Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Fleeting Inspiration ❯ Hangover ( Chapter 40 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Fleeting Inspiration
by Anna Sartin

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Chapter 40: Hangover

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"You passed out from exhaustion," the doctor explained after Eiri had regained consciousness. He'd woken up in a hospital bed with a killer hangover and Shuichi hovering over him anxiously.

"But why did he throw up?" Shuichi wanted to know.

"Too much alcohol," the doctor said, giving Eiri a disapproving look.

"Thank goodness!" Shuichi said, relieved. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his boyfriend's hand tightly in his own. "I was so afraid you were really sick! You usually hold your alcohol better than this..."

Eiri grunted something unintelligible as he stared blankly at the ceiling, silently vowing to never drink that much again. The only thing that hurt worse than his head was his stomach. Or maybe it was the other way around.

"How much beer did you have?" Shuichi asked.

"I don't know," the writer answered dully. "I drank everything in the house and when I ran out I went to the store and got more."

The doctor shook her head. "Uesugi-san, I've advised you repeatedly to cut back on the alcohol. Your x-rays show that your ulcer is acting up again."

"I believe it," Eiri responded. His stomach felt like it was on fire.

"Shindo-san informed me that you forgot to take your medicine this morning. If you don't start taking better care of yourself you're going to wind up in the emergency room again. Why in the world did you drink so much?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Why didn't you tell me you were having trouble sleeping?" Shuichi asked. He looked like he was about to cry. "I could have rubbed your back or sang to you or... or... something to help!"

"Don't starting crying on me, brat."

"Well, I was scared! When you threw up on me I thought-"

"Can I go home?" Eiri asked his physician, trying to hide his embarrassment. He tightened his grip on Shuichi's hand to silence him and prayed that his emotional lover would save his hysterics until after they'd gone home.

"Yes, provided you don't drive yourself. You shouldn't have driven here in the first place," the doctor said in a reproachful manner. "I want you to stay off your feet the rest of the day and no more alcohol until your ulcer clears up. No smoking either."

Eiri stared at the woman, frozen in absolute horror."You can't be serious!" he protested, when he finally found his voice. No smoking or drinking? How was he supposed to survive?

"I'm very serious, Uesugi-san, and I mean it this time. Your stomach is getting worse, and if you keep this up you're going to have another bleeding ulcer. Absolutely NO more alcohol until you're well."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he stays away from the booze!" Shuichi declared, ignoring the glare his boyfriend shot his way.

"And what if my ulcer never clears up?" the author asked.

"Then I suggest you find something else to do with your time," the doctor said icily.

Eiri let out an annoyed grunt in response.

"And another thing, it looks like you've lost some weight. Shindo-san tells me that you haven't been eating much lately."

"I haven't had much of an appetite."

"That's one of the side effects of your ulcer medicine. You mustn't let it control your eating habits. It's important that you maintain a healthy weight while you're undergoing treatment. Underweight patients often have a longer and more difficult recovery process, so from now I want you to eat before taking your medication."

Eiri nodded mutely.

"And no skipping meals," she added, before turning to leave. "I'll go sign your release forms."

"Can you get Yuki something for his headache?" Shuichi asked.

"I'll have the nurse bring a painkiller," she said, and with that she was gone.

A minute later a nurse appeared, but Eiri didn't seem to notice her presence until Shuichi whispered, "Your pills are here, and she brought an ice pack for your head." Eiri quickly downed the pills then closed his eyes and allowed the nurse to gently place the ice pack on his forehead.

"I called Mika to come and take us home," Shuichi said, after the nurse had gone. "She's on her way."

Eiri's eyes flew open. "You what?"

"Well, I had to!" Shuichi reasoned. "I can't drive us home, and if the doctor had said you had to spend the night I would have needed someone to take me home."

"Why didn't you call Tatsuha?"

"Oh, I did!" the singer said brightly. "He's bringing me some clean clothes." The hospital had given him some surgical scrubs to wear until a change of clothes could be secured. The borrowed clothes were several sized too big for him and Eiri found the sight to be rather comical. His little lover looked like a child pretending to be a surgeon.

"If Tatsuha's coming here than why did you call her?"

"Well, Tatsuha wouldn't be able to drive us both home on his motorcycle, you know? Plus he's coming all the way from Kyoto so it'll take him awhile to get here."

