Love wo produce - Chapter 4: Love, Life
Pairing: Shuji to Akira (Pikame)
Characters: Kusano Akira (Yamashita Tomohisa), Kiritani Shuji (Kamenashi Kazuya), Mr. Honeybutt, OC, probably others
Rating: PG-15
Disclaimer: Don't own them, just love them ^^
Setting: drama
Warnings: Probably a chaotic story-line, kissing and making out
Multi-Chapter
Notes: This is for my dear yukitsubute, finally the new update. Storyline inspired by our last get-together at lilly0's place and side-dedicated to sweet (not so) little doggie Hera. <3
Intro: Akira feels bad, because he let Shuji down on the dating issue and because they are stuck in their situation. But then, suddenly, none of that is important anymore as they face entirely different problems...
“Hey,” Akira mumbled silently as he slipped into his and Shuji’s shared living room.
“Hey,” Shuji muttered back.
He had a bottle of bear in hand and one was standing on the table - empty.
“Listen, Shuji… I’m sorry,” Akira stumbled apologetically. “About before. I just… I didn’t know how to react. What to do. But I shouldn’t have nagged at you too. I was just…”
“Okay, now, stop it,” Shuji interrupted him. His voice was strong and clear, the effect of the alcohol on his system only notable in his slightly glazed eyes. “I know… I know we can’t…”
“I should have said something else, though,” Akira insisted. “We can still cover for each other somehow.”
Shuji laughed bitterly at that. “How long, though? How long until people will discover us eventually? I mean, it will be recognizable.”
“So?” the other asked, sounding sad.
“So… Either we agree that we each date girls, or…”
Shuji broke off, swishing his head around in surprise as a curious sound resonated from the street. Akira heard it too, of course, and quickly ran to the window to take a look outside.
“Wha-“
“Oh my god,” Akira exclaimed, interrupting his friend’s question.
The next second he rushed away from the window again and out the room. Shuji blinked after him for a second, then shook his head and went after him. Outside he found the young man quickly putting on his shoes.
“Hey, where are you going?” Shuji demanded.
“Mr. Honeybutt,” was all Akira said and with that he was out the door.
Shuji bit his lip. What on earth was going on? Determined to find his boyfriend and apparently the dog they had both come to love he followed Akira outside as quickly as he could. Once he was out on the street, his eyes grew bigger in shock.
“Oh my god, what…?!”
Their beloved dog was limping, his fur covered in blood.
“It looks like he’s been cut,” Akira analyzed, checking the dog as best he could. “Maybe somebody who walked by.”
“What - seriously?” Shuji gasped.
“Not sure,” the other shrugged. “But here, look. It looks like somebody threw stuff at him. Bottles maybe.”
“Shit,” Shuji cursed, also rushing to pet the dog and trying to calm it, while Mr. Honeybutt was still whining miserably, trying to lick his wounds. “What are we gonna do now?”
“He needs to get to a doctor,” Akira decided, looking around. “Hold on,” he muttered as he shot up, leaving the dog in Shuji’s arms.
Shuji looked after him, hugging the dog to his body and trying to soothe the pain as best he could. Akira had gotten onto the street. After about thirty seconds Shuji understood what he wanted to do. He tried to get a hold of a cab. It wasn’t exactly common practice to just stop a cab in mid-drive, but then, this was an emergency and really, not too long after Akira obviously got lucky. There was a cab standing on the street and his boyfriend waved for him to hurry. So Shuji tried to simply heave the dog up into his arms, but the animal was simply too big and too heavy for him to carry. After a few failed attempts Akira came back to help him to get the dog into the car.
“I don’t usually accept animals,” the driver complained when finally everybody was stuffed into the cab.
“Yes, we’re sorry,” Akira apologized. “But our dog is seriously hurt. We need to get him to a doctor right away.”
“I know where we can go,” Shuji stated. “There’s this place next to the medical department at university.”
“Right,” Akira cheered. “Good thinking. That’s where we’ll be going. University grounds, please, I’ll tell you where to go exactly, once we’re in the area.”
About twenty minutes later Shuji and Akira were sitting in the waiting room of the small animal hospital the cab driver had dropped them off at.
“Do you think he’s gonna be okay?” Shuji asked, sounding worried.
Akira sighed. “Look, I don’t know,” he admitted. “The doctor said the cuts don’t seem to be deep… but it feels like they’ve been in there forever.”
“Sure does,” the other agreed.
While Akira was circling through the room, Shuji was sitting still, his hands folded, elbows on his knees and hands covering his mouth and his teeth absentmindedly gnawed at his finger. When the door next to them opened they both started up, directing their attention right to who was coming in. They both sighed in frustration when an elderly lady came in, in her hand a small basked with a cat in it. The woman eyed the two of them for a second, then turned towards the reception counter.
“I can’t handle this anymore,” Shuji complained.
He sighed as he made to return to his seat.
“Hey, Shuji,” Akira said softly. “He’s going to be okay. You’ll see. Tomorrow we’ll walk him together, okay?”
Shuji smiled at the other thankfully. “Okay,” he nodded.
Finally the other door opened and the doctor came out. Both the guys rushed to him to ask about Mr. Honeybutt.
“He’s gonna be alright,” the doctor announced. “It was pretty good luck. The cuts weren’t deep and he doesn’t seem traumatized.”
“Oh, thank god,” Shuji sighed out in relief.
“Thank you doctor,” Akira beamed. “That’s really good news. When can we take him back home?”
“Tomorrow should be fine,” the doctor smiled. “You can visit him, if you like,” the man offered. “Then you should go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow. Oh, but don’t forget his papers, we have to sign them. I understand you didn’t bring them tonight, but we’ll have to get the paper work done, ne?”
“Ah, sure,” Shuji nodded, smiling weakly. “Thank you. We’ll make sure to bring everything. We can see him now, right?”
“Yes, of course,” the doctor said encouragingly. “Try to be calm around him, but take your time.”
“Again, thank you,” Shuji repeated.
Once the doctor was gone, attending to his next patient, Akira gave his boyfriend a scared look.
“Fuck, what are we gonna do now?” he hissed.
“I don’t know,” Shuji admitted miserably. “We’ll think about that later. Let’s check on Mr. Honeybutt now.”
“Okay.”
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“And now we’re totally fucked up,” Akira sighed. “They won’t give him back to us if we don’t bring papers…”
“Yous guys should get them papers, then,” Miyagi suggested.
“But how?” Shuji whined.
“Why dontcha come back tanight? 8 pm.” Miyagi suggested, grinning mischievously.
“And then?” Akira asked, blinking.
“Just come,” Miyagi urged. “Me’ll help ya.”
“That would be great,” Akira beamed.
“But wait,” Shuji cut in. “If… I mean, let’s say we get the papers, wouldn’t that mean he’ll be our dog, then?”
“So?” Akira demanded. “He is our dog already. We found him and…”
“But we cannot keep him,” Shuji insisted. “We’ve discussed that, remember? We can’t host him.”
“s’okay,” the store keeper told them. “Him can stay here. Me don’t mind.”
Both boys looked at the older man.
“What - really?!” Akira exclaimed.
“Sure,” Miyagi confirmed. “Yous guys come almost every day ta see him anyway. Ya just gimme some money far food.”
“That would be great,” Akira cheered happily, hugging the man, who was offering his help so willingly.
Shuji smiled at the picture. Akira was such a heart-warmingly cute person. How could anybody not love that guy? He felt a strong urge to hug his boyfriend and kiss him senseless. Then he sighed, though. There was still this problem between them that they had to find a solution for. How should they handle things like their fellow students in the future? He was sick of all the bothersome comments about dating girls. At the same time he wondered, of course, what kind of comments he would get if he outed himself as committed to Akira. He bit his lip.
“Let’s go home for now,” Akira suggested.
Shuji blinked for a second. Then he nodded. They left the store, walking side by side in the cool evening air.
“You know,” Akira mused, “all of this is very upsetting.”
“Uhn,” Shuji agreed with a nod.
“But then… it also shows what’s really important in life.”
At that Shuji blinked. “Huh?”
“When you think about it, isn’t it stupid to worry about things like if anyone will feel appalled by us not just living in the same apartment, but living together?” Akira explained.
“I know what you mean,” the other nodded. “But is it really that simple? What about our families? Having children? What about getting a job? There are things you cannot shrug off by ignoring them…”
“Then… what about the dime on the street?” Akira asked playfully.
Shuji smiled kindly at that. “Us two in the paper box village?”
“I can take over my dad’s company, after all,” Akira muttered. “I’ll be my own boss, then.”
“And I’ll be your devoted wife?” Shuji joked, blinking sweetly several times.
Akira laughed at that. “You could look pretty in a dress.”
“Don’t tell me you get off on stuff like that.”
“Do you want to know what I get off on?”
“Depends,” Shuji teased. “Is that your idea of wooing me?”
Akira looked at the other firmly. After a second’s hesitation he took Shuji’s hand into his, stroking the back with his thumb softly. After first jumping in surprise Shuji let his boyfriend proceed and also started to play back a bit.
“I’ll give it my best,” Akira finally stated. “I want to make you happy. To make you feel loved.”
“Wow, mushy words to get your prey to follow you to bed?” Shuji joked.
At that Akira stopped. His hand was still holding his boyfriend’s, though.
“Never,” he stated firmly. “I will never pry you.” He sighed. “Shuji, if you don’t want it, just tell me. You can say it, I’ll love you all the same. I can tell you’re struggling with all of this. It’s not like I’ll blame you if you choose to let it go and I’ll forever appreciate that you tried. Please, just don’t think you have to do anything to appeal to me. I’ll be just as happy just being by your side, whichever way. Just… it’s a bit… you’re giving me mixed signs, you never make a real statement. In the end, we both have to commit, if we want this to work. Look, I won’t apologize for wanting you. I do. I want you. It doesn’t mean my love for you isn’t real. It’s starting to hurt and I can’t help wondering… if that’s worth it. You know, if maybe I’m not hurting too much for nothing.” He made a short pause, shaking his head. “Sorry, this is not the time or place. And I don’t want to urge you into anything. Things got pretty reveled up tonight. Let’s go home for now.”
When he finally loosened his grip on Shuji’s hand he found that the other was gripping more tightly.
“Don’t let go,” Shuji said, his voice slightly husky. “Don’t let go of me. I think I might fall…”
“I’ll always capture you,” Akira promised, tightening his hold on the other’s hand again.
“Show me,” Shuji demanded, suddenly kissing him hard, right there on the street.
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Yes, leaving all the revelations for the last part. I'm sorry this is pretty short, but I want the get-together and the Mr. Honeybutt solution together in the last part. Please, look forward to it. :D