A Game of Love - Law of Attraction
Title: The Law of Attraction (9/?)
Pairing: NishiKato
Credits to: aida_pi for beta
Dedicated to: akeru_world69
Chapter 9
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“For God’s sake man, will you hold the damned ladder steady?”
Shige drew in a sharp, controlling breath, biting his tongue to stop his angry retort, at the same time reaching and steadying the ladder Ryo was standing on. The last five days of having him constantly about, issuing orders and expecting them to be carried out immediately, had been every bit as bad as thought it would be.
There was no doubting that Ryo is a hard worker, or that, surprisingly, he knew what he was doing, in fact he had finished painting the ceiling the other night, and was now on to measuring and cutting shelves. Oh yes, he was doing every bit as a job as he had he would, and yet --------------
“Maybe you’re hoping that I’ll fall off the ladder and break my neck?” Ryo cut in his thoughts.
He looked up guiltily at Ryo’s mockery, only to quickly look away again when he found himself looking straight into a pair of laughing eyes. He had not been wishing anything on him quite as drastic as breaking his neck - an ankle or an arm would do, he thought.
“What are you making me for dinner this evening?”
And that was another thing! Although it was very kind of Ryo to help him in this way, he is not only seeing far too much of him than was moderately comfortable, but he also expected him to feed him every evening once he had finished work for the day. Good grief, it was almost as if being married to the man!
“We have steak, Ryo” he told him tightly. “Which you are going to cook,” he added with satisfaction. I’m sure you can cook steak better than I can. I’ll prepare the salad and the potatoes.”
Ryo grinned and came down from the ladder. “Did you ever imagine that the two of us would be cooking together?” He taunted.
“I didn’t think of you at all, unless I absolutely have to.” That’s true anyway, to a point. He didn’t DARE think about Ryo. He absolutely torments him.
Ryo chuckled softly, shaking his head ruefully “Still no chance of me being egotistical in your company?”
“Did you think that might have changed?” Shige challenged sharply.
“One can live in hopes.” Ryo shrugged, amusement lurking in the eyes.
“Not over that particular point.” Shige said.
“You know Shige, you really --------------------“ Ryo broke off as the phone start ringing. He looked around them speculatively and frowned. “I know this is probably a silly question, but where the hell is the telephone?”
Every surface in the bookshop now is covered with something. And just like Ryo, Shige had no idea where the telephone is at the moment.
“I think we better try and find it.” Shige said at the incessant of the phone, and started to look underneath the overturned shelves.
Ryo grimaced. “Isn’t seven thirty a little late for a customer to be calling?” he is looking under the dustsheets now.
“How should I know? I’m not usually here at seven thirty.” Shige replied.
"Good point. I - aha!” Ryo announced triumphantly as he spotted the phone. “Hello,” he spoke clearly into the receiver before Shige could get to it. “Hello? Hello?” he said impatiently. “Look-----. Damn it,” he swore. “they hung up,” he scowled.
“It happens,” Shige dismissed, moving the phone to where they would be able to locate it in case it rings again.
Ryo frowned. “Or someone who wasn’t expecting me to answer the phone. I haven’t messed things up for you have I?”
He looked at Shige with narrowed eyes. “By answering the call?”
“I told you it happens. It was probably just a wrong number.” Shige shrugged dismissively. “Anyway, you answered the phone politely enough, so I can’t see it's being a problem ------“ he broke off as he realized what was Ryo asking him. And the answer to the question was no, he had not messed things up. If it was Jin who had called, there was nothing to mess up, as their relationship at best was, as friends, but if it was indeed Jin who called, there was no reason why he should hang up when Ryo answered the call. Nevertheless, he could feel the heat of embarrassment rushing into his face as Ryo continued to look at him.
“So, I have messed things up for you.” Ryo murmured softly. “I thought you told me there was nothing in your life just now?” He added accusingly.
“As I remember it, I didn’t actually answer that question. We were sidetracked into talking about my father’s death.” Shige replied dryly.
“So we were,” Ryo rasped. “So, who is this mystery man who hangs up the phone when another man answers his call?” He scowled darkly.
Shige drew in a sharp breath. “Who he is can be no interest to you.”
Wrong sweetheart, I’m very much interested. “I think I would rather be the judge of that.” He said grimly.
“Where my private life is concerned, you have no right to be the judge of anything.” Shige said tautly, his eyes flashing Ryo a warning. Ryo had always been able to make him angrier than any other person he had ever met. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be the judge of my own friendships. And might I remind you that you’re the one who offered to help me out?”
“Only because you were making such a damned mess of it on your own,” he scowled again, not understanding a thing. He did not expect this. How could this be happening? Who is this man? And more to the point, when did he appear in Shige’s life? How come he didn’t know? He needs to know, to be certain.
