Yuki's mind as he run to the car and mouthed Tohma the location of the vocalist.

"No. Just me and garbage all around…I'm going to stink like hell. Mou Yuki." Yuki almost felt like crying as he listened to the cheerful yet raspy voice of his bundle of joy.

"Yuki, if I die would you find somebody else to share your bed?" A soft groan and incessant coughing followed the question. Yuki couldn't, for the life of him, fathom what the brat is thinking.

"Of course."

"I'm glad you would."

Tears started streaming down Yuki's eyes as he heard his lover's absurd reply to his taunting. His lover's reply was too pure and simple. No sarcasm, no snide, not even pain. Just pure sincerity, he couldn't believe that Shuichi actually believed that he would actually have someone else beside him.

"Oi Brat, what the hell do you mean by that?" Yuki yelled at the top of his lungs. Everyone in the car cringed at the anger lacing the author's voice.

"Yuki…I love you."

"I told you to say that to me when I get there." Yuki glared at Tohma to step on the gas more. He did not care if they got a fucking speeding ticket; all he wanted is to get as fast as he could to where his pink-haired baka lay.

An uneven breathing caught Yuki's attention once again on his phone, on his lover on the other side of the line. "Erhmm…uh…uhg…Sorry Yuki…I'm just really tired. I'll just take a nap, okay?"

"Baka! Don't you dare sleep on me, hear that?! Don't you dare!"

"O…okay." A long pause ensued after harsh breathing and a coughing pit.

"Brat, sing for me."

A soft purr and chuckle was heard from the other line then Shuichi's angelic voice echoed thru Eiri's ear. There were some pauses and harsh breathing but Shuichi continue singing his piece to his blond lover. A loud cough escaped his lips thus halting the melodious voice assaulting Yuki's ear earning a panic attack from the said author. "Brat?!"

Coughing like that was a bad sign…a very bad sign.

"Yuki…I really love you. I really do."

"I love you too. Shuichi don't you di…"

Tot. tot. tot. tot. tot.

The line went dead even before Yuki could finish his sentence. He hurriedly dialed Shuichi's number but he only heard a resounding sound of the operator saying that the number was out of coverage area.

Yuki almost slammed the damn phone on the car's window. He tried dialing again but he could not connect to Shuichi…it was like the day the brat was kidnapped.

"Shindou Shuichi-san, the famous vocalist of BadLuck was found lifeless by his lover and some police officers at a damp site yesterday afternoon. The three days search for the kidnapped vocalist ended in vain. Police are now searching for new leads…"

Eiri stared mindlessly at the blaring T.V. not really paying attention to what the people were saying just focusing on the picture of his lover flashing on the screen. He gulped another beer as the news ended hoping to drown his sorrows away when he heard a scuffling on his front door.

"What do you want?" Eiri didn't even had to look at the intruder because he knew that there's only person that could be so persistent enough to get inside his house without his permission.

"Eiri-san, you shouldn't be drinking that much." Tohma walks toward the blond who's now slumped on the floor beside the sofa as he leans on the furniture. A can of beer was on his path and he decided to pick it up when he felt the blond intense glare on him. "If you are here to lecture me, I don't need it…"

"Eiri-san…I…"

Yuki growled a little, he hate it when someone was meddling with his life.

"Eiri-san I came to give you this." Although reluctantly, Yuki reach out and grabbed a small cassette tape Tohma was handing him. He read the label and was shocked to see familiar writing scribbled on the label. He hastily stood up and went to the stereo.

"Shindou-san gave that to me five months ago…" Yuki glanced back at Tohma dejectedly with a bit of puzzlement, which only encourage the other blond to continue his narrative. "He came to me on my office and handed me that tape. I ask him what it was, he fidgeted a bit but answered anyways."

Yuki was beyond confusion on what the tape was all about. He predicted a million things on what the mystery tape hold and why did he gave it to Seguchi. "He asked me to give that to your next lover if he's gone."

Eiri stared at the tape once more and trace it with his finger. He didn't realize that tears were welling once again on his eyes.

"I thought then that he would finally leave you but after a month I realized that he's stuck to you like leech. I don't believe his dying because he's as healthy as a bull so I just shrugged the whole thing off…Shindou-san is by the way, what you call eccentric so I didn't think about it that much…"

A long pause ensued, only a small sobbing sound could be heard. Tohma felt his heart tighten and wanted to run to Eiri's side and comfort him though he knows better to leave the grieving author alone in peace. "I didn't really realize that…this could happen…I wanted you to hear it first so I gave to you…Goodbye Eiri-san."

Yuki couldn't careless when Seguchi left the building, all he could think about is hearing what the brat had recorded on the tape.

He gingerly put the tape in the stereo and pushed the play button. A deafening silence surrounded the room then Shuichi's tentative voice was heard. "Umm…Hi! This is Shindou Shuichi. If you are playing this tape, I might have left Yuki or I'm dead. I'm hoping for the later because I know I couldn't forgive myself if I did left him."

Yuki's mouth twitch upward in Shuichi's outburst. "Well anyway, I just hope that you'll take my advice as a former lover to a new lover. Besides it's Yuki's welfare were talking here!"

The blond author couldn't help but shake his head. Only someone as stupid as Shuichi could come up with this crappy idea. He also wonders why he was playing the damn thing anyway?

"Yuki had a hard time in the past…but I really don't blame his past that much. He's past made Yuki what he is today. When he's being mean don't take it too personally…he doesn't know any emotion other than rage, anger and sarcasm. Just understand him. You're going to be immune to it one day."

Shocked was evident on Yuki's face, he couldn't believe the damn brat just said those things. That damn gaki!

"Yuki wouldn't be caught dead admitting that he loves you…but please continue reminding him that you do. I know he'll retort something nasty but don't be dishearten, I know it hurts but you'll get use to it."

A sobbed escaped Yuki's lips. "Yuki doesn't want some noise in the house but liven up the place once in awhile. It relieves Yuki some stress when you're surrounded with cheerfulness. When he goes on all-nighter, please beg him to cook, so that he will eat too. He thinks nicotine and beer are the only essential in life. I know he will snap at you and call you names or scream at you to drop dead but please be patient and wait for him at the door."

" Oh yeah by the way I hid his stash of cigarette behind the closet. It's a nice hiding place." Yuki felt like cursing Shuichi right now. Damn, he remembered looking for his pack of awesome cigarette for hours. He couldn't believe the brat lied to him when he asked him if he knew anything about it but the brat denied it to until the end. Damn brat!

"Yuki doesn't like going to his father so please ask him anyway. He may get annoyed at you but he would oblige to go anyway, beside family is important. If you are feeling down and want to cry, please don't do it in front of him, he's already handling too much emotion don't add up to his misery. Though of course you could always cry about nonsense stuff…it gets his attention. Do always wear a smile even though you're hurting inside."

Yuki brushed his hair with his hands in frustration. He never knew how utterly stupid but kind hearted his pink bundle of joy could be. "And when you get home and found him lusting over you, let him be. Even if you are tired and drained, let him have his way…it's a rare moment…"

"…just…just be there for him…please…I wish I could always be there for him…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I…I…I love you Yuki."

'I love you too brat.'

:OWARI: