Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting Inspiration ❯ A Hostage Situation ( Chapter 31 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Fleeting Inspiration
by Anna Sartin

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Chapter Thirty-one: A Hostage Situation

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When they got back from seeing Eiri's real estate agent, they found Tatsuha camped out in front of the apartment door.

Literally.

He'd pitched a tent in the hallway and was sitting in front of it with a determined look on his face. Eiri had tossed him out and taken away his key before they left.

"I'm not leaving!" the young monk declared fiercely.

Eiri ignored him as he and Shuichi entered the apartment, closing the door behind them. To his surprise his brother didn't yell, whine or beat on the door. He must be up to something...

"All of the houses she showed us were nice," Shuichi said, settling down on the couch. "Do you think we can see what they look like on the inside?"

"Of course," Eiri replied, handing him the stack of flyers, brochures and catalogs they'd been given. "All we have to do is decide which ones we're interested it and she'll set up times for us to view them." He pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and took one out of the box, then fished through his other pocket for the lighter.

"Do you think we'll be moved into our new house by next week?" Shuichi asked.

"Of course not. Getting a new house takes time, and we haven't even picked one out yet. Moron."

"Well, whenever you moved before it was always super-fast!"

"I'm not looking for a place to rent this time," Eiri replied. "Buying a house takes longer." He finally found his lighter, but before he could light his precious cancer-stick he remembered that he could no longer smoke in the house, or in front of Shuichi. He cursed inwardly and shoved both the cigarette and lighter back in his pocket.

"Oh Eiriiiii!" Tatsuha sang from out in the hallway. "Didn't you forget something?"

"Go away!" Eiri shouted, not in the mood for his brother's antics.

"You don't want your mail?"

"Oh, that's right!" Shuichi said, setting the catalog he was looking at down and getting up. "We forgot to get it on our way in!"

Eiri stormed out, determined not to fall for whatever trap his brother had set for him. Shuichi followed on his crutches. "Give me my mail!" Eiri demanded, extending his hand.

"Oh no you don't!" Tatsuha responded quickly, guarding the tent that currently housed his brother's (and Shuichi's) mail. "You don't get your mail until you agree to let me stay!"

"Not a chance in hell!" The blond reached in the tent to retrieve his property when he met with an unexpected obstacle. "OW!"

Shuichi rushed to his aid. "Yuki, are you all right? What happened?"

"Something bit me!" He held up his injured finger in evidence.

"Ha! I see you've met with my secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon? What the hell do you have in there?" Eiri asked, sticking his finger in his mouth.

Shuichi took a peek inside the tent. "All I see is mail... OW!" He withdrew his hand quickly.

"I've secured a fierce guardian to help guard the hostages!"

"You call a package and few envelopes hostages?"

"So what do you say Eiri?" Tatsuha asked. "Do we have a deal? I'll give back your mail if you'll let me stay for a week!"

"Mew!" the tent replied, before Eiri could answer.

Tatsuha glared at it. "Quiet, you! I'm negotiating!"

A small gray kitten poked its head out and looked around.

"How CUTE!!!" Shuichi squealed, rushed over to pet it. It bit his hand. "OUCH!"

Eiri tried to grab the ferocious feline, but it bit his thumb and the author actually yelped. Not about to be bested by a measly furball, he picked the kitten up and tossed it aside. He was about to grab the pile of mail when he noticed the kitten running into his apartment.

"God damn it! Get out of there!" He darted in after the cat, his mail forgotten.

. . .

"Aw, come on!" Tatsuha pleaded a short time later, clawing at the door. "Give me back Mr. Fuzzy!"

Eiri and Shuichi exchanged glances. "Mr. Fuzzy?"

"Ryuichi will cry if I lose him!"

Eiri glared at the front door as if he could see his brother on the other side. "So you kidnapped your lover's cat to hold my mail hostage?"

"I didn't kidnap him, I'm cat-sitting! Give him back!"

"Give me my mail."

"I'll give you the mail if you let me in!"

"You'll give me my mail or I'm throwing the cat out the window."

"No!" Tatsuha yanked the doorknob, quite certain that his brother had already captured the poor little furball and was dangling him out the window by his tail. He couldn't let Mr. Fuzzy get killed! Ryuichi would never forgive him!

In reality "Mr. Fuzzy" was sitting quite comfortably on the coffee table enjoying a can of tuna that Eiri had opened for him. The irritable blond actually had a soft spot for cats, but only Shuichi and Mika (and quite possibly Seguchi, who seemed to know everything about everyone) were aware of this fact. In his last apartment complex there was a friendly stray that Eiri had been especially fond of that he'd called "Mr. Meow". The longer he lived at the place the fatter the cat got, due to the fact that half the people in the building (including Eiri) bought food for him. Watching Mr. Fuzzy wolf down the food in front of him made Eiri wonder what Mr. Meow was doing these days. Still charming everyone into feeding him, no doubt. He watched the kitten in front of him lick its tiny paws for a few seconds, before glaring at the door again.

"Ten seconds, Tatsuha, or it's bye-bye Mr. Furry..."

"It's Mr. FUZZY!"

"10... 9... 8... 7..."

"You WOULDN'T!"

A loud banging noise started up. Tatsuha was now trying to kick the door in.

"6... 5... 4... 3..."

"All right! Fine! I'll give you the damn mail! Just give Mr. Fuzzy back!"

Eiri smirked triumphantly and went to open the door. "Come and get him."

Tatsuha rushed to the kitten's "rescue" while his brother went and got his mail out of the tent. When he re-entered the apartment Eiri found his brother nursing a sore finger. "Bit you, did he?"

"That cat is MEAN!"

"No shit."

Shuichi handed Tatsuha the box of bandages he and Eiri had been using a few minutes earlier. Tatsuha thanked him and sat down on the couch. "Look Aniki, I really need a place to stay."

"And that became my problem when?"

"Please? I'll do all the cooking and cleaning, and I'll even run all your errands for you!"

Eiri closed his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, he could use the help. He had a lot to do and Shuichi was basically useless on crutches. "Fine. But there are ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Yes. One, absolutely no smoking in the house. Two-"

"No smoking? Why not?"

"Shut up. Two, keep your hands off Shuichi. I catch you fondling him in his sleep again I'll beat the shit out of you. Understand?"

"All right, all right!"

"He fondled me in my sleep?" Shuichi asked, confused. "How come I don't remember that?"

"Because you were asleep, dumbass," Eiri responded, before turning back to his brother. "Three, don't let the cat tear anything up. If he makes a mess, clean it up. Four, leave me the hell alone. Here." He handed Tatsuha the rental copy of Dawn of the Dead that he still hadn't returned.

"What's this?" Tatsuha asked.

"You can return it to the video store while you're out."

"Out? Where am I going?"

"To the grocery store. You said you'd run errands. We need milk and bread and the cat will need food. Get something for dinner, too."

"Can I take one of your cars?"

"Hell no!"

"But my bike is still in the shop!"

"Then walk!"

Tatsuha trudged out, grumbling to himself. What the hell possessed me to volunteer to become the family maid? Eiri didn't give me any money and I don't even know where the grocery store is!

Meanwhile Eiri picked up Mr. Fuzzy (who bit him in return) and set him down in his lap. "You remind me of someone," Eiri informed the tiny, yellow-eyed feline. The kitten meowed is response, then started to purr.

"Hey Yuki, what would you have done if Tatsuha hadn't given up in ten seconds?"

"Made him think I threw the cat out the window and gone out to get the mail while he ran outside to check."

Shuichi laughed and reached over to pet the now purring kitten... "OUCH!" ...and got bitten again. "He's a mean little thing, isn't he?"

Eiri snickered. Mean and fickle... he's just like me.

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~End chapter thirty-one~