“Where has this other man been for the last five days? How come I haven’t seen him come over? Where is he now?”
“Probably at the hospital, he’s a doctor.” Shige explained, before Ryo could make any other assumptions. He has a habit of twisting things to his advantage.
“A doctor?” Ryo echoed disgustedly. “God Shige, you find a man who will be more dedicated to his profession than 10 of you put together. Don’t you at least think it would be nice to find someone dedicated to you for a change?” his eyes gleamed deeply black as he looked at Shige.
Shige’s mouth twisted wistfully “That doesn’t happen in this day and age -------” Ryo interrupted.
“Of course it does,” Ryo snapped impatiently. “It’s just a question of finding the right man!” And that man is me, damn it!
“And just how can you be sure that Jin is not the right man ----------------“ Ryo’s outburst interrupted him again.
“Jin? Is that his name?” Ryo bit out hardly. “Well, if Jin was the right man for you, you wouldn’t have spent most of Saturday and Sunday, with me, or the last few evenings. Or is it a question of while the doctor is away, the mouse will play?” He grated disgustedly.
Shige sighed and shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about Ryo. Jin is a busy doctor and we see each other when we can.” The conversation had gone too far to explain the kind of relationship he and Jin has. It consists of only three meals together and Jin’s visits to the house when his father was still alive. He certainly isn’t in love with Jin. Besides, it is really none of Ryo’s business. He didn’t talk to him about Makoto, did he? “And I’m not playing. What I’m doing in this shop is hard work."
“Tell me about it,” Ryo muttered. “Hell, I can’t believe -------- Why the hell didn’t you tell --------------- Oh, to hell with this.” Ryo threw up his hands disgustedly before climbing back up the ladder, seeming unconcerned by the fact that it swayed precariously as he did so. “A coffee would be nice, in about fifteen minutes.” He called down abruptly before resuming his painting, ignoring Shige now, it seems.
“Yes sir! Very good sir! Three bags full sir!” Shige was so angry at Ryo’s peremptory tone that he was shaking with emotion. What on earth is wrong with this man? Jin is a friend. Granted he did not say anything about him, but that is no reason why Ryo should suddenly be in a bad mood. He ignored the remark about the coffee and went to do his own work. He hardly noticed the time passing by, muttering to himself as he worked, and none of it complimentary to Ryo. He would be glad when the work is finished and he will disappear again.
“It’s one of the first signs, you know.”
Shige spun around at Ryo’s voice. He was standing right next to him, a mocking smile curving his lips. His bad mood of a short while ago certainly seems to have disappeared - and transferred to him.
“What?” he snapped irritably.
“Talking to yourself. It’s one of the first signs of insanity.” Ryo grinned unconcernedly at the face of Shige’s scowling expressions.
“I’m not insane Ryo.” He bit out impatiently, straightening from him; he was far too close again. “I suppose you want that coffee now?”
Ryo inclined his head. “If it’s not too much trouble. . .”
Shige sighed and didn’t say anything. He turned away and started towards the small kitchen at the back of the bookshop. Ryo followed him.
“Shige, I’m sorry. I don’t know what has got into me. I -------“ he stopped as the phone started ringing again. Want me to get that for you? he drawled derisively, his eyes innocently wide.
Shige rolled his eyes and went back into the shop to get the phone. “Hello,” he answers rather impatiently, very conscious of Ryo’s eyes on his back as he stood in the doorway.
“Shige?” said a warm and pleasant voice on the other rend. “I haven’t caught you at a bad time, have I? Listen, I called your house but there was no answer, so I thought you’d be at your shop ……”
Shige caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Ryo, moving further into the shop, unashamedly listening to his end of the conversation, as he leans against one of the larger bookshelves, his arms casually folded against his chest.
“Jin!” he greeted warmly. “How nice to hear from you!”
“It has been a while.” Jin acknowledged, and Shige tried to visualize his pleasantly handsome face. “How are things?” Jin added gently.
“Err, fine. Everything’s great.” Shige said, trying to keep his tone calm.
“I wondered if you felt like going out, you know, share a meal?” Jin suggested lightly. “We can catch up on all our news.”
Shige glanced across at Ryo, turning quickly away again as he arched one eyebrow in enquiry. “That sounds lovely Jin.” Shige accepted lightly. “When did you have in mind?” Ryo was now holding has hands out pointedly at the half decorated shop. “Tomorrow would be lovely Jin, thank you.” he said, determined no to be agitated by Ryo. He ended the call with a “Seven thirty is fine. Bye.”
Ryo’s expression is mildly scornful now. “I think you should have played a little hard to get,” he said wryly.
Shige rolled his eyes and said dismissively, “that isn’t necessary where Jin is concerned.” He meant it. Jin is, a best a friend, and he knows that Jin thinks of him as just a friend too, their fathers' friendship rubbing off on them. “Is that how it worked for you all these years? Play hard to get that everyone gave up in the end and went away?”