Eiri staring at the ceiling. He couldn't smoke, he couldn't drink, he felt he'd been hit by a truck and he was going to have to deal with both of his troublesome siblings at the same time? Well, that was just fucking peachy.

Sometimes he seriously hated his life.

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When they got home Eiri retreated to the bedroom almost immediately, after threatening his brother and sister with a slow and painful death if they disturbed him. He'd been planning on issuing a similar warning to Shuichi, but the boy looked so pale and tired that the blond didn't have the heart to leave him to deal with his annoying siblings. The past three weeks had been hard on them both, and they both needed rest.

"Do you feel any better?" Shuichi asked when they were comfortably situated in their bed.

"I feel like shit," Eiri answered.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shuichi asked, rubbing the blond's aching head.

"Yes. Stop talking."

"Sorry."

They could hear Tatsuha and Mika arguing from the other end of the apartment. Mika was blaming Tatsuha for their brother's current condition and Tatsuha, naturally, didn't think it was fair.

"I told you to stay here and watch him!"

"He's an adult, Aneki! He doesn't need a babysitter!"

"If you had stayed here like I told you to he wouldn't be in the condition he's in!"

"He was the one who sent me back to Kyoto. Besides, he has Shuichi here to-"

"That boy can't look after himself, let alone deal with Eiri's problems."

"He's been dealing with Aniki's problems for almost two years."

"Causing them, you mean!"

The argument droned on, but the sound of soft weeping at his side made Eiri lose interest in what was being said.

"Shuichi?"

"I...I'm sorry..." Shuichi whispered, sitting up. "I know you have a headache. I'll go make them be quiet..."

Eiri grabbed his companion's wrist before he could get up. "Ignore them."

"But..."

The author sighed and pulled him closer. "I'm only saying this once, so listen up. My sister is pregnant and emotional, and she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about."

"Am I a nuisance, Yuki?" Shuichi asked in a desperate tone. "Do I make everything worse for you?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters!" the younger man cried. "I love you! I want to help you, not hurt you!"

"Sometimes it IS hard having you around, but your presence... helps me far more than it inconveniences me. If you weren't with me..." He stopped, not sure how to continue. How could he possibly explain how Shuichi had transformed his life, or how empty it would be if he lost him?

"If I weren't with you...?" Shuichi whispered, eager for him to continue.

"If you weren't with me who would I fuck every night?" Eiri finished, watching with amusement as the singer's jaw dropped.

"You JERK!"

Eiri chuckled softly as his lover began to rant about how hard it was living with the coldest bastard on the planet. This went on until Shuichi ran out of breath, and after that he continued to glare at the blond with a hurt expression until Eiri stroked his face and motioned for him to lay back down. The younger man obeyed, reluctantly.

"I was kidding, you retard. I want you here because I love you."

Shuichi smiled snuggled against his mate. "I love you, too."

"Are you okay?" Eiri asked.

"My head hurts."

"Mine too."

"I know... Does your stomach still hurt?"

"Mm. I think I overdid it last night."

"You're just figuring that out NOW?"

"Shut up."

Mr. Fuzzy jumped onto the bed and settled himself comfortably between the two humans. Eiri's hand immediately moved to pet the little furball. He started to purr and Eiri smiled faintly. He wondered what it was about soft, furry animals that had a way of making people feeling better.

Shuichi also smiled, noting that both the kitten and his boyfriend's personalities softened considerably when together. Mr. Fuzzy chased Eiri's fingers as he ran them up and down his chest and Shuichi laughed at the cute scene. Eiri's hand stilled.

"What are you staring at?" he asked, glaring at Shuichi. For a moment he'd almost forgotten the pink-haired man was still there.

"You."

"Well stop."

"You don't have to stop playing with the kitten just because I'm watching," Shuichi said, grinning. "I already know how sweet you are, so you don't have to bother hiding it."

The kitten pounced on Eiri's hand and he reluctantly continued their play. He rolled the little gray furball onto his back and rubbed his stomach.

"Maybe we should get a kitten of our own," Shuichi suggested.

"No."

"But why? You seem to really l-"

"I don't want another kitten!" Eiri snapped, cutting the singer off as Mr. Fuzzy settled onto his chest and closed his eyes. I want this one...

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End chapter forty