To his annoyance, Ryo just smiled. “Oh, I’ve allowed myself to get caught occasionally,” he murmured throatily. “Very enjoyable it was too.”
Shige’s eyes flashed angrily, their merry go round is getting to be a habit, “You’re such a --------“ He broke off, breathing heavily in his agitation. Part of his agitation was that Ryo could talk about his conquests so casually, and that he almost became one of them, remembering their interlude at the Country Inn.
“Such a --------?” Ryo prompted, eyes never leaving Shige’s face, he held their gaze.
Shige was the one to look away. “A gentleman doesn’t talk about their past relationships,” he snapped.
Ryo laughed at this. “Is that what Jin told you?”
This is getting nowhere. “Hadn’t we better get some things done? There’s still some more to be done and we won’t be working tomorrow evening.”
“And whose fault is that?” Ryo muttered as he moved the ladder and disappeared behind one of the larger bookshelves. “So much for the urgency to get all the work finished in time for your re-opening.” He continued to complain, his voice sounding slightly hollow. “We’ve only got less than a week, but one call from your doctor and you just drop everything.”
“Not everything, Ryo, I assure you.” Shige replied drily. He didn’t feel that way about Jin, but today had been too much for him to handle. He needs to get away from Ryo, if only for one evening.
“I suppose that’s something.” Ryo muttered grimly.
Try as he might, Shige just didn’t understand Ryo. Ryo appeared to be disgusted by the whole Jin thing, and if he didn’t know better, he would think that Ryo sounded like a jealous lover. Shige laughed at the impossibility of the situation. Ryo could not be jealous, he has beautiful Makoto, and Shige is to him, at best, his brother’s best friend and his deceased childhood friend’s ex-fiance. Inwardly he wondered how his mother’s matchmaking had been so far. Ryo never mention anything about Makoto, and he would be damned if he starts asking how things are going in that direction.
Shige frowned as he heard the bell ring over the shop doorway. Somebody opened the door and then it was shut. It’s past eight o’clock at night. Who on earth would be coming? He was glad that Ryo’s close by. He looked up over the railing that he was working on just in time to see his visitor walking towards him. He gave a puzzled frown. They had not seen each other since Yuya’s wedding eleven days ago. But the memory of their last conversation had stayed with Shige, as had the animosity she had shown him. What on earth could Ryo’s mother be doing at his shop, of all places? More to the point, is Ryo, still working behind the bookshelves, aware that his mother has just walked into the shop?
“Madam,” he greeted loudly, hoping to alert Ryo of her presence. “This is unexpected,” he understated, glancing nervously at the bookshelves where Ryo was working undetected.
“Ryo has left, I see.” Not wasting any time for pleasantries, she went straight to the point. Tall and slender in a black suit and cream blouse, looking as the matriarch Shige had pictured her to be, she glanced around the bookshop, and noticing it was deserted, apart from Shige, she turned her attention back to him. “I called here earlier.” She answered at Shige’s surprised look. “I believe I am more than capable of recognizing my own son’s voice!”
She had been the first caller and not Jin, as Ryo had suspected. Shige could see it clearly in his mind. She was the one who hung up on him. And the reason she didn’t identify herself earlier when she called was she had known it was Ryo who had answered her call.
Ryo’s car is parked alongside Shige’s at the back of the shop, which was probably why his mother had not seen it. And why she had assumed - wrongly - that Ryo was no longer at the shop. But if she had assumed that, she could have just driven through, and then it dawned on him. Seeing that Ryo’s not there anymore, she decided to talk to him. What on earth could she want from him?
He moistened his suddenly dry lips. “Err, what can I do for you?” he prompted warily. As far as he is aware, there’s no reason to be even remotely polite to the old woman.
Ryo’s mother strolled further into the shop, looking about her critically. “I believe I’ve already expressed my wish to you the last time we talked?” she bit out coldly. “A wish that you have totally ignored, judging by Ryo’s presence here this evening,” she added, her eyes narrowing to steely slits.
Shige swallowed hard at the venom in her otherwise silkily soft voice, he glanced at the bookshelves where Ryo was working. Surely he must be able to hear this conversation?
“As it must have been obvious, Ryo came to me, not the other way around. Shouldn’t you be talking to him about that, Madam?” He kept his voice deliberately light. However she must appear, she is, after all, still his friend Yuya’s mother, and if only for that, he must show her the respect that she didn’t deserve - although part of him wanted to tell her to just go away and leave him in peace. He half wished that Ryo would come out of his hiding place and take his mother away from here. He still has not recovered from his father’s death, and Ryo’s constant intrusion in his life was far from relaxing, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take without erupting. Ryo may have likened him to a mouse several times but at the moment, he’s feeling like a lion ready to pounce.
Ryo’s mother twisted her lips disgustedly. “Ryo has always had a soft spot for the injured and supposedly helpless,” she bit out insultingly.
“I am neither injured nor helpless.” Shige replied indignantly. Clearly, he was becoming tired of this family’s varying opinions of him. Imagine having a best friend whose brother continuously taunts and torments him, and a mother thinking of him as a simpleton that she could just push around. He wondered how she could have given birth to the two brothers -- their personalities simply do not match.
“Aren’t you?” she drawled derisively. “Then you play that part very well, my dear.”
“I ------“
“Ryo is not for you, Shige,” she told him, her eyes glittering furiously. “Not now, or in the future either. You ----“
“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want Ryo?” He cut in heatedly. Enough is enough. Not caring anymore that Ryo is within earshot. If Ryo wasn’t prepared to reveal himself to his mother and take her mother away from here, then it’s his own fault if he heard his remark. His mother’s intention seems to link him with the beautiful Makoto, and as far as he was concerned at the moment, the beautiful Makoto is welcomed to him.
“Ryo broke up his date with Makoto this evening so that he could be here with you.” She seemed to be able to read some of Shige’s thoughts and her expression hardened even more.
He had? But why? “Surely that is between him and Makoto?" Shige met her gaze in defiance, even though he was slightly shaken by the fact that Ryo preferred to come to the shop working rather than spending the evening in the company of a beautiful woman.
Ryo’s mother shook her head disgustedly. “Ryo doesn’t seem to know what’s good and what is not good for him. And ----“
“Oh but he does.” Ryo finally decided to break his silence. “And contrary to what you might think, it is definitely not Makoto Kitagawa!” he added gratingly.
His mother looked briefly stunned and glared accusingly at Shige as she realized that her son had not left the shop after all.
Ryo began to come down the ladder, furious at his mother. But he only began - because seconds later, Shige heard a hoarse cry, and then a clatter, a thump, followed by Ryo’s expletives.
By the time Shige and his mother had rushed to his side behind the bookcase, he had managed to sit up, although he appeared to be having trouble getting up on his feet.
“What on earth are you doing here Ryo?” his mother demanded, her scathing expression taking in his old, paint-daubed clothing.
Ryo sat awkwardly at the bottom of the ladder. The screwdriver he was using, miraculously, still held in his hand and the shelf he was working on luckily stayed in place. Otherwise, he would have been more damaged than he appeared to be.
Ryo looked up at his mother with glacial eyes, “Well, at the moment, I appear to be sitting on the floor, he snapped. “But a few moments ago, I was standing atop that damned ladder, listening to you warning Shige to stay away from me.” If anything, his gaze grew colder, belying his soft tone. “Would you care to explain to me what the hell do you think you’re playing at?”
Shige winced. Not that his mother didn’t deserve his anger but he had never heard Ryo talk in a cold menacingly tone before, and he was glad that Ryo’s anger was not directed to him. The old woman, however, didn’t look perturbed by her son’s anger. But still, he thought, he should probably try and lessen Ryo’s anger, if not calming him down. He didn’t look good enough in his position. He needs to be checked for broken bones right away. This is not the time to argue with his mother.
“Ryo -------” Shige started only to be cut off.
“Later,” Ryo said, his cold gaze never leaving his mother’s face. “I’m waiting, Mother. What games are you playing now?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Ryo?” his mother scorned. “For some reason, you delegated yourself to be Shige’s knight in shining armor ever since you learned about his father’s death, and so I--------“
“Hold it right there, Mother,” Ryo cut her off angrily. “I do not, in the least, feel responsible towards Shige. But even if I did, I would think that is totally none of your business!”
“Of course it’s my business, Ryo.” She dismissed scathingly. “You’re my son and ---------“
“To my regret!,” Ryo cut in harshly. “But my being your son does not give you the right to choose my friends for me, especially at my age. Or, despite what you may think otherwise, whom I choose to marry,” he added forcefully.
“Makoto----------“
“Shige,” he corrected with a firm shake of his head, struggling awkwardly to his feet at last, the effort causing him more pain. “You seem determined to marry me off Mother, so, for the second time in your life -----,” he moved slightly so that he could place his arm around Shige’s shoulders ----- “I would like you to meet your second in-law, my future spouse ---- Kato Shigeaki.”
Shige caught his breath, not sure who is more shocked at Ryo’s triumphant announcement, him or Ryo’s mother.
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like i said in some of my comments, it's time for Ryo to move forward, and lady luck is once again on his side as his mother has unknowingly helped him XD
Ryo's interaction with his mother is not over yet ........there's more in the next chap - it will be an interesting part !!!!
alba: i hope this will be interesting enough to remove your stress dear !!!!!
aida: thanks much for all the help hon, i appreciate it a lot !!!!